Missing the Mission Sun 2-3 to 2-10
Hey Kids! is a weekly feature looking at what’s coming up for families and kids of all ages.
We are taking a family snow vacation this week and, though much fun is being had, researching the Hey Kids picks truly made me miss the greatly diverse offering of our fair City and, mostly, the fabulous Mission sun!
Enjoy the weekend and to you all:
Gung Ho Fat Choy!
The Lunar New Year is here and the Year of the Rabbit kicks off today. This weekend offers several opportunities for children and their families to enjoy the traditions of this festivity. Here are some.
Friday at noon Lion Dancers from the celebrated Leung’s White Crane Dragon and Lion Dance Association will perform in City Hall as part of the Rotunda Dance Series. The event is free.
The Asian Art Museum will engage families the whole weekend, with Saturday’s readings from The Year of the Rabbit, the latest in Oliver Chin’s Tales from the Chinese Zodiac series, and performances from the students of Chinese American International School on Sunday. Here’s a schedule of events, and by the way, on Sunday families will enjoy free admission, as they always do on the first Sunday of every month.
Finally, let Chinese New Year be the excuse to rediscover our amazing Chinatown in a whole new light. Every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., local teens lead a tour of the Chinatown’s alleyways and “take you off the main streets to learn about the daily culture, rich history, and modern day issues of San Francisco’s Chinatown”. The tours last 2 hours and are $18 per adults, $12 for students 10 to 17, $5 for children 6 to 9 and free for those up to 5. Advance booking is typically required, but if a tour is scheduled, walk-ins are generally welcome. Find out details and tour information here.
Budding Artists
Safe Routes to School’s 3rd annual contest for the Bike to School Day poster is approaching its February 11 deadline. Participation is open to children from all San Francisco schools, from kindergarten to 12th grade. This year’s theme is my My Family Bike Ride and the winning piece will be used as the poster for this year’s Bike to School Day, which is April 7.
Supporting Young Talents
The San Francisco Arts Education Project trains musical troupes of public school students between the ages of 9 and 15 who work with professional theater artists in music, acting and dancing, drawing from the wealth of Broadway classics. This weekend you can see the SFArtsED Players at the Eureka Theater in “Everything Goes: The Music of Cole Porter”. Performances are on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors for all shows, except the Saturday evening one which includes a benefit and is $40.
Traipsing in Nature
On Saturday morning discover Heron’s Head Park in Hunter’s Point. Interns from SF Nature Education will lead one-hour tour of this little known site. Your guides, who are all students from Lincoln and Lowell High Schools, will be equipped with scopes to observe and learn about the birds who make this spot home. Tours will leave at 10, 10:30, 11 and 11:30 a.m. While there is no formal charge, donations are welcome.