Lunar New Year Festival: Year of the Rat Day-Long Celebration at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

    Lunar New Year Festival: Year of the Rat Day-Long Celebration at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

    Taking place throughout the Museum

    Saturday / February 1
    11:00 am – 5:00 pm

    Metropolitan Museum of Art
    1000 5th Ave

    Information below borrowed from the official page here…

    Free with Museum admission; admission is free for children under 12 with an adult.

    May art bring you good fortune! Mark the Year of the Rat, one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, with performances, interactive gallery activities, and artist-led workshops. For all ages.

    Schedule Of Events

    Performances

    Opening Performance
    Lunar New Year Parade
    11–11:30 am
    Ring in a new prosperous New Year with the Chinese Center on Long Island Lion Troupe.
    Floor 1, Great Hall

    Sesame Street Puppeteers Featuring Alan Muraoka
    11:10–11:40 am, 12–12:30:00 pm
    Tickets distributed 15 minutes prior at event location.
    Discover the traditions of Lunar New Year with Sesame Street puppeteers.
    Floor 1, Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium

    Photo Op with Sesame Street Muppeteers
    12:45–1:30:00 pm
    Snap a pic and meets some friendly Sesame Street characters.
    Floor 1, Temple of Dendur, Gallery 131

    Lunar New Year Performances
    1:30–2:15:00 pm, 2:45–3:30:00 pm, 4–4:45:00 pm
    Tickets distributed 15 minutes prior at event location.
    Be entertained by the Chinese Center on Long Island Lion Troupe, New York Chinese Cultural Center dancers, and drummers from New York Korean Performing Arts Center.
    Floor 1, Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium

    Integrating Identity with Vincent Chong
    12–12:15:00 pm, 1–1:15:00 pm, 2–2:15:00 pm, 3–3:15:00 pm, 4–4:15:00 pm
    Flutter a festive fan as Vincent Chong, a queer mixed-race Chinese American artist, writes in gold calligraphy while soaring in heels.
    Floor 2, Asian Art, Chinese Courtyard in the Style of the Ming Dynasty, Gallery 217

    ART ACTIVITIES AND DEMONSTRATIONS

    Zodiac Zones
    11:00 am – 5:00 pm
    Discover more about your sign. Proudly wear your zodiac animal buttons to meet others who share the same characteristics.
    Ground floor, Carson Family Hall, Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education

    Fierce Dragon Creations
    11:00 am – 5:00 pm
    Ring in the New Year with a movable dragon toy that brings a bit of good luck. Dragons are believed to possess great power, dignity, fertility, and wisdom.
    Ground floor, Carson Family Hall, Uris Center for Education

    Festive Feast with Emily Mock
    11:00 am – 5:00 pm
    Have you shared your abundance with others this year? Add to the communal paper feast installation for the kitchen god, Zao Jun, and his wife, Guo.
    Ground floor, Carson Family Hall, Uris Center for Education

    Luminous Lanterns with China Institute
    11:00 am – 5:00 pm
    Light up the sky with a tissue paper lantern and LED candle. Add phrases of good fortune to your creation.
    Ground floor, Carroll Classroom, Carson Family Hall, Uris Center for Education

    Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony & Bubble Tea Gatherings (Best for ages 6 and up)
    12–3:30:00 pm
    Cheer the New Year with freshly made bubble tea from Ten Ren Tea and Ginseng Co., then join a demonstration by tea masters at 1pm and 3pm.
    Ground floor, Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall, Carson Family Hall, Uris Center for Education

    Hand-Pulled Noodle Demonstration
    12:30–1:00 pm, 1:30–2:00 pm, 2:30–3:00 pm, 3:30–4:00 pm
    Tickets distributed 15 minutes prior at event location.
    The longer the noodles, the longer and happier the lift!
    Ground floor, North Classroom, Uris Center for Education

    Celestial Drawing Station
    11:00 am – 5:00 pm
    Explore and sketch animals depicted in the lunar zodiac across cultures.
    Floor 1, Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, Gallery 350

    Creative Calligraphy with Zhou Bin
    11:00 am – 5:00 pm
    Express yourself with ink and brush guided by a master Chinese calligrapher from iCanMandarin.
    Ground floor, Carroll Classroom, Carson Family Hall, Uris Center for Education

    Daring Disguise
    11:00 am – 5:00 pm
    Become a cunning rat with a fuzzy ear headband and whimsical whiskers.
    Floor 2, Asian Art, Chinese Courtyard in the Style of the Ming Dynasty, Gallery 206

    Den-den Daiko Drum Making
    11:00 am – 5:00 pm
    Move to the beat of your own drum! Design a pellet drum like those used across Asia, including Japan, China, Tibet, Mongolia, India, Taiwan and Korea.
    Floor 2, Asian Art, The Astor Forecourt, Gallery 209

    Metal Mouse Masterpieces with The Rubin Museum of Art
    11:00 am – 5:00 pm
    Get inspired by Himalayan sculptures and the astrological element of metal than emboss your own mousy plaque.
    Floor 2, Asian Art, The Astor Forecourt, Gallery 209

    Hero Rats with Lydia DesRoche
    11:30:00 am – 12:00 pm, 12:30–1:00 pm, 1:30–2:00 pm, 2:30–3:00 pm, 3:30–4:00 pm, 4:30–5:00 pm
    Tickets distributed 15 minutes prior at event location.
    Rats are actors, painters, and heroes! Meet animal trainer, Lydia DesRoche, and her furry friends to learn fun facts about working rats.
    Ground floor, North Classroom, Uris Center for Education

    STORYTELLING AND QUIET SPACES

    Tot Spot (Best for ages 0-5)
    11:00 am – 5:00 pm
    Play and learn with books, blocks, and more just for early learners.
    Ground floor, Nolen Library, Uris Center for Education

    Bilingual Storytime with China Institute in English and Mandarin (Best for ages 3 and up)
    1–1:30:00 pm, 2–2:30:00 pm
    Enjoy quiet time with stories in English and Mandarin.
    Ground floor, Nolen Library, Uris Center for Education

    Quiet Spaces
    11:30:00 am – 4:30:00 pm
    Stop by these quiet spaces for time with art and books.
    Floor 1, Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, Gallery 353
    Floor 2, Greek and Roman Art, Gallery 229, Leon Levy and Shelby White Court and Galleries

    Lunar New Year Festival: Year of the Rat is made possible in part by the E.H.A. Foundation and Tiger Baron Foundation.

    It is presented by the Museum’s Advisory Committee on Cultural Engagement and the Education Department.