CultureFest! Lunar New Year

CultureFest! Lunar New Year returns to the Penn Museum on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2027, from 10 AM to 4 PM. It's the museum's 46th annual celebration of the holiday, which has grown over four decades into the centerpiece of its public programming.

Lunar New Year is observed by Asian communities of Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Tibetan descent. It traditionally begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and runs fifteen days until the first full moon. The holiday grew out of a time of respite from agricultural work and of togetherness with loved ones, and it carries customs like feasts, gift exchanges, lantern lighting and offerings to deities and ancestors. The museum gathers those traditions into a single day of storytelling, art-making, live music and dance, and it all builds toward a Lion Dance that's become a family favorite. Every visiting group or family gets a lucky red envelope—a Lunar New Year tradition—containing a special offer from the Museum Shop.

The day runs from 10 AM to 4 PM in the Harrison Auditorium. Admission is included with museum entry, and it's free for members, PennCard holders, and Penn Medicine patients and staff.