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Lunar New Year

Dragon dance and kids in chinese dress watchingLunar New Year is a cultural celebration that is observed by different East and Southeast Asian cultures and typically takes place across multiple days as opposed to the one-day celebrations that occur on the Gregorian calendar. Signaling the beginning of a new year based on lunisolar calendar, it is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals included in the cycle of 12 stations or “signs” along the apparent path of the sun through the cosmos. While the traditions vary from culture to culture, most Lunar New Year celebrations include paying your respects to ancestors, casting out evil spirits, spending time with family, and welcoming in luck and prosperity for the new year and is with specific foods, customs and décor.

Event Details

El Paso’s Lunar New Year celebration is spearheaded by the El Paso Museum of History (EPMH), the Museums and Cultural Affairs Department (MCAD), and community partners including Pho Tre Bien and Ai-Hwa Chinese Language School. The event celebrates the region’s East Asian communities while welcoming all Borderland residents and visitors alike to a festive, culturally rich day. The yearly celebration incorporates hands-on activities, performances, food, and a procession through the Downtown Arts District.

Saturday, February 1, 2025 | 11am to 5pm
Activities centered at the El Paso Museum of History, El Paso Museum of Art, La Nube STEAM Discovery Center, and Cleveland Square Park!

View Event Map

Free hands-on activities begin at 11am and include:

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Lunar New Year Read & Ride (Glory Road Parking Garage)
Join the El Paso Public Library and Streetcar for a special story time highlighting the traditions of Lunar New Year and the many cultures that celebrate. Park at Glory Road and the read & ride will drop you off at the main event afterwards!

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Snake & Lantern Making Activity with Frontera Arts & Education Collaborative (First Floor, El Paso Museum of History)
Honor the Year of the Snake with a chain snake-making activity for all ages and a large collaborative lantern project that will become part of an art exhibit in the future.

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Red Envelope Making with the El Paso Museum of Art (C2 Gallery, El Paso Museum of Art) 
Participants will make and decorate their own red envelope to celebrate the new year while learning about the item’s importance and history.

11:00 AM – 2:30 PM | The Art of Paper Cutting with Ai-Hwa Chinese Language School (C2 Gallery, El Paso Museum of Art)
Learn more about the traditional Chinese art of paper cutting in this drop-in workshop for all ages.

11:00 AM – 2:30 PM | DIY Sky Lanterns with Ai-Hwa Chinese Language School (C2 Gallery, El Paso Museum of Art)
Make and take your own sky lantern in celebration of the holiday!

11:00 AM – 2:30 PM |Chinese Calligraphy Demonstration with Ai-Hwa Chinese Language School (C2 Gallery, El Paso Museum of Art)
Stop by to get your name written on a beautiful take-home bookmark.

11:00 AM – 2:30 PM | Photos with the Chinese Wealth God (C2 Gallery, El Paso Museum of Art)
Stop by to take a picture with the Chinese Wealth God for good luck in the new year!

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Korean Games with the Korean American Association of El Paso (Seminar Room, El Paso Museum of History)
Join the Korean American Association of El Paso (KAAEP) as they teach you how to play Gong Gi, Tak-Ji, and Jae-Gi, all of which were featured in Season 2 of Netflix’s Squid Games. Find out more about the traditions and culture behind these activities!

On the hour and half hour | Sae Bae (Traditional Bowing) with the Korean American Association of El Paso (Seminar Room, El Paso Museum of History)
Sae Bae is a traditional form of bowing that children often perform to adults on the first day of the year. Learn more about the tradition and how to do it!

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | “What’s Your Zodiac Animal?” with the Mexican American Cultural Center (Cleveland Square Park)
Find out what’s your zodiac animal based on your birth year using our chart! While supplies last.

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Zodiac Matching Game with the Mexican American Cultural Center (Cleveland Square Park)
Play our matching card game and learn all of the animals of the zodiac calendar! While supplies last.

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | DIY Beaded Snake with the Mexican American Cultural Center (Cleveland Square Park)
Make your own beaded snake to celebrate the year of the snake! While supplies last.

11:00 AM – 3:30 PM | Year of Paper Snake with the Museum of Archaeology (First Floor, El Paso Museum of History)
It's the Year of the Snake! Join us to celebrate the Lunar New Year by crafting your very own paper snake! But that's not all! Let's dive into the world of real snakes! Come get an up-close look at actual snake shed skin. Learn about the shedding process, discover fun snake facts, and get inspired by the way these amazing creatures grow and renew themselves - just like the fresh beginnings the New Year brings!

11:00 AM | Let’s Make a Kite! with La Nube (La Nube Children’s Museum and Science Center)
Join La Nube as they read aloud Kite Flying by Grace Lin and teach participants to make their own kite.

11:30 AM | Red Envelop Folktales with Ai-Hwa Chinese Language School (C2 Gallery, El Paso Museum of Art)
During Lunar New Year across different East Asian cultures, it is traditional for elders and adults to give children a red envelope with money symbolizing good wishes and luck for the year ahead. Stop by to hear Chinese folktales related the new year’s red envelope!

11:30 AM | The Archaeology of the Chinese Sojourner Immigrants in Downtown El Paso (Orientation Theatre, El Paso Museum of History)
Sebastian Ribas-Normand, director of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, will present about the past archaeological work done Downtown El Paso, showcasing the early Chinese population of El Paso, in the early 1880s. The presentation will be accompanied by a display of original Chinese artifacts recovered from the NMSU dig at the Cortez Parking Lot, in the 1980s, on loan from UTEP Centennial Museum.

12:00 PM | T.E.A. K-Pop Performance (Lobby, El Paso Museum of Art)
Stop by the El Paso Museum of Art for a short K-Pop (Korean Pop) performance by local dance group T.E.A.! In between songs, T.E.A. will share more about the story behind this global music phenomenon.

12:30 PM | Fireworks in a Jar with La Nube (La Nube Children’s Museum and Science Center)
Have you ever wondered about the history of fireworks? Join La Nube as we set off fireworks in a jar during this fun science experiment.

1:30 PM | Red Envelop Folktales with Ai-Hwa Chinese Language School (C2 Gallery, El Paso Museum of Art)
During Lunar New Year across different East Asian cultures, it is traditional for elders and adults to give children a red envelope with money symbolizing good wishes and luck for the year ahead. Stop by to hear Chinese folktales related the new year’s red envelope!

1:30 PM | The Archaeology of the Chinese Sojourner Immigrants in Downtown El Paso (Orientation Theatre, El Paso Museum of History)
Sebastian Ribas-Normand, director of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, will present about the past archaeological work done Downtown El Paso, showcasing the early Chinese population of El Paso, in the early 1880s. The presentation will be accompanied by a display of original Chinese artifacts recovered from the NMSU dig at the Cortez Parking Lot, in the 1980s, on loan from UTEP Centennial Museum.

2:00 | Lunar New Year Slime with La Nube (La Nube Children’s Museum and Science Center)
It’s a year so come make some slime to celebrate!

2:00 PM | T.E.A. K-Pop Performance (Lobby, El Paso Museum of Art)
Stop by the El Paso Museum of Art for a short K-Pop (Korean Pop) performance by local dance group T.E.A.! In between songs, T.E.A. will share more about the story behind this global music phenomenon.

3:00 PM | Procession through the Downtown Arts District

4:00 PM | Performances at Cleveland Square Park

Background

El Paso’s Lunar New Year celebration originated at Pho Tre Bien, a local business run by the Tren family. When the popular celebration grew too large for their restaurant space, they partnered with the El Paso Museum of History to provide more capacity for attendees and programming. Ai-Hwa Chinese Language School joined the partnership soon afterwards, and the yearly event has been growing since. After pivoting to a virtual celebration during the COVID-19 pandemic, El Paso’s Lunar New Year celebration has returned to the Downtown Arts District. In 2024, the event grew bigger than ever with the first annual procession, which continues in 2025!

Partners

MCAD El Paso Museum of History Ai-Hwa Chinese language school Pho Tre BienEl Paso Museum of ArtMexican American Cultural Center

Support for Lunar New Year is generously provided by Craze Yogurt and Chase Bank along with the El Paso Museum of History Foundation, the El Paso Museum of Art Foundation, and the City of El Paso.

Get Involved

Do you want to be a part of this growing yearly event?

Participate: Lunar New Year is FREE to attend! We encourage you to RSVP on Facebook for full event details and real-time updates.

To learn more about participating in the procession, please contact Nora at [email protected].

Plan: We are proud to partner with community organizations who are on the ground in the Borderland region. If you are part of an organization representing a community that traditionally celebrates this holiday, we would be happy to connect with you! Please reach out to Nora at [email protected] to set up a conversation.

Sponsor: By providing support, sponsors help create more opportunities for the community to enjoy arts and cultural experiences. For Lunar New Year, we are seeking businesses and organizations with event-specific interests or offerings. If that sounds like you, please contact Nora Rose for our sponsorship pack at [email protected].

Part of the El Paso Museums & Cultural Affairs Family.

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