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Things To Do in NYC This Weekend: Lunar New Year, FrostFest, and More

Celebrate the Year of the Rat in Chinatown. Photo by Janet Bloom
Celebrate the Year of the Rat in Chinatown. Photo by Janet Bloom
1/22/20 - By Drew Kristofik

Winter's chill might be unavoidable in January, but that doesn't mean kids lack for things to do in NYC this weekend. There's a Winter Spooktacular in Queens, a Winter Blast Family Day of Native Games, and Bryant Park's FrostFest embraces the season with live ice carving and ice fishing.

The Lunar New Year is in full swing at the Japan Society. The popular Firecracker Ceremony and Culture Fest takes over Roosevelt Park on Saturday, the Queens Botanical Garden hosts holiday crafts and performances, and the Brooklyn Children's Museum celebrates Sunday. In short, if you love Lunar New Year's events, there are plenty of ways to celebrate, even though the big parade isn't until February 9.

Don't miss the spectacular Thunderbird American Indian Dance Concert and Powwow at Theatre for the New City. You can still snag some seats for Elizabeth Mitchell's Symphony Space performance and The Transfiguration of Benjamin Banneker, which uses shadow puppets, projection, and a marching band to tell the story of a free black man in 1731 and his passion for astronomy. Plus, the Paper Bag Players celebrate 61 years of cardboard costumery.

This unpredictable winter weather is giving us a bit of whiplash, but our Indoor Fun Guide,  Winter Fun Guide, and Event Calendar will keep you busy, no matter the forecast.

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The bumper cars are back at Bryant Park's Winter Village. Photo by Jusay Angelito
The bumper cars are back at Bryant Park's Winter Village. Photo by Jusay Angelito

Things to Do in NYC All Weekend

FrostFest at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park

Midtown West – FREE
The Bryant Park Frost Fest offers 10 days of frosty fun, including ice rink bumper cars (which must be reserved online, in advance, for ages 7 and up). READ MORE

Thunderbird American Indian Dance Concert

East Village
The 2024 Thunderbird American Indian Dance Concert features dances, stories, and traditional music from native peoples of the Northeast, Southwest, and Great Plains regions. READ MORE

The Transfiguration of Benjamin Banneker

East Village
The Transfiguration of Benjamin Banneker is a multi-disciplinary spectacle with a marching band, dancers, 12-foot puppets, shadow puppetry, and moving projection screens.  READ MORE

Family Art Project: Bronx Photo & Poetry Archive Story

The Bronx
Help Winter Workspace artist Stephanie Alvarado archive Bronx stories through photos and create “choreo-poems” to help capture the stories of the people of the Bronx. READ MORE

Family Pavilion at the New York Times Travel Show

Midtown West
Now in its fourth year, the Family Travel Pavilion feature a summer camp children’s activity area where kids can try archery, make slime or friendship bracelets, play cornhole, and even make S’mores! READ MORE
Celebrate the Year of the Rat at the Queens Botanical Garden with crafts, performances, and activities for the whole family. Photo courtesy of QBG
Celebrate the Year of the Rat at the Queens Botanical Garden with crafts, performances, and activities for the whole family. Photo courtesy of QBG

Things to Do in NYC on Saturday, January 25

Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival

Chinatown — FREE
The Better Chinatown Society's annual New Year's celebration is hosted in Sara D. Roosevelt Park with firecrackers, cultural performances, and much more. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Celebration: Lantern Making

Upper East Side
Gung Hay Fat Choy! Ring in the Lunar New Year to celebrate the coming of the Year of the Rat. Special guest author Michele Wong McSween reads her new book, Gordon and Li Li Celebrate Chinese New Year, then leads a Mandarin lesson, followed by an art-making workshop. A traditional snack will be provided, too. READ MORE

Winter Blast: A Family Day of Native Games

Financial District — FREE
Play traditional, family-friendly American Indian games, including Hawaiian board games, Inuit yo-yos, hoop throwing, and more. READ MORE

Winter Spooktacular: Out of This World's Fair

Corona, Queens
For the 10th year in a row, the Queens Museum’s second-floor galleries will be transformed into a super spooky space for the most fun-filled and distinct costume party of the year. READ MORE

Lunar New Year at the Queens Botanical Garden

Flushing, Queens
Celebrate the Year of the Dragon at the Queens Botanical Garden with lion dance performances, a zodiac-themed craft, storytelling, and more. READ MORE

Perfectly Penguin by Wildlife Theater

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn – FREE
Find out what you can do to protect the planet when Wildlife Theater takes students into the oceans to explore cause and effect. READ MORE

Digital Arts Workshop: Coding for Kids

Harlem — FREE
Students are introduced to the basics of logic-based programming, such as an if-then loop, and get to be a video game designer, creating their own characters and settings for the player to use. READ MORE

Just Kidding: Elizabeth Mitchell

Upper West Side
Two-time Grammy Award nominee and Smithsonian Folkways artist Elizabeth Mitchell and her family band host a gorgeous morning of gentle, homespun renditions of songs by Bob Marley, The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, Gillian Welch, and more. READ MORE

Drop in on Design: Designing with Found Pigments

Upper East Side — FREE
Guest designer Natalie Stopka teaches young artists how to make paint from materials found in her studio garden. Use this handmade paint to create your own work of art. READ MORE

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Middle Village, Queens — FREE
Kids use all their senses to explore the Juniper Valley Park, searching high and low for clues with the Urban Park Rangers as their guides.  READ MORE

11th Annual AKC Meet the Breeds

Midtown West
A family-friendly, educational extravaganza, this event gives animal lovers the unique opportunity to meet and play with hundreds of adorable dogs and cats while learning about responsible pet ownership. READ MORE
Celebrate Japan's New Year's holiday, Oshogatsu, with lion dancing accompanied by live taiko drumming. Photo courtesy of the Japan Society
Celebrate Japan's New Year's holiday, Oshogatsu, with lion dancing accompanied by live taiko drumming. Photo courtesy of the Japan Society

Things to Do in NYC on Sunday, January 26

Brooklyn Children’s Museum Lunar New Year Festival

Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Brooklyn Children’s Museum ushers in the Year of the Rabbit with story telling, live music, calligraphy workshops, kung fu lessons, and a rooftop lion dance parade led by the Chinatown Community Young Lions. READ MORE

Oshogatsu: New Year’s Celebration

Midtown East
Celebrate the New Year Japanese-style with traditional activities like rice pounding, calligraphy, lion dancing, and more! READ MORE

The Paper Bag Players: Here We Go!

Upper East Side
The Paper Bag Players celebrate their 61st season with Here We Go!, the latest fanciful show from America’s longest-running theater for children. READ MORE

10th Annual Mil's Trills Winter Bash

Gowanus, Brooklyn
Experience the creative process like never before at Mil's Trills' 10th anniversary bonanza with a one-of-a-kind songwriting obstacle course integrating movement, music, and visual art led by founder Amelia Robinson. READ MORE

NYC Cultural Festival

Greenwich Village
CMA is partnering with New York Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club to present works inspired by traditional and contemporary arts practices of Chinatown and NYC Asian diaspora artists. READ MORE

History Hunters: A Kid’s Life at School

Lower East Side
The past comes alive in this brand-new family program that takes children back in time to discover what childhood was like 100 years ago. In this first session, kids explore what school life was like for Lower East Side kids – so get ready for some crazy calisthenics and a surprising school lunch. Straight A’s guaranteed! READ MORE

SOLD OUT - Annual Lunar New Year Celebration: Year of the Dragon

Flushing, Queens
Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with folk dances and traditional arts and crafts when the New York Chinese Cultural Center (NYCCC) brings its signature program to the Queens Museum.  READ MORE

Zhou Family Band

Flushing, Queens
Co-presented with World Music Institute, the Zhou Family Band plays traditional wind and percussion music, which has accompanied birth and death celebrations of the people of Central-Eastern China for more than 600 years. READ MORE

Upcycling: Terrarium Building

Staten Island - FREE
Bring an old glass jar to the Greenbelt Nature Center and transform it into a home for a succulent plant to grow. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Jacob Javits Convention Center
National Museum of the American Indian
Brooklyn Public Library, Dweck Center
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center