Chappaqua’s Lunar New Year Festival Celebrates10 Years
by: Chappaqua Chinese Cultural Association
On February 28, 2026, the Northern Westchester community gathered at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center to celebrate the 10th Annual Lunar New Year with a vibrant festival that showcased culture, music, dance, and tradition. Organized through a collaborative effort by the Chappaqua Library, the Chappaqua Chinese Cultural Association, Town of New Castle, and a dedicated group of resident volunteers, the event reflected a strong community spirit and desire for more opportunities to experience global cultures here in New Castle.
New this year, the festival featured two well-attended showtimes, allowing families and residents multiple opportunities to experience the festivities. Each performance brought a new set of traditional and contemporary acts to the stage in celebration of the Year of the Horse. The program was thoughtfully guided by five local high school students, who served as emcees in both English and Mandarin.
The program opened with an energetic lion dance, captivating the audience with its rhythmic drumming, colorful costumes, and symbolic movements meant to bring good fortune for the year ahead. This was followed by an erhu solo, a traditional two-stringed Chinese instrument, that filled the theater with sounds of the fire horse ushering in a new year. A traditional fan dance added visual grace to the program, while a piano, violin, and cello ensemble by Horace Greeley High School students portrayed the ancient legend of the Butterfly Lovers through Western classical instruments.
The event concluded with its usual dragon dance with a twist. This year, the dragons were helmed by Chappaqua parent and child teams – a new tradition for New Castle’s residents that we hope to continue for many years to come. Following the performances, attendees were welcome to stay for crafts, games, traditional Chinese calligraphy, Korean snacks, and face painting.
As we look back on 10 years of Chappaqua’s Lunar New Year festival, we are proud of how it has grown into a true community tradition. Each year brings deeper involvement from residents of all ages—from local high school students stepping into leadership roles as bilingual emcees, to families participating together in the dragon dance, to children contributing their creativity through handmade lanterns that decorated the halls. Volunteers of all ages helped bring the event to life, including a Robert E. Bell 8th grader who has shared a thoughtful perspective on her experience. We hope you will enjoy Zoe’s recap below.
Through our community’s interest, the Chappaqua Chinese Cultural Association was
established in 2025 with hopes to bring more cultural events to Northern Westchester extending beyond Lunar New Year. Please stay tuned for events coming this fall that celebrate many of Asia’s other festive holidays such as the Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival.
More Than Just a Greeting: What
Volunteering at the Lunar New Year
Taught Me
By a Chappaqua Bell School Student | February 2026
Why I Chose to Volunteer
Growing up American-born Chinese, Lunar New Year has always
felt like a bridge between two parts of my identity. My parents
came to the United States from China as adults, and the holiday carries real meaning in
our household. When I heard about the Chappaqua Public Library's annual Lunar New
Year Celebration on February 28th, 2026, volunteering felt like a natural way to connect
with that heritage — and give something back to the community that helps keep it alive.
My Role and Responsibilities
I arrived that morning in a red sweater and black pants, only to discover that the other volunteers had worn traditional Chinese qipao dresses. A family friend who was coordinating the event quickly pulled me aside and set me to work. My role had two parts: greet incomingguests warmly and hand out red envelopes, and make sure guests were directed to the correct areas rather than wandering upstairs. I was stationed at a precise angle — about 45 degrees and a few meters from the envelope table — assigned to be the second line of welcome rather than the first barrier of redirection.
Before the doors opened, I was also supposed to guide guests to a props table and explain the meaning of each item. Unfortunately, I had only been told the meaning of one prop — one that represented wishes for prosperity — so when the very first guest
sweetly asked me which prop symbolized happiness, I had no answer. It was a humbling
start.
Memorable Moments and Challenges
The morning was full of small surprises. Before guests arrived, the coordinating family
friend graciously lent me her own red sweater. Then, a woman from the dance troupe
downstairs took me aside and applied a full face of makeup — thick mascara, gold
eyeshadow, and pink lipstick. I walked back upstairs feeling bright, festive, and ready for
the celebration.
Once guests began arriving, I quickly grew flustered. Nerves scrambled my words, and
my rehearsed greeting came out far less polished than planned. As the crowd thickened,
I defaulted to simply handing out envelopes and smiling, having lost track of the fuller
script. I also noticed many guests quietly pocketing two or three envelopes instead of
one, drawn by the small chance of finding a raffle ticket inside — the prize being a
coveted fish lantern. By the time my own sister walked in with her friends, we were
nearly out.
One moment I did not anticipate: several young children were visibly alarmed by mydramatic makeup. I tried to put them at
ease with a smile, which may have made
things slightly worse. It was one of the
funnier moments of the day.
As the program wound down, the
volunteers gathered around a
marble-and-chopsticks game — the
challenge being to pick up a marble using only chopsticks. Harder than it looks. I
managed to win a small horse figurine, some clothing, and a backpack, and made it back
to the stage in time for the second showing of the dance performance.
What I Learned About Teamwork, Leadership, and Cultural Exchange
What struck me most was how naturally
the other volunteers stepped in to help —
not with criticism, but with quiet
kindness. When I struggled to look
welcoming, the other girls coached me.
When my outfit was off, someone offered
her sweater. When I needed more color, a
stranger handed me her makeup brushes.
None of this was asked for. It simply happened, the way good teamwork does.
I also saw how events like this serve as living bridges — connecting elderly immigrants
who carry decades of Lunar New Year memories with young children encountering red
envelopes and dragon dances for the first time. Being even a small part of that thread
felt meaningful.
How This Experience Shaped Me
I came in underprepared and left having learned more than I expected. The practical
lesson: show up early, know your material, ask questions before you need the answers.
The deeper one: belonging to a culture does not require perfection. It just requires
showing up. Surrounded by people celebrating something we all shared, I felt less
caught between two worlds and more like a full participant in both.
Thank you to the Chappaqua Public Library, CCCA (Chappaqua Chinese Cultural
Association, newly established in late 2025), and all the volunteers who made it such a
wonderful afternoon.
Zoe Liu is a Chappaqua Robert Bell School student.
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