Marking the arrival of spring and fresh starts, the Lunar New Year festival runs for two weeks from January 29 to February 16. 2025 marks the Year of the Snake, the sixth animal in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle and representing wisdom and transformation, bringing with it, opportunities for personal growth. With multiple Chinatowns and Asian communities across New York City, there are many ways to celebrate the new year, from fireworks and a parade to lion dances and lantern-making.
Manhattan
Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Parade
Mott and Canal Streets, Chinatown
February 16 at 1 p.m.
Lower Manhattan will come alive on February 16 as Chinatown’s annual Lunar New Year Parade returns. Hosted by Better Chinatown, the 2025 parade celebrates the Year of the Snake with traditional dragon dances, vibrant outfits, martial arts performers, food and drink vendors, and much more. The parade kicks off at the corner of Mott and Hester Streets before traveling down to Chatham Square. From there, the procession continues along East Broadway and heads up Forsyth Street before concluding at Sara D. Roosevelt Park.
Chinese New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival
Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Chrystie Street and Forsyth Street, Chinatown
January 29 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Returning to Chinatown’s Sara D. Roosevelt Park for its 27th year, the Chinese New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival features thousands of firecrackers that are set off to scare away evil spirits and welcome in the Year of the Snake. The event will also feature live dance performances, food & drink vendors, giveaways, and more.
Lunar New Year Celebration at Bryant Park
Bryant Park, 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Street
February 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Celebrate the Year of the Snake at Bryant Park with a lively kung-fu demonstration, arts and crafts activities, a captivating lion dance, and traditional musical performances presented by the New York Chinese Cultural Center.
Lunar New Year at the Seaport
South Street Seaport
February 1
The South Street Seaport is celebrating the Lunar New Year with traditional lion dances and calligraphy workshops, hosted in partnership with the New York Chinese Cultural Center and the South Street Seaport Museum. The event will feature two lion dances followed by a 15-minute photo op outside the Tin Building, while the calligraphy workshops will take place at the Seaport Museum, located at 207 Water Street. You can book tickets for the workshops here.
Lunar New Year Fair
Gotham Park, Chinatown
February 7 through 9
This year’s Lunar New Year Fair will bring the cherished traditions of Chinatown to the newly-opened Brooklyn Banks, an iconic space beneath the Brooklyn Bridge that has been closed for 15 years. At this weekend fair, visitors can shop, eat, play, and celebrate the Year of the Snake in Manhattan’s newest public space for free. The fair will feature 17 vendors, including both longstanding Chinatown small businesses and new entrepreneurs.
Lunar New Year at Hudson Yards
The Shops at Hudson Yards, 20 Hudson Yards
Through February 9
Lunar New Year celebrations return to the Shops at Hudson Yards this year with vibrant festivities honoring the Year of the Snake. A highlight of this year’s event is “The Golden Tree,” a new installation located in the Great Room on Level 1 near Dior. Designed by Fleurs de Villes, the tree symbolizes good fortune, prosperity, and luck, featuring a Year of the Snake motif woven through its trunk and lucky red envelopes at its top, filled with special gifts from the Shops & Restaurants.
Guests who spend $188 or more can receive a complimentary pair of Hudson Yards chopsticks, while those spending $588 or more will earn a lucky red envelope from the Golden Tree.
Hudson Yards’ beloved traditional lion dances and ribbon twirling performances will also return this year, taking place every Saturday through February 1 at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. in the Great Room on Level 1.
Lunar New Year celebrations at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd Street
February 28 through March 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Discover the rich culture and traditions of the Lunar New Year at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. From February 28 through March, CMOM invites families to enjoy fun activities, including crafting origami snakes, participating in the Okinawan tradition of writing New Year’s wishes, and creating Lunar Lanterns. You can learn more about CMOM’s Lunar New Year programming here.
Oshogatsu: New Year’s Celebration at the Japan Society
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
January 26 at 11:30 a.m.
The Japan Society invites guests to ring in the Lunar New Year at its family-friendly Oshogatsu event. The celebration begins with an engaging Japanese taiko drum performance and includes activities like calligraphy, lion dancing, and New Year-themed crafts. Kids can even join in the fun on stage with a hands-on drum mini-workshop. Tickets cost $20 for non-members and can be purchased here.
Lunar New Year Extravaganza at Chelsea Market
Chelsea Market, 75 9th Avenue
February 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Celebrate the Lunar New Year at Chelsea Market’s annual Extravaganza, hosted in collaboration with Pearl River Mart. Enjoy performances by ribbon dancers from the New York Chinese Cultural Center and lion dancers from the Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute Dragon and Lion Dance Team. The event will also feature arts and crafts activities, reserved mahjong tables, and more. Admission is free, but advanced registration is recommended.
Celebrating the Year of the Snake at the Met
The Met, 1000 Fifth Avenue
January 25 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is hosting a Lunar New Year Festival to celebrate the Year of the Snake, highlighting New Year traditions from across Asia. The fair will feature artist-led workshops, performances, and interactive activities for participants of all ages. Highlights of the festival include a lion dance by the Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute, art-making workshops, storytelling, and more. All activities are free with museum admission and no advanced registration is required. A full schedule of Lunar New Year programming at the Met can be found here.
Lunar New Year at Lincoln Center
David Geffen Hall, 10 Lincoln Center
February 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Lincoln Center is ringing in the Year of the Snake with a family-friendly party in David Geffen Hall. The event will feature a lion dance performance on Josie Robertson Plaza and story time with Ashley Chang and Jeffrey Chan of ABC Digest. Guests can enjoy tasty treats, engaging activities, and a live DJ set. Admission to the celebration is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Queens
Lunar New Year celebration at the Queens Botanical Garden
43-50 Main Street, Flushing
February 8 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Head over to the Queens Botanical Garden this year for a Lunar New Year celebration to remember this Year of the Snake. The event features a lion dance, tai chi, kung fu, face changing, folk dance, crafts, storytime, and much more. Admission is free with a $5 suggested donation. You can register for the event here.
Lunar New Year at Flushing Town Hall
Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Boulevard
January 18 through February 23
Flushing Town Hall is hosting a month-long celebration of the Year of the Snake, filled with engaging programming from Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese, and Tibetan traditions. Highlights include a shadow puppetry exhibition and performance by Queens-based Chinese Theater Works, a family sing-along by Elena Moon Park & Friends, and a show by Korean folk fusion band Sangjaru. The full schedule of events can be found here.
LIC Lunar New Year Celebration
January 24 through February 23
Returning for its fourth year, the Long Island City Partnership invites residents, workers, and visitors to celebrate the Lunar New Year with unique experiences throughout the neighborhood. As home to NYC’s fastest-growing Asian community, LICP’s festivities highlight the area’s rich diversity, featuring over 70 participating businesses. Learn more about the celebration here.
Lunar New Year at the Kupferberg Center for the Arts
Queens College, Goldstein Theatre, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard
January 25 and 26 at 3 p.m.
Queens College’s Kupferberg Center for the Arts is bringing back its mesmerizing Lunar New Year dance performance, this time celebrating the Year of the Snake. The event will feature performances by the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, including “Lion in the City,” a fusion of Lion Dance and hip-hop, and “Unfolding,” a collaboration between Nai-Ni and a Korean Janggu performer. Nai-Ni will also debut a new piece, “Dances of the Golden Snake.” The event will conclude with the “Dragon Festival,” a community blessing. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased here.
Brooklyn
Lunar New Year at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue
February 1
Discover more about Lunar New Year traditions at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. The celebration will feature storytelling with 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, and lion dance parades led by the Chinatown Community Young Lions. Entry is included with general admission, which costs $15 and can be purchased here.
Sunday Art Hang at the Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Museum, 200 East Parkway
January 26 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Brooklyn Museum is inviting the entire family to a free drop-in art hang, presented in collaboration with Cool Culture. Guests will create art inspired by the museum’s collection and enjoy a traditional lion dance performance by the Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club. The event is free with museum admission.
NEW INC Lunar New Year Party
Ace Hotel Brooklyn, 252 Schermerhorn Street
January 31 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Celebrate the Year of the Snake at the Ace Hotel in Brooklyn, where design studio A+A+A+ has partnered with NEW INC to host a mahjong tournament. A+A+A+’s scenic design will transform the hotel into a landscape inspired by “Madame White Snake,” a Tang Dynasty Chinese folktale. Finalists will have the chance to win prizes, including New Museum memberships and gifts from Jia Sung, Land to Sea, and TRUST Studios.
The evening will also feature an exhibition and performance of “Hacking Grains” by NEW INC member Trevor Van de Velde, using “hacked” rice cookers turned into a mini synth orchestra. There will also be a live DJ, a mask crafting station, and a New York-inspired foodscape.
The Bronx
Lunar New Year family art project at Wave Hill
Wave Hill, 4900 Independence Avenue
January 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Discover the role of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac at the Bronx’s Wave Hill Public Garden & Cultural Center. This family-friendly event offers visitors the chance to assemble and decorate fans inspired by snakes native to the Bronx. The celebration also includes holiday-themed story time in the Gund Theater. Advanced registration is not required.
Staten Island
Snug Harbor’s Chinese New Year Celebration
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, 1000 Richmond Terrace
January 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Welcome the Year of the Snake at Staten Island’s Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden. Enjoy hand puppet performances, engaging arts and crafts, puppet workshops, and more. General admission costs $14 and can be purchased here.
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