Montgomery County is celebrating the Lunar New Year – greeting 2023 as the year of the rabbit — with performances, exhibits and a traditional dragon dance.
The Lunar New Year lasts 15 days, starting Sunday this year. Events will be held from Rockville to Chevy Chase throughout the holiday festival.
Bethesda
The Chinese Culture and Community Service Center presents a Lunar New Year celebration from 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 22 and Jan. 29 at Westfield Montgomery mall, 7101 Democracy Blvd. in Bethesda. The event features a traditional dragon dance, exhibits and performances curated by the CCACC. More information can be found here.
Rockville
The City of Rockville greets the Lunar New Year with a free celebration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 28 at Thomas S. Wootton High School, 2100 Wootton Parkway in Rockville.
The event features performances, “to-go” activities and snacks. Performances start at 11 a.m. The activities were organized in partnership with Rockville’s Asian Pacific American Task Force. More information can be found here.
Gaithersburg
In honor of the Lunar New Year, the Gaithersburg Community Museum’s drop-in activity of the month will feature a fun craft including rabbits from the Montgomery County 4-H Rabbit Club.
The activity of the month is held from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 21 and 22. More information can be found here.
Montgomery County libraries
- The Chevy Chase Library presents a Lunar New Year celebration including Chinese/English story time, dancing and making Chinese lanterns from 10:30 to 11 a.m. Jan. 21. The event is for children 4 and older. Free tickets will be distributed 30 minutes before the program at the information desk. The library will also hold a Lunar New Year Lion Dance from noon to 12:30 p.m. featuring a performance by the Chinese Youth Club of Washington, D.C. The library is at 8005 Connecticut Ave. More information can be found here.
- The Little Falls Library, 5501 Massachusetts Ave. in Bethesda, presents Lunar New Year Crafts for preschool-aged children and up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 21. More information can be found here.
- Brig. Gen. Charles E. McGee Library, 900 Wayne Ave. Silver Spring, hosts East Rising Lion Dance Troupe performing a traditional Chinese lion dance at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 22. More details can be found here.
- In collaboration with the Li-Ling Chinese Academy, the Germantown Library, 19840 Century Blvd., presents It’s a Lunar New Year Celebration! event, which will include performances and learning about the Year of the Rabbit. The event is 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 28. More information can be found here.