Three local restaurants are serving up special menus and lively celebrations during the Lunar New Year holiday that begins Jan. 29.

The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History will host its annual Lunar New Year celebration on Feb. 22 at CT State Community College Manchester's Arts, Sciences and Technology Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Live entertainment and crafts will be offered; tickets for the event are free.

The Year of the Snake is upon us as communities across the Bay Area celebrate Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year and Tet. Here’s just a sampling of ways to join in the celebrations.

Get ready to celebrate. The Lunar New Year is just around the corner. The holiday, which marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, begins on Jan. 29 and runs through Feb. 12. According to Chinese astrology, this is the Year of the Wood Snake. People born under this sign are considered to be cautious, mysterious, charming and wise.

Downtown Akron Partnership is hosting the fourth annual Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday, Feb. 15 from 3:30 to 8 p.m. at the Akron Civic Theatre.

For some, the new year begins as soon as the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31. Throughout East and Southeast Asian countries and the respective diaspora, however, the new year starts with the first new moon.

Mobius will also host a "Year of the Snake" headband craft activity, and Panda Express will also host a coloring activity.

Lunar New Year, which is being celebrated on Wednesday, Jan. 29 this year, is a more than 2-week long celebration and will mark the transition into the Year of the Snake. Here are some events around the DMV that will be celebrating the Year of the Snake.