Tea Arts & Culture, working with Prospect Park Alliance, is bringing its annual Winter Tea gathering back to the Prospect Park Boathouse on Jan. 3, 2026. The free community event invites New Yorkers to start the year with reflection, creativity and a sense of togetherness. Registration opens Dec. 12.
Winter Tea blends poetry, artmaking and tea to create a shared pause in the heart of winter, echoing the organization’s mission to deepen connection with nature, community, and self. The program is shaped with local artists and longtime community partners.
"Within the vastness of the world, each life holds meaning and in small moments of presence, we find the threads that connect our shared humanity. Hope at least the connections of these moments can be a reminder of hope when we need it, " said Tea Arts & Culture.
Event Highlights
Outdoor Fireside Conversations & Tea
Attendees can gather outdoors around a fire for tea, quiet reflection, and conversation. Guests are invited to write down one intention, or one thing they want to release for the year ahead and offer it to the fire at the close of the gathering.
Odes to Common Things Poetry Writing
Poet Robin Lampman will guide participants in contributing to Odes to Common Things, Tea Arts & Culture’s ongoing community poetry project celebrating everyday beauty.
Live Sound Performances
Curated by Testu Collective, the program opens with a new collaboration from Kirin McElwain and Serena Stucke/Dan Tesene. McElwain, a cellist and composer, weaves modular synth with cello to create contrasting sonic landscapes. Stucke and Tesene work with handbuilt sound devices and modular synth to produce rich, tactile sound worlds. The evening closes with trumpeter and electroacoustic composer Chris Williams, known for crafting atmospheric soundscapes with trumpet and electronics.
Third Life Ikebana Exhibition
Flower Heart Alliance presents Third Life: Before the Mulch, an exhibition that transforms discarded Christmas trees into ikebana arrangements, offering a brief final chapter before the trees are mulched by NYC Parks. The installation will be on view Jan. 2–4.
If You Go
Cost: Free with registration
Location: Prospect Park Boathouse and Audubon Center
Guests are encouraged to bring their own cup and bring a cushion if they prefer floor seating, as chairs and cushions may be limited. Plan extra time for a relaxed walk to the Boathouse. Space is limited and registration is required.
