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22 Best Lunar New Year Celebrations and Parades in NYC for Families

The Better Chinatown Society hosts its annual Lunar New Year Parade on Sunday, February 25. Photo by Bob Dea
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2/2/24 - By Drew Kristofik

Lunar New Year is one of our favorite winter celebrations in New York City. Although the holiday is often referred to as Chinese New Year, many Asian nations celebrate Lunar New Year, and city kids can mark this cultural holiday with family-friendly celebrations citywide, from Chinatown's firecracker ceremony to a Lunar New Year celebration at the Queens Botanical Garden, the FREE celebration at Lincoln Center, and the New York City Lunar New Year Parade and Festival on Sunday, February 16.

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As always, click through to our listings for all the information including addresses, times, and recommended ages.

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The Queens Botanical Garden hosts a celebration in honor of the Year of the Dragon. Photo courtesy of QBG
The Queens Botanical Garden hosts a celebration in honor of the Year of the Dragon. Photo courtesy of QBG

Lunar New Year Celebrations in NYC for Families

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

Upper East Side
Saturday, January 25
Celebrate the Year of the Snake, one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, with performances, interactive activities, and artist-led workshops for all ages. READ MORE

Moon Over Manhattan: A Lunar New Year Family Day at Asia Society

Upper East Side
Saturday, January 25
The Asia Society welcomes the Year of the Snake with exciting lion dances and martial arts demonstrations, fun New Year songs, and Year of the Snake-themed arts and crafts!  READ MORE

Celebrate and Learn: Lunar New Year at King Manor

Jamaica, Queens – FREE
Saturday, January 25
Learn about Lunar New Year traditions with art, snacks, and the chance to see the zodiacs of the King family. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Celebration at the Skyscraper Museum

Battery Park City – FREE
Saturday, January 25
Dive into vernacular architecture spotted across East Asia, learning about history and architecture and why they remain important to our fundamental understanding of height from ancient times to the present day. Then, to celebrate Lunar New Year, create illuminated paper lanterns, decorated with that architecture in mind. READ MORE

Snug Harbor Chinese New Year Celebration

Snug Harbor, Staten Island
Saturday, January 25
Welcome the Year of the Earth Snake at Snug Harbor with performances, treats, tales, and traditional crafts. READ MORE

The Sound of Spring: Celebrate Year of the Snake at the Rose Theater

Upper West Side
Sunday, January 26
Now in its sixth year, The Sound of Spring is an authentic Chinese New Year concert featuring dramatic orchestral works and world-class Chinese instrument soloists. This year’s program features guest appearances by erhu soloist Yan Guowei, percussionist Zhang Jingli, and the great sheng master Wang Lei, all from the legendary faculty of the Central Conservatory of Music, China. READ MORE

Family Art Project: Fan for Lunar New Year at Wave Hill

Riverdale, the Bronx
Saturday & Sunday, January 25 & 26
Celebrate the start of the Year of the Snake by learning about its role in the Chinese zodiac. Then, assemble and decorate a fan inspired by snakes in nature that call the Bronx home. READ MORE

Lunar New Year of the Snake at Kupferberg Center

Flushing, Queens
Saturday & Sunday, January 25 & 26
The world-renowned Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company welcomes the Lunar New Year of the Snake with majestic dragons, acrobatic lions, elegant peacocks, twirling ribbons, bamboo instruments, and more. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Campfire in Kissena Corridor Park

Flushing, Queens – FREE
Sunday, January 26
Urban Park Rangers celebrate Lunar New Year with a warm campfire and provide a crafting table to create various snake arts to welcome the Year of the Snake. READ MORE

Year of the Snake at Greenbelt Nature Center

Manor Heights, Staten Island – FREE
Sunday, January 26
Kick off the Year of the Snake with a participatory reading of a few selected serpent tales, then visit the Greenbelt Nature Center’s resident reptiles, including the center's corn snake.   READ MORE

Lunar New Year at the Children's Museum of Manhattan

Upper West Side
Tuesday, January 28 - Sunday, February 2
Closed on Monday and Wednesday
CMOM celebrates the Year of the Snake with fun arts and crafts.  READ MORE

Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival

Lower East Side – FREE
Wednesday, January 29
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 at The Seaport

South Street Seaport – FREE
Saturday, February 1
Immerse yourself in the vibrant celebrations featuring lively lion dance performances, engaging Chinese Calligraphy Workshops, and maritime-inspired craft activities to usher in the Year of the Snake, presented in collaboration with the New York Chinese Cultural Center and the Seaport. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Celebration at City Point

Downtown Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, February 1
Celebrate Year of the Snake at City Point with traditional Lion Dances, Kids Lunar New Year-inspired crafts and more! Families are encouraged to come dressed in red. Stroller parking is available. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Family Festival at Museum of Chinese in America

Chinatown
Saturday, February 1
Welcome the Year of the Snake with a morning or afternoon of legendary fun for the whole family at the Museum of Chinese in America. Enjoy a wide variety of live performances, family-friendly programming, New Year's treats, and arts and crafts.  READ MORE

Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Brooklyn Children's Museum

Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Sunday, February 1
Brooklyn Children’s Museum ushers in the Year of the Snake with storytelling by 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.   READ MORE

Lunar New Year Family Celebration at Lincoln Center

Upper West Side – FREE
Saturday, February 1
Ring in 2025 as the Year of the Snake: self-discovery, transformation, and celebrating connection for all, including a beloved lion dance performance on Josie Robertson Plaza and Storytime with Ahsley and Jeff Chang of The ABC Digest. READ MORE

La MaMa Kids: The Great Zodiac Animal Race

Lower East Side
Saturday & Sunday, February 1 & 2
This charming shadow puppet show retells the classic Lunar New Year zodiac tale with animals inspired by Asian languages and pictograms. READ MORE

2025 Lunar New Year Family Festival at the China Institute

Financial District
Sunday, February 2
The Chinese Institute's annual festival promises an authentic and dazzling celebration featuring rich traditions, interactive workshops, and mesmerizing performances, bringing the enchantment of Prince Kung’s Palace Museum—a national first-class museum and one of the most prestigious cultural treasures of China—to the heart of New York City.  READ MORE

Lunar New Year at the Queens Botanical Garden

Flushing, Queens – FREE
Saturday, February 8
Celebrate the Year of the Snake at the Queens Botanical Garden with a lion dance, tai chi, kung fu, face changing, folk dance, crafts, story time and more. READ MORE

Lunar New Year at the Brooklyn Public Library

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, February 8
World-renowned musician Vivian Fang Liu, a classical pianist, children's music artist, and Grammy U mentor shares the richness of cultures, traditions, and enchanting stories of the Year of the Snake. Participants also receive a red paper lantern to take home. READ MORE

27th Annual New York City Lunar New Year Parade & Festival in Chinatown

Chinatown – FREE
Sunday, February 16
A half-million spectators often line the streets of Chinatown for this colorful pan-Asian procession, which includes Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Malaysian, and even Hispanic floats and cultural performances.  READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Gardens
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Kupferberg Center for the Arts, Goldstein Theatre
Brooklyn Central Library - Dweck Center