Come celebrate Tet, Lunar New Year

Asian New Year celebrations bring bright colors, good food and fun to Seattle and Bellevue this weekend.

Firecrackers and a colorful lion dance herald the Vietnamese New Year at the Tet Festival at Seattle Center. Ceremonies from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday include a flag procession, speakers and traditional rituals to kick off the weekend festival showcasing the ethnic diversity, heritage and culture of Vietnam. Throughout the festival, look for performances, workshops, art exhibits and children's activities. Events include a fashion show of ethnic Vietnamese clothing 1:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday, a talent show 2:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday, a martial-arts performance noon-1 p.m. Sunday and ethnic-cuisine cooking demos at noon and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and noon and 3 p.m. Sunday. Festival closing events Sunday afternoon include an encore performance of the crowd-pleasing lion dance.

The Lunar New Year celebration at the Marketplace @ Factoria (formerly Factoria Mall) includes entertainment, fashion shows, lion dancers and martial-arts traditions of Thailand, Korea, India, the Philippines and China. Displays, kids' activities and vendors are among other features of the event, hosted by Seattle Chinese Times to welcome the Year of the Rat. The rat is a respected, intuitive and enterprising character in Chinese astrology, said to bring plentiful opportunities and prospects in the new year.

The details

Tet Festival

Time: 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, opening ceremony 10:30 a.m.-noon Saturday.

Cost: Free.

Location: Center House and Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center.

Getting there: Seattle Center garages and parking lots cost $8 for vehicles with three or more occupants, $10 for vehicles with two, $11 for vehicles with a single occupant; Seattle Center hotline for traffic and parking info: 206-233-3989. Monorail info: 206-905-2620 or www.seattlemonorail.com. Metro Transit information on bus service: 206-553-3000 or see tripplanner.metrokc.gov/

More information: 206-684-7200 or www.tetinseattle.org.

Lunar New Year Celebration

Time: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

Cost: Free.

Location: The Marketplace @ Factoria, 4055 Factoria Blvd. S.E., Bellevue.

Getting there: From Interstate 90 eastbound, take the Richards Road/Factoria exit; at the stoplight at the end of the exit, turn right onto Factoria Boulevard Southeast; from I-90 westbound, go to I-405 south. From I-405 north or south, take the Coal Creek Parkway exit (Exit 10), go east on Coal Creek Parkway, turn left on to Factoria Boulevard Southeast.

More information: 206-450-4175 or www.factoriamall.com.

Madeline McKenzie: mmckenzie@seattletimes.com or 206-464-8245