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A weekend of fun awaits your family at the Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2025
- What to Do (Paid Activities)
- Parent-Child Snakelet Pineapple Tarts Making Workshop
- The Legend of Yuan Xiao with a Rainbowl of Happiness
- Children Lion Dance Workshop
- Children Festive Chinese Drums Workshop
- What to Do (Free Activities)
- Storytelling Sessions: Tales of Lunar New Year Festival
- Let’s Celebrate with Uncle Ting: Lunar New Year Activity Kit
- Drop-In Craft and Activity Stations
- Watch performances at the Atrium
Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2025
Date: February 8 and 9, 2025
Time: 11 am to 5:30 pm
Where: SAFRA Punggol, 9 Sentul Cres
Admission Fee: Free (but some activities are ticketed)
It’s the start of another lunar year, which means the Wan Qing Festival of Spring is right around the corner as well. And this time around, the festival is being held all the way in the north, at SAFRA Punggol.
This festival is super exciting for me; it’s a jam-packed weekend of activities. You can watch dance and opera performances, make your own opera mask, and even learn how to cook with your family!
Some of the activities are ticketed, and you have to book your spot ahead of time. But most are free, so you can still have a blast without spending a dime.
Here are the activities we can expect to find during the festival.
What to Do (Paid Activities)
From: sysnmh
Parent-Child Snakelet Pineapple Tarts Making Workshop
When: February 8, 2025
Time: 11 am to 12:30 pm, 2 pm to 3:30 pm
Where: Culinary Experience Studio
Admission Fee: S$60 per pair (for SAFRA members), S$66 per pair (for non-members)
Buy tickets here
2025 is the Year of the Snake, so why not start the new year by learning how to make snake-shaped pastries? If you’re interested, then the Parent-Child Snakelet Pineapple Tarts Making Workshop should be on your priority list.
This workshop will be led by pastry chefs from Genius R Us, so you’ll be learning the real deal. And the best part is that after you make the charming snake tarts, you can take them home and share them with your entire family!
The Legend of Yuan Xiao with a Rainbowl of Happiness
When: February 9, 2025
Time: 11 am to 12:15 pm, 2 pm to 3:15 pm
Where: Culinary Experience Studio
Admission Fee: S$55 per pair (for SAFRA members), S$60.50 per pair (for non-members)
Buy tickets here
Another culinary experience you might want to partake in with your child during the festival is The Legend of Yuan Xiao with a Rainbowl of Happiness. In this activity, you’ll be making your very own tang yuan (a traditional Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice balls in hot broth or syrup).
What makes this experience even more interesting is that it’s not just a culinary workshop; it’s also a storytelling session! BrookieKids will come in and entertain the children with a story about a mystical bird, the Jade Emperor, and a fairy who saves a town!
Children Lion Dance Workshop
When: February 8, 2025
Time: 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm, 4 pm to 5 pm
Where: Tembusu Room
Admission Fee: S$20 (for SAFRA members), S$22 (for non-members)
Buy tickets here
Does your child love to dance? Then you might want to drop them at the Children Lion Dance Workshop!
This workshop is helmed by expert instructors who will teach your child the basics of lion dancing. The young participants will also get the chance to wear miniature lion dance costumes, so they can really feel the festive spirit.
The best part is that everyone gets to bring home a DIY lion head kit. Your child will have the time of their life making their very own lion head at home!
Children Festive Chinese Drums Workshop
When: February 9, 2025
Time: 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm, 4 pm to 5 pm
Where: Tembusu Room
Admission Fee: S$20 (for SAFRA members), S$22 (for non-members)
Buy tickets here
For children who prefer music to dancing, attending the Festive Chinese Drums Workshop is a must.
During this workshop, participants will learn the drumming techniques used for Chinese percussion instruments, as well as experience various different rhythms and beats.
Once the workshop ends, they can take home their own 5-inch Chinese drum. Prepare for constant drumming noises inside your home, I warn you!
What to Do (Free Activities)
From: safrapunggol
Storytelling Sessions: Tales of Lunar New Year Festival
When: February 8 (Mandarin), February 9 (English)
Time: 11 am to 11:45 am, 2 pm to 2:45 pm
Where: Atrium
Chinese folklore is rife with so many enthralling tales, and fortunately, you can learn more about them during the Storytelling Sessions at the festival!
My favourite part about this event is the storytellers featured are local authors. These people know how to tell a good story, so I can expect to be going on a literary adventure as they narrate the myths and legends to a crowd.
Let’s Celebrate with Uncle Ting: Lunar New Year Activity Kit
When: February 8 and 9
Time: 11 am to 5:30 pm
Where: Atrium
If you’re the crafty kind, then you need to participate in Uncle Ting’s New Year activity!
This event will provide you with an activity kit filled to the brim with fun stuff. I don’t know exactly what’s inside, but I’ve heard we’ll be making our own red packets and other arts and crafts inspired by Chinese myths and legends. How intriguing!
Do keep in mind that there’s a limited stock of activity kits for this event, so I recommend joining early.
Drop-In Craft and Activity Stations
When: February 8 and 9
Time: 11 am to 5:30 pm
Where: Atrium
There are even more crafty activities you can do during the festival! As a crafty lover, this fact delights me!
The one I’m looking forward to the most is the Chinese Zodiac Ink Rubbing Art workshop. I’ve always wanted to learn how to create Chinese ink-rubbing art. It will be so cool to make my own patterns and have them engraved in stones and other objects.
Aside from that, you can also find a station for making a Chinese opera mask and a multi-layered stamp printing of the Legend of the Lady White Snake (I’m excited about this one, too).
There’s even a station for Lunar New Year-themed mini-games! This is perfect for people who are knowledgeable about Chinese culture and heritage. Time to show off your stock knowledge!
Watch performances at the Atrium
The Atrium will be buzzing with fun performances for the entire weekend, and you can’t miss out on them. Here are the different live acts that you can expect:
- Hakka Qilin Dance by Yan Wong Cultural Troupe Singapore
- When: February 8, 1 pm to 1:15 pm
- What: Watch a traditional (and rare!) Hakka Qilin dance. It features vibrant movements and colourful costumes, and it’s said to bring prosperity to everyone.
- Martial Arts Performance by Martial House
- When: February 8, 1:30 pm to 1:45 pm
- What: Enjoy the performance of young martial artists as they demonstrate their skills in wushu. Marvel at their strength, agility, and fluidity of movement!
- Lion and Dragon Dance by Singapore American School
- When: February 9, 1:15 pm to 1:25 pm
- What: Talented students from Singapore American School bring the traditional dragon dance to life with striking costumes, rhythmic dancing, and lively movements.
- Chinese String Quartet Performance by Stringanza
- When: February 9, 1:25 pm to 1:55 pm
- What: Feel your spirits lift as you listen to the spring-inspired tunes played on the cello by a quartet of talented musicians.
- Lunar New Year Family Fun Contest
- When: February 8 and 9, 3 pm to 4 pm
- What: It’s Lunar New Year games, but make it even more competitive! You’ll be working together with your family as you compete against other families in a string of exciting games.
- China Opera Performances by Traditional Arts Center
- When: February 8 and 9, 4:15 pm to 5 pm
- What: Watch opera artists perform the Hainanese Opera “Madame White Snake—Lake Tour” and the Huangmei Opera “Hu Family Village.” This event also has an interactive section where you can try out basic opera movements yourself.