Calendar: Migration Festival celebrates traveling animals

SANTA CRUZ

Migration Festival

When, where: Feb. 13, Natural Bridges State Beach

Highlights: A family-oriented event celebrating animals that travel; highlights include kids’ games, crafts, music, as well as educational talks and displays.

Cost: Free; parking is $10

Info: (831) 423-4609, www.santacruzstateparks.org

LONG BEACH

Queen Mary Scottish Festival

When, where: Feb. 13 and 14, the Queen Mary

Highlights: The Queen Mary, built on the banks of Scotland’s River Clyde more than 75 years ago, pays tribute to its homeland each year with a weekend of bagpipe bands, Highland dancing, sheep-herding dogs, sports contests, whiskey tastings, lots of food and a self-guided ship tour.

Cost: $20 a day, or $26 for a two-day pass. For children ages 5 through 11, $13 a day, or $17 for a two-day pass

Info: (562) 499-1650, www.queenmary.com

SAN FRANCISCO

Chinese New Year Festival and Parade

When, where: Feb. 6-28, Chinatown and surrounding area

Highlights: To welcome the year of the tiger, the Chinese community will host a bounty of events, including the Chinese New Year Flower Fair (Feb. 6 and 7), the Miss Chinatown U.S.A. pageant (Feb. 20), the Chinatown Community Street Fair (Feb. 27 and 28) and the Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade (Feb.27), an after-dark procession lighting the night with more than 100 floats.

Cost: General parade viewing is free; bleacher seats are $30. Pageant tickets cost $30 to $60; most other events are free

Info: (415) 986-1370, www.chineseparade.com

VANCOUVER, CANADA

Place de la Francophonie 2010

When, where: Feb. 10-28, Granville Island

Highlights: Lest French-speaking Canada be left out of the Olympic festivities, there will be a France-inspired quarter on Vancouver’s Granville Island during the games where Francophiles can enjoy musical, theatrical and comedic performances, street entertainers, a social venue where fans can watch the games in French and athlete appearances, an agri-tourism showcase and a farmers market.

Cost: Free

Info: (877) 568-2010, www.placefranco2010.ca

ASTORIA, ORE.

Fisher Poets Gathering

When, where: Feb. 26-28 in downtown Astoria

Highlights: Maritime professionals from around the country converge for this 13th annual event in historic Astoria, once the world’s canning capital. More than 60 commercial fishermen perform sea-themed poetry, prose and music, much of it written during ocean voyages. Also on deck are writing and photography workshops, art exhibits, film screenings, open-sessions and fishing-industry discussion panels.

Cost: $5 per day

Info: (800) 875-6807, www.clatsopcc.edu/fisherpoets

-- Avital Binshtock [email protected]