Where to Welcome the Year of the Snake in Lower Manhattan
When it comes to Lunar New Year observances, Downtown is the gung-hay-fat-choy equivalent of Times Square. And while some observances are so popular they have already sold out (such as those offered by the China Institute in America), other are free or low-cost, and taking a “人越多越有意思” approach.
Tomorrow (Saturday, February 1), the Museum of Chinese in America (215 Centre Street, between Howard and Grand Streets) will host a pair of three-hour sessions of family-friendly events (beginning at 10am and 1pm), including story time, arts and crafts, a gallery hunt, cooking classes, workshops in fan dancing and ribbon dancing, and a lion dance performance.
Also tomorrow, the South Street Seaport will offer free lion dances (at noon and 1pm) in front of the Tin Building (96 South Street), and the Seaport Museum (at 207 Water Street) will host free Chinese calligraphy workshops for kids aged seven to 12 at 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm. At its 12 Fulton Street location, the Museum is also inviting kids to craft maritime-inspired Chinese Lion Chains, from 11am to 4:30pm.
This weekend, and continuing through February 12, the World Trade Center will mark the occasion with an art installation, “Infinite Harmony: Year of the Snake,” in the Oculus. This 150 foot-long aluminum sculpture of a snake by artist Warren King in collaboration with architects Richard Gluckman and Andrew Weigand slithers along the main floor of the transportation hub, accompanied by an augmented reality experience that allows visitors to interact with the sculpture as they explore.
At Water Street Projects (161 Water Street), the free, immersive CHA CHA festival, inspired by the Asian culture and rituals surrounding tea, will be open each Saturday and Sunday throughout February, from noon to 7pm. The event highlights the work of five artists who were asked to reimagine a tea house inspired by five culturally significant Asian teas: chai, hojicha, lotus, oolong, and pu’erh. Each installation will offer complimentary tastings of the tea that inspired it.
Next weekend (Friday through Sunday, February 7 to 9), Gotham Park (located on the north side of the Brooklyn Bridge, between Park Row and Madison Street) will host the Lunar New Year Market, featuring 17 local vendors offering a unique goods from Chinatown small businesses. A community lantern-making activity will take place at the market on February 9 from 1pm to 3-pm.
Festivities will culminate on Sunday, February 16, with Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Parade, which begins at Mott and Canal Streets at 1pm and eventually concludes at Sara D. Roosevelt Park (at Chrystie and Grand Streets). Attractions will include traditional food and drink vendors (in booths on Bayard Street, between Mulberry and Mott Streets) from 11:30am to 3:30pm.