Registration is requested but not required.

Whether you were born in the year of the snake, the ox, or the monkey, we encourage everyone to come celebrate Lunar New Year at the Walters! This year’s festival will welcome the year of the snake, representing the sixth year of the 12-year Lunar calendar cycle. We invite visitors of all ages to join us for a day of art-making, tours, storytime sessions, photo booth fun, food, and more!

REGISTER

ASL interpretation will be provided at this program.

Find activities, performances, stroller parking, and more with our Lunar New Year Celebration museum map.

Download a map

Activities

• Staff-led Tours: Attend 30-minute gallery tours at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. highlighting works related to Lunar New Year.
• Snake Art Making: Design your own snake skin scale and have it added to the museum’s collaborative snake art project.
• Letter Writing: Get contemplative and write your New Year’s wish on a postcard and we’ll mail it to you in 2026.
• Photo Booth: Grab a prop and strike a pose for the camera at the Side A Photography photo booth.
• Gallery Seek & Find: Look for objects in the galleries that represent the qualities of those born in the year of the snake.
• Reading Nooks and Storytimes: Visit our Asian art galleries to learn about the traditions of Lunar New Year. Grab a book to read on your own or enjoy a staff-led story time at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
• Quiet Areas and Sensory Resources: Enjoy quieter, less stimulating galleries and take advantage of our sensory resources, such as fidgets.

Performances

• The Johns Hopkins University Yong Han Lion Dance Troupe performs at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
• The Baltimore Chinese School performs at 12 p.m.
• Korean Culture and Art of Maryland performs at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

All performances will stream live at youtube.com/@waltersartmuseum.

Tastings

• NiHao
• Peter Chang Baltimore
• Peabody Heights Brewery

Lunar New Year is presented by PNC Bank.

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MA-251957-OMS-22].