There are lots of opportunities to celebrate the Chinese New Year this weekend – everywhere from the Royal Canadian Mint to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Bye bye Tiger, hello Rabbit! Plus there are quite a few chances to rock out to kid-friendly music as well. Happy Lunar New Year!
Music With Marnie Super Kid CD Launch Party
Saturday, February 12th, 11 am, Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson Street, Vancouver
Join one of Vancouver’s favourite musicians, Marnie Grey and her Music with Marnie band as they celebrate the launch of their 4th CD Super Kids. Come dressed as a super hero or monkey and get a free photo taken with Marnie by Bopomo pictures. Plus there’ll be door prizes! Be sure to get your tickets in advance: www.musicwithmarnie.com
Chinese New Year at the Royal Canadian Mint Vancouver
Thursday, February 3rd – Sunday, February 6th, see schedule for times, Royal Canadian Mint, 752 Granville Street, Vancouver
The Royal Canadian Mint is celebrating the Chinese New Year not only with Year of the Rabbit coins but you can also have your photo taken while holding an actual gold bar and strike your own “Rabbit” medallion. Plus there’ll be daily prizes and a chance to win a limited mintage 2011 18 kt Gold Lunar Hologram coin. Sounds golden: www.mint.ca
Share Your Love!
Friday, January 28th – Monday, February 28th, dandelion KIDS – Vancouver, 1206 Commercial Drive, Vancouver & dandelion KIDS – Port Moody, #1-101 Morrissey Road, Port Moody
dandelion KIDS is challenging you to help them fill their windows and more with cans and food items for the local food banks. And when you donate a non-perishable food item you’ll be entered to win some fun prizes. Here’s a reminder of why we think food banks are so important for Canadian families: www.dandelionkids.ca
LunarFest – Magical Lanterns Illuminate Vancouver
Thursday, February 3rd – Sunday, February 13th, 4 pm – 11 pm, Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza, 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver
Not only will thousands of illuminated lanterns light up the Art Gallery Plaza for Vancouver’s 4th LunarFest but this year there’ll also be the world’s first Lantern Aquarium, an 80-foot tunnel filled with thousands of lanterns made by children world-wide, lantern-making workshops and on Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 12th at 6 pm a street party will wend it’s away along parts of Granville Street and lots more fun: lunarfest.org
Supporting Your Young Learner
February 3rd, 7 pm – 8pm, Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, 2305 – 2325 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver
At this fun, interactive seminar you’ll learn how to make your home a learning centre. All proceeds go towards Kits House. This is the first in a series of four stand-alone seminars: www.notchhilllearning.com
Celebration at International Village
Friday, February 4th – Sunday, February 6th, Friday & Saturday, 12 noon – 10 pm; Sunday, 12 noon – 7 pm International Village, 88 West Pender Street, Vancouver
International Village will be bustling with performances, variety shows, a kids’ corner, exhibits, lucky draws and more. All with the goal of fostering stronger cultural exchange and harmony about different ethnic groups: www.henderson-development.ca
Chinese New Year at Kingsgate Mall
Saturday, February 5th, 11 am – 3 pm, Kingsgate Mall, Kingsway and Broadway, Vancouver
Catch a fortune teller, lion dancers, martial arts demos, Chinese plus readings and free fortune cookies (while supplies last) to honour the new year: www.kingsgatemall.com
Family Boogie Concert with Bobby Boogaloo
Saturday, February 5th, 1 pm – 2 pm, Champlain Heights Recreation Centre, 3350 Maquinna Drive, Vancouver
Bobby Boogaloo is all about music, entertainment and magic for kids of all ages and you take in his boogalicous live show this Saturday: vancouver.ca
Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at Riley Park Community Centre
Saturday, February 5th, 1 pm – 3 pm, Riley Park Community Centre, 50 East 30th Avenue, Vancouver
There’ll be the lion dance, Chinese fan dancing, arts & crafts and lots more fun as you celebrate the new year: www.rileypark.ca
Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Sunday, February 6th, 10 am – 4 pm, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 578 Carrall Street, Vancouver
Learn about the traditions of this ancient holiday through children’s lions parades, arts and crafts, drumming, red envelopes handed out by “gramma and grandpa”, storytelling, balloon twisting, face painting and mini tours of the garden. And it’s all by donation: www.vancouverchinesegarden.com
Chinese New Year Parade & Spring Festival
Sunday, February 6th, parade starts at 12 noon, performances 2 pm – 4 pm, Chinese Cultural Centre Courtyard, 50 East Pender Street, Vancouver
We’d suggest combining a visit to the Garden (above) with catching the parade which starts at the Millennium Gate on Pender Street and ends with performances, a special lion dance finale and martial arts demos: www.cbavancouver.ca
Open House
Tuesday, February 8th, 5 pm – 6:30 pm, Sitka Square School, 1099 Sitka Square, Vancouver
This Ready, Set, Learn Open House is a chance to find out about the programs ran at the school, explore their Montessori environment and also focuses on literacy. Preschool-aged kids are welcome. It’s also an opportunity to apply for the school if you’re interested: www.familymontessori.com
Centennial Theatre presents A Family Concert with Lowry Olafson
Tuesday, February 8th, 7 pm, Centennial Theatre, 2300 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver
Lowry Olafson has written over 200 songs with more than 5,000 kids across Western Canada and performed his inspiring and wacky live show for at least 50,000 more. At the fun concert Lowry has invited 200 kids from seven North and West Van schools to perform the world premieres of the songs they wrote with him: www.centennialtheatre.com
Farther Afield:
Yaohan Chinese New Year Celebrations
Thursday, February 3rd, 12:30 pm, Yaohan Centre, 3700 No.3 Road, Richmond
There’ll be a Lion Dance performance and a chance to learn about this traditional dance form as well: www.yaohancentre.com
Children the Heart of the Matter presents Parenting Expert Mary Gordon
Thursday, February 4th, 7 pm – 9 pm (market place doors open at 5:30), Bell Performing Arts Centre, 6250 144 Street, Surrey
Parenting expert, author and Roots of Empathy founder Mary Gordon will be speaking at the Bell Centre. We’ve seen Roots of Empathy – which is all about raising social, emotional competence and increasing empathy in children- in action and would love to catch this talk: www.childcareoptions.ca
Spirit of Wood Festival
Saturday, February 5th to Sunday, February 6th, see schedule for times, The ACT Theatre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge
Part of the provincial Spirit Festivals program, the Spirit of the Wood Festival celebrates everything wood including a lumber jack pancake breakfast to wood-themed crafts for kids to live entertainment. And it will also include the official unveiling of the 2011 Community Carving project featuring local hockey legend, Cam Neely: www.theactmapleridge.org
Chinese New Year on the Heights
Saturday, February 5th, Noon – 2 pm, The Heights, Burnaby
Celebrate Chinese New Year on the Heights with music, dance, traditional lion dancers who will perform a special blessing to bring luck and prosperity to Heights merchants. There’ll be red envelopes and prizes as well: www.burnabyheights.com
RCCS Lunar New Year Celebration at Richmond Centre
Saturday, February 5th, 12:30 pm – 7 pm, Richmond Centre, 6551 No 3 Road, Richmond
The Lunar New Year is all about family reunions and charitable love and in that spirit this year’s celebration will include everything from the Lion Dance to Chinese Opera toKung Fu along with booths for Chinese Calligraphy and Crafts exhibitions: www.rccs.ca
Winter Chill-Out Party: Chris Hamilton and the Sticky Jam Band
Sunday, February 6th, 2 pm, Surrey Arts Centre,13750 – 88 Avenue 1 block east of King George Boulevard, Surrey
Chris and the Sticky Jam Band will be celebrating the silly side of modern childhood in an action-packed hour of family tunes. Best for kids of four and up: www.surrey.ca
Do you have an event you would like to see in our weekend guide? Then send us your details and we’ll help you get the word out. Looking for a feature listing? Contact Erin, our Director of Sales and Marketing, for more information.
And we wanted to remind you to always call or visit the website for event info before you head out just in case any changes have been made since we posted it. And of course, have fun!