Family weekend fun: Chinese New Year, hot air balloons and Children's Museum

Monkey around with your family and friends as Midtown Global Market celebrates Chinese New Year. Begin the year of the monkey with live music and activities sponsored by the Chinese Heritage Foundation. Live performances by Lauren Moy and Ha Family Lion Dancers. (5-8 p.m. Friday. Free. Midtown Global Market, 920 E. Lake St., Mpls. midtownglobalmarket.org.)

A very hungry caterpillar is crawling its way through the Minnesota Children's Museum. Tots of all ages have a chance to step into the pages of Eric Carle's "Very" series in the new, "Very Eric Carle: A Very Hungry, Quiet, Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit." Create your own butterfly through shadow play, compose a symphony and even crawl through tall blades of grass in this interactive display. (9 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Ends May 15. $9.95. 10 W. 7th St., St. Paul. mcm.org.)

The weather may be a bit brisk, but warm air will float colorful balloons through Hudson, Wis., this weekend. The premier winter ballooning event and festival will have balloon launches, a torchlight parade, fireworks and family activities. (10 a.m. today; 7:30 a.m. Sat.-Sun. hudsonhotairaffair.com.) MELISSA WALKER