24th Annual Lunar New Year at OMCA: Year of the Snake

Gather with us at OMCA for our 24th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration. Celebrate and honor Lunar New Year traditions through family-friendly storytelling, performances, activities, and more. Come together to uplift AAPI communities and explore the shared connections between Asian cultures of the Bay Area.

Join us on OMCA’s campus to slither into the  Year of the Snake together. Festival access starts at 11am; activities and performances start at 12pm. Parking is available in OMCA’s Oak Street Garage for a day rate of $10; overflow event parking is available at Alco Park (165 13th Street) for the day rate of $7.

Buy your ticket for this year’s celebration; limited tickets will be available at the door.

ASL Interpretation for OMCA Garden stage will be provided.

Schedule of Events 

FOOD AND BEVERAGES

TOWN FARE CAFE,  MID LEVEL

11 am–4 pm Enjoy cuisine and beverages that pay tribute to Chef Michele’s Southern roots and Oakland upbringing and bring together flavors from the diverse cultures within the local community.

TOWN FARE PATIO, MID LEVEL

11 am–4 pm  Pick up drinks and quick bites inspired by Lunar New Year at the outdoor Town Fare Patio.

FOOD VENDORS, OAK STREET PLAZA

11 am–4 pm Enjoy a delectable variety of food offerings from Bay Area AAPI chefs.

OPENING CELEBRATION

GARDEN STAGE

12–12:20 pm Usher in the New Year and chase evil spirits away with a lucky lion dance by LionDanceME.

PERFORMANCES

GARDEN STAGE *

12:45–1:30 pm Nanta, Samgomu, and Pan-Gut by Hansamo’s Nanta, Pungmul & Dance Teams 

2:00–2:30 pm Interactive lion dance performance with LionDanceME—take pictures with the lions and dancers!

STORYTIME

LECTURE HALL, LOWER LEVEL **

12:30–1 pm The Year of the Snake: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac with author Oliver Chin

3–3:30 pm The Year of the Snake: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac with author Oliver Chin

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES 

GARDEN, LOWER LEVEL

12–4:00 pm Create a snake puppet and decorate a red envelope.

KORET PLAZA, LOWER LEVEL

12–4:00 pm Write a wish for your community for the new year and add it to our collective Year of the Snake artwork!

CALIFORNIA ROOM, LOWER LEVEL

12:30–3:30 pm Learn about the art of tea making and explore different tea varietals with Donna Lo, founder of local tea company Far Leaves Tea.

GALLERY ACTIVITIES

GALLERY OF CALIFORNIA ART, UPPER LEVEL

1–2:00 pm Join us for a special edition of Gallery Chats led by Bay Area artist Chelsea Ryoko Wong and OMCA’s Senior Curator of Art Carin Adams. Wong will share about the inspiration and process for developing her exciting new installation titled Ancestral Visions. This talk will explore the  fantastical reimaging of the lives and ephemera of seven 20th century Chinese American women highlighted in OMCA’s textile collection.

ALL GALLERIES, LOWER, MID, UPPER LEVELS

1–3:00 pm Gallery Chats at OMCA takes an informal approach to the traditional museum tour by encouraging meaningful conversations and fresh interpretations to connect with the artwork, artifacts, and stories in our galleries. Visitors are invited to chat, ask questions, and connect with our OMCA facilitators who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our exhibitions. 

Gallery Chats take place in our Special Exhibitions and our Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences every Saturday from 1 to 3 pm and are included with Museum and Special Exhibition admission. No reservation necessary.

11 am–4:00 pm   Pick up a self-guided Lunar New Year Zodiac Animal Quest activity and search for zodiac animals in our core galleries. 

CLOSING CELEBRATION

GARDEN STAGE

3:45 pm   End the celebration with an energetic Year of the Snake performance by LionDanceME.

* If raining, performances will move to the James Moore Theater, Lower Level

** Limited seating. Doors open 15 minutes before each storytime.