Free Lunar New Year Events in New Jersey
Celebrating the Lunar New Year is one of our favorite activities. We love to attend different celebrations around New Jersey. Read on to find a great celebration near you and to hear about some of our favorites.
The start of the Lunar New Year is celebrated in different countries around the world such as China, Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan. It celebrates new beginnings and the arrival of Spring. People celebrate it in many different ways such as with lion dances, red envelopes, moon cakes and more.
Each year corresponds to a different animal of the Zodiac. Last year I was extra excited since it was the Year of the Dragon which is my animal. Any snakes out there will be excited to know that this is the Year of the Snake! This year the Lunar New Year will start on January 29th, 2025.
Last year we headed to the Moorestown Library for their celebration. We were able to get our hair styled, practice calligraphy, do origami, crafts and more! The year prior to that we had gone to the West Windsor Library. We had fun watching Chinese yo-yo performances and doing chopsticks competitions with each other.
Chopsticks Competition
North Jersey
Lunar Fest NJ 2025
Location: The Woodland in Maplewood, NJ
Date: January 26, 2025
Time: 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Event Details: The event will have performances, kid’s activities and more!
Event Website: Lunar Fest NJ
Lunar New Year Celebration
Location: Metuchen Town Plaza in Metuchen, NJ
Date: February 1, 2025
Time: 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
Event Details: The event will have performances and an artist exhibition.
Event Website: Lunar New Year Metuchen
Central Jersey
Chinese New Year Celebration at MarketFair
Location: MarketFair in Princeton, NJ
Date: January 25, 2025
Time: 1 pm to 4 pm
Event Details: There will be cultural performances, music, dancing, crafts and games. Some lucky attendees may receive a red envelope with a gift card. The WULA Academy and the HX Chinese School at Plainsboro will be partnering with the mall for this event.
Our Experience: We have attended other events at this mall before. They usually have plenty of supplies and run their events well. It is a smaller mall so it is easy to find the events going on in the center.
Event Website: MarketFair Chinese New Year Celebration
Lunar New Year Festival featuring PCLS
Location: West Windsor Library in West Windsor, NJ (West Windsor Room 2/3)
Date: February 1, 2025
Time: 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm
Event Details: There will be traditional dances, crafts and activities.
Event Website: West Windsor Library Lunar New Year Festival
Our Experience: We attended this event last year and had a great time. We were able to travel to different stations to do different activities such as making paper lanterns and trying traditional sweets.
Origami at the West Windsor Library
Paper Lantern Making at the West Windsor Library
Lunar New Year at the Commons
Location: Bridgewater Commons in Bridgewater Township, NJ
Dates and Times: February 1, 2025 & February 2, 2025
Time: Noon to 6:00 pm
Event Details: There will be arts and crafts workshops as well as red envelopes. On Sunday from 2 to 3 pm there will be performances such as a lion dance, Lunar New Year Zumba and more.
Event website: Bridgewater Commons Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year Celebration at Quakerbridge Mall
Location: Quakerbridge Mall in Lawrence, NJ
Date: February 15, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Event Details: The WULA Academy will present music, dancing and more!
Event Website: Quakerbridge Mall Lunar New Year Celebration
Lunar New Year Celebration
Location: Princeton Public Library in Princeton, NJ (Community Room)
Date: February 15, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Event Details: The event is sponsored along with the Princeton Chinese Language School, the Princeton High School Mandarin classes and from the Princeton High School Chinese Club. There will be painting, calligraphy, dances, yo-yo, Chinese paper cutting and more!
Event Website: Princeton Public Library Lunar New Year Celebration
Our Experience: We attended this event one year. I had a great time getting a mini calligraphy lesson and watching a musical performance. There were lots of things to do throughout the large room.
South Jersey
Riddles at the Moorestown Library
Lunar New Year Celebration 2025 presented by Student Ethan Li
Location: Mount Laurel Library in Mount Laurel, NJ in the Mount Laurel Library Craft Room
Date: January 26, 2025
Time: 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Event Details: This event is recommended for ages 5 and up. It will teach people about customs related to the Lunar New Year. People will also learn how to make traditional crafts. No registration is needed.
Our Experience: Events at this library are always run well. There is a parking lot right next to the library. It has a nice children’s area for kids to play in or read afterwards.
Event Website: Mount Laurel Library Lunar New Year Celebration Ethan Li
Lunar New Year Lion Dance Parade in Hung Vuong Plaza
Location: Hung Vuong Plaza in Cherry Hill, NJ
Date: January 26, 2025
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Event Details: There will be a free lion dance parade from the South Jersey Lion Troupe Dance and the Vietnamese-American Cultural Education Center. Bring noise-reducing headphones.
Event Website: Lunar New Year Lion Dance Parade
Lunar New Year Celebration Tai Chi
Location: Moorestown Library in Moorestown, NJ
Date: January 26, 2025
Time: 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Event Details: This event will offer a lesson in tai chi after watching a performance. It is best suited for adults and teenagers.
Event Website: Moorestown Library Lunar New Year Celebration Tai Chi
Lunar New Year Celebration
Location: Mount Laurel Library in Mount Laurel, NJ in Meeting Rooms 1 and 2
Date: February 1, 2025
Time: 10:30 am to 11:15 am
Event Details: This event will feature music, dance and martial arts performances by the Cherry Hill Huaxia Chinese School.
Event Website: Mount Laurel Library Lunar New Year Celebration
Celebrate Lunar New Year with Perkins
Location: Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown, NJ
Date: February 1, 2025
Time: 11:00 am to 4:30 pm
Event Details: There will be couplet painting, a Guzheng performance, origami and more!
Event Website: Perkins Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year Celebration at Kings Court
Location: Kings Court in Haddonfield, NJ
Date: February 1, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Event Details: There will be crafts, activities and performances from the Girl Scouts, Middle & High School Asian American Clubs and the Haddonfield Public Library.
Event Website: Lunar New Year Celebration Haddonfield
Our Experience: We just attended this event and had a blast! We tried some tasty Tang Yuan, got red envelopes, tried calligraphy, Chinese knotting and crafts. The highlight was the lion dance with a green and red dragon. This was performed by the Philadelphia Suns. We also really enjoyed the fan dance as well.
Lunar New Year Celebration at Markeim
Location: Markeim Arts Center in Haddonfield, NJ
Date: February 1, 2025
Time: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Event Details: This event will teach people about symbols of the Lunar New Year, give food samples and have participants complete a clay project for the Year of the Snake. Registration is required at link below. Kids under eight must be with an adult.
Event Website: Lunar New Year Celebration at Markeim
Moorestown Lunar New Year 2025 Event
Location: Church Street Recreation Center in Moorestown, NJ
Date: February 2, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Event Details: This event will have lantern riddles, Chinese Knots, Fan drawing, an exhibition of traditional costumes and more!
Event Website: Moorestown 2025 Lunar New Year Events
Celebrating at Home
There are also fun ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year at home. In the past my daughter has made a dragon craft. We have made paper lantern crafts as well.
We like to have our own parade and do a lion dance around the house while drumming. It is also fun to eat foods that others traditionally eat for the New Year. These can include things such as mandarins, noodles (resembling long life) and moon cakes.
People also traditionally clean their houses before the Lunar New Year. This is good motivation to get your house clean! Have a great start to your Year of the Wood Snake!
