Celebrate Kwanzaa
Celebrate Kwanzaa returns for its 17th year! Join BCM and Brooklyn-based Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation at NYC’s largest family Kwanzaa event.
Explore the Nguzo Saba (Principles of Kwanzaa) for a week of dance, music, art-making, and more. Experience daily candle lighting ceremonies led by Chinua Baraka Payne and the Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble, watch performances by Kudo NYC and FIYAA (Forces of Nature Incredible Youth Arts Alliance), take part in dance and drumming workshops, and learn the art of graffiti in our ColorLab art studio.
The theme of this year’s Celebrate Kwanzaa is “Our Children Enlighten the Community,” and we are excited to highlight professional youth performers who embody the spirit of the Nguzo Saba!
Now in its 17th year, Celebrate Kwanzaa takes place over 5 days, from Thursday, December 26 through Monday, December 30. Each day features a mix of repeating and unique programs designed for all ages.
Schedule
Kwanzaa Candle Opening Ceremony
🕒 Daily: 10:30 am – 10:50 am, 2:30 pm – 2:50 pm
Chinua Baraka Payne will illuminate the space by lighting the kinara and sharing the principle of the day, followed by a performance from the Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble.
Kudo NYC and FIYAA Dance Performance
🕒 Daily: 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm, 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Contemporary dance performances by Kudo NYC and FIYAA (Forces of Nature Incredible Youth Arts Alliance) blend African traditions with modern expression in this impressive showcase of youth talent.
African Dance Workshop
🕒 Daily: 11:10 am – 11:30 am, 12:10 pm – 12:30 pm, 2:45 pm – 3:05 pm, 3:45 pm – 4:05 pm
Learn a new dance style! Each day of Celebrate Kwanzaa a member of the Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble will teach us a new way to move our bodies to African Dance, Afrobeat, Amapiano, Jazz, and House. All skill levels welcome!
Djembe Drumming Workshop
🕒 Daily: 11:40 am – 12:00 pm, 12:40 pm – 1:00 pm, 3:15 pm – 3:35 pm, 4:15 pm – 4:35 pm
Join our expert drummers to learn basic djembe techniques and traditional West African rhythms.
Unity Cup Making in ColorLab Art Studio
🕒 Daily: 10:30 am – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Design your own Kikombe cha Umoja (Unity Cup) and contribute to our community fruit basket art installation.
About Celebrate Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a seven-day, African-American holiday celebrated by millions of people throughout the African Diaspora during which family, culture, and community are honored. As a community museum based in Central Brooklyn, Brooklyn Children’s Museum recognizes that the cultural fabric of our community has been and continues to be significantly shaped by Black residents; therefore, since 2007, BCM has been a proud hub for families throughout Brooklyn and beyond to celebrate Kwanzaa with community.
Each year, BCM partners with local organizations, artists, and cultural organizers to facilitate Kwanzaa programming that incorporates creativity, reflection, and active participation. Whether a family joins BCM’s Kwanzaa celebration to learn about the holiday for the first time or to extend how they celebrate Kwanzaa at home, we are honored to hold space for this holiday that lifts up both the spirit of Black liberation and the opportunity for all participants to bring to life the universal aspects of The Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles) of Kwanzaa—Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).