Kimberly Lusk

With regular routines upended by the coronavirus pandemic, families are seeking new and old ways of creating structure. Even better if it counts as a bit of education. For many, that means the family reading together.

With all library activities canceled for the rest of the month, Coeur d’Alene children’s librarian Mandi Harris is creating new platforms for reaching out to families. On Friday, Harris posted the first of her online storytimes, a 15-minute Book Babies program, on the Children’s Library Facebook page facebook.com/cdachildrenslibrary that included songs, rhymes and activities.

Dance lovers, sashay your way to Spokane Community College on Saturday. DanceFest celebrates its 20th year with a day of classes and performances, and festival coordinator Gail Bongiovanni promises lots of variety.

During the free workshop at Wishing Tree Books, young writers will write and decorate their own book.

If watching the other skaters isn’t enough entertainment for you, on Saturday you also can watch Disneynature’s “Penguins” while at Riverfront Park’s ice ribbon.

When Elvis Lainez was 2, he went to his first monster truck show at the Houston Astrodome. “My mom just took me having no idea what it was,” he said. It was just a fun night out for the family.

For Kara Cooney, studying ancient peoples helps her understand the world around her. “I think most people think they need to look at the actual world around them, or they’re not going to get it,” she said. “For me, I find it’s too shiny, too distracting, too much of my own stuff.”

At Spark Central, one of the goals is to jump-start creativity. And while people can visit the Kendall Yards center during regular hours to use various technology and tools, like computers, art supplies and educational toys, there’s also a regular rotation of scheduled drop-in programs for writers, readers, crafters, coders and more.

For Chinese immigrants in Spokane, Lunar New Year is a time to remember where they came from and share their culture with their new home. “The new year is a time to get together,” said Ping Ping, president of the Spokane Chinese Association. To that end, the group will host “Descendants of the Dragon in Spokane: Our Culture, Our Stories” at University High School from 1-6 p.m. Saturday, the first day of the Year of the Rat, the first year of the 12-year Chinese Zodiac cycle. The event will include a cultural fair, calligraphy demonstrations, music and dance performances and, for the first time, storytelling.

For Freda Gandy, this weekend is an opportunity to honor all aspects of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life – his commitment to service, faith and social and racial justice.

The Spokane Youth Symphony continues its seasonlong celebration of its 70th anniversary this weekend with “70 Years of Education.” The Sunday concert at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox will feature four ensembles playing works ranging from Felix Mendelssohn’s Nocturne from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

If midnight is past your bedtime, there are still plenty of options for celebrating New Year’s Eve.

Piles of colorful mittens brightened a cold, gray day for the coloring contest judges at The Spokesman-Review.

Eagles migration brings them to Wolf Lodge Bay each year to feast on spawing kokanee and provides close-up views of a national symbol.

When George Lucas introduced “Star Wars” to the world 42 years ago, no one knew what a cultural force it would become. This weekend, J.J. Abrams is bringing what’s become known as “The Skywalker Saga” to a close, and he’s left critics wishing for something better.

The Campbell House is decorated for the season and ready for visitors. And welcoming guests to the kitchen will be actress Rebecca Cook. She’ll be baking sugar cookies and sharing stories as Hulda, the Campbell’s cook, as she has for nine years.

For Justin Baret, the way to Sesame Street was sprinkled with magic. Baret plays Justin the magician in “Sesame Street Live: Make Your Magic.” That he shares a first name with his character is a coincidence – and part of the magic, he said. In the show, the magician is going to put on a show for the neighborhood, and Elmo wants to be a part of it. The problem is Elmo doesn’t know magic. So Elmo and friends learn about the “power of yet” – meaning “you can do anything as long as you put your mind to it,” Baret said.

On Saturday the city will light up a 63-foot spruce in Riverfront Park. The free celebration starts at 4 p.m. with a visit from Santa, children’s crafts and performances from groups like Spokane Civic Theatre, Company Ballet School and Spokane Symphony Chorale. The tree lighting ceremony will start at 6:25 p.m.

Don’t expect a heavy dose of politics when Roy Wood Jr. comes to Spokane Comedy Club this weekend. The comedian, a correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” says his standup sets are much more focused on relationships and sports.

For Anne McClain, it’s all about sharing the experience of spaceflight, especially with people in her hometown. This weekend, the astronaut will be onstage at Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox giving that personal dimension as the Spokane Symphony celebrates the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

The images are out of this world, but, for José Francisco Salgado, the music comes first. Salgado is an astronomer who creates films to accompany orchestral music. This weekend, he’ll present three of those films with the Spokane Symphony. Sharing the stage with him will be astronaut Anne McClain. The program will feature “Un Bal,” a movement from Hector Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique”; “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy; and Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.” “It’s a beautiful presentation of things in the solar system,” Salgado said.

Spokane Area Youth Choirs and Le Donne Choir, a group for women, will be celebrating choral music during the free KPBX Kids’ Concert on Saturday at Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ.

In advance of their visit to Spokane on Thursday, here are five facts about the Harlem Globetrotters.

“Phantasm” is getting bigger. Silverwood Theme Park magician Nick Norton, along with his wife and assistant, Amanda Norton, and Isaiah Daniels will take over the stage at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox on Wednesday.