Celebrate Chinese New Year 2018 With These Boston Events

Boston offers plenty ways to celebrate the Year of the Dog, including a parade, an open house at the MFA, and performances at Franklin Park Zoo.


Chinese New Year Franklin Zoo

Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Lunar New Year Celebration at the MFA

Enjoy free admission to the Museum of Fine Arts for a day-long celebration of the Year of the Dog. There will be various performances throughout the museum, including lion dances, a dragon dance troupe, and several demonstrations of martial arts. Walking tours of the Art of Asia galleries will be offered in English, American Sign Language and Mandarin.

Free, Saturday, February 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, mfa.org.

Boston Chinese New Year Parade 

Watch as traditional lion dancers march through the streets of Chinatown as the neighborhood transforms into a colorful spectacle for the annual Chinese New Year Parade. Lion dancers will visit various Chinatown businesses as the parade weaves through every last street in Chinatown. After enjoying the performances, visit the nearby Cultural Villages (one in the China Trade Building, the other on 90 Tyler Street) for arts and crafts.

Free, Sunday, February 25, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., St. and Harrison Ave., Boston boston-discovery-guide.com.

Lunar New Year Celebration at the Pao Art Center

Stay warm indoors while celebrating the Chinese New Year at the Pao Arts Center in Chinatown. There will be free family activities all day, such as lantern making and Chinese macrame. The celebration is free, but for a ticket fee, there will also be a cooking class on how to make traditional Chinese dumplings.

$30 for class, Sunday, February 25, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 99 Albany St., Boston, bcnc.net.

Chinese New Year Franklin Zoo

Photo provided by Zoo New England

Franklin Park Zoo’s Chinese New Year 

After visiting the animals at Franklin Park Zoo, catch a special lion dance performance in celebration of the Chinese New Year and learn about special Franklin Park animals that are included in the Chinese Zodiac calendar. The tropical forest section of the zoo will be decorated for the event and representatives from Quincy Asian Resources will be present for a photo op and educational activities.

$10+, Saturday, February 17, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., 1 Franklin Park Rd., Boston, zoonewengland.org.

Chinese New Year Flower Market 

An annual tradition celebrating its eighth year in Chinatown, this pop-up market features vendors selling dozens of varieties of fresh flowers. The market will be open for six days, so there’s plenty of time to enjoy this colorful event.

Saturday, February 10, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Harrison Ave., Boston, website.

Lunar New Year Celebration at Copley Place

Celebrate the Chinese New Year this year for the first time ever in Copley Place. There will be a lion dance performed by Woo Ching White Crane Boston on the Copley Place Center Court.

Free, Saturday, February 10, 2-2:15 p.m., 100 Huntington Ave., Boston, simon.com.