Lunarfest

Lunarfest

Saturday, February 1, 2014 - 10:00am to 5:00pm
Whitney Ave, New Haven Museum & Luce Hall See map
Whitney Ave., Temple St., Hillhouse Ave.
New Haven, CT

Lunarfest is a day-long event offering free arts and cultural programs for adults and children of all ages in celebration of the Chinese New Year, kicking off with the Lion Dance down Whitney Avenue! 

Registration now open!  Register here. For more information, please email lunarfest@yalechina.org.  Rain date is Saturday, February 8th.  

About Lunarfest

Lunarfest kicks off at 10:00AM with a lion dance on Whitney Avenue between Grove Street and Trumbull Street. Celebrate alongside the famed Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute’s lion dance troupe as they bring good luck and prosperity to the New Haven merchants and community members. Also appearing with the lion dance troupe are three local performances by the Educational Center for the Arts (ECA), the Yale Wushu team, and the Southern Connecticut Chinese School.

Come indoors from 12:00PM – 5:00PM for a collection of hands-on workshops, talks, and performances. The diverse offering includes:

  • presentations and performances of traditional Chinese music by John Thompson (guqin), Asian Performing Arts (Chinese opera), and Min Xiao-fen (pipa);
  • peacock dance demonstration by Dai ethnic group dancer Xi Wang;
  • wushu workshop with martial arts instructor Teake;
  • opportunities to learn traditional Chinese dances with Yale undergraduate group Phoenix Dance Troupe and the Xi Wang Dance Troupe;
  • painting demonstration with Cao Xiaoxing;
  • Chinese calligraphy workshop by E-Ching Ng of World Calligraphy at Yale;
  • film screening of Jia Zhangke’s “Still Life” with commentary by Dr. Mia Liu;
  • mommy-and-me class for toddlers and their families hosted by the New Haven Chinese Language School;
  • an exhibit of “Paintings of Hong Kong Street Markets” by artist Michael Sloan; 
  • opportunities to learn about the Lunar New Year.  

The horse is one of twelve designated animals celebrated in the Chinese culture based on the lunar calendar. The Year of the Horse is January 31, 2014 and will end on February 18, 2015.

The venue locations for the Lunarfest are: Henry R. Luce Hall at Yale University (34 Hillhouse Avenue), New Haven Museum (114 Whitney Avenue), and Yale-China Association (442 Temple Street). All events are free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register and view the complete schedule of events, please visit www.yalechina.org/lunarfest.

Lunarfest is organized by the Council on East Asian Studies at Yale University, New Haven Museum, and Yale-China Association.

The Council on East Asian Studies at Yale University (CEAS) promotes education about East Asia both in the college curricula and through lectures and workshops, conferences, cultural events, and educational activities open to faculty, students, K-16 educators, and the general public. Support for this day of Chinese arts and cultural programming has been provided by a Title VI National Resource Center Grant from the U.S. Department of Education.


The New Haven Museum, founded in 1862 as the New Haven Colony Historical Society, is located in downtown New Haven at 114 Whitney Avenue. The Museum is currently celebrating 150 years of collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history and heritage of Greater New Haven. Through its collections, exhibitions, programs and outreach, the Museum brings over 375 years of New Haven history to life.


The Yale-China Association (雅礼协会) inspires people to learn and serve together. Founded in 1901 by graduates of Yale University, we foster long-term relationships that improve education, health, and cultural understanding in China and the United States. We envision a U.S.-China relationship of mutual understanding and profound respect nurtured by collaboration among individuals and intitutions.

For More Information

Region: 
China, Transregional