Oakland Museum of California Hosts 25th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration Feb. 21
A Milestone Year of Campus-Wide Performances, Storytelling, Hands-On Activities, and Food for All Ages
Press Kit with Images
Oakland, CA, January 27, 2026 — The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) invites the public to celebrate its 25th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration on Saturday, February 21, from 11 am to 4 pm, marking a major milestone for one of the Museum’s most beloved annual events. Honoring the Year of the Fire Horse, this full-day, family-friendly celebration brings together vibrant performances, storytelling, hands-on activities, and food from local AAPI chefs to uplift Asian American and Pacific Islander communities across the Bay Area. To help celebrate this momentous occasion, renowned Oakland musical artist seiji oda brings a special set—organized just for Lunar New Year—to OMCA.
For 25 years, OMCA’s Lunar New Year Celebration has served as a space for community connection, cultural exchange, and shared joy. This anniversary year invites visitors to reflect on the traditions that have shaped the celebration while welcoming the energy, renewal, and forward momentum symbolized by the Horse and this year’s element of Fire. Access begins at 11 am, with performances and activities starting at 12 pm. Tickets are $10 for general admission, free for Members, and include access to the festival as well as OMCA’s Galleries and Special Exhibitions.
2026 LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
*Full lineup below
The celebration opens on the Garden Stage at noon with a traditional lucky lion dance by LionDanceMe to usher in the New Year and chase away evil spirits. Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy a dynamic lineup of performances representing Korean, Pilipino, Vietnamese, and Chinese traditions, including Hansamo’s Nanta, Pungmul, and dance performances; Kulintang music and Pilipino dance with KULARTS; and a high-energy closing lion and dragon dance by UC Berkeley’s Vietnamese Student Association. In honor of the 25th anniversary, the Garden Stage will also feature Oakland-based artist seiji oda, whose performance will invite meditative deep listening, along with movement and breathing exercises for all ages.
Hands-on activities for all ages include horse puppet-making, red envelope decoration, a collective wishing tree, K-pop dance lessons, and a self-guided Lunar New Year Zodiac Animal Quest throughout OMCA’s Galleries. Family storytime with author Benson Shum and the Oakland Public Library, along with informal Gallery Chats, invite visitors to connect more deeply with art, stories, and traditions across OMCA’s campus.
Food vendors serving delectable bites from Bay Area AAPI chefs, and OMCA’s own Town Fare by Chef Michele McQueen, will be open throughout the day, offering a wide range of food and beverages inspired by Lunar New Year traditions and the diverse cultures of the Bay Area.
During the celebration, visitors are encouraged to explore two powerful Special Exhibitions on view. Resonating with the Year of the Fire Horse, Good Fire: Tending Native Lands explores fire as a source of renewal, balance, and life—an essential force when tended with care and knowledge. Visitors can also experience Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain, with February marking the final opportunity to see the exhibition before it closes March 1.
FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
PERFORMANCES | GARDEN STAGE *
* If raining, performances will move to the James Moore Theater, Lower Level.
12–12:20 pm | Opening Celebration
Usher in the New Year and chase evil spirits away with a lucky lion dance by LionDanceME.
12:45–1:30 pm | Nanta, Samgomu, and Pan-Gut Performances
Experience the rhythms and dynamic movements of Hansamo’s Nanta, Pungmul & Dance Teams.
1:35–2:05 pm | Music & Meditation with seiji oda
Drop into this Bay-Area-grown blend of mindfulness and lofi-hyphy beats paired with optional movement and breathing exercises for all levels.
2:35–3:20 pm | Kulintang Music and Filipino Dance Performances with KULARTS
Enjoy contemporary kulintang music by Kulintang Dialect, Pilipino folk dances by AGOS Youth Program, and diasporic Pilipino dances by Alleluia Panis Dance Theater.
3:30–4 pm | Closing Celebration
Energetic performance by UC Berkeley’s Vietnamese Student Association Lion and Dragon Dance Team for good luck and prosperity in the New Year.
ACTIVITIES
11 am–4 pm | MID LEVEL TERRACE
Shop and enjoy local artisanal goods and sweet treats by Sunnie Creative, A Jar of Pickles, JIĀ HOME CO., Oakland Fortune, Alice St. Bakery Cafe, Fabula Tea, and Little Moon Bakehouse.
12–4:00 pm | GARDEN
Create a horse puppet and decorate a red envelope.
12–4:00 pm | KORET PLAZA
Write a new year wish for your community and add it to our collective Year of the Horse wishing tree!
12:30–1:30 pm + 2:30–3:30 pm | AMPHITHEATER
Get ready to dance and learn official K-Pop choreography with dance instructor Alice Park.
STORYTIME | LECTURE HALL*
* Limited seating. Doors open 15 minutes before each storytime.
1-2 pm | Enjoy a reading of Anzu the Great Kaiju with author Benson Shum and learn how he makes and illustrates books!
2:30-3:30 pm | Join Oakland Public Library for a Lunar New Year family storytime with songs, movement, and fun!
GALLERY ACTIVITIES
12–4:00 pm | GARDEN + KORET PLAZA
Pick up a self-guided Lunar New Year Zodiac Animal Quest activity sheet and search for zodiac animals in our galleries.
1–3:00 pm | ALL GALLERIES
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.
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
11 am–4 pm | FOOD VENDORS | OAK STREET PLAZA
Enjoy a delectable variety of food offerings from Bay Area AAPI chefs, including D’Grobak, Pintoh Thai, House of Phin, Dumpling Time Berkeley, and Pho Vy Vietnamese Cuisine.
11 am–4 pm | TOWN FARE CAFE | MID LEVEL
Enjoy cuisine and beverages that pay tribute to Chef Michele’s Southern roots and Oakland upbringing while bringing together flavors from the diverse cultures within the local community.
The 25th Annual Lunar New Year Community Celebration is made possible in part by generous support from the Oakland Museum Women’s Board.
ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
Founded in 1969 as a “museum of the people,” Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) tells the diverse stories of California’s art, history, and natural environment. Through inclusive exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives, OMCA creates space for meaningful dialogue and strives to build more equitable, empathetic, and connected communities. With more than 2 million objects, OMCA’s collection of art, history, and natural science is a resource for understanding California’s dynamic heritage—all within its 110,000 square feet of gallery space and seven-acre campus. A leading Bay Area cultural institution rooted in Oakland, OMCA is dedicated to fostering an environment where visitors from the region, state, and beyond feel valued and empowered to shape the future of California’s cultural landscape.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland. Museum admission is $19 general admission; $16 for seniors; and $12 for youth ages 12 to 17 as well as for students and educators with valid ID, and free for Members and children 12 and under. There is a $6 charge in addition to general admission pricing for special exhibitions in the Great Hall. OMCA offers onsite underground parking and is conveniently located one block from the Lake Merritt BART station, on the corner of 10th Street and Oak Street. An accessibility ramp is located at the 1000 Oak Street main entrance to the Museum.