Gung hay fat choy

18 Lunar New Year celebrations welcoming the Year of the Snake in Houston

Lunar New Year is upon us once again, which means there will be several spots in Houston that will celebrate with lion dances, martial arts performances and red envelopes containing fun surprises in the next few days.

Here is a rundown of events, from festivals to dinners to night markets, where you can join in and celebrate the Year of the Snake.

Wednesday, January 29

Dessert Gallery welcomes the Year of the Snake with hand-decorated, Lunar New Year cookies priced at $6.95 each. Indulge in these treats as you celebrate the festivities. 11 am (noon Sunday).

Duck n Bao will have a lobster platter for $29.99, offered with the purchase of an entree, through Sunday. Enjoy alongside their famous Peking duck and Sichuan specialities, plus soup dumplings, noodles, and fish dishes for luck and prosperity. 11 am.

Hidden Omakase is offering all customers a lucky red envelope, containing a lucky bracelet and a gift card redeemable for lunch. The Michelin-recommended sushi restaurant recently launched its new walk-in lunch menu curated by chef Marcos Juarez. 11 am.

Hongdae 33 will have BOGO Korean Soju all weekend to accompany premium AYCE Korean barbecue. In addition to Chamisul (original and fresh) and Jinro Is Back Chum-Churum, there are six flavors including green apple, strawberry and peach. 11:30 am.

Houston Botanic Garden’s Radiant Nature is still around for Lunar New Year. It features more than 50 Chinese lantern installations throughout the mile-long path, each of which is ideal for creating eye-popping Instagram and TikTok content. 6 pm (6:30 pm Sunday).

JŪN will have a Wine and Dine XV Lunar New Year Edition. This meal will include a special four-course, Asian-inspired menu, celebrating chef Henry Lu's Chinese heritage and chef Suu Khin’s Burmese roots. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to World Central Kitchen. 5 pm.

Kazzan Ramen & Bar is celebrating Lunar New Year by giving every dine-in table a red envelope with a surprise inside. Kazzan touts its "volcano" ramen that originated in Osaka, with thick noodles and vegetables. 11 am.

Stomping Grounds will have a lively Lunar New Year celebration. Pho Fix will have free appetizers, fortune cookies, gift card giveaways, and $1-$100 red envelopes. Himari Sushi will be celebrating with $25 bento boxes for dine-in customers. 6 pm.

Trill Burgers has the Indomie Chopped Cheese Sandwich for Lunar New Year. It includes fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, ground beef and American cheese, topped with pan-fried Indomie noodles, sautéed bean sprouts, garlic oil, and Sriracha aioli, all on an Amoroso roll. 11 am.

Thursday, January 30

Norigami is hosting a Lion Dance performance at 7:30 pm, with music by The Boyz of Summer at 5 pm, drink specials, and 25 percent off all day. It’s the perfect way to honor tradition while enjoying delicious food and cultural experiences. 3 pm.

Saturday, February 1

Asia Society Texas Center welcomes the Lunar New Year with performances, art and craft activities, a Lucky Lunar Mission (with a stop in their "Space City: Art in the Age of Artemis" exhibition), and food, all inspired by Lunar New Year traditions across Asia. 10 am.

Chinese Community Center will celebrate the Year of the Snake at its Lunar New Year Festival. Highlights include lion and dragon dances, Asian cuisine, cultural workshops, games and activities, a live snake exhibit, and more. 10 am.

Ginger & Fork will have a full schedule for its Lunar New Year celebration. It kicks off with a prayer ceremony and a lion dance with a martial arts demonstration. There will also be an encore lion dance during dinner service. 3 pm.

Meo Bar will have a celebration featuring a lion dance performance by the Seven Star Dragon Lion Dance Team, alongside a special menu inspired by Vietnamese culinary traditions. Customers can also enjoy festive beverage collaborations in the bar’s speakeasy setting. 5 pm.

Phat Eatery will once again host multiple seatings for its Malaysian New Year’s feast. Each seating begins with lion dance performances, followed by a family-style meal that includes a traditional Malaysian Yu Sheng “Prosperity Toss.” 7 pm (11:30 am Sunday).

Sunday, February 2

Have a Nice Day HTX will have its annual Lunar New Year Market at The Ion. This free, family-friendly event features an exciting lineup of AAPI chefs, creators, a lion dance performance, a red envelope giveaway, and complimentary Lunar New Year sips for 21+. 4 pm.

Traveler's Table will host a lion dance at 12:30 pm for customers with brunch reservations. Nearby sister restaurant Traveler's Cart will also host a dragon dance in its parking lot, perfect for patrons to enjoy while grabbing a quick bite or drink inside the establishment, at 3 pm.

Saturday, February 8

Common Bond Bistro & Bakery still has its limited-edition, Lunar New Year Entremet (in collaboration with Lee’s Golden Dragon) through Wednesday, February 12. Lee’s Golden Dragon will also do a performance at Common Bond’s Heights location. 11 am.

Have a Nice Day lunar new year market dragon dance

Photo by Alan Castelan

See a dragon dance at the Have a Nice Day market.

holidays lunar new year

Movie Review

Summer camp drama The Plague proves middle school is still pure horror

Photo courtesy of IFC

Everett Blunck in The Plague.

Anybody who’s attended elementary school in the last 100 years knows the concept of “cooties,” a fictional affliction that is typically caught when touched by a member of the opposite sex. A more updated version of the same idea is featured in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, this time called the “Cheese Touch,” making anyone who touches a moldy piece of cheese on the school’s basketball court an outcast.

A much more menacing version of this “disease” is on display in The Plague, which takes place at a summer water polo camp for tweens. The film focuses on Ben (Everett Blunck), a slightly awkward boy who struggles to fit in with the “cool” crowd led by Jake (Kayo Martin). That group has no problems making fun of others that they deem to be different, especially Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), who has been ostracized because of a rash he has that the kids call “the plague.”

Ben wants to be part of the main group, but his natural empathy leads him to reach out to Eli on more than one occasion despite Eli engaging in some uncomfortable behavior. With the camp’s coach (Joel Edgerton) not much help when it comes to the bullying tactics by Jake and others, especially those that take place at night, Ben is left to fend for himself. His vacillations between wanting to be accepted and wanting to do what’s right continue until his hand is forced.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Charlie Polinger, the film has all the feel of a horror movie without actually being a horror. The staging used by Polinger gives the film a claustrophobic feel as Ben can’t seem to escape the psychological torture inflicted by Jake and others no matter where he goes. He also employs a jarring score by Johan Lenox to great effect, one that’s designed to keep viewers on edge even when nothing bad is happening.

No matter how far removed you are from middle school, the film will likely bring up feelings you thought you had left behind. Much like with Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade, Polinger finds a way to tap into something universal in his depiction of tweens, an age when everyone is still discovering who they really are. Some go along to get along, others don’t even attempt to fit in, but no one truly feels settled.

Whether the plague is real or not in the world of the film is up for debate. While most of the time it comes off as something made up to underscore the feeling of otherness felt by Ben, Polinger does literalize it to a degree. He even tiptoes up to the line of body horror before wisely retreating, although what he does show will still make some viewers squeamish. However, because he seems to be leaning one way before pulling back, there’s the possibility that some will be disappointed by the tease of something more intense.

The film’s biggest success is in its casting. Finding good child actors is notoriously tough, and yet Polinger and casting director Rebecca Dealy found a bunch who sell the story for all it’s worth. Blunck, Martin, and Rasmussen get the most play, but everyone else complements them well. Edgerton is the only well-known actor in the film, but he’s used sparingly and isn’t asked to do much, leaving the kids to carry the story on their shoulders.

Fitting in as a tween is hard enough without others actively trying to find ways to cast someone out. The Plague is an effective demonstration of the dynamics that can play out in a competitive environment that also includes a group that has yet to develop into fully-rounded people. It features discomfort on multiple levels, marking an auspicious debut for Polinger.

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The Plague is now playing in theaters.

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Movie Review

Summer camp drama The Plague proves middle school is still pure horror