Hudson River Museum Celebrates Lunar New Year with a Museum-Wide Festival
YONKERS, NY, January 21, 2025—The Hudson River Museum is celebrating the Year of the Snake at its annual Lunar New Year Festival on Saturday, February 1, from 11am–5pm. Join us for performances, traditional Asian arts and crafts, demonstrations, and much more! All performances and workshops are free with general admission. Planetarium shows and Glenview tours are ticketed. We recommend purchasing tickets in advance.
Festivities begin at 11:30am with a ceremonial lion dance, followed by Chinese folk dances and a tai chi demonstration, Indonesian gamelan music, and a sogo-chum performance. From 12–4pm, guests can learn how to do origami, calligraphy, and knitting from experts, and explore Family Art Workshops featuring slithering snake paper crafts and fú posters. At 2pm, enjoy a special showing of The Sky Tonight: The Skylore of China planetarium show highlighting traditional Chinese constellations. See the full schedule below.
Performances
11:30am—Traditional Lion Dance
Experience the excitement of a vibrant lion dance to welcome the Year of the Snake! Two lions tell a captivating story, accompanied by the rhythmic beats of drums, gongs, and cymbals.
1pm—Chinese Folk Dances and Tai Chi Fan
Delight in an afternoon of Chinese classical and folk dances and a graceful tai chi demonstration presented by the Greenburgh Evergreen Club. Performances include the solo “Yang Guifei” by Yingli Wen, “Spring Outing” by Wen and her students, “Tuberose” by Ike Leong and Latin dance students, and “Tai Chi Fan” by Dr. Jialing Shi and students.
3pm—Indonesian Music and Dance
Experience the resonant sounds of Gamelan Dharma Swara as they perform traditional music for gamelan gender wayang, one of Bali’s oldest percussion ensembles. Known for its role in life-cycle rituals and entertainment, this Indonesian ensemble will open with a traditional Balinese welcoming dance.
4pm—Korean Sogo-chum
The New York Korean Performing Arts Center presents a vibrant sogo-chum, or small drum dance. Performed with a double-headed hand-held drum, this lively tradition is featured at festivals, weddings, and community events. Enjoy the performance followed by a Q&A with dancers Jiyoung Lee and Youngsil Um.
Workshops (12–4pm)
Origami, Calligraphy, and Knitting Workshops
Get creative in hands-on workshops celebrating the Year of the Snake! Esther Kho Uy from OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates leads an origami session, while Ruiqi Li, an award-winning calligrapher, shares the art of Chinese calligraphy and crafts New Year couplets. Plus, learn to knit a charming Year of the Snake mascot with Xiawen Wang from the Greenburgh Evergreen Club.
Family Art Workshop: Slithering Snakes
Use colorful construction paper to craft your own vibrant paper snake, inspired by the symbolism of wisdom, transformation, and good fortune. Recommended for ages 5+.
Family Art Workshop: Fú Posters (制作福字)
Celebrate the Lunar New Year by creating your own fú (福) poster, a symbol of blessing and good fortune! Using red paper, fú characters, zodiac stickers, and colored markers, craft a vibrant poster to bring prosperity and happiness to your home. Recommended for ages 4+.
Planetarium Shows
12:30pm—Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus and Andromeda
The stars tell the story of beautiful Andromeda, who is punished by the gods for her mother’s bragging, left as a sacrifice to a sea monster, and rescued by Perseus. Recommended for ages 8+; 25-minute show plus Q&A. Advance ticket purchase is encouraged.
2pm—The Sky Tonight: The Skylore of China
Explore the fascinating world of Chinese skylore in this special edition of The Sky Tonight! Discover the twenty-four lunar houses of the Chinese Zodiac, a celestial system unlike the twelve constellations you may know. Recommended for ages 8+; 60-minute live and interactive show. Advance reservations are encouraged.
3:30pm—We Are Astronomers
Discover how astronomers share knowledge and answer our questions about the universe. Narrated by David Tennant, the “Tenth Doctor” in the British sci-fi series Doctor Who. Recommended for ages 8+; 25-minute show plus Q&A. Advance ticket purchase is encouraged.
Glenview Tours
1 & 3pm—Gilded Age Glenview: Historic Home Tour
Explore Glenview, an 1877 home on the National Register of Historic Places, designed by esteemed architect Charles W. Clinton, on a 45-minute guided tour. Tours are limited to 15 guests; advance ticket purchase is encouraged. Recommended for ages 8+. Strollers are not permitted in Glenview.
Programs for Lunar New Year have been generously sponsored by the Anita K. Hersh Philanthropic Foundation and the Dhiman Family Foundation.
Special thanks to our community partners, the OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates, Westchester and Hudson Valley Chapter, and the Greenburgh Evergreen Club, a Chinese senior organization based at the Theodore Young Community Center.
#HRMLunarNewYear
Press contacts:
Jeana Wunderlich
jwunderlich@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x240
Samantha Hoover
shoover@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x216
Photo: Jason Green.
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The Hudson River Museum is a preeminent cultural institution in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area. The Museum is situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, with a mission to engage, inspire, and connect diverse communities through the power of the arts, sciences, and history.
The HRM offers engaging experiences for every age and interest, with an ever-evolving collection of American art and dynamic exhibitions that range from notable nineteenth-century paintings to contemporary art installations. The campus, which recently expanded to include a West Wing with exhibition galleries and sweeping views of the Hudson River, features Glenview, an 1877 house on the National Register of Historic Places; a state-of-the-art planetarium; an environmental teaching gallery; and an outdoor amphitheater. The Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting these multidisciplinary offerings, which are complemented by an array of public programs that encourage creative expression, collaboration, and artistic and scientific discovery. The Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), an honor awarded to only 3% of museums nationwide.
Hours and Admission: The Hudson River Museum is open to the public Wednesday–Friday, from 12–5pm, and Saturday–Sunday, from 11am–5pm. On Free First Fridays, the Museum is open and free of charge on the first Friday of the month, from 5–8pm. Learn more and purchase tickets at hrm.org/visit.
General Admission: Adults $13; Youth (3–18) $8; Seniors (65+) $9; Students (with valid ID) $9; Veterans $9; Children (under 3) FREE; Members FREE; Museums for All* $2, *SNAP/EBT card with photo ID (up to 4 people). Planetarium tickets: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (65+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free. Glenview tours: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (65+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free. The Museum is accessible by Metro-North (Hudson Line—Yonkers and Glenview stations), by Bee-Line Bus Route #1, by car, and by bike. If you plan on taking Metro-North Railroad to Glenwood Station and want to leave your car behind, you can save on discounted round-trip rail fare and discounted admission by getting an MTA Away package. Learn more here.
