10 Ways to Celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year in NYC

By Emma Steven February 4, 2015

Celebrate the Year of the Sheep! We've rounded up the 10 best places to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year in NYC. These kid-friendly Lunar New Year celebrations will expose your family to the Chinese culture.

Asian American Festival
AGES: All
WHERE: Children’s Museum of the Arts, 103 Charlton St., West Village
WHEN: Sundays in February, 10am-5pm
WHAT: Explore Asian culture and arts through music, dance, storytelling, and art making.
WANT TO GO? $11; free for seniors and children younger than 1. 212-274-0986. cmany.org.

Macy’s Sunday Story Time: Lunar New Year Tales
AGES: 4-7
WHERE: DiMenna Children’s History Museum at New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, Upper West Side
WHEN: Through Feb. 22; Sundays at 11:30am
WHAT: Feb. 8: Bringing in the New Year. Feb. 15: The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac. Feb. 22: A New Year’s Reunion.
WANT TO GO? Free with museum admission: $19; $15 seniors; $12 students; $6 kids ages 5-13; free for kids ages 4 and younger. 212-873-3400. nyhistory.org.

MOCACREATE: Museum Makeover!
AGES: All
WHERE: Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre St., Little Italy
WHEN: Feb. 7 and 21, 1-4pm
WHAT: Help decorate MOCA with handmade red paper decorations, a traditional part of the Lunar New Year.
WANT TO GO? Free with museum admission: $10; free for children younger than 12. 212-619-4785. mocanyc.org.

Ancient Chinese Arts Today: Martial Arts
AGES: 5 and older
WHERE: DiMenna Children’s History Museum at New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, Upper West Side
WHEN: Feb. 8, 2pm
WHAT: Learn about Shaolin kung fu at this fast-moving workshop. Afterward check out the Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion exhibit.
WANT TO GO? $15, includes admission to the museum and special exhibition. 212-873-3400. nyhistory.org.

16th New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival
AGES: 5 and older (due to noise levels)
WHERE: Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Grand Street between Chrystie and Forsyth streets, Chinatown
WHEN: Feb. 19, 11am
WHAT: Whizz, pop, and bang your way into the Year of the Sheep at this street festival.
WANT TO GO? FREE. betterchinatown.com.

Family Day: Moon Over Manhattan! Celebrate the Lunar New Year
AGES: All
WHERE: Asia Society, 725 Park Ave., Upper East Side
WHEN: Feb. 21, 1-4pm
WHAT: Ring in the Year of the Sheep with performances and traditional craft activities.
WANT TO GO? $12; $5 seniors, students, and children. 212-288-6400. asiasociety.org.

Chinese New Year
AGES: All
WHERE: China Institute, 125 E. 65th St., Upper East Side
WHEN: Feb. 22, 11am-3pm
WHAT: A free lion dance and kung-fu demo in front of the institute. Then warm up inside with dumpling- and lantern-making workshops, calligraphy, and gallery tours.
WANT TO GO? $15; $5 children younger than 12. 212-744-8181. chinainstitute.org.

Chinese Lunar New Year Parade
16th Annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival
AGES: 4 and older
WHERE: Parade begins on the corner of Canal and Mott streets, Chinatown
WHEN: Feb. 22, 1pm
WHAT: Celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Sheep with this famous New York parade and street festival.
WANT TO GO? FREE. 917-660-2402. betterchinatown.com.

Lunar New Year Family Festival
AGES: All
WHERE: Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), 215 Centre St., Little Italy
WHEN: Feb. 28, 11am-4pm
WHAT: The parade isn’t the only way to celebrate the Year of the Sheep in Chinatown. This festival has Chinatown’s Red Silk Dancers as well as arts and crafts, and is more suitable for small children than the noisy parade.
WANT TO GO? $10; free for children younger than 12. 212-619-4785. mocanyc.org.

New Beginnings: Lunar New Year Festival
AGES: All
WHERE: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., Upper East Side
WHEN: Feb. 28, 12-5pm
WHAT: This Lunar New Year Festival features 21 activities throughout the museum. Enjoy music and dance performances, martial arts demonstrations and workshops, multi-sensory and hands-on gallery demonstrations, drop-in art activities, a tea ceremony, and bilingual story times.
WANT TO GO? Free with museum admission: $25; $17 seniors; $12 students; free for children younger than 12. 212-570-3961. metmuseum.org.