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Things To Do in LA this Weekend with Kids: Golden Dragon Parade, Otter Bowl, Lunar New Year

Photo courtesy of The Huntington
Photo courtesy of The Huntington
1/30/20 - By Toby B

Not to bowl you over with too much information, but this weekend is sure to be super. It's a bird... it's a plane... it's a rat!

Yes, Lunar New Year is in full swing all over the Southland. Don't let its ratty reputation dissuade you from what is sure to be a golden, nay, a magical weekend.

Call me a dork, but the new year has me brimming with optimism as I see all the opportunities that lie ahead. It makes me want to sing out (and maybe sing happy birthday). We've learned to defy gravity and reach the stars. Of course, we give thanks to those who helped us get there.

Don't be a rat, keep reading for our most golden picks for the weekend.

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Gianni Schicci and L’enfant et les sortilèges, photo courtesy of Pacific Opera Project
Gianni Schicci and L’enfant et les sortilèges, photo courtesy of Pacific Opera Project

Things To Do All Weekend

Chinese New Year Festival 2024

San Marino
Visitors can experience the beauty of Chinese music, dance, and culture as the Year of the Dragon, set against the stunning backdrop of the The Huntington’s Chinese Garden. READ MORE

Kiddee Matinees

Hollywood
On Saturdays and Sundays, families can catch a matinee screening of a kid-friendly movie at the New Beverly Cinema.   READ MORE

The Joshua Show: Episode 2

Costa Mesa
Award-winning puppeteer Joshua Holden entertains audiences of all ages by celebrating individuality in ourselves and others and helping to combat the doldrums of everyday life. READ MORE

Emperor's New Clothes

Santa Monica
The Morgan-Wixson invites audiences to this modern re-telling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale The Emperor's New Clothes. READ MORE

Pacific Opera Project: Gianni Schicci and L’enfant et les sortilèges

Eagle Rock
Pacific Opera Project opens its 10th anniversary season with two family friendly one-act operas: Puccini's Gianni Schicci and Ravel's L’enfant et les Sortilèges. READ MORE

Lunar New Year at Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios
Aw rats!  This is your last weekend to catch the Lunar New Year themed extras at Universal Studios. READ MORE

Frozen 2 (PG) Sing-Along Version

Hollywood (Last Weekend)
The past has a way of returning, and when it does, we must ... sing along. Box office powerhouse Frozen 2 closes out its encore visit to the El Capitan in a sing-along version. READ MORE

Cirque du Soleil - Volta (Dodger Stadium)

Echo Park
VOLTA performs one more breathtaking trick:  finishing up its Dodger Stadium run before launching into Orange County. READ MORE
Hot Wheels are in the garage. Photo courtesy of Automobile Driving Museum
Hot Wheels are in the garage. Photo courtesy of Automobile Driving Museum

Things To Do Saturday, February 1

Home Depot Kids Workshops

Multiple Locations
Home Depot offers a free monthly workshop for kids ages 5 - 12. The workshops teach basic DIY skills and tool safety. Kids go home with their craft and a free Kids Workshop apron, commemorative pin, and certificate of achievement.    Kits are available first come first serve.  READ MORE

Golden Dragon Lunar New Year Parade

Chinatown
LA's Chinatown rings in the Year of the Dragon at the 125th annual Golden Dragon Parade. The colorful celebration of the first day of the lunar new year steps off at Hill Street at Temple. READ MORE

Chinatown Chinese New Year Festival at Central Plaza

Chinatown
Chinatown's Chinese New Year Festival is more than just the fabulous Golden Dragon Parade; the celebration goes on all day (with the parade as the highlight). READ MORE

Ira’s Birthday Party

Moorpark
The Moorpark Teaching Zoo celebrates the 10th birthday of its beloved African lion, Ira. READ MORE

Astronaut Commemoration

Downey
Columbia Memorial Space Center holds its annual Commemoration event remembering and honoring the fallen astronauts of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Celebration (The Shops at Santa Anita)

Arcadia
The Shops at Santa Anita celebrate the rich traditions and vibrant festivities of the Lunar New Year with a day of activities for the whole family.  Guests can watch demonstrations from Shinobu the Candy Man, balloon twisters, sugar painters, and artists who craft figurines out of dough. Other highlights include face painters and an arts & crafts corner for take home souvenirs. READ MORE

Hot Wheels Garage

El Segundo
Small car, big fun. The Automobile Driving Museum hosts another Hot Wheels Garage event. READ MORE

Saturday Morning Cartoons! Sabados Animados!

Highland Park
Kids can discover the magic that was Saturday morning cartoons at this monthly event at the Bob Baker Theater. El Cine screens a curated mix of multicultural cartoons and commercials. READ MORE

Book Event: Confessions of a Dork Lord

Fairfax
Author Mike Johnston visits Barnes & Noble at The Grove to celebrate his illustrated middle-grade adventure Confessions of a Dork Lord, which follows a hapless warlock-in-training as he struggles to live up to his great and terrible destiny.   READ MORE

Birds of the Santa Monica Mountains

Calabasas
Look at the birdies!  Families can go on an easy bird walk around the grounds of King Gillette Ranch. This area attracts many songbirds, water birds, woodpeckers, and raptors. ​Kids are welcome and the walk is less than a mile at a very easy pace with frequent stops to observe the birds. READ MORE

Summer Opportunities Fair at Westridge School

Pasadena
It's never too early to start thinking about summer. Westridge Summer Opportunities Fair is a community event that provides a venue for parents and children to learn about summer programs for boys and girls ages 5-18. READ MORE

Creation Station

Long Beach
Children ages 6-11 are invited to participate in Creation Station, a free drop-in craft program.  March’s theme, Lovely Lavender, celebrates Spring.​ READ MORE

Planes of Fame Hangar Talk and Flying Demo

Chino
The featured plane in January is the Curtiss P-40N Warhawk. READ MORE

Alhambra Lunar New Year Festival

Alhambra
Alhambra celebrates Lunar New Year with an annual festival. The free, multi-block festival is held on Main Street from Garfield to 2nd Street, with two stages of entertainment and more than 100 booths providing giveaways and activities. READ MORE

Lunar New Year (Irvine Spectrum Center)

Irvine
Irvine Spectrum Center celebrates Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon with a traditional Lion Dance, martial arts demonstrations, instrumental performances, and more. READ MORE

Lunar New Year Celebration at Cerritos Towne Center

Cerritos
Cerritos Towne Center rings in the Year of the Dragon at its annual Lunar New Year event. READ MORE

Public Star Party

Griffith Park
The sky... it's full of stars! The lawn... it's full of telescopes!   ​The Observatory's free public star party offers a chance for the whole family to look at the sun, moon, planets, and other objects with the assistance of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Los Angeles Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society. READ MORE

The Silent Treatment Film Series

Griffith Park
The Autry shows silent films the way they were meant to be seen—on the big screen with live musical accompaniment. February's film was directed by and stars William S. Hart, and is shown with live musical accompaniment by Cliff Retallick.   READ MORE

Chinese New Year Carnival

Mar Vista
The Chinese Language School of Southern California's Chinese New Year Carnival 2020 celebrates the Year of the Rat. READ MORE

Grand Opening: Mayberry Park Skate Park

Whittier
Supervisor Janice Hahn and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust invite the community for the grand opening of the new skate park at Mayberry Park in Whittier. READ MORE

The Golden Dragon Acrobats

Thousand Oaks
The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza welcomes the Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats to the Fred Kavli Theatre. READ MORE

Lula Washington Dance Theatre

Beverly Hills
The Lula Washington Dance Theatre returns to The Wallis. The renowned company focuses on using dance to explore social and humanitarian issues, including aspects of African-American history, culture, and life. READ MORE

African Mask Workshop

Exposition Park
Sculptor Beulah Woodard had a lifelong interest in African culture and in 1935 was inspired to produce the sculpture Mask, on view in the exhibit LA Blacksmith. Guest can make their own own small mask in soft copper. READ MORE
Andell Family Sundays. Photo courtesy of LACMA
Andell Family Sundays. Photo courtesy of LACMA

Things To Do Sunday, February 2

Otter Bowl

Long Beach
Have you heard about the big game this weekend?  It otter be great! READ MORE

Free Family Festival at the Bowers

Santa Ana
Welcome Spring! The Bowers celebrates Japanese culture and the coming season with free mochi, art projects, origami, and taiko. READ MORE

2020 Redondo Beach Super Bowl Sunday 10k/5k Run & Walk

Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach's annual Super Bowl Sunday 10k is held virtually for 2021. Runners in the 42nd annual Redondo Beach Super Bowl Sunday 10K/5K Run/Walk enjoy the picturesque sites of Redondo Beach: the Pacific Ocean, the Historic Pier, the King Harbor Marina, the Wyland whale mural, ocean breezes, and beautiful SoCal winter weather. READ MORE

LA Summer OVERNIGHT Opportunities Fair

West LA
Ready to make your kids' summer plans? READ MORE

Family Flicks at the Hammer

Westwood
UCLA's Hammer Museum presents a free family screening each month.  October's film Microcosmos takes a closeup look at the hidden world of insects and other tiny creatures.  READ MORE

Andell Family Sunday - The Art of Julie Mehretu

Mid-Wilshire
This month's free family Sundays find inspiration in Julie Mehretu’s large works of art and her artistic process of layering maps, architecture, historical imagery, and drawing. Guests can make art inspired by the exhibition in artist-led workshops. READ MORE

Sunday Studio at MOCA: Devon Tsuno and MOCA Teens

Downtown
Visitors can work with artist Devon Tsuno and MOCA Teens to create a new large-scale, collaborative artwork. Participants learn how teens helped preserve Japanese American cultural arts and crafts while incarcerated during World War II at the Topaz detention center in Utah.  READ MORE

Horse Feathers

Santa Monica
The Aero schools audiences with the Marx brothers classic Horse Feathers. The Marx Bros.’ zaniest film finds Groucho as the new president of Huxley College, where his son Zeppo is romancing Thelma Todd and Harpo and Chico have to kidnap the star football players from rival Darwin.  READ MORE

Fiesta de la Candelaria

Downtown
Olvera Street Merchants have been celebrating Candlemas, or Fiesta de la Candelaria, on Feb. 2 for nearly 2 decades. READ MORE

The Grapes of Wrath/ The Ox-Bow Incident

Santa Monica
The Aero celebrates Super Bowl Sunday with a Dust Bowl double feature. First up is the timeless classic The Grapes of Wrath, John Ford's gritty look at a displaced family's desperate journey across America. Next, The Ox-Bow Incident looks at vigilante justice in the Old West. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Thorne Hall, Occidental College
Dodger Stadium - Parking Lot 1
Planes of Fame Air Museum
The California African American Museum
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument