The Community Opening Celebration will be held Saturday, Feb. 11, from noon to 6 pm.

For more information, including videos detailing the new facility and services and a schedule of events for the grand opening, visit legacyhealth.org/kidsonly.

Lan Su Chinese Garden hosts two full weeks of celebrations, beginning Jan. 23 this year, including lion and dragon dances, performances, crafts, story telling and much more! Check their website for a schedule of events.

You’ll also find celebratory events at local libraries, and at A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village in Salem. Here’s the scoop:

Jan. 14, 19 & 28

Red Fans for Lunar New Year at Multnomah County Libraries. Decorate a fan for free. . FREE. Jan 14 from 1 to 3 pm at St. Johns Library, 7510 N Charleston Ave., 503-988-5397; Jan. 19 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm at Belmont Library, 1038 SE 39th Ave., 503-988-5382; or Jan. 28 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm at Woodstock Library, 6008 SE 49th Ave., 503-988-5234. Registration required. events.multcolib.org.

Jan 21

Chinese New Year at the Beaverton Library. Make a craft, hear a story and celebrate the Year of the Dragon. Grades 1 to 5, with grown-up. 1:30 to 2:30 pm. FREE. Beaverton City Library, 12375 SW 5th St. 503-350-3600. beavertonlibrary.org.

New Year Party at Tigard Library. Celebrate Chinese and Vietnamese new year with crafts, coloring and snacks. Ages 5 and older. 1:30 to 3 pm. FREE. Tigard Public Library, 13500 SW Hall Blvd.503-684-6537. wccls.org.

Lunar New Year Celebration at AC Gilbert’s Discovery Village. Crafts, activities, food and more. 1 to 4 pm. FREE with museum admission. (Also free with your OMSI membership card and photo ID) AC Gilbert’s Discovery Village, 116 Marion St. NE, Salem. 503-371-3631. acgilbert.org.

Jan 24

More Lunar New Year Fun at Multnomah County Libraries. Celebrate with entertainment, crafts and more. FREE. Jan. 24 from 5:30 to 7 pm at Midland Library, 805 SE 122d Ave., 503-988-5392; Jan. 25 from 6 to 7:30 pm at Holgate LIbrary, 7905 SE Holgate Blvd., 503-988-5389; and Jan. 28 from 1 to 3 pm at Gregory Heights Library, 7921 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-988-5386. events.multcolib.org.

… and don’t forget Mochitsuki!

For more New Year’s fun, check out Motchitsuki on Jan. 29! This annual celebration of Japanese New Year features entertainment, kids’ games and activities, mochi pounding and more. 11 am to 4 pm. $12 adult, $9 student, $5 ages 2 to 12, free ages 2 and under. Scottish Rite Center, 1512 SW Morrison St. mochipdx.org.

At the event, presented by Banfield Pet Hospital, a licensed vet will show kids how to care for pets and what they need to be happy, safe and healthy. The lesson is designed for kids 10 and under, and the setting — the Museum’s own Pet Hospital exhibit -– is ideal! After all, children can care for “pets” in the kid-sized clinic every day, developing compassion and empathy while administering checkups and taking play pets for walks in the Bark Park. After Future Vet, kids can practice what they learned in the Museum’s Pet Hospital or take their new skills home to care for their own beloved pets.

Don’t let your animal lovers miss this delightful introduction to the world of veterinary medicine!

Thursday, Nov. 10, 10 to 10:30 am. Free with museum admission of $9, ages 1 and up. Portland Children’s Museum, 4015 SW Canyon Road. 503-223-6500. portlandcm.org.

We’re especially proud of our online Parents Calendar, listing workshops, conferences, fundraisers and events of interest to local parents. What makes this resource particularly appealing -– we think –- is the fact that our readers can submit their own parenting-related events and fundraisers (school auction anyone?) to be included in our online listings.

Our November Parents’ Calendar will go up Nov. 1, with a number of intriguing classes and events. You’ll find listings for a “Child Senses & Behavior” workshop at IKEA on Nov. 30, with tips on helping your child regulate sensory input during the holidays and new tools for sensory-based activities; a “Connect by Coaching Your Kid Weekend Workshop” with Dr. Kathy Masarie Nov. 4 and 5; workshops for parents of children with special needs, including “Entering Kindergarten from ECSE: What Parents Need to Know” on Nov. 16 and “IFSP, EI, ECSE, What Does It Mean? Infants and Preschoolers with Developmental Delays or Disabilities” on Nov. 29.

You’ll also find listings for the Healthy Living & Gluten Free Expo in Salem Nov. 26; a National Adoption Day Celebration Nov. 19 and an Adoption Fair Nov. 6; Milagros Boutique’s annual Holiday Bazaar, a fundraiser for Mercy Corps, also on Nov. 6; and Thinker Toys’ Shop for Schools holiday fundraising event Nov. 14-16.

Plus, every month we include listings for recurring classes and groups, from pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding and other parenting support groups for moms and dads to grief and cancer support groups for kids to cloth diapering and diaper-free workshops and groups and much, much more.

Do you have an event to submit to our online Parents Calendar? Fill out our online form (you can also access the form by clicking “Submit an Event” on the Parents’ Calendar page), or email the information to calendar@metro-parent.com.

And for even more parent education, support group and other parenting resources, check out our Parent Support and Education listings.

Enter Community & Parents for Public Schools (CPPS), which is hosting an annual Parent Leadership conference Oct. 22 at Parkrose High School. The conference is free, with breakfast, lunch, childcare and interpretation services all offered at no cost. You’ll find workshops on everything from helping kids become better writers to navigating the school system to college prep and much, much more!

Learn more about the conference in this month’s online article, then register to attend at cppsportland.org/plc.

To help you plan your month of fun, we’ve compiled a pretty hefty list of options. Check our Family Calendar for even more harvest fun every day this month.

What’s your family’s favorite harvest or Halloween attraction or event?

Are there any new ones you’d like to check out this year?

Oaks Park. There will be plenty of oompah music and dancing, plus a pretzel toss, contests, wiener dog races and more. The Kinderplatz is open from noon to 5:30 pm Sept. 24 & 25. Festival runs from 3 pm to midnight Sept. 23, 11 am to midnight Sept. 24, and noon to 7 pm Sept 25. $5 adults, $2 ages 15 and under. 7805 SE Oaks Park Way. 503-233-5777. oakspark.com.

Family Day at der Rheinlander. A special Family Day is set for Sept. 24 from noon to 5 pm, with family-friendly music and activities in a festive tent. $5 adults, $2 ages 4 to 12, free 3 and under. Part of the proceeds go to the Northwest Down Syndrome Association. Der Rheinlander Restaurant, 5035 NE Sandy Blvd. 503-249-0507. rheinlander.com.

McMenamins. Two days at two locations, with special kids’ entertainment and activities throughout. FREE. Sept. 24 at the Grand Lodge, 3505 Pacific Ave., Forest Grove, 503-992-9533; and Sept. 25 at the Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey St., Troutdale, 503-669-8610. mcmenamins.com.

Prost!

Admission to the festival is free, with a variety of workshops, activities and exhibitors for the whole family. The Alma Midwifery Education & Movement Seminar Series will include seminars on lead poisoning prevention; energy reduction in your home; options on where to give birth; natural solutions for colic and ear infections; diaper options; age appropriate dental care; an introduction to baby sign language and more.

Special family fun features include setting the world record for the most baby carrier wearers; a cotton babies diaper derby; a baby and children’s clothing swap; Portland Parks & Recreation’s Ladybug Nature Walks; and Zenana Spa’s family lactation station, providing a comfy, cozy space to breastfeed and specialists to answer your breastfeeding questions.

Exhibitors will be on hand with information on a number of topics, from pregnancy and childbirth options, health and fitness, and healthy homes to clothing and style, education and child care.

The festival runs from 10 am to 5 pm on Sept. 25 at Peninsula Park, 700 N Rosa Parks Way. For more information, including a schedule of events, visit redirectguide.com/greensprouts.

If you love music -– and sharing that love of music with your kids! –- you’re probably always on the lookout for great kid-friendly artists you can all enjoy together. Enter Grammy Award nominee Justin Roberts, who’s been compared to Buddy Holly, Nick Lowe and even Paul McCartney. Justin is heading to Portland next month for a fabulous family-friendly concert, and we’re giving away a prize package that includes four tickets to the show, a copy of Justin’s Grammy nominated CD Jungle Gym, and a chance to have your family’s photo taken with Justin after the show.

To enter, leave a comment below by noon on Friday, Aug. 12, telling us what musicians or bands you and your kids enjoy listening to together, and/or why you want to attend Justin’s upcoming show. The winner will be selected randomly.

Here’s the 411 on the show:

To learn more about Justin Roberts, check out a video of him in concert, visit his website, or find him on Facebook.

The Grand Prize package includes four tickets to see Justin Roberts and The Not Ready for Naptime Players on Aug. 20 at 11 am at Mississippi Studios, a chance to meet Justin and get a photo with him after the show, and a copy of his CD Jungle Gym.

One runner up will receive a copy of Justin’s CD Jungle Gym, too!

Contest ends at noon on Friday, Aug. 12.

PLEASE NOTE: The winner will be notified by email and must reply by noon on Monday, Aug. 15, confirming that they can attend the show. If the winner does not reply by noon on Monday, Aug. 15, an alternate winner will be selected.

Good luck!

“When kids get to use their senses to learn about things it sparks their curiosity and it makes them want to learn,” she says. “That’s not something you can get in a classroom. Learning about something like a fir tree in a textbook is a completely different thing from touching it and feeling it and learning about it while you’re there.”

In high school, McKenzie volunteered as a student leader for Outdoor School six times, mentoring sixth grade students and watching them experience the wonder and transformation she remembers from her first time at Outdoor School.

“It’s not only a great program for sixth graders, it’s an excellent program for student leaders,” she says. “I know tons of kids who didn’t talk, including myself, then they go to Outdoor School and they can get up in front of a classroom and speak about anything. They have confidence, and it sparks career interests.”

In fact, McKenzie credits her experiences at Outdoor School with turning her long-time goal of becoming a teacher into a passion. (She’s heading to Montana State next year to pursue a degree in high school science education and hopes to go on to get a master’s degree in environmental science education!) McKenzie also points to the remarkable social benefits of Outdoor School, which brings students from all backgrounds together in an environment where everyone is equal.

“You go back to school with that Outdoor School mentality and you’re not afraid to be yourself or talk to different people,” she says. “You see (the sixth graders) branch out of their social circle, which is a big thing because (middle school) is such an awkward time.”

Now, because of budget cuts, Outdoor School in Multnomah County is in jeopardy of being reduced from five nights to two, which as McKenzie points out is only one full day of Outdoor School. About $1.4 million is needed to restore the program to five nights for all sixth graders in Multnomah County, according to Dan Prince, the Outdoor Schools coordinator for the Multnomah Education Service District, which runs the program locally.

That’s a lot of money, but McKenzie and many others like her are determined to do what they can to help. McKenzie has organized a Run for Outdoor School, scheduled for Friday, August 5. Runners can participate any time between 8 am and 5 pm, collecting money from sponsors by the lap or as a lump sum. For more information, to participate or to volunteer, visit the Run for Outdoor School website or Facebook page.

You’ll find more fundraisers for Outdoor School, from benefit concerts to garage sales to letter writing parties and more, on the Save Outdoor School online calendar.

Learn more about Outdoor School at mesd.k12.or.us.

If you’re interested in helping continue this beloved and beneficial program, visit friendsofoutdoorschool.org.

What does/did Outdoor School mean to you?