The Year of the Rat: Lunar New Year Festivities in Irvine and LA

Rats are associated with the first hours of each day, being one of the few animals active at that time. As such, Rats represent a beginning.

These are good years to begin new projects. Creativity abounds with many new types of ideas and methods being tried. Although outwardly quiet, many things are happening in the background, to come to fruition at a later date .This is also a time of renewed vitality.
—lifeinkorea.com

The Year of the Rat will be favorable to people born in the Year of the Ox (1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997), Monkey (1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992) and Dragon (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000).
— Sonja Haller, “Adversity predicted for Year of the Rat,” The Arizona Republic

Ride Free* on Metrolink and Celebrate The Year of The Rat

This week was the start of a new lunar New Year. The Year of the Rat festivities started on Thursday and will continue through the weekend. Twenty-seven percent of Irvine residents have an Asian background, but you don’t need to have Asian roots to enjoy the celebrations that are available this weekend. On Saturday, you could join in the activities provided at the Irvine Metro train station and/or take the train to the Los Angeles Chinese New Year Parade and Festival (300 free rides will be given out on first come, first served basis).

Following is the information as stated on OCTA’s website. Also, here is the train schedule information: Metrolink weekend train schedule.

Saturday, February. 9, 2008
Event starts at 9:30 am
Irvine Station, 15215 Barranca Parkway Irvine, CA 92618

• FREE parking
• FREE food provided by Lee’s Sandwiches
• FREE entertainment including Lion Dance and Vietnamese Hat Dance
• FREE Metrolink Weekends round-trip tickets to the first 300 guests* provided by Jacobs Construction
• Ride Metrolink to Chinatown in Los Angeles and attend the Chinese New Year Parade and Festival; parade starts at 2 p.m.

*Tickets will be handed out day of event starting at 9:00 a.m. to the first 300 people in line. First come, first served. Ticket good only on Feb. 9, 2008 for the 10:37 a.m. train from Irvine to Los Angeles Union Station and return.

No rain checks. Metrolink Weekends tickets also good on LA Metro’s Gold Line to Chinatown for the parade and festival.