Lunar New Year starts on Wednesday, Jan. 29 and for the next several days, there will be many celebrations, festivities and feasts in Brooklyn.
It is a celebration of the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population. While the official dates encompassing the holiday vary by culture, those celebrating consider it the time of the year to reunite with immediate and extended family.
Here's how to kick off the Year of the Snake, a zodiac character that exemplifies resourcefulness, adaptability and resilience.
Friday, Jan. 31
12:00pm to 1:00pm
Come celebrate Lunar New Year with a Lion Dance. It will begin at the Box Tower in Courtyard 3/4 and go across Innovation Alley blessing the businesses at Industry City.

Saturday, Feb. 1
Lunar New Year Festival at the Brooklyn Children's Museum
10:30am to 5:00pm
Experience Lunar New Year through interactive storytelling, dynamic performances, and hands-on workshops.
Meet authors Yobe Qiu and Ran Wei, watch spectacular lion dance parades, enjoy cultural performances featuring dance and music and create art with expert calligrapher Nelson Leung. Plus, get hands-on at the kung fu workshops, and explore snake-themed science activities in the STEM makerspace.

Lunar New Year at City Point BKLYN and Albee Square
12:00pm to 5:00pm
Celebrate Year of the Snake at City Point and Albee Square with traditional Lion Dances, Lunar New Year-inspired crafts, balloon hunt and more! Free and fun for all ages. Families are encouraged to come dressed in red.
1:00pm, 1:30pm | City Point (Prince St Corridor)
2:10pm, 2:40pm, 3:20pm | Albee Square
3:40pm, 4:10pm | DeKalb Market Hall
Family Activities:
12:00pm – 2:00pm | Kids’ Crafts & Balloon Hunt (inside City Point BKLYN)

Hana House presents: AAPI Lunar New Year Market
12:00pm to 6:00pm, Hana House (345 Adams St.)
New York’s finest Asian talents, chefs, influencers and 45+ vendors will gather in Downtown Brooklyn. Raffle giveaways include tattoos, toothgem, a
three-day resort stay and Laura Mercier goods.

Brooklyn Lunar New Year Celebration and Prosperity Street Festival
11:00am to 3:00pm, Main Stage at 8th Avenue and 51st Street, festival on 8th Avenue, between 50th to 60th Streets
Hosted by the Better Brooklyn Association, this event will feature cultural performances, vendors and family-friendly activities.

Sunday, Feb. 2
Bensonhurst New Year Parade
11:00am
Meet at the corner of 18th Avenue and 61st Street at 10am for the Bensonhurst New Year Parade, hosted by the Chinese American Social Services Center and City Council Member Susan Zhuang. The parade will go down 18th Avenue to 83rd Street.
