Lunar New Year festivities will bring a vibrant transformation to Castle Hill Main Street, which, for the first time in a decade, will be closed to traffic and opened up for pedestrians.
On Saturday 28 February 2026, Castle Hill Main Street will be transformed into a pedestrian-only festival zone for the Hills Lunar Street Festival, marking the Year of the Horse with a full afternoon and evening of food, performance and fireworks. The event has been made possible through NSW Government funding under a program designed to revitalise local streets by temporarily opening them up to community use.
The closure will allow the precinct to take on the feel of a traditional Asian street festival, with food trucks and market stalls serving everything from dumplings and ramen to Japanese street snacks, dragon beard candy and bubble tea. Live entertainment will run throughout the day, including stage shows, a traditional lion dance, roving performers and a Chinese juggling act.
Families are a key focus of the program, with a wide range of free activities planned. Visitors can expect face painting, calligraphy demonstrations, hands-on craft workshops, prize giveaways, live portrait illustrations and even a pop-up pickleball court, alongside colourful Lunar New Year decorations and a fireworks finale to close the night.
Lunar New Year is celebrated by communities across East and Southeast Asia and is observed by more than a billion people worldwide. In the Hills Shire, the festival reflects a growing, diverse population, with many local residents marking the occasion as a time for renewal, shared meals, and cultural traditions. The Year of the Horse is traditionally associated with energy, ambition and good fortune, adding to the sense of optimism surrounding the event.
Visitors are encouraged to arrive by public transport, with Castle Hill Metro Station located directly beside the festival precinct.
The Hills Lunar Street Festival runs from 2 pm to 9 pm on Saturday, 28 February 2026, along Castle Hill Main Street on Old Northern Road between Castle Towers and Castle Mall.
