January 1 has come and gone, but there's still another holiday to celebrate. Today, the Chinese Lunar New Year kicks off with a festive display of Chinese dance, music and martial arts at the Chicago Cultural Center. Ring in the Year of the Monkey with this celebration and more all week long with our complete guide to the Chinese New Year in Chicago. (Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, noon. Free)
Time is running out to make your way through the exhibit "Homegrown: The School of the Art Institute in the Permanent Collection" at the Art Institute. The collection features 120 works by Art Institute alumni, including selections by magic realist painter Ivan Albright and Playboy illustrator LeRoy Neiman. (Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S Michigan Ave, 10:30am. Museum admission)
3. Catch the latest on the stage
See the Lyric Opera perform Der Rosenkavalier, a three-act comic opera about the overlapping romances of two aging aristocrats and their young lovers. Joining the Lyric for the first time are British bass Matthew Rose and German soprano Christina Landshamer. (Civic Opera House, 20 N Wacker Dr, 6:30pm. $20–$239)