Celebrate Lunar New Year

Ring in the Year of the Horse with Chinese arts and traditions, including a museum-wide lion dance parade! Try on lion dance costumes, practice calligraphy, learn kung fu moves, and enjoy live performances celebrating the new year. 

Presented with New York Chinese Cultural Center and the Chinatown Community Young Lions. 

SCHEDULE

Storytime with Yobe Qiu

🕒 10:45 am – 11:15 am

Meet author Yobe Qiu and participate in an interactive reading of Yobe’s book Our Lunar New Year. This program includes an introduction to Lunar New Year traditions and customs, followed by an art-making activity.

Dance & Music Performance with New York Chinese Cultural Center

🕒 11:30 am – 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm, 2:45 pm – 3:15 pm

Join the New York Chinese Cultural Center to discover the traditions of Lunar New Year. This 30-minute program features a variety of performances including a youth choir, Chinese folk music, and classical dance pieces. Please be aware that space is limited, on a first come first serve basis.

Kung Fu Workshop

🕒 12:15 pm – 12:45 pm

Get an up-close demonstration of kung fu, presented by martial artists from the New York Chinese Cultural Center. Visitors are invited to take part in a hands-on workshop that introduces kung fu and teaches basic stances, strikes, and other techniques.

Lion Dance Parade with Chinatown Community Young Lions

🕒 12:45 pm – 1:15 pm, 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Participate in a traditional lion dance to bring us luck in the new year. Join different viewing stations as performers from the Chinatown Community Young Lions parade throughout the building with full-scale authentic lion dance costumes! 

Ribbon Dance Workshop

🕒 2:15 pm – 2:45 pm

Originating in the Han Dynasty, sharp rhythmic movements with long red silk ribbons are precisely synchronized to form captivating patterns and designs. Led by teaching artists from the New York Chinese Cultural Center, participants learn basic Chinese ribbon dance movements to discover how different techniques are integrated and interwoven to create new forms.

Storytime with Michele Wong McSween

🕒 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Gallop into the Year of the Horse with author Michele Wong McSween! Enjoy interactive storytelling from Gordon & Li Li: Celebrate Chinese New Year, a playful horse-themed craft, and a special launch of the Chinese New Year app, where the book comes to life with animations, sound effects, and character-tracing fun. Meet the author, shop books and plushies, and stay for a book signing. Don’t let this event trot by—join the fun!

Year of the Horse Calligraphy

🕒 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Join us in our ColorLab Art Studio to learn and create your own Chinese calligraphy using brush and ink. Artist Nelson Leung will share his work, guide the project, and explain the significance of Chinese calligraphy.

It’s Rocket Science

🕒 10:30 am – 1:00 pm, 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Learn how scientists design spacecraft to travel among the stars! Build your own space shuttle and test its aerodynamic design with a launch pad. Will your shuttle successfully enter the atmosphere?