The first new moon of 2025 falls on Wednesday, January 29, marking the start of the Lunar New Year per the lunisolar Chinese calendar. Millions around the world will be celebrating the Year of the Snake — one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals that signifies charm, transformation, intelligence, and creativity, but can also be associated with mystery, independence, and cautiousness. There are multiple ways to acknowledge the Lunar New Year as it’s one of the most auspicious holidays observed internationally. Even kids across New York State get to enjoy the day off as it falls on a weekday at last!
Below is a list of art-oriented events to ring in the Year of the Snake in all five boroughs for this weekend and the next.
Metropolitan Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org), 1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan
January 25, 12–5pm
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is hosting its annual Lunar New Year celebration with a whole day of events on Saturday, January 25. Free with admission with no registration required, The Met’s celebration kicks off at noon with a lion dance by the Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute followed by a performance on Lunar New Year traditions by the Sesame Street Muppeteers featuring Alan Muraoka, and a variety of craft and calligraphy workshops, demonstrations, and opportunities to connect with community-based organizations. The Chinatown bookstore Yu & Me Books will also have a pop-up shop at The Met focusing on local and immigrant stories.
In addition to the event, the museum has put together a small exhibition of objects from its collections (including the above plaque) called Celebrating the Year of the Snake, now on view in Gallery 207 through February 10.
Think!Chinatown
Think!Chinatown (thinkchinatown.org), 1 Pike Street, Chinatown, Manhattan
January 25–February 16
The local nonprofit Think!Chinatown (T!C) hosts a slew of LNY-related events with craft and community in mind every year — including a visit to The Met’s own celebration. On Sunday, January 26, T!C resident artist and educator Ling Tang will host back-to-back workshops on the traditional Chinese practice of decorative paper-cutting for both beginners and creators with some experience in the organization’s studio space. Other events celebrating the new year include T!C’s lantern reveal during the January 29 festivities on Mott Street, a visit to a teahouse, a rice cake making workshop, and a Mahjong party.
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (snug-harbor.org), 1000 Richmond Terrace, Randall Manor, Staten Island
January 25, 11:30am–4pm
For friends and families based in Staten Island, the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is hosting its annual Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday, rife with storytelling, treats, crafts and calligraphy, and hand puppet performances along with puppet-making workshops onsite. Attendees have been asked to wear red and gold for an auspicious start to the Year of the Snake!
Wave Hill
Wave Hill Public Garden & Cultural Center (wavehill.org), 4900 Independence Ave, Riverdale, The Bronx
January 25 and 26, 10am–1pm
On both Saturday and Sunday, visitors to Wave Hill in the Bronx can work on decorating and assembling a hand fan inspired by the Year of the Snake after learning about the significance of the Chinese zodiac animals together. This workshop is free with an admission ticket to Wave Hill, and a holiday-inspired storytelling program will take place at 11:30am on both days at the Gund Theater onsite.
Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Museum (brooklynmuseum.org), 200 Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights, Brooklyn
January 26, 12:45pm–4pm
The Brooklyn Museum has partnered with Cool Culture and the Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club for a performance-based Lunar New Year celebration in conjunction with its ongoing Weekend Art Hangs this coming Sunday. In addition to the watching the lion dance and meeting the performers, attendees can participate in a museum-wide bingo game and a paper snake art workshop.
South Street Seaport Museum
South Street Seaport Museum (southstreetseaportmuseum.org), 12 Fulton Street, Financial District, Manhattan
February 1, 11am–5pm
Participating in the neighborhood’s annual Lunar New Year celebration, the South Street Seaport Museum has partnered with the New York Chinese Cultural Center to not only offer free general admission on Saturday, February 1, but host two workshops in Chinese calligraphy and paper lion chains. The nautical influence on the paper lion chain crafts come from the signal flags sailors would use to convey messages to each other from a distance at sea. Both workshops are free, but an RSVP is recommended to save your seat.
Queens Museum
Queens Museum (queensmuseum.org), Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens
February 2, 1–4pm
The Queens Museum’s education team and visual and performing artists from the New York Chinese Cultural Center come together to present a Lunar New Year celebration full of traditional dance performances, calligraphy and brush painting workshops, and a snake-themed crafts workshop for all ages and skill-levels to usher in a year of prosperity and transformation. The museum notes that this is a very popular event with no required registration, so be sure to come early and secure your seat!
Land to Sea
Land to Sea (landtoseanyc.com), 402 Graham Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
February 1 and 2, 10am–4pm
Last but not least … What could be better than supporting a local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artist or creative small business in the Year of the Snake? The Asian- and women-owned Brooklyn cafe Land to Sea will become an art marketplace on the weekend of February 1, with multiple independent vendors selling glass and beaded jewelry, ceramics, risograph prints, small art books, stationery, and other decorative wares for your home and self.
