Chatswood Year of the Pig Festival

Overview

Fancy a trip to China, but can't afford the airfare? Well, luck is on your side, because Chatswood is hosting a three-week-long cultural festival to ring in the Year of the Pig.

From 29 January to 19 February, the lower north shore suburb will be filled with food, festivities and floats as it celebrates the Chinese New Year. Highlights include a Golden Market in Chatswood Mall (Jan 29–Feb 8) with 35 stallholders serving up everything from dumpling to flowers; Celebration Day (Feb 9), one of Sydney's largest Chinese New Year celebrations; and the Lunar New Year Twilight Parade (February 16) with impressive floats and dragon dancing moving through Chatswood's main streets.

Foodies can head on one of the Taste of Asia tours, which travel through Chatswood's many multi-cultural eateries, with guests feasting on everything from Taiwanese bao to Chinese dumplings to authentic Malay and heat-packing tom yum.

Kidults (and actual children) can head to a night at the movies with Flicks for Piglets screened every evening, including both Chinese and English family films.

And it's all free, no passport required.