Penn Museum to mark Lunar New Year with traditional lion dances on Jan. 25

The annual CultureFest! celebration returns with martial arts demonstrations, a tai chi class and musical performances.

The Lunar New Year CultureFest! at the Penn Museum begins and ends with a lion dance, a traditional performance that dates back to ancient China.
Provided image/Penn Museum

Penn Museum will help usher in the Year of the Snake with its upcoming Lunar New Year festival.

The holiday, celebrated in Asian countries for centuries, falls on a Wednesday, so Penn Museum will mark the occasion with a specially themed CultureFest! on Saturday, Jan. 25. The festivities kick off at 10 a.m. with a traditional lion dance, wherein performers twist and sway in costume. 


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Martial arts demonstrations, a tai chi class and additional dance performances will follow. Penn professor Yazhi Guo will also play the suona, a Chinese woodwind instrument. The festival closes out with another lion dance through the Warden Garden.

Entrance to CultureFest! is included with museum admission, and teachers, veterans, museum members, children under 5 and Penn Medicine staff or patients can visit for free. Each group or family in attendance will receive a lucky red envelope with an offer from the museum shop.


CultureFest! Lunar New Year

Saturday, Jan. 25 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tickets $13-$18 | Included with museum admission
Penn Museum 
3260 South St., Philadelphia


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