Photo: Blue Ruin 1 via Flickr/CC

Although the Lunar New Year officially begins next Monday, kickoff celebrations are starting early this year all over the county. Go Metro to ring in the Year of the Monkey and get a second chance to carry out your resolutions!

Ever heard of an English and Mandarin-speaking Megatron? Well, now you have! Universal Studios Hollywood is headlining its Chinese New Year celebrations with photo ops beside the bilingual transformer and photos with famous childhood monkey friend, Curious George. Share your New Year wishes at the Wishing Trees. Plus, catch an exciting acrobatic performance from “The Five Continents Arts Troupe” from Shenzhen, China. (Metro Red Line to Universal City Station, then to free Universal Studios shuttle, running every 10-15 minutes.)

Gong Xi Fa Chai! Disney California Adventure Park is commemorating the lunar new year with unforgettable sights, sounds and tastes all weekend from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The park is celebrating the traditions of Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean cultures while inviting guests of all backgrounds. Check out the ornamental lanterns and festive decor throughout Paradise Gardens. Take a photo with Mulan (I love Mulan!), Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters, and treat your taste buds to specialty foods such as pork buns, almond cookies, ginger milk tea and more! (Catch the Metro Express Line 460 to Disneyland from downtown L.A. or Green Line Norwalk Station.)

Experience Lunar New Year’s Eve Sunday, Feb. 7,  from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. with free acrobatics, live performances and storytelling under a large tent in the USC Pacific Museum parking lot. More family activities and docent-led tours will be held in the courtyard. You can catch The Five Continents Arts Troupe performing here as well. (Metro Gold Line to Memorial Park Station or Metro Bus 264/267 to Los Robles/Union)

Ready, Set, Hunt! The Great Chinatown Scavenger Hunt is a great way to discover the ancient traditions of the upcoming holiday and test your detective skills! The race begins at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $40 per person. (Metro Gold Line to Chinatown Station and walk to Chung King Plaza, 953 N. Hill Street)

Midnight Temple Ceremony at Thien Hau Temple is taking place this Sunday from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Guests will kick off the New Year in LA’s historic Chinatown while participating in traditional incense burning, lion dances and watching over 500,000 fireworks in action! The ceremony is free and open to the public. (Metro Gold Line to Chinatown Station, then a 9 minute walk to Yale/Alpine.)

Next Weekend:

Heads up! The Annual Golden Dragon Parade and Chinese New Year Festival is next Saturday, Feb. 13, both free to the public. As per usual, there will be multiple street closures and detours, so we recommend taking the Metro Gold Line to Chinatown or using the Metro Trip Planner for your best route.

And that concludes this weekend’s round-up! See links below for more help getting around via Metro:

• Metro trip planner
• Google Maps transit directions
• All Metro bus and rail maps and timetables
• Metro system map
• Metro Rail and transitway interactive map
• Fares and TAP card info
• How to Ride
• Nextrip real-time bus and train arrival information