Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023
Take part in the celebrations for Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Whether you are looking for a smaller ceremony or a bigger larger celebration with dancing and music, there are a ton of events and activities around NYC that the whole family will love.
Click on your region to jump to events near you!
Psst… These 5 autism books are perfect for your family library!
Manhattan
COQUÍ CLUB: Honoring AAPI Month
El Museo del Barrio, 1230 5th Ave., East Harlem
Saturday, May 6, 9:30 – 10:30 am
Ages 3-7
Free
Advanced registration required
This Coqui Club will honor the influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans across cultures. Hear the book A Boy Named Isamu, by James Yang and learn about the artist’s amazing imagination and how he used it to create big, beautiful sculptures.
Commemorate the Birth of Gautama Buddha
Asia Society, 725 Park Ave., Upper East Side
Saturday, May 6, 2 – 4 pm
All ages
Included with admission: $12; $7 students and seniors; free for children younger than 12 and members
The Buddha’s Birthday is a holiday for Buddhists to celebrate and reflect. This immersive event will include storytelling, a mindful meditation session, food tasting and demo, music, and arts & crafts.
Living History: Learning About Historical Korean Clothing
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park W., Upper West Side
Sunday, May 7, 1 – 3 pm
All ages
Included with admission: $22; $17 seniors, educators, active military; $13 students; $6 kids 5-13; free for children younger than 5
Join the Museum as Jeff Cheon-Shik Yang, a traditional hanbok designer, interacts with families and shares with the history of hanbok.
Hanbok is traditional Korean clothing that has been worn throughout the Korean peninsula for over 2,000 years. Families will be able to see traditional hanbok worn and explore examples of other types of garments.
Family Sundays: Enlightening Leaves
The Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W 17th St, Chelsea
Sunday, May 7, 1 – 3 pm
All ages
Free
Advanced registration required
Shakyamuni Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) is revered as a spiritual teacher who achieved enlightenment, or great understanding, while sitting underneath a bodhi (fig) tree.
To this day, Buddhists travel to the living descendant of the original bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, to meditate and find inspiration on their own paths to enlightenment.
In honor of that cherished tree, you will craft your own bodhi leaves, take part in a mindfulness-themed story time, a meditation specifically designed for little ones, and more.
AAPI Heritage Month Celebration
Bryant Park, 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Street, Midtown
Friday, May 12, 3-7pm
All ages
Free
Third Street Celebrates AAPI Heritage with Saung Budaya Dance
Third Street Music School Settlement, 235 East 11th Street, East Village
Friday, May 12, 5 – 6 pm
Ages 5 and older
Free
Advanced registration required
Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and learn a traditional Indonesian dance! Tari Indang or Tambourine Dance is usually performed in ritual or ceremonial events.
Indang, which is the mini tambourine used in this dance, becomes the main rhythm with each dancer’s movement.
Explore This! Activity Stations for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
The Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd St. New York
Saturday, May 13, 1:30 – 4 pm
Ages 5 and older
Free
Advanced registration required
Explore art created by Asian and Asian American artists through drawing, writing, and movement activities. Choose the artworks and activities that interest your family and move at your own pace.
Bronx
AAPI Family Storytime and Activity
Clason’s Point LibraryIn Person, 1215 Morrison Avenue, Bronx
Thursday, May 4, 3 pm
Ages 3 – 12
Free
Join the Library for songs, rhymes, and favorite read-aloud books to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander month.
AAPI Heritage Month Movie Day: Raya and the Last Dragon
West Farms Library, 2085 Honeywell Avenue, Bronx
Thursday, May 4, 3:30 pm
All ages
Free
Come out for AAPI Heritage Month screening of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) where you’ll travel to the fantasy world of Kumandra for an exciting adventure.
Crafternoons (Asian American and Pacific Islander Month)
West Farms Library, 2085 Honeywell Avenue, Bronx
Tuesday, May 16, 3:30 pm
Ages 5 and older
Free
Children are invited to get creative and make fun themed crafts inspired by Asian American and Pacific Islander Month. All supplies will be provided.
Chinese Paper Lanterns
Belmont Library and Enrico Fermi Cultural Center, 610 E. 186th Street, Bronx
Tuesday, May 23, 3:30 pm
Ages 5-12
Free
Children will decorate their own Chinese paper lantern in celebration of AAPI Month.
Brooklyn
The Magic Brush
Macon Library, 361 Lewis Ave. at Macon St., Ocean Hill
Saturday, May 6, 11 – 11:45 am
Ages 4-8
Free
Celebrate Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander month with a thrilling tale that’s a feast for the eyes!
Join the Library to watch the Magic Brush—a classic Chinese folktale that tells the story of a young boy who acquires a brush, where everything he paints comes to life. This exciting work is presented with two artists and a giant pop-up book.
In-Store: Storytime with Cathy Linh Che, Kyle Lucia Wu & Michele Wong McSween
Books Are Magic Montague, 122 Montague Street, Downtown Brooklyn
Sunday, May 7, 11 – 11:30 am
Ages 1-10
Free
Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with a double storytime featuring award-winning authors Cathy Linh Che and Kyle Lucia Wu reading An Asian American A to Z, and Michele Wong McSween reading Gordon & Li Li: Colors in Mandarin.
AAPI Heritage Month: Gordon & Li Li Storytime
Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave., Crown Heights
Thursday, May 18, 3 – 4 pm
All ages
$13; $12 grandparent.
Join BCM to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with author Michele Wong McSween at a special reading of Gordon & Li Li: Colors in Mandarin. This program offers a Mandarin lesson, book reading, and an interactive art project.
Queens
Pohela Boishakh Celebration
Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main Street, Flushing
Saturday, May 6, 1 – 4 pm
All ages
Included with admission: $6; $4 students and seniors 62 and older; $2 children 4-12; free for children younger than 4 and members.
Celebrate Bengali New Year! People of all backgrounds are encouraged to share the joy and experience the customary performing and visual arts of Pohela Boishakh.
Join this New Year parade to usher prosperity for all. Special performances by the Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts (BIPA) will mark the 30th Anniversary of this beloved cultural organization.
AAPI Heritage Month Silent Disco
Al Oerter Recreation Center, 131-40 Fowler Ave. Queensboro Hill
Saturday, May 20, 10 – 11:30 am
All ages
Free
Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with movement and music at a special silent disco led by Shape Up NYC dance fitness instructors Masayo and Shizuyo.
Taste of AAPI Sweets
Poom! 43-50 12th Street, Sunnyside
Saturday, May 20, 1 – 4 pm
All ages
Price TBA
Experience unique and delicious AAPI cuisine and baked goods, taste free samples, support AAPI-owned bakery businesses, learn about AAPI culture and traditions through interactive activities, and more.
Staten Island
Chinese Scholar’s Garden Stewardship and Tour
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, 1000 Richmond Terr.
Sunday, May 21, 1-2:30pm
All ages
Free
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with NYC Parks. Head to Snug Harbor’s Chinese Scholar’s Garden where you’ll tour the garden while helping to maintain the surrounding bioswales. Tools and gardening gloves will be provided.
