Lunar New Year is right around the corner and will take place on Sunday, January 22nd. The spring festival will celebrate the beginning of a new year according to the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar, marking the start of the Year of the Rabbit (the luckiest of the Chinese zodiac animals). Celebrations, which last fifteen days, usually include feasting and traditions that symbolize prosperity and abundance.
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Thanks to its thriving East Asian population, New York City will host an abundance of ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Think lion dances, parades, firecrackers and, of course, delicious food. We’ve rounded up the best ways to honor the occasion, whether you’re craving an elevated celebratory meal or a parade full of dancing dragons and stunning clothing.
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53 W 53rd St. / 646.535.3994 / Website
This popular Midtown restaurant known for its authentic Asian cuisine will be throwing a bash complete with a family-style prix fixe dinner of specials and 53 favorites, live entertainment, a take-home gift for each guest and a giveaway. Menu offerings include duck pie tee with chipotle mayo and cilantro, diver scallop with xo sauce and a choice of clay pot or wok. The celebration will take place on Sunday, January 22 from 5-9PM and will cost $175 per person. The restaurant will also be offering an exclusive Hennessy cocktail flight to celebrate. Learn more about 53 here.
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4350 Main St. / 718.886.3800 / Website
The Queens Botanical Garden is hosting a family-friendly community art and guided winter walk, showcasing the community-created display on the 39 acres of garden space. The event costs $10 for non-members and $8 for members and will occur on January 14 and January 21st from 11AM to 1PM.
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137-35 Northern Blvd. / 718.463.7700 / Website
Taking place from January 21 through February 26, the This Is Home exhibition on display at Flushing Town Hall showcases how the AAPI community of NYC lives, works, loves and stands up for what they believe. The collection showcases the beauty of the daily lives of the AAPI community, with Janice Chung highlighting her home neighborhood of Flushing, Cindy Trinh showing life in Manhattan Chinatown and Flushing, and more.
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On February 12 at 1PM, the 25th annual Lunar New Year Parade & Festival will take place along the following route: Mott & Canal to Chatham Square to East Broadway towards the Manhattan Bridge, completing on Eldridge and Forsyth Streets towards Grand Street next to Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Expect to find stunningly elaborate outfits, beautiful dragon dancing, martial arts performances and more.
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215 Centre St. / 212.619.4785 / Website
The whole family is welcome to celebrate at the Museum of Chinese in America’s festival on January 21 from 2:30-5:30PM. Expect to find a lion dance performance with the United East Athletics Association, a noodle-pulling demonstration with Chef Lian, a dragon’s beard candy-making demonstration with Chef Chris Cheung, a ribbon dancing workshop, musical performances and more. Be sure to RSVP!
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1000 Fifth Ave. / 212.535.7710 / Website
Performances interactive activities and artist-led workshops will all be happening at The Met as part of the museum’s Lunar New Year celebrations on January 21.
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Wu Tsai Theater, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, 212.875.5656 / Website
On January 31st, violinist Ning Feng will be joining the orchestra in an arrangement of Bernstein’s West Side Story suite, erhu virtuoso Yiwen Lu will take center stage in Qigang Chen’s La Joie de la souffrance, vocalists Gong Linna and Hasibagen will shine in Tan Dun’s Heart Sutra and Long Yu will return to conduct. Also, be on the lookout for Li Huanzhi’s Spring Festival Overture in the performance, and be sure to attend the Lunar New Year Gala for a cocktail reception and elegant dinner with the artists on the Leon and Norma Hess Grand Promenade.
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4350 Main St. / 718.886.3800 / Website
Lion dance performances, zodiac crafts, demonstrations, storytime, a lucky plant sale and more will take place on January 28th at Queens Botanical Garden from 12-4PM. Miffy, the globally beloved bunny, will also be in attendance.
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75 9th Ave. / 212.652.2111 / Website
Chelsea Market’s annual Lunar New Year celebration promises to be as delicious as ever, featuring a happy hour and lucky food specials from Pearl River Mart Foods vendors such as Mao's Bao, Kimbap Lab, and Tea & Milk. The festivities begin at 5PM on the main concourse with performances from dancer Ling Tang and the Wan Chi Ming Dragon and Lion Dance Team.
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Mulitple locations / Website
Long touted as the best soup dumplings in New York, Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao has three NYC locations located in Cherry Hill, Koreatown and Flushing. All three serve the restaurant’s world-famous favorites, such as the iconic crab and pork soup dumplings and the crispy pan-fried pork buns, steamed buns, Shanghainese dim sum, fried noodles, fried rice cakes, scallion pancakes and steamed chicken soup. The interiors are inspired by traditional decoration elements from Nan Xiang, a thousand-year-old mountainside town in Shanghai, making this the perfect spot for a Lunar New Year celebration.
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1 Center St., Newark, NJ / 888.466.5722 / Website
Combining both traditional Chinese dance with modern flair, the Red Lions dance to a hip-hop beat in this dance performance fit for all ages. Dancers, acrobats and musicians will don red and gold costumes while the Golden Dragon will bring good luck and fortune for the coming year. There will be performances at 2PM on January 21st and 22nd.
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145 Brooklyn Ave. / Website
Storytelling, live music, calligraphy workshops, kung fu lessons and a rooftop lion dance parade led by the Chinatown Community Young Lions will all take place as part of the celebrations at Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Be sure to buy your tickets in advance!
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Sara D. Roosevelt Park will be cleansed of any unfriendly ghosts on January 22nd with the lighting of hundreds of thousands of firecrackers. Expect to also find lion dances and decorations giveaways, food booths and craft vendors.
A time as exciting as the Year of the Rabbit deserves a celebration, so whether you choose to enjoy a good meal, attend a parade or just spend time with family and friends, we wish you a very happy Lunar New Year!
Photography by: Scribbling Geek/Unsplash
