Event Details
At Houston Zoo, we’re a Zoo for All, and this Lunar New Year, we’re coming together to honor the rich traditions and cultures that make our community special.
Join us with your family and friends on Saturday and Sunday, February 14 and 15, as we celebrate our very first public Lunar New Year event with joyful sights, sounds, and shared experiences. Enjoy spirited dragon dancer performances, pause for photos at our Dragon & Cherry Blossom Tree Photo Op, and share your wishes for the year ahead at our Wishing Tree.
Connect with our animal care experts during Meet the Keeper Chats sponsored by CenterPoint Energy Foundation and take home a special plant giveaway while supplies last.
When you celebrate with us, you’re helping save wildlife across Asia including Malayan tigers, Asian elephants, orangutans, and many more species that call this vibrant region home.
This event is included with general admission and is FREE for members.
Not a member? Join today to visit the Zoo any time and enjoy other exclusive benefits.
Meet the Keeper Chats Schedule
- 10:00 a.m. – Snake or Komodo Dragon at Reptile & Amphibian House
- 10:30 a.m. – Masai Giraffe
- 11:30 a.m. – Malayan Tiger
- 12:00 p.m. – Monkey in Wortham World of Primates (WWP)
- 1:30 p.m. – Humboldt penguins
- 2:00 p.m. – Kunekune pigs in the Children’s Zoo
- 3:00 p.m. – Monkey in Wortham World of Primates (WWP)
Our Meet the Keeper Chats on these two days will be Lunar New Year-themed.
Lunar New Year Performances
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Unity Dragon and Lion Dance TroupeFeb. 14, 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
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Rice LionsFeb. 15, 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Location: Reflection Pool
Times: 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Established in 2020, the organization is dedicated towards empowering individuals to learn, promote, and celebrate the culture and art of lion dance, dragon dance, and martial arts. Since 2020, the team is diverted towards the jow ga style of lion dancing and in early 2022, the team gained their very own jow ga Sifu from Yun Yee Tong Vietnam, Choy Sifu.
Photo credit: Unity Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe
Location: Reflection Pool
Times: 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
See Rice University’s premiere and student-run lion dancing team, Rice Lions. This group comes together to showcase the traditional art of lion dancing with vibrant lion costumes, energetic choreography, and powerful drumming.
About Lunar New Year
This Lunar New Year marks the Year of the Fire Horse and begins on February 17, and is celebrated 15 days before the Lantern Festival takes place on the first full moon of the lunar calendar.
Often called the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in China and Chinese communities around the world. The holiday is also celebrated in South Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
