A mishmash of family fun and news

Eat, play games and have fun as Vietnamese ring in new year

Celebrate the Year of the Horse with rides, games, entertainment and delicious food at the Vietnamese New Year’s Festival Sunday at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand.

The event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., includes games, bounce houses and an obstacle course for a nominal fee.

Fans of Vietnamese food will get their fill with traditional dishes like spring rolls and lemongrass chicken. There will also be other fare, like barbecue plate lunches, mandoo, andagi and Thai tea.

The free event starts with a performance by the Royal Hawaiian Band during the opening ceremony, and concludes with the U.S. Air Force Band. Other entertainment includes traditional Vietnamese music and dancing and lion dances.

Tet, Vietnam’s Lunar New Year, falls on the same day as the Chinese New Year, Friday.

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Stefanie Nakasone, Star-Advertiser

Libraries offer screening of ‘Despicable Me 2′

Fans of "Despicable Me 2" have the opportunity to see the movie for free Tuesday at Ewa Beach Public & School Library or Wednesday at Kaneohe Library.

Gru, an ex-evildoer-turned-parental figure, and his mischievous minions have begun producing a delicious new line of jams. When a top-secret Arctic laboratory is stolen, Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to track down new criminal mastermind El Macho.

The Universal Pictures movie will be screened in the Meeting Room at Ewa Beach, and in the Bookmobile Garage in Kaneohe.

The PG-rated movie starts at 6 p.m. at both venues and is suitable for children ages 5 and older. All children must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

For more information, call the Ewa Beach library, 91-950 North Road, at 689-1204 and Kaneohe Public Library, 45-829 Kamehameha Highway, at 233-5676.

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Nina Wu, Star-Advertiser

Keiki can tap creativity at puppet workshop

Puppets, puppets and more puppets!

Next month the Art Explorium in Kaimuki will hold its first two-part Puppet Theatre Workshop, during which children ages 4 and older will make their own puppets and then perform a mini­show.

During the Feb. 2 workshop, keiki will make their puppets using recycled and reused materials like felt, fabric, bottle caps and yarn. They can make any type of puppet they can imagine, including finger puppets, sock puppets and paper-bag puppets.

Keiki will then participate in acting games and learn puppetry skills before putting on a puppet show at the end of the Feb. 9 session.

Harmony Turner, who teaches dance movement and theater, will be the workshop instructor. The classes are 1 to 2:30 p.m. both days, and the $25 fee covers both sessions.

The workshop is limited to 12 participants, so registration is required. To register, call 312-4316 or visit artexplorium.org.

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Stefanie Nakasone, Star-Advertiser

Brush techniques, culture covered in youth art class

If your children aren’t into sports, give them a respite from Super Bowl hoopla by enrolling them in "Expression Session KIDS: Brush Painting," a class held by the Hono­lulu Museum of Art, Feb. 2.  

Children will learn how to paint images including fish using sumi ink, the heavy black ink commonly used in Asian calligraphy and painting. The students will also explore Eastern concepts of art, such as observing and understanding brush art and its related cultural elements.

The class will be taught by Yumiko Glover, one of 11 artists in the museum’s Artists of Hawai‘i 2013 exhibit and an expert in the historical context of Japa­nese painting. She graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa Art Department and frequently speaks about contemporary Japa­nese culture at local colleges.

The class is for youngsters, ages 5-12, and will be held at Spal­ding House, 2411 Makiki Heights Drive, from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $13. Call 237-5230 or email seng@honolulumuseum.org for reservations.

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Steven Mark, Star-Advertiser