Armenian Street Party returns with an expanded four-week run to celebrate recipes, stories, and craftsmanship found in our Peranakan communities. From a one-of-a-kind tok panjang experience and an In-Kueh-Dible bouncy castle to a Peranakan afterparty on Armenian Street, the public can be inspired by the rich and diverse Peranakan food culture found in our region. Titled Armenian Street Party: Peranakan Pasar, the eighth edition marks the festival’s annual return in March as part of the Peranakan Museum’s calendar of events. This year’s festival runs from 8 to 31 March 2024.
Mr Kennie Ting, Director of Peranakan Museum, said, “We are so happy to host another edition of Armenian Street Party alongside our diverse community partners, many of which are first-time collaborators with Peranakan Museum. This year’s theme allows all of us to rediscover Peranakan heritage through our beloved national pastimes of feasting and shopping and is also a small step towards positioning Armenian Street as a precinct associated with craft, design, artisanship, and makers. Come join in the many fun programs and workshops we’ve lined up this weekend.”
Armenian Street shines with a night market, art installations, and inaugural project mapping
Armenian Street Party: Peranakan Pasar features a vibrant line-up that pairs closely with Peranakan Museum’s galleries on origins, ceramics, and food culture, allowing visitors to imagine life amongst the Peranakan community.
Peranakan Museum comes alive with Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong’s first foray into digital animation and projection mapping, as he lights up the façade with Mari Kita Makan. As an extension of his captivating and nostalgic murals across Singapore, Mari Kita Makan is a visual storytelling of a Peranakan feast. Audiences will be enchanted by a Nyonya and her grandson bonding as they mix spices and herbs, joyous scenes of a multicultural tok panjang (long table) family dinner, and the sharing of Peranakan kuehs (sweet and savoury snacks) to end the meal.
About Yip Yew Chong
Yip Yew Chong is a Singaporean visual artist who practises murals, canvas paintings, sketches, and installations. A self-taught artist, Yew Chong draws inspiration from his childhood and everyday life experiences, telling stories of people and places.
Mari Kita Makan by Yip Yew Chong
8-31 March, 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Peranakan Museum Facade
Moving further along into Armenian Street, festival-goers can satisfy their kueh-vings as they encounter a medley of whimsical larger-than-life inflatable Peranakan kuehs, aptly named The In-Kueh-Dibles. Designed by the design team Bunch of Monkeys, ang ku kueh, nine layer kueh, rice kueh and other colourful variations are peppered along the street, presenting interactive opportunities to play and pose with these inflatables. During the opening weekend, children aged seven and above will be treated to a special In-Kueh-Dible inflatable bouncy castle. Festival-goers can also keep their eyes peeled for a roving theatrical performance titled Kueh on the Run by The Second Breakfast Company, where they can join a quest to capture three mischievous kuehs on the loose.
The In-Kueh-Dibles
8-31 March, All day
Armenian Street Park
Free admission
Other opening weekend highlights include The Peranakan Pasar, which will bring together cooking demonstrations, food kiosks, and a showcase of kitchenware, antiques, collectibles, and more at the Peranakan-inspired night market. Festival-goers can indulge in their favourite Peranakan snacks and dishes by Shermay’s Singapore Fine Food, HarriAnns Nonya Table, and other familiar brands. As night falls, the dance floor will light up Armenian Street with Afterparty: Peranakan Beats, supported by the Peranakan Association Singapore, the Arab Network @ Singapore, and the Chitty Melaka (Peranakan Indian) Association Singapore. People from all walks of life are invited to groove to the pulsating beats of the parai drum and other distinctive music enjoyed by Peranakan communities.
Delight in culinary magic with a communal dining experience
Venture into Peranakan Museum, dine, and enjoy an intimate Peranakan communal dinner with a contemporary twist with Tok Panjang: A Communal Dining Experience. This lavish, celebratory feast is the cornerstone of major Peranakan occasions, and the ticketed program will feature a curated halal-friendly menu that brings together the cuisine of various Peranakan communities for a unique experience. Supported by Allspice Institute, this unforgettable dinner is served on antique tableware and kitchen accessories along with performances of Peranakan dance and music. The dinner is hosted by veteran performer and Steward of ICH recipient, Baba GT Lye. The experience is a hearty treat that demonstrates how the displays at the museum’s Ceramics and Food Culture gallery are used in Peranakan families.
Tok Panjang: A Communal Dining Experience
Friday, 15 March, 6 pm – 9 pm
Saturday, 16 March, 6 pm – 9 pm
Sunday, 31 March, 6 pm – 9 pm
Ixora Room, Level 1
$118/pax
Tickets are available via TOK PANJANG DINNER @THE PERANAKAN MUSEUM | Peatix
First-time partnerships offer creative ways to experience Peranakan culture
Armenian Street Party: Peranakan Pasar will feature new partnerships between Peranakan Museum and Peranakan communities to bring unique, authentic, and innovative experiences to festival-goers.
Highlights include the Spice Gallery Tour, organised by the National Parks Board (NParks) in partnership with Peranakan Museum. The journey through nature will begin from Fort Canning Park and conclude at the museum’s Home and Life gallery. It introduces a deep dive into the precinct’s storied past and how these botanical treasures have influenced Peranakan cuisine and ceremonial practices. Those looking for hands-on opportunities can join in the fun with workshops held in Peranakan Museum, such as Wrap It Up! Batik Beeswax Food Wrap Making by environmentalist and sustainability advocate Melissa Lam, founder of Bamboo Straw Girl. After gathering inspiration from Peranakan Museum’s permanent galleries, visitors can also enjoy unique crafts like making paper thoranam, miniature kueh clay accessories, and a custom mini-batik to take home.
About Peranankan Museum
Peranakan Museum presents the cross-cultural art of Peranakan communities in Southeast Asia. Installed in the former Tao Nan School, built in 1912, it holds one of the world’s finest public collections of Peranakan objects. Three floors explore Peranakan life through themes related to origins, home, and style as aspects of identity. Community interviews, recorded demonstrations, art commissions, and other contemporary expressions of Peranakan culture provide a multi-faceted experience for visitors. This encourages them to ask themselves: “What is Peranakan?”
About the Asian Civilisations Museum
Asian Civilisation Museum (ACM) is Singapore’s national museum of Asian antiquities and decorative art. As the only museum in Asia with a pan-Asian scope, ACM is devoted to exploring the rich artistic heritage of Asia through our outstanding collection of masterpieces, and ground-breaking special exhibitions. Opened in 1997 and its present building by the Singapore River since 2003, the museum traces its roots to the Raffles Museum founded in the middle of the 19th century. ACM focuses on the many historical connections between cultures and civilisations in Asia, and between Asia and the world.
ACM presents the art history of Asia through the lens of Singapore as a cosmopolitan Asian port city. We connect people and cultures in Asia and beyond. ACM celebrates Asian aesthetics, craft, and imagination through four broad, cross-cultural, and pan-Asian themes. They are Maritime Trade, Faith and Belief, Materials and Design, and Peranakan.
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