Each year there is plenty of excitement surrounding the Chinese New Year. On February 16, 2018, many celebrate Chinese New Year and welcome in the Year of the Dog. Expand your child’s appreciation of world cultures and attend one (or more) of these many local events. Here are our favorite family-friendly events happening in Central NJ and beyond.
Please follow each link for event details and additional information. Registration may be required.
Events in Central NJ
Celebrate the Lunar New Year
February 2, 2018 at 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Old Bridge Library (Old Bridge, NJ)
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with traditional snacks, learn your fortune for the year ahead and make a Chinese New Year Lion mask.
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Chinese New Year Celebration
February 3, 2018 at 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Barnes & Noble (Princeton, NJ)
Ying Hua International School Bookfair and Chinese New Year Celebration Bookfair
Celebrate Chinese New Year with some very special events throughout the day by Ying Hua International School. There will be singing, dancing, calligraphy, a Chinese Tea Ceremony and more!
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Celebrate the New Year with Dog Tales
February 9, 2018 at 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Clara Barton Branch (Edison, NJ)
2018 is the Year of the Dog. Join us as we celebrate our loyal canine friends with doggie stories, songs and a craft.
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Chinese New Year Open House
February 10, 2018 at 12 pm – 2 pm
Robbinsville Branch (Robbinsville, NJ)
Celebrate the Year of the Dog! Experience Chinese games and traditions, and sample some authentic Chinese food.
This is a drop-in program; no registration is necessary! Please call the library at 609-259-2150 with any questions.
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Year of the Dog Event
February 12, 2018 at 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Holmdel Library (Holmdel, NJ)
Celebrate Chinese New year and create a paper spring dog. Registration is required.
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Explorations! Chinese New Year Banner Craft
February 14 and 15 at 6:30 pm
Lawrence Branch (Lawrenceville, NJ)
The word “Fu” means good luck in Chinese. Learn how to calligraphy “fu” using gold paint to decorate red 8”x8” paper – also good luck! It’s the ‘Year of the Dog’ (like the book Year of the Dog by Newbery award-winning writer Grace Lin) so come find out about the Chinese zodiac and in what animal year you were born! Take home your lucky red banner to hang up to bring much good luck to you and your family in the New Year! No registration required.
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Kids! Year of the Dog – School-age Activity
February 15, 2018 at 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
Headquarters Library (Manalapan, NJ)
Registration is required.
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Paper Plate Dog Craft
February 16, 2018 at 10:15am – 11:15am
Princeton Playspace (Princeton, NJ)
Join us for a Chinese New Year craft and orange slices for a snack.
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Chinese Story for all ages
February 16, 2018 at 12 pm – 12:30 pm
West Windsor Branch (Princeton Junction, NJ)
Visit the library to celebrate Lunar New Year! Listen to a story about the holiday and join us for snacks.. No registration necessary. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the West Windsor Library.
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Chinese New Year Craft
February 16, 2018 at 2 pm – 4 pm
Twin Rivers Branch (East Windsor, NJ)
Make a Chinese New year craft at the library.
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Lunar New Year Celebration
February 18, 2018 at 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
East Brunswick Library (East Brunswick, NJ)
Lunar New Year Celebration Celebrate the start of the Year of the Dog with a variety of games and activities for the whole family.
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Chinese New Year for Kids
February 25, 2018 at 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Piscataway Library (Piscataway, NJ)
Join us at Kennedy Library, on Sunday, February 25, 1:30-2:30 PM, as we welcome the Year of the Dog! Kids will learn about the history and holiday traditions of the Lunar New Year through an interactive storytime, and adults will enjoy an exhilarating music and dance performance by the GYH Club! We will also have crafts, giveaways, and refreshments to celebrate this special holiday for all ages!!
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Lunar New Year Celebration
February 25, 2018 at 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Metuchen Library (Metuchen, NJ)
Come celebrate the Year of the Dog at the Metuchen Library Lunar New Year Celebration. There will be musical performances, cultural dances and songs, calligraphy, crafts and much more!
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Chinese New Year Celebration
March 4, 2018 at 1:30pm – 4pm
New Brunswick Public Library (New Brunswick, NJ)
The New Brunswick Free Public Library will ring in the Year of the Dog with an afternoon of crafts and performances. Sponsored by the Confucius Institute of Rutgers University, this festive program will feature Chinese calligraphy, Chinese painting, paper cutting, colorful folk dancing, and music performances led by the students and teachers from the Edison Chinese School. Delicious food will also be served. Bring the whole family to learn about Chinese culture and celebrate the New Year with us! This event is free and open to all.
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Events Beyond Central NJ
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
February 8th – 10th
New Jersey Performing Arts Center – NJPAC (Newark, NJ)
Colorful costumes, twirling ribbons, dancing dragons – they’re all a part of Year of the Dog, a dance and music celebration of the Chinese New Year, courtesy of NJ’s acclaimed Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company.
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Lunar New Year Celebration
February 10, 2018 at 1pm
The Shops at Riverside (Hackensack, NJ)
Celebrate The Year of the Dog with The Shops at Riverside with performances by the Korean Traditional Dance Group, Choomnoori. Dancers will be dressed in beautiful costumes performing traditional Korean dances, such as the fan dance and the drum dance.
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Lunar New Year Festival
February 10, 2018 at 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Berkeley Heights YMCA (Berkeley Heights, NJ)
Get ready to welcome the Lunar New Year with the Berkeley Heights YMCA and Berkeley Heights Diversity Council! Join us for this FREE event with awesome martial arts and cultural performances, music and dance, korean folk drum, asian snacks and beverage samples, children’s arts and crafts, photo booth, prizes and more
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Third Annual Lunar New Year and Welcome Spring Celebration
February 10, 2018 (Two sessions: Noon – 1:30 pm and 2pm – 3:30pm)
Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary (Short Hills, NJ)
Join the naturalists at the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and the Chinese Association of Millburn-Short Hills to shake off the winter blues and celebrate the Lunar New Year. Be prepared to make some noise as you welcome spring with games, trivia, crafts, and stories. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.
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Chinese New Year Celebration at the Arboretum
February 16, 2018 at 1 pm – 2 pm
Reeves Reed Arboretum (Summit, NJ)
Come celebrate the Chinese New Year as we create crafts and enjoy stories commemorating the Year of the Dog! Registration is required.
Event Details
(Image Credit: 3 Kids and a Gluestick)
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