Ring in the year of the black water rabbit with these 2023 kid-friendly Chinese New Year events, filled with festivals, firecrackers, and family fun
Every year, the streets of NYC come alive with dancing lions and dragons, firecrackers, and music. The occasion? Lunar New Year! The day is an important part of Chinese and other Asian cultures, marking a new year based on the lunar calendar complete with festivities, celebrations, and gift-giving. This year, the festival falls on Jan. 22, when we bid farewell to the year of the tiger and usher in the year of the rabbit. Traditionally, each year corresponds to an animal in the Chinese Zodiac and an element. This year will be the year of the black water rabbit (the water element is associated with the color black), a combination that means 2023 will be a year of prosperity, rest, reflection, and, most of all, hope. There are many ways to join the celebration around NYC, from festivals and parades to workshops and themed crafts. So gather the family and hop on over to one of these family-friendly NYC Lunar New Year events!
Hit the streets for the biggest Lunar New Year celebration: the annual parade and festival in Chinatown! As with every year, you can expect music, performances, firecrackers, dancing dragons, intricate costumes and more. The parade will make its way from Mott and Canal to Chatham Square, then head to East Broadway, finally ending up on Eldridge and Forsyth Streets next to Sara D. Roosevelt Park. The park is usually decked out in themed decorations reflecting the element and animal of the year, and packed full of revelers. Note that this event gets very loud and crowded!
2023 Chinese New Year Festival at the China Institute
The China Institute rings in the new year with an afternoon of performances and workshops! Visit the Institute to participate in workshops themed around Chinese culture, music, food, and arts. The event kicks off with a Lion Dance and culminates in a Kun Opera performance. Plus, attendees get to take a close look at the makeup and costume used in the Opera before the show begins.
Price: $15
Sun., Jan. 8, 1-4 p.m. 100 Washington St. Financial District Online:chinainstitute.org
Lunar New Year Celebration at P.S. 150
For the first time ever, P.S. 150 (a.k.a. the Tribeca Learning Center) will be holding a Lunar New Year event for the community. The party will be open to everyone and include raffles and giveaways, traditional Chinese performances (including a Lion Dance!), candy art, bilingual Mandarin-English read- and sing-alongs, a tasting menu from local restaurants, calligraphy workshops, arts and crafts, and so much more.
Price: $28.16 per ticket, free for kids under 3
Sun., Jan. 8, 12-3 p.m. P.S. 150 Tribeca Learning Center 28-42 Trinity Place Financial District Online:eventbrite.com
Picturesque Pagodas at the Skyscraper Museum
In this free workshop (recommended for ages 7-12), you'll learn about Poy Gum Lee, the Chinese-American architect who popularized a building style that can still be seen both in China and NYC's Chinatown. Lee's style, called "Chinese Art Deco," can be found in the pagodas you see around Chinatown, which rose to popularity in the 1950s. Kids will get to build and decorate their own pagoda crafts inspired by traditional Chinese architecture.
Price: Free
Sat., Jan. 21, 10:30 a.m. Skyscraper Museum 39 Battery Pl. Financial District Online:skyscraper.org
Lunar New Year Festival: The Year of the Rabbit at The Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is uniting culture with art in a Lunar New Year festival. While the full schedule isn't up yet (keep an eye on the website for information in English, Korean, simplified Chinese, and Spanish), you can expect to see performances, interactive activities, and workshops for the whole family, led by artists.
Price: Free with admission
Sat., Jan. 21, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 5th Ave. Upper East Side Online:metmuseum.org
The Museum of Chinese in America has an impressive lineup of events scheduled for their Lunar New Year celebration. The day is chock-full of performances and demonstrations, including a Lion Dance performed yb the United East Athletics Association, a noodle pulling and candy making demonstration, and more. The younger kids in your family will enjoy the interactive dance- and music-enhanced storytime with Ya Ya Preschool, which will explore the legend of the Nian monster (in English and Mandarin) and explain why red decorations are traditionally put up for Lunar New Year.
Price: Free
Sat., Jan. 21, 2:30-5:30 p.m. The Museum of Chinese in America 215 Centre St. Little Italy Online:mocanyc.org
Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit at the Children's Museum of Manhattan
Celebrate Lunar New Year all week long through CMOM's special events. Kids can get their creativity flowing as they use puppets and elements of design to make crafts themed around the celebration and the water rabbit. Plus, they'll explore what the rabbit symbolizes: peace, calm, and hope!
Price: Free with admission
Sat., Jan. 21-Sun., Jan. 29 CMOM 212 West 83rd St. Upper West Side Online:cmom.org
Christ Chapel Chamber Series: Chinese New Year at Riverside Church
Hear how Eastern cultures influenced Western music through a performance by Singaporean musician and composer Phoon Yu and his chamber ensemble. The concert will feature pieces celebrating the new year as well as the musical intersection of Eastern and Western cultures.
Lunar New Year Plants Tour at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden
Learn about the Asian fruits and plants associated with the Lunar New Year with this free guided tour. The tour will take you through the Steinhardt Conservatory, showcasing citrus plants, bamboo, quince, and more. Plus, the tour will be held in English and Cantonese!
Price: Free with admission
Sat., Jan. 21, 1-2 p.m. Brooklyn Botanical Garden Meet at the Steinhardt Conservatory 1010 Washington Ave. Prospect Park Online:bbg.org
This day-long event will introduce young kids to the culture and celebrations of the Lunar New Year. Learn about new year traditions with live music, stories, and hands-on calligraphy workshops. Head to the museum's rooftop to catch a lion dance parade, performed by the Chinatown Community Young Lions.
Every day in February, Prospect Park Zoo will be teaching visitors about rabbits, the animals of the Chinese Zodiac, and how the WIldlife Conservation Society is working toward saving wildlife around the world (and what you can do to help). The zoo's website will also have a free, self-guided scavenger hunt that anyone can participate in, to learn all about rabbits.
Price: Free with admission
Every day in February 450 Flatbush Ave. Prospect Park Online:prospectparkzoo.com
Little ones will love meeting the bunny ambassadors of Alley Pond at the two rabbit-themed events they're holding in honor of this year's Zodiac animal. In Bouncing Bunnies, toddlers will read a book about a rabbit and make a take-home craft. In Animal Tales, they'll read "It's Not Easy Being a Bunny" by Marilyn Sadler then head outside for a walk and to look for rabbit tacks. Both events will also feature opportunities to see and pet some of Alley Pond's resident rabbits!
If you're a parade fanatic and want to experience two Lunar New Year parades in NYC this year—or if the Manhattan Chinatown parade is just a bit much for you and the fam—the Flushing parade may be just the thing for you. The parade will include music, performances, and dancing as it winds its way down from 37th to Queens Crossing (for full parade route, click through to the Eventbrite listing). Following the outdoor marching, head inside for more festivities at the shopping center and food court, Tangram.
Price: Free
Sat., Jan. 21, parade begins at 11 a.m., Tangram event is 1-3 p.m. Tangram 133-33 39th Ave. Flushing Online:eventbrite.com
The Queens Museum welcomes the New York Chinese Cultural Center for a full afternoon of fun. Be wowed by Kung-Fu demonstrations, watch Lion Dances, learn the basics of calligraphy, and make your own Chinese lanterns. Workshops cater to both kids an adults, making this a great choice for the whole family.
Price: Free with admission
Sun., Jan. 29, 1-4 p.m. Queens Museum New York City Building Flushing Meadows Corona Park Online:queensmuseum.org
Miffy Presents Lunar New Year at Queens Botanical Garden
The adorable Dutch bunny Miffy invites you out to the Queens Botanical Garden to celebrate the year of the rabbit! The garden celebration will include Lion Dances, Zodiac-inspired crafts, storytimes, "lucky plant" sales, demonstrations, and more. While advance registration is recommended, walk-ins are also fine.
Price: $5 suggested donation
Sat., Jan. 28, 12-4 p.m. Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main St. Flushing Online:queensbotanical.org
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company: Year of the Black Water Rabbit at Kupferberg Center and NJPAC
This breathtaking performance is a dance and music tribute to Lunar New Year. The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company welcomes the new year through colorful costumes, as well as dances and music featuring a fusion of American and Asian styles and cultures. See dragons, peacocks, acrobats, ribbon dances, bamboo instruments, a hip-hop take on traditional Lion Dances, and more.
Price: $27-$35 per ticket
Sat., Jan. 21, Sun., Jan. 22, 2 p.m. Victoria Theater Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch Stage 1 Center Street Newark, NJ Online:njpac.org
Price: $15
Sun., Feb. 5, 3 p.m. Kupferberg Center for the Arts Colden Auditorium 153-49 Reeves Ave. Flushing Online:kupferbergcenter.org
Bronx Events to Celebrate Lunar New Year
Family Art Project: Fan for Lunar New Year at Wave Hill
In this Family Art Project, families will learn about the role and significance of rabbits in the Chinese Zodiac and culture. Then, get hands-on by putting together and decorating a very special fan, inspired by rabbits and other animals on the Zodiac.
Libraries throughout the city's boroughs have a whole collection of free events planned for Lunar New Year, intended to educate and entertain. The lineup includes exciting scavenger hunts, themed crafting sessions, cultural games and read-alongs, origami paper crafts, and more. Check the events page for more events being added every day!
Find Martin Luther King Day events in NYC for everyone in the family, including those with little hands and big hearts!
The kids just got back in school, but another day off is on the horizon. The city (and the country) observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday in January, which in 2023 falls on January 16. The day celebrates the life and legacy of the civil rights movement leader, who was dedicated to ending segregation in the US and promoting racial equality. Today, his words of wisdom are as relevant as ever. Celebrate, remember and relax with the kids, both on that Monday and the weekend that precedes it. Join a commemorative celebration, learn about the man and his achievements, make themed crafts and edible treats, volunteer your time, and do more around NYC in honor of American hero Dr. King. There’s plenty to do for the holiday this year, which means there’s something for everyone here—and options in every borough!
Ways to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day throughout NYC
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at NYC Parks
Volunteer to help make your parks more beautiful for everyone in the community with NYC Parks' Day of Service events. Learn about and care for the city's trees and plants with various family volunteering opportunities. Activities include cleaning up, adding and aerating mulch, providing off-season care to plants, and more ways that big and small hands alike can help. This event is held across a number of different parks, so you can look for ways to help out close to home.
What better way is there to honor the civil rights movements than to give your time to volunteer as a family? Repair the World is a Jewish organization that serves communities in pursuit of equality and justice for everyone. There are a number of opportunities to volunteer as a family during this year's MLK weekend and Monday (and beyond!), which kicks off with a "We <3 NYC MLK Shabbat" event in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Help repair gardening beds, put together hygiene packs, or even help build a free food database from home. There are many ways to help and get the kids involved!
Price: Free
Various dates, times, and locations Online:werepair.org
Martin Luther King Jr. Events at the NY Historical Society
The NY Historical Society has several events planned in honor of MLK Day. Join the museum on Sunday, January 15 for a special Sunday Story Time, featuring "Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem" by presidential inaugural poet and activist Amanda Gorman. Following the readalong, kids will make their own guitar crafts. Make Monday a day in and join the museum on Zoom for "Living History @ Home: Cooking for the Civil Rights Movement," which celebrates the contributions and shines a light on the roles of black women in the civil rights movement. Plus, bake a sweet potato pie! Finally, join the museum on Zoom again as you read along to "Martin and Mahalia: His Words, Her Song," written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney, followed by a microphone-making craft.
Price: Virtual events are free and in-person events are free with museum admission
Various dates and times NY Historical Society 170 Central Park West Upper West Side Online:nyhistory.org
Ways to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Manhattan
MLK Day: All You Knead is Love Camp at Taste Buds Kitchen
While not specifically related to MLK Day, this camp for aspiring chefs will make sure the day off doesn't pass them by without some learning. Kids will learn to bake delicious bready treats at this school holiday mini-camp. Focusing on bread kneading techniques, children in attendance will learn to make chocolate babkas, savory flatbreads, and flavorful garlic knots. The class will teach kids what their kneading does to the dough, and give them skills they can use in the future. This mini-camp will be held in two sessions for different age groups (see below for details) and all recipes are vegetarian.
Price: $115 per child
Mon., Jan. 16, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (ages 4-8) and 1-4 p.m. (ages 9-13) Taste Buds Kitchen 109 West 27th St. Chelsea Online: tastebudskitchen.com, ages 4-8 and ages 9-13
Harlem Gospel Choir at Sony Hall
The world-renowned Harlem Gospel Choir at their Martin Luther King Jr. Day Matinee. The event is a tribute both to the legacy of the man, and to the founding of the Choir in 1986 by Allen Bailey, who got the idea for the Choir while attending a celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Things come full-circle! Note that when you buy tickets, you're only guaranteeing that you'll get seats, not reserving specific seats. Show up early to get better seats—they fill up fast!
Price: $36 and up
Mon., Jan. 16, 1:30 p.m. Sony Hall 235 West 46th St. Midtown Online:ticketmaster.com
Ways to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Brooklyn
Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. at the Brooklyn Children's Museum
Join the Brooklyn Children's Museum for a special long weekend celebration of Dr. King, featuring interactive performances, protest matches, community art programs, and volunteering opportunities. Throughout each day, you'll be able to make puppets with Nehpii Ameni and watch shadow puppet performances, design posters and hold mock protest marches with musician Fyütch, and contribute to the museum's "community dream cloud" in the ColorLab art studio.
37th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at BAM
The annual celebration at BAM kicks off with music, performances, and a keynote speech by civil rights lawyer and former President and Director-Counsel of LDF (NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund), Sherrilyn Ifill. This year's theme is an especially pressing one: Defending Democracy. Following the speech, watch performances by Allison Russell and Sing Harlem, whether you attend in person, or catch the livestream.
Price: Free
Mon., Jan. 16, 10:30 a.m. Brooklyn Academy of Music 30 Lafayette Ave. Fort Greene Online:bam.org
Martin Luther King Jr. Day School Holiday in Prospect Park
The Prospect Park Alliance invites kids to take advantage of their day off from school by exploring nature in the park. The event will consist of three sections. Families can grab a discovery pack from 12-3 p.m., which is filled with activities and tools to make exploration educational and fun. From 2 to 3 p.m., the Audubon Center's Naturalists will be sharing information about the animals in the Center's collection at an Animal Encounter event. Finally, the Winter Wilderness Walk from 3 to 4 p.m. will introduce kids to discovering animal tracks in the snow, answer questions about how nature survives the cold of winter, and more.
Price: Free
Mon., Jan. 16, 12-4 p.m. Prospect Park Audubon Center 101 East Dr., Prospect Park Online:prospectpark.org
Ways to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the Bronx
Freedom Quilters of Gee’s Bend at Wave Hill
Families can get together and create their own quilt from fabric scraps at this Wave Hill Family Art Project. The craft was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s visit to Gee's Bed in Alabama in 1966. On this visit, he contributed to the founding of the Freedom Quilting Bee, which would go on to help fund the community's freedom. Learn more about the history and culture behind these quilts as you make your own with bright fabric squares and shapes, guided by Wave Hill staff.
Price: Free with admission
Sat., Jan. 14 and Sun., Jan. 15, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Wave Hill 4900 Independence Ave. Riverdale Online:wavehill.org
Ways to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Queens
Annual MLK Day Celebration at Kupferberg Center for the Arts
Join award-winning singer and performer Samara Joy for the KCA's annual MLK Jr. Day celebration. The concert will feature Samara's jazzy renditions of well-known songs from the Great American Songbook. You'll also be treated to a keynote address, a recognition ceremony, and a reception following the show.
Price: $25 and up
Sun., Jan. 15, 3 p.m. Kupferberg Center for the Arts 65-30 Kissena Blvd. Flushing Online:ticketmaster.com
Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Queens Botanical Garden
Take part in this community celebration with the Queens Botanical Garden. Visit to enjoy craft making, storytime, and a guided walk through the wintery grounds of the garden. This event focuses on promoting love, hope, and unity, and is recommended for ages 5 and up.
Price: Free, $5 suggested donation
Mon., Jan. 16 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main St. Flushing Online:eventbrite.com