Lunar New Year events on Long Island
The classical Long Island Chinese dance group Splendor of the Sleeves will be part of the Suffolk County Asian American Advisory Board’s virtual celebration of Lunar New Year on Feb. 12. Credit: Suffolk County Asian American Ad
Lunar New Year falls on Sunday, Jan. 22, and 2023 marks the Year of the Rabbit. Celebrate with cooking or calligraphy classes, festive crafts and traditional Lion Dance and musical performances happening on Long Island.
Here are ways to ring in the Lunar New Year and the Chinese New Year with friends and family:
“IT’S CHINESE NEW YEAR, CURIOUS GEORGE” Celebrate the book launch party with Huntington author Maria Wen Adcock, learn Chinese New Year traditions and make crafts from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at Huntington Library; free and not limited to town residents; 338 Main St., Huntington, myhpl.libnet.info, 631-427-5165.
LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Visit the wildlife dioramas, learn Chinese calligraphy and make a decoration that promotes good luck all year from 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 15 at the Vanderbilt Museum. For ages 2-4; Admission is $20; 180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport, vanderbiltmuseum.org, 631-854-5579.
CHINESE NEW YEAR COOKING Take a hands-on cooking and tasting class with Penn Hongthong who teaches how to make dumplings from 7 to 8 p.m. Jan. 19 at Farmingdale Library. Online registration (not limited to town residents) begins Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $6 per person; 116 Merritts Rd., Farmingdale, farmingdalelibrary.org, 516-249-9090.
CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION The free celebration includes cultural performances with a light dinner to follow at 5:45 p.m. Jan. 20 at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge; 100 Veterans Memorial Hwy., Hauppauge, Suffolk County Asian American Advisory Board, scaaab.org, 631-853-4738.
WINTERFEST LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Celebrate and learn about Lunar New Year with a focus on Chinese culture with hands-on activities from noon to 5 p.m. Jan. 21 at this free event at The Heckscher Museum of Art. Make your own lantern, enjoy dance performances and more; 2 Prime Ave., Huntington, heckscher.org, 631-380-3230.
MAKE A FORTUNE COOKIE For Chinese New Year, create a supersized fortune cookie ready to take home and bake from 4 to 5 p.m. Jan. 27 at Locust Valley Library (for grades 2-6, not limited to town residents); 170 Buckram Rd., Locust Valley, locustvalleylibrary.org, call to sign up 516-671-1837.
ROSLYN GRACE LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with food and performances from 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center hosted by Greater Roslyn Association for Chinese Enrichment. Admission is $20, $10 for ages 6-14, free under 5; 300 Forest Drive Greenvale, roslyngrace.org.
LUNAR NEW YEAR AT LICM Ring in the Year of the Rabbit as you watch a traditional Lion Dance, enjoy a variety of dance and musical performances, view live artisan demonstrations and create themed crafts from noon to 4 p.m. Jan. 28-29 at Long Island Children’s Museum. For ages 3 and up; free with $15 museum admission; 11 Davis Ave., Garden City, licm.org, 5161-224-5800.
NAI-NI CHEN DANCE COMPANY This celebration focuses on the Year of the Rabbit with live dance performances at 7 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post. Tickets start at $25; 720 Northern Blvd. Brookville; tillescenter.org, 516-299-3100.
CELEBRATING THE LUNAR NEW YEAR Join the free “Teaching Kitchen” where you learn to make tangyuan (a traditional Chinese dessert) at 11 a.m. Feb. 3 at Stony Brook University’s Charles B. Wang Center (Free but limited to 15 participants. The first come and first served) Also, celebrate with black sesame butter during a free lecture program that offers a tasting session at 3 p.m. Feb. 3; 100 Nicolls Rd., Stony Brook, thewangcenter.org, 631-632-4400.
LUNAR NEW YEAR The free Year of the Rabbit celebration includes cultural activities, arts and crafts, photo ops, Town Hall will be lit and festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at Mary J. Davies Green; Chinese American Association of North Hempstead; 220 Plandome Rd., Manhasset, northhempsteadny.gov.