Walk, run, or row on over to MOCA’s Dragon Boat Festival (端午节) on Saturday, June 13th from 2:00-5:00pm! Join us for an afternoon full of arts & crafts, storytelling, and scavenger hunts. Learn all about dragon boat racing, try your hand at wrapping zòngzi, stuff a fragrant xiāng bāo, and much more family fun!

CLICK FOR TICKETS!

Tickets: $10/person. Kids 12 and under and MOCA Family Members free. Limited free tickets for Culture Pass and Cool Culture families. Purchase tickets in advance here!

Tickets may be purchased at the door on the day of the event, starting at 2:30 PM, if capacity allows. 

The Museum of Chinese in America is committed to making public programs accessible to the general public regardless of economic background. If the ticket price is preventing you from attending the event, please contact us.

Know Before You Go

Family Festivals are bustling events with lots of sights, sounds, and aromas. There is limited stroller parking available, with a staff-operated lift used to reach the restrooms and lower level spaces. We recommend families with sensory concerns join our MOCACREATE events to celebrate the holiday.

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.

FESTIVAL 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 the United East Athletics Association | 2:30 PM
Discover the origins of dragon boat racing and learn what it takes to be part of a dragon boat team with members from the United East Athletics Association. Meet experienced dragon boat racers, explore authentic equipment, and how dragon boat racing has evolved over time during this interactive session.

Sweet & Savory Snacks: Zongzi Wrapping with Home Cook Sophia Hsu** | 2:15 – 3:15 PM & 3:45 – 4:45 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 zongzi (粽子) in the shape of a pyramid. These sticky, festive treats will leave your stomach and heart filled with glee! 

Sophia Hsu was born in New York City’s Lower East Side and raised in Richmond, VA in the American Chinese restaurant business. Hokkien-Chinese was her first language. English, Mandarin-Chinese, and Spanish quickly followed in school. In her free time, she is a freelance writer, testing new recipes, and crafting.

Sweet & Savory Snacks: Zongzi Tasting** | 2:15 – 3:15 PM & 3:45 – 4:45 PM
Tickle your taste buds with a piece of mouthwatering zongzi from one of our favorite spots in Chinatown!

Be a Kung Fu Dragon Warrior with Master Sherry Zhang | 3:30 – 4 PM & 4:15 – 4:45 PM
Calling all young warriors! Dive into the world of Kung Fu and embrace the spirit of the Dragon Boat Festival in this family-friendly martial arts workshop led by Master Sherry Zhang. Discover the strength, agility, and discipline of the legendary dragon warriors. Ages 5 & up!

Sherry Zhang is a master Tai Chi and Qi Gong instructor and the founder of TaiChiSolution Inc. https://www.taichisolution.org/ Starting Wushu training at six years old, she later became a Wushu athlete. She has over a decade of experience sharing the ancient art of Tai Chi with health professionals in New York City and serves as guest faculty at Sarah Lawrence College as well as faculty at Pacific College of Health and Science.

MOCAKIDS Storytime: Ready, Set, Dragon Boat! 
“快! 快! Kuài! Kuài! Hurry! Hurry!” These are the cheers you might hear at a dragon boat race. Join in on the fun by listening to The Beat of the Dragon Boat by Christina Matula, singing a MOCA original song, and taking part in our very own race. Bring your cameras for a special photo opportunity.

Creepy Crawly Bug Hunt | Meets in Lobby 
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!

Terrific Teams | 2 PM – 5 PM
Winning a dragon boat race requires everyone to paddle together, literally! Get your boat racing crew together and try out our team-building games. Work together to make zongzi, catch the Five Poisonous Pests, and even more games that are sure to make you laugh…and focus!

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

Colorful Climbers
Do lizards climb ladders? This one can! Show off the bright colors and amazing athletic abilities of the lizard, one of the five poisonous pests, by creating your own lizard ladder masterpiece.

Slithering Snakes 
Snakes might be one of the five poisonous pests, but this tiny snake friend won’t scare anybody! Use fuzzy pipe cleaners to make a snake in your favorite colors, then wrap it around your wrist so you’ll have a friend no matter where you go.

Fragrant Fortune
Use string and a decorative paper cup to make a fragrant sachet or 香包 xiāng bāo that is sure to please your senses! Use it to ward away the five poisonous pests.

Splash and Swirl Paddle Design with Teaching Artist Yu Rong
Paint with bubbles! Using bubble solution and liquid watercolors, decorate dragon boat paddles inspired by the whirling waves of the water. Then contribute to a giant collaborative dragon boat for team MOCA.

Yu Rong is a painter and product designer. She was born in Sichuan and currently lives in New York City, where she is a teaching artist at the Hope Garden Center and at MOCA. She received her BFA in Product Design and MFA in Painting at Parsons School of Design and NYSS, but has been practicing art ever since she was a child. You can learn more about her here: www.yurong.work!

Don’t Rock the Boat  
Design a floatable mini dragon boat with corks, foam, rubber bands, and more. Which design will win the race? Test in our mini-pool!

* While supplies last.

**Limited capacity.

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.