Kick off the New Year with the Chinese Center on Long Island Lion Troupe! Photo by Scott Rud
«Celebrate a year of loyalty, a year of diversity, a year of family! Join us on Saturday, February 24, to usher in the Year of the Dog, one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, through performances, storytelling, interactive gallery activities, and artist-led workshops. The Lunar New Year Festival is free with Museum admission and starts at 11 am. Read on to find out more about what's in store!»
Kick off the celebration with a Lunar New Year parade through the Great Hall, led by the Chinese Center on Long Island Lion Troupe and the New York Chinese Cultural Center—or catch their performances in the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium at 1:30 pm and 4:30 pm.
If live music is what you are looking for, there is quite a selection to choose from. Join Japanese shakuhachi soloist Kojiro Umezaki for an intimate performance in gallery 227. Become transfixed by traditional Balinese music with Gamelan Dharma Swara in gallery 354. Finally, in the Astor Chinese Garden Court, experience the sounds of the critically acclaimed, all-female Aizuri Quartet (The Met's quartet in residence), who will perform works by composers influenced by cultures around the world.
The longer the noodle, the longer and happier the life! A hand-pulled noodle demonstration during the 2015 Lunar New Year Festival. Photo by Don Pollard
Have your senses heightened by learning how to create your own hand-pulled noodles with a master chef, participate in a Wu-Wo tea ceremony and one of our bubble tea gatherings, or join a "What Your Nose Knows: Scent Tour." Dance along with hand drum and fan dance workshops led by members of the Korean Performing Arts Center in the Carson Family Hall. Meet representatives from the Guide Dog Foundation and Guiding Eyes for the Blind to learn how our canine friends help people use their other senses as well.
Join representatives from the Children's Museum of Manhattan to create intricate paper puppets based on Indonesian wayang kulit shadow puppetry. Photo courtesy of the Children's Museum of Manhattan
Several artist-led workshops will be offered throughout the day. Artist and author Kam Mak, who designed nine Lunar New Year stamps for the U.S. Postal Service, will lead a stamp-making workshop and offer readings from his children's book, My Chinatown: One Year in Poems. Create Indonesian shadow puppets with representatives from the Children's Museum of Manhattan and join them for traditional Japanese kamishibai stories. Don't forget to find the Museum of Chinese in America in gallery 206 to design your own zodiac puppet! Families can try their hands at several different art-making stations, where they can paint Chinese fans, decorate fire-breathing dragon masks, design double-headed helmets, and make word puzzles.
There are more than 20 programs happening throughout the Museum, including music and dance performances, art making activities, demonstrations, storytelling—and more!
Check out the schedule for the full lineup of activities. Don't miss out on all the fun—and be sure to follow #MetFest on social media! We hope to see you on February 24!
Related Event
Lunar New Year Festival: Year of the Dog 2018
February 24, 11 am–5 pm
Museum-wide
Free with Museum admission; admission is free for children under 12 with an adult
