Kid-friendly Chinese New Year Celebrations in SF Bay Area

Lunar New Year Spectacular Jan 14, 10AM– 3PM This party marks the Chinese New Year with lion dancing, Kung Fu demonstrations, story time and arts and crafts. You can buy lunch from food trucks including Chairman Bao, Curry Up NOW and the TreatBot Karaoke Truck.

Chinese New Year Mini-Parade Preview and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony January 14, 10:30 AM Location: Grant Avenue at California For more info :http://www.chineseparade.com/calendar.asp Description: Come to a mini-parade to open festivities celebrating the Year of the Hare, Lunar Year 4709. The mini parade begins at historic St. Mary's Square, follows the original parade route down Grant Avenue and proceeds to the Flower Fair's main stage on Washington Street below Grant Avenue. Lion dancing and giant Chinese puppets will be in Chinatown to help kick off the new year. You can even have your picture taken with one of the Chinese deities.

Lunar New Year Celebration: Year of the Dragon Saturday, January 28, 10AM – 5PM, Sunday, January 29, 12PM – 5PM Join members of the Chinese community to kick off the Year of the Dragon, try your hand at traditional crafts, and enjoy displays and performances. http://www.cdm.org

Botanical Garden New Year Celebration and Flower Market January 29 The San Francisco Botanical Garden (in Golden Gate Park) is hosting its 12th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration and Flower Market. This year they’ve expanded to include a farmers market, lion dancing, tea tastings, docent-led tours, a variety of Asian foods, and more. Admission to the event (held at the County Fair building next door to the garden) is free; admission to the botanical garden itself is $7 for non-SF residents.

January 29, 10AM-3PM Come see the Red Panda Acrobats, the Chung Ngai Dance Troupe’s performances of traditional lion and folk dancing, Chinese yo-yo tricks, and more. Zoo visitors can also take the self-guided "Zodiac Tour" to see all the animals on the Chinese calendar — finish the tour and get a lucky red envelope with a gift inside! Admission to the event is free with paid zoo admission ($15, $9 for children ages 4-14, free for children under 3, and free for anyone born in the Year of the Rabbit: 1927, ‘39, ‘51, ‘63, ‘75, ‘87, ‘99, and 2011).

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with live music, a traditional Lion Dance, hands-on art-making activities, performances by youth groups, and more. February 4, 11 AM – 5 PM Admission is free http://www.sjmusart.org

Year of the Dragon Celebration Sunday, February 5, 11:00AM–4:00 PM Free Admission Courtesy of Target Celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon with students of the Chinese American International School (CAIS) presenting Chinese classical music and dances from Chinese ethnic minorities, ending with a playful lion dance arranged by the students. The lion dance is an important part of every New Year celebration and is believed to scare away evil spirits and ensure a bright new beginning. Hunt for dragons on an Art Explorers’ family tour; listen to dragon stories; create a dragon puppet or paint a dragon netsuke designed by artist Natsusaka Shinichiro.

Chinatown Community Street Fair Saturday, February 11, 10AM-4:30PM Sunday, February 12, 9AM-5PM http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/events/communityfair.html

Chinese New Year Community Concert and Celebration Saturday, February 11, 4PM http://www.sfsymphony.org/season/Event.aspx?eventid=50434

Chinese New Year Parade Saturday, February 11,5:15PM-8PM http://www.chineseparade.com/

YMCA Chinese New Year Run 5k/10k Run/Walk Sunday, February 19, 2012, 7AM The race begins 8am at Sacramento and Grant streets http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/events/ymcarun.html