Jan. 1 was two weeks ago, but if you can never get enough of New Year’s celebrations, how about partying for Lunar New Year? You’ll have three days of chances to do so at San Diego County Credit Union Stadium beginning at 5 p.m. Friday.
See dragon and lion dances, enjoy the pop of firecrackers, and try your hand at games to begin the Year of the Rat. Tickets for the festival, sponsored by the Little Saigon Foundation of San Diego, cost $4 for children and $6 for adults. Better yet, if you were born in any of past rat years – they recur every 12 years – admission is free. Gates open at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
On the other hand, you may just be exhausted from entertaining now that the holidays are behind us and want someone else to do the cooking. More than 150 participants in San Diego Restaurant Week have your back. Starting Sunday, and continuing through Jan. 26, indulge in prix fixe menus starting at $10 for lunches and $20 for dinners. Veteran or aspiring foodies can search eateries throughout San Diego County by community, menu price or cuisine.
Shen Yun returns to Escondido’s California Center for the Arts from Friday through Tuesday. A group of Chinese artists on the East Coast revived the classical Chinese dance 14 years ago. They were inspired in part by their practice of Falun Dafa, a spiritual discipline based on the principles of truth, compassion and tolerance. Tickets start at $80, but availability is limited.
San Diego’s 40th annual parade to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. takes place at 2 p.m. Sunday. Coordinated by the Zeta Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., the celebration includes bands, drill teams, churches and more. The parade route moves south from Harbor Drive and Ash Street.
Two landmark Latino artists come to town this weekend, in the form of rockers Los Lobos and rappers Cypress Hill. Los Lobos plays Spreckels Theatre at 8 p.m. Saturday at a benefit for homeless youth. Meanwhile, Cypress Hill takes the stage at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Boomshaka Festival, a celebration of hiphop and reggae at the Pechanga Arena.
If an impressive win streak and Top-10 spots in the national rankings haven’t impressed you yet, how about San Diego State being the last undefeated college basketball team in the nation this season? The Aztecs take on Nevada at Viejas Arena at 5 p.m. Saturday, but tickets are starting to go fast. If they’re sold out, grab a seat at your favorite sports bar, because that bandwagon, she’s a’ filling up.
– Staff reports