New Haven Celebrates Lunar New Year with Lunarfest

Annual festival features art, music, literature and dance to welcome the Year of the Horse

Feb. 21, 2026 at 10:37pm

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The New Haven Museum and the Yale-China Association teamed up to hold the 15th annual Lunarfest, a day-long celebration of the Lunar New Year featuring traditional Chinese performances, workshops, and activities for visitors of all ages.

Why it matters

Lunarfest is an important annual event that brings the New Haven community together to honor Chinese culture and traditions. The festival helps preserve and share these cultural practices, fostering cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.

The details

Saturday's Lunarfest kicked off with a lion dance and other performances on Whitney Avenue. Visitors could participate in workshops on tai chi walking, making rolling-drum horses and Year of the Horse lanterns, as well as Chinese papercutting. The Yale Red Lantern dance troupe also performed traditional Chinese dances. Guests were invited to write their hopes for the new year on leaves to hang on the Community Wishing Tree at the museum.

  • Lunarfest took place on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
  • The festival marked the start of the Lunar New Year, welcoming the Year of the Horse.

The players

New Haven Museum

A local museum that partnered with the Yale-China Association to host the annual Lunarfest celebration.

Yale-China Association

A non-profit organization that collaborated with the New Haven Museum to organize the Lunar New Year festival.

Yale Red Lantern dance troupe

A group that performed traditional Chinese dances as part of the Lunarfest festivities.

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The takeaway

Lunarfest is an important annual tradition that brings the New Haven community together to celebrate Chinese culture and traditions. The festival's diverse array of performances, workshops, and activities helps preserve these cultural practices and foster cross-cultural understanding in the city.