Bo Sang Umbrella Festival 2027: Chiang Mai's Handicraft Celebration
Bo Sang has been making handmade umbrellas for longer than anyone in the village can reliably trace. The craft centre of San Kamphaeng district, 9km east of Chiang Mai, the village’s narrow main street is lined with workshops where artisans stretch mulberry-bark paper (saa paper) over bamboo frames and paint it by hand. Every third weekend of January, the Bo Sang Umbrella Festival turns that ordinary working week into a three-day celebration, with the 2027 edition running 16-18 January.
The streets fill with hundreds of decorated umbrellas and parasols hung overhead and displayed in doorways, giving the whole village the effect of a canopy of colour. Craft demonstrations run throughout the day inside open workshops — visitors can watch umbrella-making, wood-carving, silverwork, and lacquerware being produced in real time. Most workshop owners are happy to explain their process; a few offer short hands-on sessions for an informal fee. The range of goods on sale covers umbrellas of all sizes, hand-painted fans, silk scarves, and decorative items, all made in the village or in nearby San Kamphaeng.
- Dates: 16-18 January 2027 (third weekend of January annually)
- Location: Bo Sang village, San Kamphaeng district, ~9km east of Chiang Mai city centre
- Entry: Free
- Getting there: Songthaew (shared red truck taxi) from Warorot market area, or Grab — around 20-30 minutes; 50-80 THB by songthaew
- Best time to arrive: Saturday morning for the parade, which begins mid-morning and winds through the main street
- Weather: Cool and dry — January is peak season in Chiang Mai, expect 15-28 degrees Celsius
The Saturday parade is the festival’s most photographed moment. A procession moves through Bo Sang’s main street with villagers and performers in traditional Lanna dress, accompanied by live music — cymbals, hand drums, and the pii oboe that defines northern Thai ceremonial sound. Decorated floats, umbrella-carrying dancers, and a beauty pageant component for the festival queen add spectacle. The procession is slow-moving and the street is narrow, so staking out a spot near the umbrella-draped archway at the village entrance gives the best backdrop for photographs.
Pro Tip: Bo Sang is a working craft village year-round, not just during the festival. If the January crowds are not appealing, the workshops are open and welcoming on any weekday — you can commission hand-painted umbrellas directly and arrange shipping home. Festival weekend prices are broadly the same as the rest of the year; there is no festival surcharge.
Sunday rounds out the weekend with more cultural performances, a handicraft competition among local artisans, and traditional Lanna music and dance staged in the village square. The whole event wraps by late afternoon each day. Chiang Mai’s night markets and restaurants are a short ride away for the evenings — January is high season, so book accommodation in the city at least a few weeks ahead.
The broader San Kamphaeng Road (Route 1006) running east from Chiang Mai is essentially a 10km craft corridor. Beyond Bo Sang itself, the road passes workshops specialising in silk weaving, teakwood furniture, celadon ceramics, and silver jewellery. Many are factory-outlet scale rather than artisan studios, but the silk and celadon workshops at the far end of the road are genuine and worth a stop. Combine the Bo Sang festival visit with an hour or two driving the full stretch if you have a rental scooter or car.
Bo Sang’s umbrella craft has been practised for over a century and is recognised as a cornerstone of northern Thailand’s craft heritage, and the village has maintained it despite pressure from cheap imported alternatives. The saa paper umbrellas sold here are lighter than they look, pack flat, and survive checked luggage surprisingly well inside a cardboard tube — most shops will pack them for you. A medium-size painted parasol is modestly priced; large hand-painted decorative pieces with lacquered rims cost considerably more. The cheap miniatures sold at Bangkok’s tourist markets are not made here.
Hero image: Bo Sang saa-paper umbrellas, Chiang Mai — Grossbildjaeger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is Bo Sang village?
Bo Sang is in San Kamphaeng district, about 9km east of Chiang Mai city centre on Route 1006 (the San Kamphaeng Road). It takes around 20-30 minutes by songthaew (shared red truck taxi) from the Warorot market area, or roughly the same by Grab.
Is the Bo Sang Umbrella Festival free to attend?
Yes, entry to the festival is free. The streets of Bo Sang are open to walk through, craft workshops are free to watch, and the parade is viewable from the roadside at no cost. Individual umbrella purchases and workshop participation fees are at your discretion.
What is saa paper and how are the umbrellas made?
Saa paper is made from the bark of the mulberry tree, a process that has been practised in northern Thailand for centuries. Artisans pound the bark, press it into sheets, and dry it in the sun. The paper is then stretched over bamboo frames and hand-painted with designs ranging from traditional Lanna motifs to contemporary patterns.
Can I buy umbrellas and handicrafts at the festival?
Yes. The village's craft shops and stalls are central to the festival, and Bo Sang is a year-round craft village — shops are open daily outside of festival dates too. Painted saa-paper umbrellas range from inexpensive souvenir sizes up to several thousand baht for the largest, most intricately painted pieces.
When is the 2027 edition?
The 2027 Bo Sang Umbrella Festival falls on 16-18 January 2027 — the third weekend of January, which is the standard annual timing.
