Wilmington’s Lunar New Year celebration will be virtual

Last year’s Lunar New Year celebration in Wilmington was one of the last holidays before the COVID-19 lockdown, with lots of folk dancing, Chinese yo-yo performances, workshops and a scavenger hunt throughout the Delaware Art Museum.

The museum has been hosting the local festivities with the Chinese American Community Center and the Hanlin Chinese Culture Association for 15 years. This year, the tradition returns, but as the Year of the Ox kicks off with social distancing still a necessity, it will be all online.

The virtual program will include footage of past Lion Dances (see below) and folk dance performances from past years, as well as a new Chinese yo-yo demo, a dumpling cooking demo and a lantern art activity.

When you register, you will receive a link to a YouTube playlist of the individual events on Feb. 20, and they can be viewed at your convenience. Materials for the art activity can be picked up at the museum starting this Saturday.

This year’s Lunar New Year’s Festival begins on Feb. 12, the new moon, and lasts for 16 days.