Year of the Horse at the Museum

February 17, 2026 marks the start of the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse. Celebrate at the museum on February 21–22 with a festive weekend of family-friendly activities including treats, drop-in crafts, and cooking workshops.

On Saturday, February 21, enjoy live performances of the audio play Bun Fun New Year in English and Cantonese by Five Blessings Collective.

On Sunday, February 22, after the Chinatown Parade, join Chef Christopher Leow for a hands-on Prosperity Salad (撈起魚生) cooking workshop, and drop in to make a Lunar New Year couplet (揮春) with Bagua Artist Association.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22, 2026

• Location: Chinese Canadian Museum (51 E Pender St.)

• Saturday, February 21:
  
  10 A.M. - 5 P.M. | Treat Tasting: Tray of Togetherness
  
  10 A.M. - 5 P.M. | Drop-in Crafts: Pencil Ponies
  
  11:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. | Audio Play Performance: Bun Fun New Year (English)
  
  1 P.M - 1:30 P.M. | Dream Factory Curator's Tour (English)
  
  1:30 P.M. - 2:30 P.M. | Audio Play Performance: Bun Fun New Year (Cantonese)
  
  3 P.M. - 3:30 P.M. | Dream Factory Curator's Tour (Cantonese)
  
  Sunday, February 22:
  
  10 A.M. - 5 P.M. | Treat Tasting: Tray of Togetherness
  
  12 P.M. - 1 P.M. | Cooking Workshop: Lunar New Year Prosperity Salad*
  
  1 P.M - 1:30 P.M. | Dream Factory Curator's Tour (English)
  
  1 P.M. - 4 P.M. | Drop-in Workshop: Lunar New Year Couplets
  
  3 P.M. - 3:30 P.M. | Dream Factory Curator's Tour (Mandarin)
  
  3 P.M. - 4 P.M. | Cooking Workshop: Lunar New Year Prosperity Salad*
  

• Cost: Free with admission
  *Cooking Workshop is $5+GST per participant

• RSVP: Registration encouraged but not required
  Cooking Workshops: Separate advance registration required

Poster illustration: Yumo Mao

PROGRAMS

Treat Tasting: Tray of Togetherness Lunar New Year Treats

Saturday & Sunday all day
Sample some common Chinese candies and treats that are eaten during the New Year and learn about the symbolism behind items in the traditional Chinese “Tray of Togetherness” (新年全盒)!

Audio Play Performance: Bun Fun New Year with Five Blessings Collective

Saturday at 11:30 A.M. (English) and 1:30 P.M (Cantonese)
Celebrate Lunar New Year with an audio play performance for all ages in English or Cantonese! Five Blessings kicks off this Lunar New Year with tales from our bunny friends at the Bao household. In the midst of preparing for the special family feast, twinned bunnies Bunnifer and Bunnithy learn the true meaning of new year festivities and a couple of… interesting… recipes along the way.
English Cast: Aidan Chan, Amanda Sum, Nancy Tam, Derek Chan, Christopher Lam

Drop-in Crafts: Pencil Ponies

Saturday from 11 A.M. to 4 P.M.
Celebrate the Chinese zodiac animal of 2026 – the Horse – and craft a lucky pony topper for your very own CCM pencil to take home!

Cooking Workshop: Lunar New Year Prosperity Salad with Chef Christopher Leow

Sunday at 12–1 P.M. and 3–4 P.M.
Advance registration required ($5+GST per participant): Purchase tickets
Led by chef-educator Christopher Leow, this hands-on workshop explores Yu Sheng (撈起魚生), a symbolic Lunar New Year dish from Singapore and Malaysia. Learn its cultural significance, help prepare the ingredients, and join the joyful tradition of tossing the salad while sharing auspicious wishes for the year ahead.

Drop-in Workshop: Lunar New Year Couplets with Bagua Artist Association 

Sunday from 1 P.M. to 4 P.M.
Each year, Bagua Art Association creates its own hand-carved linocut Spring Couplets (Cantonese: 揮春 Fai Chun / Mandarin: 春聯 Chun Lian) as part of its Lunar New Year tradition. Join the artist duo for a drop-in workshop to print your own Spring Couplets for the Year of the Fire Horse, using original designs and hand-carved lino blocks featuring auspicious phrases and motifs. Participants can mix and match blocks to create custom combinations and will be guided through the printing process on traditional red paper to take home.