lunar new year

DC Family Weekend Fun Guide

February 9, 2024

It’s a busy weekend and special week ahead with the Super Bowl (Go Chiefs) & Valentine’s Day! Speaking of, have you gotten your loved ones (or yourself) some delicious chocolate yet?

All weekend
Junie B. Jones, The Musical at Adventure Theatre
It is Junie B.’s first day of first grade, and a lot of things have changed for her: Junie’s friend, Lucille, does not want to be her best pal anymore and, on the bus, Junie B. makes friends with Herb, the new kid at school. Also, Junie has trouble reading the blackboard and her teacher, Mr. Scary, thinks she may need glasses. Throw in a friendly cafeteria lady, a kickball tournament and a “Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal,” and first grade has never been more exciting. Featuring a tremendously loveable character and fun-filled songs, Junie B. Jones will capture your audience members’ hearts just as the books captivated an entire generation of students.

Friday
6:00pm-8:00pm: Kid’s Night Out at Red Panda Art Studio: Pop Art Hearts
It’s almost Valentine’s Day! Get into the holiday spirit with a pop art-inspired Valentine’s heart project.

Saturday
9:30am & 11:00am: Saturday Morning Live! at the National Theatre
The Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA) Ensemble will perform a children’s story, I Don’t Want to Be Me, by Patricia Lee Davis and Jocelyn Mack. This story is about a young African-American girl named Michelle struggling to accept her natural beauty. In the end nature and animals remind her that she is beautiful the way she is and to embrace herself. This story is about self-acceptance and embracing imperfections. Children will participate in an interactive drama about the story

10:30am: The Great Zucchini at Avalon Theatre
The Great Zucchini and Abracadabra Alex are teaming up for one unforgettable belly laughing show. Start the day laughing and clapping with your family! Two of the DC area’s favorite children’s entertainers are teaming up for a not-to-be-missed show at the historic Avalon Theatre! We anticipate this show to sell out so grab your tickets today!

10:30am-3:30pm: Family Day: Make a Magazine at The Library of Congress
In honor of Black History Month, explore the Library’s collections during a magazine-making activity for families inspired by W.E.B. DuBois’ “The Brownies’ Book,” the first magazine for African American children. Join on the mezzanine level of the Thomas Jefferson building with special appearance from honored guest Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden at 1 pm.

11:00am-4:00pm: Lunar New Year Family Festival at the National Postal Museum
The Lunar New Year is right around the corner, so come celebrate the upcoming Year of the Dragon at the National Postal Museum! Join for FREE crafts, activities, live dance performances and more! Folks from the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) will be leading a trivia game about the Chinese zodiac and our friends from the District of Columbia Public Library are bringing their book bike stocked full of wonderful reading materials about the Lunar New Year and dragons. An interactive Lion Dance—a traditional dance often staged at Lunar New Year celebrations—will be performed throughout the day.

11:00am-3:00pm: Black History Month Family Day at Woodlawn Manor
Part of a quarterly Family Day series: Kids and families of all ages are welcome to drop-in to the Black History Month Family Day. Enjoy story times and hands-on activities celebrating African American heritage and accomplishments as told through this year’s theme: The Arts. Contribute to the “I Have a Dream Canvas”, create your own compass, and follow the path of Harriet Tubman.
The event takes place inside Woodlawn Manor.

11:15am: Storytime at National Museum of the American Indian
Families are invited to an interactive story time featuring a children’s book by a Native author and in consultation with Native communities. Visitors will engage with objects and photographs that deepen their understanding of the community represented in the story.

12:30pm-2:00pm: Lunar New Year Celebration with Chia Chinese Learning at Red Panda Art Studio
Join in celebrating the Lunar New Year with Chia Chinese Learning! There will be Lunar New Year themed crafts and Chinese language practice.

1:00pm-3:00pm: STEAM Saturday at National Building Museum
The second Saturday of each month, families are invited to join the National Building Museum for STEAM activities related to our new Brick City exhibition. Each activity challenges children to think creatively and experimentally using principles of design thinking and engineering.
NOTE: The beloved area, PLAY, WORK, BUILD area is being taken down on Feb. 19.

3:00pm-7:00pm: Mardi Gras at the Wharf
Watch the parade on Wharf Street, dance to live music, grab a hurricane from the District Pier Bar, and party on!

5:30pm-7:30pm: Kid’s Night Out at Red Panda Art Studio: Beaded Hearts
Drop your child(ren) off for an evening of Valentine’s themed sculpture making! We’ll use wire, beads, and paint to make our own 3D crafty hearts.

Sunday
1:45pm: DC Chinese Lunar New Year Parade
The 2024 Annual Chinese Lunar New Year parade is organized by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Washington, DC (CCBA) in partnership with the DC Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA). In the lunar calendar, it will be the year 4722! The streets of DC Chinatown will fill will revelers and spectators as we celebrate the Year of the Dragon. We will host a dynamic community-based parade that will include a range of cultural and community performers. The finale will feature a firecracker show in the middle of H Street. Come early for a bite to eat at one of the many local eateries and restaurants and then grab your curb-side vantage point to witness the colorful pageantry to come!

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Lunar New Year Celebrations and Resources

January 19, 2023

2023 is a special year in the lunar calendar, celebrating two zodiacs – the rabbit and the cat. While it is the Year of the Rabbit in countries such as China and Korea, the Vietnamese community celebrates the Year of the Cat.

Picture books:
Tomorrow is New Year’s Day
How to Catch a Dragon
Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas
Twelve in a Race
Playing with Lanterns

Board books:
It’s Your Year, Baby Rabbit
Lucky Lunar Animals
Baby Loves Lunar Phases

Celebrations:
Now-February: Winter Lantern Festival
Winter Lantern Festival comes to the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia area for its FIRST immersive DMV Winter Lantern Festival! From New York with 150,000 annual guests, 3 years in a row, this is an experience you don’t want to miss! Lerner Town Square at Tysons II has been transformed into a dazzling world of light with over 1000 Chinese lanterns; all handmade by artisans with decades of experience.

January 21, 10:30am-12:00pm: Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration at Cleveland Park Library
Enjoy a variety of activities and crafts, including chop stick practice and decorating a lantern! For ages 2 and up. First come, first served, while supplies last.

January 21, 12:00pm-4:00pm: Lunar New Year 2023 Celebration at the National Museum of Asian Art
Bounce into the Year of the Rabbit and celebrate Lunar New Year at the National Museum of Asian Art! Free attractions for all ages, including performances, demos, a curator tour, hands-on activities, and more.

The celebration will include:

A traditional lion dance performance, 3.p.m.
Cooking demonstration, 1 p.m.
Hands-on crafts and activities, 12–4 p.m.
Lunar New Year curator-led gallery tour, 12 p.m.
Featured exhibitions Journey of Color; Rediscovering Korea’s Past; and Looking Out, Looking In

January 21, 6:00pm: Lunar New Year at the Millennium Stage
The Kennedy Center’s Lunar New Year Celebration honors the traditional holiday that is observed in countries and territories around the globe. Join us for a free performance in the “Year of the Rabbit” with a special program that highlights Chinese Culture.

January 22, 2:00pm: DC Chinese New Year Parade
The 2023 Annual Chinese Lunar New Year parade is organized by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Washington, DC (CCBA) in partnership with the DC Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA). The streets of DC Chinatown will fill will revelers and spectators as we celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. We will host a dynamic community-based parade that will include a range of cultural and community performers. The finale will feature a firecracker show in the middle of H Street. Come early for a bite to eat at one of the many local eateries and restaurants and then grab your curb-side vantage point to witness the colorful pageantry to come!

January 28, 11:30am-3:00pm: In-Person Lunar New Year Family Celebration
Ring in the Lunar New Year at SAAM! Join us for our annual celebration featuring Chinese and Korean traditions, including performances, crafts, food, and more. Learn about the importance of the Lunar New Year across cultures and explore SAAM’s collections with an art scavenger hunt. A special menu in honor of Lunar New Year will be offered by the Courtyard Café. Check out our Family Zone for more crafts and activities to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. A special menu in honor of Lunar New Year will be offered by the Courtyard Café. This program is presented in partnership with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America and with the Korean Cultural Center, Washington, D.C. and is part of Lunar New Year DC, organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Weekend Picks in and around Washington, DC

February 9, 2018

Love is in the air at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s annual Valentine’s Day Card Workshop! Perfect for visitors of all ages, this open-house event will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on both Saturday, February 10 and Sunday, February 11, 2018. The museum provides a bountiful spread of patterned papers, rubber stamps and postage stamps for decoration, gems and other 3-D embellishments, special cut-out scissors, washi tape, stickers, markers of every color (with a surplus of red and pink!) and more! Following their own creative instincts, kids and adults can choose whichever supplies they would like to design one-of-a-kind Valentine greetings.

Goodnight Moon & Runaway Bunny at Black Rock Center for the Arts is on Feb 10 & 11, 2018. From the creators of the 2014-15 sold-out performances of The Very Hungry Caterpillar comes a new adaptation of a children’s classic. Adapted from Margaret Wise Brown’s sixty-year-old classic, Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny’s pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mum. Both performances feature the endearing animal puppets, stunning scenic effects and evocative music that have earned international recognition for Mermaid Theatre. The hour-long staged adaptation brings a fresh appreciation of the stories and images that have delighted several generations.

The Princess & The Pauper: A Bollywood Tale at Imagination Stage premieres Feb 10 through March 18, 2018.
Set in long ago India, this Bollywood-inspired adaptation of the classic Mark Twain novel shows how the common people work long hours to support the luxurious lifestyle of those in the palace. As a corrupt Wazir plots to steal the throne from the Sultan’s heirs, a spoiled Princess Razia forces a shy dressmaker’s daughter, Zainab, to exchange places with her. Razia gradually discovers how unfairly the people are treated, and resolves to become a just leader. But, can she expose the Wazir’s villainy before he is crowned? In a madcap finale, Razia, Zainab, and all of the people of Dehli rise up to crash the coronation. Recommended ages 5+.

KID Museum is an AWESOME hands-on science, technology, engineering, art and math learning experience with an exploration of world cultures and global citizenship. It offers unique, maker experiences for elementary and middle school-aged children. See events calendar here to pick a day that is perfect for your Bambino. You won’t be disappointed. KID Museum’s current site at Davis Library in Bethesda, Maryland provides the community with programs and workshops on weekends and after school.

Saturday and Sunday head to the National Gallery of Art and join us for a cozy winter weekend of animated shorts from Weston Woods Studios, where books come to life through film. This program includes Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day, Leo Lionni’s Frederick, Jane Yolen’s Owl Moon, Ed Young’s Seven Blind Mice, Mac Barnett’sExtra Yarn, and Peter H. Reynolds’s The North Star. (Weston Woods Studios, USA, 50 minutes)

Saturday-

8:30am-9:30am: Capoeira for Kids Ages 3.5-7 at Bloombars
Capoeira provides physical fitness for children, ages 4 and up. It is intended to be a no- to low-contact martial art that helps children with gross motor planning and gross motor skills. Children will also learn maculele (a dance done hitting sticks against your partner’s sticks), samba, capoeira instruments, and Portuguese through this fun, interactive class. Classes are $15 each or $120 for a series of ten classes. Stick around for Harambe afterwards, beginning at 9:30am AND 10:30am.

9:30am AND 11:00am: Gemini Children’s Theatre: Little Mermaid’s Pollution Solution at National Theatre
The Little Mermaid has come back under the sea to visit her father, but the Sea Witch is up to her old tricks. She has polluted the water to drive out all the sea life in order to take over the underwater kingdom. It’s up to the Little Mermaid and her sea creature friends to save the day.

10:00am-3:00pm: African American Pioneers in Aviation and Space
Join us as we celebrate African American History Month by revealing past pioneers and giving families the opportunity to inspire the next generation of innovators in aviation and space. African Americans have made, and continue to make, significant contributions to flight and space exploration despite the overwhelming obstacles they had to overcome. Enjoy guest speakers as they share their personal tales of triumph, participate in hands-on activities that will challenge families to be pioneers in space and aviation, and hear inspiring stories of African Americans who have overcome challenges and refused to be hidden figures.

10:00am: Avalon Theatre Family Weekend Family Matinee: Wonder
Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time. Rated PG.

10:00am-12:00pm: Boogie Babes Gear Drive & Free Concert
Come to Eastern Market and donate baby gear you no longer need to a family in need and stay to boogie down with us! Our friends at The Residences at Eastern Marketare sponsoring a FREE Boogie Babes show with the amazing Rainbow Rock Band at 10:30am.

11:00am-4:00pm: The Arctic Melt at The National Academy of Sciences
Join Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences (CPNAS) and the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC) for a day of family fun discovering the Arctic landscape and its inhabitants. Through hands-on activities, children and families will explore Diane Tuft’s stunning photography exhibit, The Arctic Melt: Images of a Disappearing Landscape, and make connections to the Arctic environment, climate change, and conservation. Participants are encouraged to bring an old t-shirt to make a reusable shopping bag. This program is geared for families with children ages 3-8. Registration is recommended.

11:30am-3:00pm: Chinese New Year Festival at Smithsonian American Art Museum
Celebrate the Lunar New Year at SAAM to begin the Year of the Dog! Enjoy a variety of activities and demonstrations including traditional paper cutting, an art scavenger hunt, red paper-lantern making, and panda crafts. There will also be performances by special guest artists from Chengdu, China, including traditional music, Sichuan Opera, and acrobatics. Help us “awaken the lion” and ring in the New Year!

Sunday-

11:00am-11:45am: Sunday Funday at Imagination Stage
You are invited with your child to bring your favorite stories to life through dramatic play activities, music, movement, and visual art. Each session you leave with a special take-home item we used or created that day, as well as a Parent Pack to extend the experience at home.Featured story: Pout, Pout Fish

11:00am-5:00pm: Lunar New Year Celebration at Freer|Sackler
Join us for our fourth annual Lunar New Year celebration to ring in the Year of the Dog. Discover the richness of arts and culture in Sichuan Province, home to China’s beloved giant pandas. Experience interactive food and art demonstrations, live acrobatic and puppetry performances, and creations by local and international artists. And enjoy the six reimagined Chinese art exhibitions in the Freer and the innovative Resound: Ancient Bells of Chinain the Sackler. The celebration features lively performances of opera, folk music, and dance. Be prepared to sample some spicy dishes featuring Sichuan’s mouth-numbing peppers. Plus, write a Lunar New Year greeting card.

Extra, Extra–

Surprise your littles with Disney on Ice presents Frozen tickets!

Date Night Giveaway to Spoiled Rotten! at National Theatre is coming to a close soon, enter here!! Use discount code: BARD for seating starting at $39 each.

Disney Live! Mickey and Minnie’s Doorway to Magic at Eagle Bank Arena
February 25, 2018

Paw Patrol Live!: The Great Pirate Adventure at The Hippodrome
May 12 & 13, 2018

Bubble Guppies Live at National Theatre
May 8, 2018

The Wild Kratts Live!
April 15, 2018- The Modell Lyric
April 21, 2018- DAR Constitution Hall

Weekend Picks

February 4, 2016

Chocolate buzz anyone? We know it isn’t Valentine’s Day quite yet but this weekend brings a few sweet events to attend as you get ready for the 14th. The highlight of this weekend; The Chocolate Lovers Festival in Fairfax. There will be a puppet show, chocolate tastings, face painting, story time and much more that involves chocolate! Check out the schedule here. Also, be sure and check out our guide to getting delicious chocolate for your Valentine!

Also, February is Maple Sugaring Month at Brookside Nature Center. Every Saturday and Sunday you’ll have an opportunity to experience an American tradition: maple sugaring! Watch the whole maple sugaring process from start to finish. See sap drip from trees and taste it. Watch us boil it down into sweet maple syrup, then sample a tasty treat. Join in the fun and activities and learn something new at this family-friendly program! Space is limited so pre-registration is encouraged.

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