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21 Best Lunar New Year Celebrations and Parades in NYC for Families

The Better Chinatown Society hosts its annual Lunar New Year Parade on Sunday, February 16. Photo by Bob Dea
The Better Chinatown Society hosts its annual Lunar New Year Parade on Sunday, February 16. Photo by Bob Dea
1/14/25 - By Drew Kristofik

Lunar New Year is one of our favorite winter celebrations in New York City. Although the holiday is often referred to as Chinese New Year, many Asian nations celebrate Lunar New Year. In 2026, the holiday falls on Tuesday, February 17, and city kids can mark this cultural holiday with family-friendly celebrations citywide, from Chinatown's firecracker ceremony to the spectacular New York City Lunar New Year Parade and Festival on Sunday, March 1.

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As always, click through to our listings for all the information including addresses, times, and recommended ages.

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The Seaport hosts a celebration in honor of the Year of the Snake. Photo courtesy of QBG
The Seaport hosts a celebration in honor of the Year of the Snake. Photo courtesy of QBG

Lunar New Year Celebrations in NYC for Families

Lunar New Year of the Horse at Kupferberg Center

Flushing, Queens
Sunday, February 1, 2026
The world-renowned Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company welcomes the Lunar New Year of the Horse with majestic dragons, acrobatic lions, elegant peacocks, twirling ribbons, bamboo instruments, and more. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Festival at The Met: Year of the Horse

Upper East Side
Saturday, February 7, 2026
Celebrate the Year of the Horse, one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, with performances, interactive activities, and artist-led workshops for all ages. READ MORE

MOCACREATE: Lunar New Year Museum Makeover with Teaching Artist Yu Rong

Chinatown
Saturday, February 7, 2026
Put a spin on a MOCA tradition— help welcome the New Year by making handmade decorations to liven up the Museum. Teaching artist Yu Rong helps families transform the space with colorful creations that will be on display through the annual Lunar New Year Family Festival! READ MORE

Lunar New Year Celebration at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music

Park Slope, Brooklyn
Sunday, February 8, 2026
Ring in the Year of the Horse at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and live music, festive snacks, crafts and more. READ MORE

The Sound of Spring: Celebrate Year of the Horse at the Rose Theater

Upper West Side
Sunday, February 15, 2026
Welcome the Year of the Horse at the 7th annual The Sound of Spring Chinese New Year concert. The Orchestra Now and conductor Jindong Cai perform a program in praise of love and horses -- filling the Rose Theater with joyful Chinese and Western symphonic music for the whole family. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival

Lower East Side – FREE
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
The Better Chinatown Society's annual New Year's celebration is hosted in Sara D. Roosevelt Park with firecrackers, cultural performances, and much more. READ MORE

Lunar New Year in Prospect Park

Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Join the Prospect Park Alliance on Lunar New Year for family-friendly programs at Lefferts Historic House and the Prospect Park Audubon Center. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Celebration at the Skyscraper Museum

Battery Park City – FREE
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Dive into vernacular architecture spotted across East Asia, learning about history and architecture and why it remains important to our fundamental understanding of height from ancient times to the present day. Then, celebrate Lunar New Year by creating illuminated paper lanterns, decorated with that architecture in mind. READ MORE

Kids Week: Lunar New Year Celebration in Bowne Park

Flushing, Queens
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Celebrate the Year of the Horse with crafts and activities. READ MORE

Lunar New Year at the Children's Museum of Manhattan

Upper West Side
Tuesday, February 17-Thursday, February 19, 2026
Closed on Wednesday, January 29, 2025
As the Lantern Festival arrives and the Year of the Horse begins, welcome new beginnings with glowing art, bold colors, and symbols of luck and freedom at CMOM. READ MORE

Freezin' Season: Lunar New Year at King Manor

Jamaica, Queens – FREE
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Ring in the Year of the Horse by making a red envelope lantern, discover your Zodiac animal, and learn more about Lunar New Year traditions. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Celebration at City Point

Downtown Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Celebrate Year of the Horse at City Point with traditional lion dances, Lunar New Year-inspired crafts, and more! Families are encouraged to come dressed in red. Stroller parking is available. READ MORE

Moon Over Manhattan: A Lunar New Year Family Day at Asia Society

Upper East Side
Saturday, February 21, 2026
The Asia Society welcomes the Year of the Horse with lion dances and martial arts demonstrations, New Year's music, shadow puppet crafts, and more. READ MORE

2026 Lunar New Year Family Festival at the China Institute

Financial District
Saturday, February 21, 2026
The Chinese Institute's annual festival promises an authentic and dazzling celebration highlighting the traditions of the holiday through interactive workshops and mesmerizing performances. Explore the cultural treasures of China's Prince Kung’s Palace Museum in the heart of New York City.  READ MORE

Snug Harbor Chinese New Year Celebration

Snug Harbor, Staten Island
Saturday,February 21, 2026
Welcome the Year of the Fire Horse with a Chinese New Year Celebration that includes performances, treats, tales, and traditional crafts. READ MORE

Family Art Project: Fan for Lunar New Year at Wave Hill

Riverdale, the Bronx
Saturday, February 21-Sunday, February 22, 2026
Celebrate the start of the Year of the Snake by learning about its role in the Chinese zodiac. Then, assemble and decorate a fan inspired by snakes in nature that call the Bronx home. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Family Celebration at Lincoln Center

Upper West Side – FREE
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Ring the Year of the Horse with self-discovery, transformation, and connection, including a beloved lion dance performance on Josie Robertson Plaza.by the Tai Look Lion Dance Company, a Chinatown favorite. READ MORE

Lunar New Year at the Museum of the Moving Image

Astoria, Queens
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Celebrate the Year of the Horse with a puppet show put on by the Chinese Theatre Works: Hao Bang Ah! Horse, an original budaixi traditional Chinese glove-puppetry production that features the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. READ MORE

28th Annual New York City Lunar New Year Parade & Festival in Chinatown

Chinatown – FREE
Sunday, March 1, 2026
A half-million spectators line the streets of Chinatown for this colorful pan-Asian procession, which includes Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Malaysian, and even Hispanic floats and cultural performances.  READ MORE

La MaMa Kids: The Great Zodiac Animal Race

Lower East Side
Sunday, March 1, 2026
This charming shadow puppet show retells the classic Lunar New Year zodiac tale with animals inspired by Asian languages and pictograms. READ MORE

Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Brooklyn Children's Museum

Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Ring in the Year of the Horse with Chinese arts and traditions, including a museum-wide lion dance parade! Try on lion dance costumes, practice calligraphy, learn kung fu moves, and enjoy live performances celebrating the new year.   READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Kupferberg Center for the Arts, Goldstein Theatre
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Gardens

About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
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