Golden Dragon Parade: Many annual events around town? They've only ever happened in this century. If they've run for longer than two decades, they can claim 20th-century cred. But this huge celebration? It has roots in the 19th century, and a reputation for providing a festive presentation of lion dances, traditional performances, and an auspicious embrace of the days to come. The parade begins at 1 p.m. on Feb. 1 on North Broadway, and, yep, Metro is the way to go.
The Zone: The Britney Spears Experience opens: Drive by the busy intersection of 3rd and Fairfax, near the mid-city, and you might wonder what the brightly hued building is on the southeast corner. It's a mondo immersive experience that's giving fans of the pop icon a chance to "step inside" worlds inspired by ten of her songs including "Toxic" and "Circus." Tickets are available now for the snap-a-pic experience, which wraps up in April. And is there a chance to buy Brit-tastic merch? For sure.
Charlie Brown Day: Snoopy may be the most impish character, and Sally the sweetest, and Woodstock is pretty darn smart. But many of us relate to Charlie Brown, the kid who so often finds his kite tangled in a tree. If you're a fan of the classic Charles Schulz character, put on your zigzaggiest shirt and head for Knott's Berry Farm, where other Charlie Brown fans will pose for a group photo on Feb. 2. The PEANUTS Celebration is happening now, at the Buena Park destination, so you'll see other favorites around the theme park.
Otter Bowl VI: There are plenty of games out there that give us a chance to root for one team or the other, but when it comes to this utterly, otterly cute showdown at the Aquarium of the Pacific? Everyone wants all the participants to claim victory. And, truly, everyone does win, viewers and otters alike, for we humans get to enjoy the funny sight of otters playing with frozen clam footballs while, yes, the otters enjoy treats. The date? It happens on Super Bowl Sunday at the LBC spot, starting at 4 o'clock.
Monster Mash: Early February is a long ways off from October, but there's a Frankenstein-y, Wolfman-wonderful art exhibit opening at SugarMynt Gallery in South Pasadena on Feb. 1. Yep, this is the spot that is directly behind the house seen in the movie "Halloween," so count on it to keep a connection to the spookiest season throughout the year. If you need a monstrous dose of movie cool, with a heaping of art-fun expression, swing by and check out the paintings and such on view.
