Chinese New Year: Celebrating The Year of the Rabbit in New Jersey

Most of us are familiar with the celebrated Chinatown festivities in New York City that mark the Chinese New Year, but New Jersey also offers several family friendly options. These events include all the good stuff that make a New Year celebration meaningful, including food, dance, music, crafts and a woman who can balance a kitchen sink of dishes on her nose and walk across a bridge of light bulbs. What family outing is complete without that? Whether you want to learn the lion dance, enjoy ancient acrobatics, or just make a paper lantern, the Year of the Rabbit won’t disappoint.

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company at NJPAC (Newark)

Kick off the Year of the Rabbit with a cultural extravaganza courtesy of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, featuring traditional and contemporary music, dance and martial arts. There is also a family workshop offered in conjunction with this event that will include a lesson on performing the ribbon dance, considered the quintessential Chinese folk dance. Recommended for children 8 and up. Saturday, February 5, workshop 12:30pm, performance 2pm. Sunday, February 6, performance 2pm. Tickets: $20-22. Call 888-GO-NJPAC.

Lunar New Year Celebration (Lawrenceville)

Families with Children from China of Greater New York-Central New Jersey-Bucks County invite you to enjoy a generous buffet, cultural performances by the Wuwei Tai Chi company of Princeton, a Chinese calligraphy demonstration with instruction, and red envelopes for the kids, which are a traditional offering of good tidings for the future. Saturday, February 19, 1-3pm. (Reserve by Friday, February 11.) Member children 12 and under $12; member adults $15, non-member children 12 and under $17; non-member adults $20. Register online at the website.

NJ New Shanghai Circus (Morristown)

For a spellbinding performance that gracefully incorporates choreography, music, daring feats of balance and agility with circus acts that date back 2000 years, this Shanghai Circus is peerless. Children will delight in the man who can balance 20 wooden benches on his head, and the contortionists and comedians who keep this lively show moving. Saturday, February 5, 3pm (all tickets $25) & 7pm (all tickets $32) 973- 539-8008.

Open Art Workshop (Morristown)

If you want a simpler (and cheaper) way to ring in the new year, drop in to the Morris Museum’s Open Art Workshop and make a Chinese paper lantern. Thursday, February 3 any time between 3:30 to 6:30pm. There’s a materials cost of $5 per child but the Morris Museum’s admission is free after 5pm on Thursdays. 973-971-3700.