On Thursday, January 29th, Hester Street Collaborative, in partnership with Middle School 131, the Chinatown YMCA, and Asian Americans for Equality, unveiled its second annual Lunar New Year Lantern Installation in Sara D. Roosevelt Park to celebrate the Year of the Ox.

Last year, students at M.S. 131 and the Chinatown YMCA constructed lanterns out of colorful sheets of vinyl and battery-operated LED lights to celebrate the Year of the Rat. This year, the students constructed lanterns out of recycled plastic bags supported by adjustable wire templates and stamped with symbols of the Ox. The lanterns, hung alongside last year’s Year of the Rat lanterns in SDR Park, create a public installation that celebrates the New Year and promotes sustainability in the neighborhood.

After the lanterns were installed in the park, Hester Street Collaborative hosted an hour of design activities for local kids in its workshop at 113 Hester Street. Participants made their own paper lanterns, Chinese zodiac masks, and buttons for the New Year, and ended the evening watching a traditional performance of a dragon dance by Asian Americans For Equality’s Unicorn Dancing Team.

The Year of the Ox lanterns will hang in SDR Park throughout the month of February to be enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike. This student-created and culturally inspired installation is one more step toward sustainable, long-term community involvement and cultural expression in one of our neighborhood’s most important open space resources.