Light the way to peace and prosperity during the Chinese American Museum’s free family-friendly Lantern Festival, Saturday, March 5. The traditional fest, marking the end of the Chinese New Year’s celebrations is held around the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. The Los Angeles celebration happens from noon until 7pm at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, the historic site of L.A.’s original Chinatown.

Located across the street from Union Station, the free Lantern Fest offers the LARGEST variety of interactive arts, crafts and educational activities celebrating the Lunar New Year holiday in Los Angeles. Activities focus on cultural, historical and educational fun.

The pueblo’s plaza is turned into a colorful re-creation of a traditional Chinese village street fair with artist-led workshops such as kitemaking, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese paper-cutting, origami, face-painting and the festival’s signature lantern-making booths. New activities include collage-making (based on Amy Tan’s novel, The Joy Luck Club), “Found Objects” print workshop (based on CAM’s Remembering Angel Island exhibit), Chinese Zodiac Cards-water coloring workshop (provided by the Getty Museum), and Year of the Rabbit-inspired greeting-card making.

Discover the culinary customs of the holiday at the free-standing exhibition, Lucky Feast, a re-created traditional Chinese New Year dinner table. Look for the fruits, vegetables, food dishes, and decorations that are considered lucky to eat or decorate in one’s home or business during Chinese New Year.

Meet Popular children’s author, Oliver Chin, who will autograph and do readings from his latest book, Year of the Rabbit. Watch free performances featuring Chinese lion dances, martial arts, musical, magical, and acrobatic acts. A captivating shadow puppetry show and a spirited glow-in-the-dark silver dragon stage performance close out the fest.