Family-friendly Lunar New Year celebrations will take place indoors and outdoors in the next few weeks in Brooklyn and lower Manhattan! Celebrate the Year of the Snake with traditional lion dances, calligraphy workshops, crafts, story times, and Chinese dance performances. Scroll down for Lunar New Year celebrations in Manhattan!
Sunday, January 26 | 12:45-4:00pm | $20 adult admission, FREE for children
Bring the family to this free drop-in program celebrating Lunar New Year, presented in collaboration with Cool Culture. We’ll create art inspired by the collection and enjoy a lion dance performance by the Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club at 3 pm.
Sunset Storytime: Lunar New Year at Fontainhas | DUMBO
Monday, January 27 | 4:30-5:00pm | Registration required and will open 48 hours in advance
Join the Adams Street Library for some holiday themed storytimes! All ages welcome! Registration is required. Registration will open 48hours before the program begins.
Lunar New Year Storytime at Brooklyn Children’s Museum | Crown Heights
Thursday, January 30 | 3:00-3:45pm | FREE during Amazon Free Hours
Slither into fun and festivities as we celebrate the Year of the Snake with a lively event featuring interactive storytelling, bilingual activities, crafts, and a special meet-and-greet with Michele Wong McSween, author of Gordon & Li Li. Just like the clever and graceful snake, this celebration is poised to spark curiosity, creativity, and connection while exploring the rich traditions of Lunar New Year. Books and plushies will be available for purchase and a book signing will follow the reading!
Lunar New Year Celebration at Atlantic Terminal Mall | Downtown Brooklyn
Friday, January 31 | 3-5pm | FREE
Celebrate the joy and traditions of the Lunar New Year with a dazzling event at Atlantic Terminal Mall. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of Chinese culture through captivating traditional Chinese dances and mesmerizing performances and a calligraphy brush painting workshop by the New York Chinese Cultural Center! The event will include traditional Chinese dance performances including a traditional lion dance, cultural performances, and a festive atmosphere with vibrant decorations.
Lunar New Year Celebration at Brooklyn Children’s Museum | Crown Heights
Saturday, February 1 | 10am-5pm | $15 admission
Join Brooklyn Children’s Museum as we usher in the Year of the Snake! Learn about the traditions of Lunar New Year through storytelling with authors Yobe Qiu and Ran Wei; live music, dance, and Kung Fu workshops with the New York Chinese Cultural Center; calligraphy workshops with artist Nelson Leung, Snake themed programs in Nature’s Engineers (BCM’s STEM MakerSpace), and lion dance parades led by the Chinatown Community Young Lions.
Lunar New Year Celebration at City Point and Albee Square | Downtown Brooklyn
Saturday, February 1 | Family fun 12-2pm | Lion dances 1-4:30pm | FREE | RSVP here
Celebrate Year of the Snake at City Point with traditional Lion Dances, Kids Lunar New Year-inspired crafts and more! Free and fun for all ages. Families are encouraged to come dressed in red. The event will take place in the gallery space on the Main Floor, next door to Rumi. Stroller parking is available.
Lion Dances with Downtown Brooklyn Partnership: Tradition! Tradition! Discover Chow Lay Fut and his dynamic team of lion dancers. Performances:
- 1:00pm & 1:30pm | City Point (ground floor | gallery space)
- 2:10pm, 2:40pm & 3:20pm | Albee Square
- 3:40pm & 4:10pm | DeKalb Market Hall at City Point
Hana House Lunar New Year Market | Downtown Brooklyn
Saturday, February 1 | 12-6pm | FREE
Join us for a festive market featuring AAPI vendors offering traditional food & beverages, crafts, and live entertainment to ring in the Year of the Snake. Explore the vibrant stalls, enjoy live music, and participate in fun activities for all ages. Check their Instagram for event updates.
Lunar New Year Celebration at Dodge YMCA | Boerum Hill
Saturday, February 1 | 12:30-2:00pm | RSVP here
FREE & open to the community! Join us at the Dodge Y for a vibrant and joyful afternoon at our Lunar New Year Family Celebration! Bring your loved ones and immerse yourselves in festive traditions, colorful crafts, and cultural activities. From lantern making to calligraphy, there’s something for everyone to enjoy as we welcome the Year of the Dragon with creativity, community, and cheer!
Lunar New Year Celebration at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music | Park Slope
Saturday, February 1 | 2-4pm | $20 admission | FREE for children under 3
Ring in the Year of the Snake at BKCM – our famous Lunar New Year Celebration is back! Spend your holiday at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music to enjoy live music, festive snacks, lion dancers, crafts, mini lessons from the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York, and more. Your ticket gives you access to the whole building of programming from 2-4pm, as well as one showing of the Lion Dance in our Concert Hall.
Lunar New Year Celebration at Central Library for Youth & Families | Prospect Heights
Saturday, February 8 | 1-2pm
Join the world-renowned musician Vivian Fang Liu, a classical pianist, children’s music artist, and Grammy U mentor, has graced renowned stages like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, captivating audiences with her musical versatility. As February ushers in the lunar new year, Vivian embarks on a delightful musical journey, sharing the richness of cultures, traditions, and enchanting stories of the Year of the Snake through her beautiful, upbeat, and fun music with the participation of the students’ choir to sing Love Peace and Prayer. Audiences can anticipate an enchanting celebration, as Vivian Fang Liu weaves a tapestry of joy and cultural exploration through her musical prowess and each participant will receive a red paper lantern.
Lunar New Year Celebrations in Manhattan:
Celebrate Lunar New Year at Hudson Yards | West Side of Manhattan
Saturdays at 1pm, 3pm & 5pm | January 18 & 25 and February 1 | FREE
Commemorate the Year of the Snake at Hudson Yards! Enjoy traditional lion dances and ribbon twirling performances from The New York Chinese Cultural Center every Saturday (January 18 & 25 and February 1) at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. And discover The Golden Tree located on Level 1 by Dior. The Golden Tree is a symbol of Lunar New Year representing good fortune, prosperity, and luck. The Year of the Snake motif is woven through the trunk of the tree and the top of the tree is adorned with lucky red envelopes filled with gifts from The Shops & Restaurants. Plus, tons of special offers to celebrate the Lunar New Year! Learn more here.
Lunar New Year Celebration! East Asian Architecture at The Skyscraper Museum | Battery Park
Saturday, January 25 | 10:30am | FREE | RSVP here
This Family Program will dive into vernacular architecture spotted across East Asia. Learning about history and architecture and planning we will gather a broader understanding of how these buildings came to be and why they remain important to our fundamental understanding of height from ancient times to the present day. Then, to celebrate Lunar New Year, we will be creating illuminated paper lanterns, decorated with the architecture we learned about! All ages welcome. RSVPs required.
MOCACREATE: Lunar New Year Museum Makeover at The Museum of Chinese in America | Lower Manhattan
Saturday, January 25 @2-5pm & Wednesday, January 29 @1-4pm | FREE | RSVP here
It’s back! Put a spin on a MOCA tradition— help welcome the New Year by making handmade decorations to liven up the Museum. Join teaching artist Yu Rong (and special guest the ALT Alliance on Saturday, 1/25) in transforming our space with colorful creations, which will be on display through our annual Lunar New Year Family Festival! On Saturday, January 25th, special guest ALT Alliance will be joining in on the fun. They’ll lead participants through creating paper chain snakes creating paper chain snakes designed by visual artist Tzu Ching Chen (Jessy) and inspired by the Great Wall of China. Grab one of 50 limited-edition kits ($29.95 value) for free and help us make a loooong chain snake to decorate the museum! Together, we’ll build a symbol of strength, unity, and shared cultural pride as we celebrate the New Year in community.
27th New Year Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival | Chinatown
Wednesday, January 29 | 11am-3:30pm | FREE | Sara D. Roosevelt Park at Chrystie and Grand Streets
Kick off the first day of the 2025 Lunar New Year calendar in Manhattan’s Chinatown! The Better Chinatown Society’s annual New Year’s celebration is hosted in Sara D. Roosevelt Park with firecrackers, cultural performances, and much more.
Lunar New Year Author Meet & Greet: Book Launch with Michele Wong McSween at The Museum of Chinese in America | Lower Manhattan
Wednesday January 29 | 2-3pm | Best for ages 3-8 | FREE | RSVP here
Slither into fun and festivities as we kick off the Year of the Snake and the launch of Gordon & Li Li’s: Celebrate Chinese New Year Coloring & Activity Book by Brooklyn author, Michele Wong McSween. This delightful companion to Gordon & Li Li’s beloved Celebrate Chinese New Year book is packed with coloring pages, fun puzzles, and hands-on activities that will bring a festive spirit to any Lunar New Year celebration. Join us on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 2 PM, for a lively event featuring interactive storytelling, bilingual activities, crafts, and a book signing with Michele. Books and plushies will be available for purchase following the reading. This event is best for families with children ages 3-8. Younger and older siblings are welcome!
Lunar New Year Family Festival at The Museum of Chinese in America | Lower Manhattan
Saturday, February 1 | 10am-1pm & 2-5pm | $7 tickets | FREE for children under 2
It’s time to shed the old year and slither into something new! Join us as we welcome the Year of the Snake with a day of serpent-ine surprises for the whole family! Join for either thee morning session (10am-1pm) or afternoon session (2-5pm). There will be a lion dancer performawnce, fan dance and ribbon dance workshops, a family concert and storytime, a sticky rice ball workshop, a noodle pulling demo, and more! Check here for full event schedule!
Lunar New Year Celebration at The Seaport | Lower Manhattan
Saturday, February 1 | 12-5pm | FREE
Save the date for Saturday, February 1 as we welcome the Year of the Snake with an exciting day of cultural activities. In partnership with the New York Chinese Cultural Center and the South Street Seaport Museum, join us to celebrate Lunar New Year with live performances, crafts, and more.
- 12:00-12:30 & 1:00-1:30 | Lion Dance Performances | Tin Building, 96 South Street
- 2:00-2:45, 3:00-3:45 & 4:00-4:45 | Calligraphy Workshops | Seaport Museum, 207 Water Street
27th Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival | Chinatown
Sunday, February 16 | Parade at 1pm | Festival & Booths 11:30am-3:30pm | FREE
Save the date for Chinatown’s epic Lunar New Year Parade, kicking off at 1pm on Mott Street!
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Updated: January 17, 2025. Main Image: Lunar New Year Celebration at City Point.
