Lunar New Year festivities kick off ‘Wild Weekends' at the Los Angeles Zoo

If Valentine's Day has long served as your springboard to spring — the sweet celebration isn't part of the floweriest season, of course, but it seems like it could be — then you'll likely begin feeling a soft sense of general upbeat-a-tude, the sort of upbeat-a-tude that arrives with brighter days.

The Los Angeles Zoo staff gets this concept, understands you, and wants to embrace that sunny spirit well before winter concludes.

So to goose this glad outlook, there is a new series of weekend events: They're called Wild Weekends, and they'll be happening around once each month, over the next few months, at the Griffith Park animal park.

Up first, just days after Valentine's Day?

It's a Lunar New Year celebration, complete with lion dancers and martial arts presentations. Wusho Shaolin Entertainment will be in the spotlight, while other delightful diversions, including a Wall of Well Wishes, will offer more ebullience.

Jamie Pham/GLAZA

That's all happily happening on Feb. 17 and 18 and is included with your zoo admission or membership.

A Spring Fling featuring Big Bunny hops into the Los Angeles Zoo over the final weekend of March — and, yep, Friday, March 29 is included in the furry fun — so be there for the chance to taste honey and learn about springtime pollinators.

Finally, Wild for the Planet is the Earth Day jamboree. The planet-embracing party, which will include an Earth Expo, takes place over the third weekend of April, so be sure to mark April 20 and 21 on your calendar.

Three weekends — and a longer one for a certain famous rabbit in March — full of a festive shimmer, oodles of activities, and learning fun, too: It's coming up, starting after Valentine's Day, at the LA Zoo.

Is it like spring is almost here? Well, almost: Still over a month to go, but bloomful days are near.