Our Lunar New Year Celebration is back every Saturday and Sunday this February! And things are a little different for the Year of the Snake. In the spirit of being a Garden for ALL we have incorporated Korean and Vietnamese traditions into this year’s Lunar New Year Celebrations. We have also made changes to the experience, so read our tips and tricks to ensure the best experience at our Lunar New Year Celebration below, then grab your tickets – they are on sale now!
- New performance times and prices: While Lunar New Year is still included with the price of admission and takes place throughout the Garden, we have some updates on the live performance by Wushu Shaolin Entertainment. Here’s a breakdown of the changes for this year:
- Location: The show will take place in the Frances Young Hall (seating is on a first-come, first-served basis inside the Hall)
- Times: There are now THREE opportunities to see the show each Saturday and Sunday – 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
- Price: The show is now an additional fee – $6 for Members and $8 for non-members. LNY + Show tickets should be purchased in advance to ensure a seat. A limited number of show tickets will be available for purchase on-site unless the show is sold out.
- For more details regarding what Wushu Shaolin has in store this year, click here.
- New artmaking activities: Artmaking activities give guests a hands-on opportunity to learn more about Lunar New Year and other cultures’ traditions. The artmaking activities are included with Lunar New Year General Garden Admission and will take place each Saturday and Sunday in February. They include:
- Paper Kites
Time: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: Upper Meadow
Inspired by the Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year) tradition of “Yeonnalligi,” or kite flying - Snake Puppets
Time: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m S
Location: Lower Meadow
Inspired by the Chinese Zodiac for 2025 – the Year of the Snake - Wishing Tree
Time: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m
Location: Lower Meadow
Inspired by the Lunar New Year tradition to pray for good luck, health and prosperity, visitors will be able to tie their own wishes to our Wishing Tree.
- Paper Kites
- New experiences: Every year, we work to expand our programming and enhance the experience for guests. This year, we’ve added the following two activities to our Lunar New Year Celebration:
- The Zodiac Walk
Time: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. - Location: Throughout the Garden
- What it is: This self-guided walk through the Garden will take you through all 12 stops of the event. Throughout the way, you will learn about culturally significant plants while participating in activities that celebrate Lunar New Year traditions from China, Korea and Vietnam. At each stop, you can also learn about an animal of the Zodiac wheel and determine which is your sign!
- Storytelling
Time: At the top of the hour from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: Amphitheater
What it is: Settle into the Amphitheater and listen to the story of the Great Race. This legend tells the story of how the 12 animals of the Zodiac and their ruling years were chosen.
- The Zodiac Walk
- Parking: Parking is free but limited and on a first-come, first-served basis, so we highly recommend carpooling.
- Food and Beverage: Dottie’s at the Koi Pond will be serving a special menu throughout our Lunar New Year Celebration, including Baked Bao Pork Buns, Baked Kung Pao Chicken Bao Buns, Korean BBQ Beef & White Rice and custom on-theme cocktails.