Dragon Boat Family Festival!
June 24, 2023, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Make waves with MOCA! Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival (端午节) on Saturday, June 24th from 2:00-5:00pm with an afternoon full of arts & crafts, storytelling, and scavenger hunts! Learn about dragon boat racing; design your own buoyant boat; learn to wrap zòngzi; stuff a fragrant, lucky xiāng bāo; and much more family fun!
See below for the full schedule of events.
If your plans have changed and you are no longer able to attend the event, please cancel your reservation to ensure adequate space for others.
Due to the limited capacity of the museum and efforts to adhere to safety guidelines, families may have to wait to enter the museum during peak times.
EVENT SCHEDULE 节目时间表
GALLERY ACTIVITIES, WORKSHOPS, & MORE!
工作坊、表演节目和更多活动！
Paddles Up! With NY Wall Street Dragon Alums | 2:30 PM*
Discover the origins of dragon boat racing and learn what it takes to be part of a dragon boat team with senior members of the NY Wall Street Dragons. Meet experienced dragon boat racers, explore authentic equipment, and learn about the roles of dragon boat crew members.
About the Presenters
Ben Lau, Frank Dumlao, and Good Jean Lau are senior members of the NY Wall Street Dragons. Their club has 30 plus years of dragon boat experience, which has taken them all over the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Asia. They enjoy introducing and supporting all who are interested in the sport!
Sweet & Savory Snacks: Zòngzi Wrapping with Home Cook Sophia Hsu | 2:30 – 4:30 PM**
Learn why zongzi—delicious rice bundles wrapped in bamboo leaves—are wrapped and eaten together with loved ones during the Dragon Boat Festival. Join home cook Sophia Hsu as she teaches us how to make zòngzi (粽子) in the shape of a pyramid. These sticky, festive treats will leave your stomach and heart filled with glee!
About Sophia Hsu
Sophia Hsu was born in New York City’s Lower East Side and raised in Richmond, VA in the American Chinese restaurant business. She has over a decade of experience at the Department of the Small Business Services, the Mayor’s Office, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In her free time, she is a freelance writer, testing new recipes, and crafting.
Sweet & Savory Snacks: Zòngzi Tasting | 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM**
Tickle your taste buds with a piece of mouthwatering zòngzi from one of our favorite spots in Chinatown!
Creepy Crawly Bug Hunt | Meets in Lobby | 3 PM & 4 PM
Some people consider the Dragon Boat Festival (also called the Double Fifth Festival) to be one of the unluckiest days of the year. Join MOCA on a gallery hunt to drive away the five poisonous pests and protect the museum from bad luck. Be sure to bring your xiāng bāo for good luck!—and a flyswatter!
Sounds of Summer with New York Chinese Cultural Center | 3:30 PM*
Join Wei Sun, an acclaimed guzheng (古筝) musician from the New York Chinese Cultural Center, in learning about the symbolism of one of the oldest instruments in the world. Then listen to some famous musical pieces inspired by water and the waves.
MOCAKIDS Storytime: Ready, Set, Dragon Boat! | 4:30 PM
Time to row and go, go, go! Learn about the legends, foods, and traditions that make up Duan Wu Jie, or the Dragon Boat Festival. Bring your cameras for a special photo opportunity.
*Limited capacity.
** Until supplies last.
DROP-IN ARTS & CRAFTS, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
无需预订的艺术及手工活动, 下午 2 点至下午 5 点
Splash and Swirl Paddle Design with Teaching Artist Yu Rong
Using shaving cream and food dye, decorate dragon boat paddles inspired by the whirling waves of the water.
About Yu Rong
Yu Rong is a painter and a product designer. She is interested in designing products that are fun to use and creating paintings that are natural and true. She is currently a teaching artist at the Hope Garden Center and MOCA. Check out her work here: www.yurong.work.
Drumroll, Please!
Can you hear the cheering, drums, and crashing of the waves? It’s almost time for the race! Learn the significance of drumming in a dragon boat race and then create and embellish a simple drum to practice your drumming skills.
Pesky Paper Puppets
Snakes and toads are two of the five poisonous pests that emerge each year around the Dragon Boat Festival. Create and decorate one of summer’s poisonous pests to don on your fingers and shoo away bad luck.
Let’s Go, Team!
Show your spirit by creating a colorful team banner and a fun cheer to go along with it! Use your banner to root for your friends during the dragon boat races.
Whatever Floats Your Boat
Design a floatable mini dragon boat from cork, bamboo, foam, duct tape, and more. Will your boat be seaworthy? Test it out in our mini-pool!
Fragrant Fortune
Stuff your own good luck charm! Fill a festive fabric sachet (香包 xiāng bāo) with fragrant dried flowers and aromatic herbs that are sure to please the senses.
MOCA’s Family Festival Series is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
