Lunar New Year Festival at The Met: Year of the Dragon

Sat Feb 3, 2024
11:00am to 5:00pm ET
Age: All
Price: Free with museum admission
Location:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

May art bring you good fortune! Celebrate the Year of the Dragon, one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, with performances, interactive activities, and artist-led workshops for all ages at The Met.

Space is limited for all events; first come, first served.

Performances:

11am
Lunar New YearDragon Dance Kick-off
Ring in a prosperous New Year with the Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute.

11:10am-11:40am & 12pm-12:30pm
Sesame Street Muppeteers, Featuring Alan Muraoka
Tickets distributed 15 minutes prior at event location.
Discover the traditions of Lunar New Year with Sesame Street Muppeteers.

12–12:30pm, 1:30–2pm, 2:30–3pm
Hao Bang Ah, Dragon! with Chinese Theatre Works
Tickets distributed 15 minutes prior at event location.
Celebrate the Lunar New Year season with a budaixi (traditional Chinese glove- puppetry) performance featuring the twelve animals of the zodiac led by the dragon!

1:30pm-2pm, 2:30pm-3pm, 3:30pm-4pm
Lunar New Year Performance Showcase
Enjoy performances by the Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute Dragon Dance Team, drummers from New York Korean Performing Arts Center, and dancers from the Vietnam Heritage Center.

2pm-2:30pm, 3pm-3:30pm, 4pm-4:40pm
AAPI Jazz Collective Led by Peter Lin
Hear music from many Asian cultures, including China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, reimagined within a jazz context.

Storytelling and More

1:30pm, 2:30pm & 3:30pm
Vision and Verse: Poetry Readings with Yu and Me Books
Join NYC-based poets for a live poetry reading inspired by the exhibition Vision and Verse: The Poetry of Chinese Painting and the poetic traditions of ancient China.

Creative Calligraphy
Express yourself with Chinese and Korean calligraphy through guided brushwork.

Demonstrations 

11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm 3pm & 4pm
Chinese New Year Woodblock Prints 
Tickets distributed 15 minutes prior at event location.
Join artisans from Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center, China, for an interactive demonstration showing how traditional woodblock prints are made.

Art Activities

Drop in anytime. Hands-on opportunities available Unless otherwise noted, activities are best for ages 3 and up.

Lucky Lanterns
Decorate a colorful lantern in honor of the Lunar New Year.

Take-home Treasures
Create your own keepsake vessel inspired by the objects, styles, and brushwork in the exhibition Lineages: Korean Art at The Met.

Zodiac Zone: Paper Dragons
Fold a paper dragon with community artist Ash Suh. Then, find your zodiac sign and add it to the collaborative Zodiac Zone to see how many share your zodiac animal!

Wearable Blossoms
Adorn your New Year’s outfit with bright paper blossom pins, headbands, or bracelets.

** Activity dates/times are subject to change. Please click through to the activity website to verify.