Celebrate Lunar New Year in Philly with these 9 events

For some, the new year begins as soon as the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31. Throughout East and Southeast Asian countries and the respective diaspora, however, the new year starts with the first new moon.

For 2024, Feb. 10 rings in the Year of the Dragon.

Lunar New Year is the biggest celebration of the year for many Asian cultures, spanning China, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Philly will celebrate with feasting, firecrackers, lion dances in Chinatown, and other performances throughout the city, starting as early as this weekend. Whether you’re looking to make dumplings or enjoy parades, here are events to celebrate Lunar New Year.

The Penn Museum hosts its 43rd annual Lunar New Year celebration on Jan. 27 in partnership with the American Center for Asian Students and the National Association for Korean Schools. Watch the Great Wall Chinese School dance troupe, the Penn K Beats, and other traditional and contemporary music and dance performances. An event for all ages, there will be activities such as paper lantern making and Year of the Dragon crafts. CultureFest! is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets for one-hour entry windows are $18 per adult. Purchase online.

📍 3260 South St., Phila., Pa., 19104, 📞 215-898-4000, 🌐 penn.museum

Learn how to prepare and cook traditional dumplings this new year. The Dumpling Academy will host a DIY class focused on dumplings and tangyuan, a Ping-Pong-size dessert of glutinous rice with sweet fillings like sesame paste. (Note: Shanghai-style wonton soup will replace tangyuan in some sessions.) Dumpling ingredients and appetizers will be provided — all you need to bring is a container to take home your leftover dumplings. The sessions are $85 to $125 per adult and $55 per child (12 and under). Fill out the online form to sign up. Choose from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 5 to 8 p.m. from Feb. 2 to 25.

📍Near Fairmount Park — the address will be disclosed prior to the event, 📞 267-213-6787, 🌐 dumplingacademy.wixsite.com/dumplingacademy

Ring in the Lunar New Year at the Main Line Art Center in Haverford on Feb. 4. The Philly Suns lion dance group will perform outdoors, followed by a performance by the Kun-Yang Lin Dancers (a nonprofit dance company based in Philly) inside. After the performances, check out the hands-on art activities with your family. The event is from noon to 2 p.m. Attend for free with a $10 suggested donation, but be sure to register online.

📍 746 Panmure Rd., Haverford, Pa., 19041, 📞 610-525-0272, 🌐 mainlineart.org

Ember & Ash will be celebrating the Year of the Dragon with five dinners at the East Passyunk restaurant from Feb. 5 to 10. Scott and Lulu Calhoun, the husband-and-wife team behind the restaurant, will offer Chinese menu specials, including dumplings using Lulu’s grandmother’s recipe, noodles, turnip cakes, and a special dessert. Expect a dragon-themed cocktail all week, featuring Revivalist Dragon Dance Jalapeno Gin from Brandywine’s Botanery Barn Distilling, a local gin distiller donating bottles for the new year theme. A portion of proceeds from cocktail sales will go to a local charity. (Note: there will also be a special nonalcoholic cocktail available.) Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome.

The Calhouns will also welcome chef Kurt Evans of Black Dragon Takeout for a one-night-only “Friends Around the Fire” collaboration dinner on Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. The dinner, priced at $105 per person, is five courses featuring dim sum and other plates. Book your spot on Resy.

📍1520 E. Passyunk Ave., Phila., Pa., 19147, 🌐 emberandashphilly.com

Enjoy a free, family-friendly event with activities, light refreshments, and lion dance performances. It’s hosted by Friends of the Rail Park, Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp., Asian Arts Initiative, Philadelphia Suns, Callowhill Neighborhood Association, Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, Asian Americans United, Students for the Preservation of Chinatown, Bethesda Project, Philly House, and Ballet SunMi. Head to the Rail Park on Feb. 10 from 1 to 3 p.m. RSVP online.

📍 1300 Noble St., Phila., Pa., 19123, 🌐 therailpark.org

The annual Lunar New Year’s Eve Midnight Parade starts at 10 p.m. on Feb. 9, and the annual Lunar New Year’s Day Parade starts at 11 a.m. on Feb. 11. Both parades begin at 227 N. 10th Street with the Philly Suns lion dance group leading the way through Chinatown. The traditional lion dance and lighting of firecrackers bring good fortune and good luck to the local businesses in the community. Expect dancing, drumming, music, and more for the cultural celebration.

📍227 N. 10th St., Phila., Pa., 19107, 🌐 phillysuns.org/lion-dance

On Feb. 12, enjoy an afternoon of activities, story time, play time, and crafts for kids of all ages at the Independence Library branch. The free event to celebrate the Year of the Dragon is at 4 p.m.

📍18 S. Seventh St. (Seventh Street between Market and Chestnut), Phila., Pa., 19106, 📞 215-685-1633, 🌐 freelibrary.org

On Feb. 17, head to Dilworth Park from 5 to 7 p.m. to watch a procession of prancing lions and traditional Chinese dancers as you taste the Lunar New Year-inspired menu in the Rothman Orthopaedics Cabin. Ice skating sessions will be available throughout the evening.

📍1 S. 15th St., Phila., Pa., 19102, 🌐 centercityphila.org

Sip cocktails at the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp.’s annual Chinese New Year Banquet to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. The Philly Department of Commerce will honor U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle, Dwight Evans, and Mary Gay Scanlon with community service awards. The event will be Feb. 23, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Purchase individual tickets for $150 online.

📍1001 Vine St., Phila., Pa., 19107, 🌐 chinatown-pcdc.org