What’s there to do in Seattle this weekend? With the snow, MLK Day and upcoming Lunar New Year, there’s lots going on

There’s a lot to celebrate this weekend. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, early Lunar New Year festivities and no more snow! Sure, it’ll be rainy, but if you’re getting an extra day off, use it to refresh and recharge. Plan how to do so by checking out these weekend events and activities.

Remember, many situations can cancel or cause schedule changes for events and outings, so always check before you go.

Get out

• Celebrate Lunar New Year with Tet in Seattle and experience Vietnamese culture through performances, food and more. The Seattle chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association is also hosting a Lunar New Year event with an 11-course meal at Ho Ho Seafood Restaurant. Keep up with our community calendar to plan for more Lunar New Year events happening next weekend.
• Several Martin Luther King Jr. events are set to occur around the Puget Sound, including a community celebration at Mount Zion Baptist Church, an event with a march to City Hall and even a dance party at Life On Mars. For more MLK Day events, see our list of MLK Day events around the city.
• Local band Moon Palace, indie rockers Cold War Kids and a Dolly Parton tribute night are just a few music events you can check out this weekend. As always, more music and comedy events can be found in our nightlife listings.
• Brush up on your University Book Store history and stop by to treat yourself to a new book in celebration of its 120th anniversary. May I suggest “The Remains of the Day” so you can prepare for Moira’s Book Club online discussion on Wednesday, Feb. 5?
• Speaking of bookstores, bid farewell to the downtown Barnes & Noble, which will close Jan. 18.
• Blend your own toner and facial serum or make your own alternative milk at a class from The Works.
• Try and snag a ticket to the national tour of Bartlett Sher’s revival of “Fiddler on the Roof.”
• See works by female-identifying photographers from Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean in the “Exploring Passages Within the Black Diaspora” exhibit at the Photographic Center Northwest.
• Experience the viciousness and brutality of being a teenager on a competitive dance team with the play “Dance Nation.”
• Go back to the past with the musical play “The Play of Daniel,” featuring musicians from the St. Mark’s Cathedral Choir School.

Movies

• If you’ve been itching for the first “Bad Boys” movie in 17 years, it’s here!
• The tale of Doctor Dolittle gets re-imagined in “Dolittle” starring Robert Downey Jr.
• See the culturally relevant and dramatically compelling Oscar-nominated “Les Misérables,” from French director and screenwriter Ladj Ly.
• For more movies opening this weekend and quick snapshots of the movies above, see our movie roundup.

Food and drink

• Three words: steaming spicy noodles. Sounds good, right? You can find some at Nine Way in Redmond.
• For big halal steaks, chicken tikka, spicy chutney and more, head to Maza Grill in Kent.

Stay in

• See where you can stream Oscar-nominated films and catch up before the awards show on Feb. 9.
• Not too interested in the nominated films this year? Here are some other titles you can stream now.
• Are you someone who despises pop music? You might be surprised to find there’s a lot that goes into it. Let podcasters Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding enlighten you with their new book, “Switched on Pop: How Popular Music Works, and Why It Matters.”
• Let the rain be the soundtrack to a cozy afternoon of reading. Need a new book? Try one of the top local or national fiction bestsellers. Or, go for Sayed Kashua’s “Track Changes,” a novel about how sad, fractured and tricky cultural identity can get. Still looking? How about a good ‘ol detective novel?

Family event of the week

• Head to the mountains for a quick winter getaway the whole family can enjoy. But if you’re planning to ski, just be sure you secure lift tickets before hitting the road.

Recommended date night

• Cook, chat and connect over a hot-pot meal for Lunar New Year. Don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered on how to make it happen, from equipment to ingredients.

We want this to be a one-stop spot for you to come every week to help figure out your weekend plans. What would you like us to include in this experimental weekly feature? Do you have any other suggestions on how we could make this more useful? Tell us here.