Isabel and Michael Genecin

            February break is fast approaching. And though it may not be as fundamentally festive as Christmas break, there are still many opportunities for fun. With a few choices in Larchmont/Mamaroneck, many in New York City and two other options less than an hour away, there’s no excuse for not having a great time over break.

NYC: This year, the Chinese New Year will occur on Feb. 14. It is the year of the Tiger, and there will be many festivities in New York City to celebrate the holiday. In Columbus Park from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival will take place in order to ward off evil spirits. There will be cultural performances by traditional and contemporary Asian-American singers and dancers all day. A dozen lion, dragon and unicorn dance troupes will march through Chinatown’s main streets. The 11^th Annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival will occur on Feb. 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. A parade will travel down Mott, Canal, and Bayard Streets and along East Broadway. It will begin on Canal Street South. There will be elaborate floats, marching bands, lion and dragon dances, Asian musicians, magicians, acrobats and processions by local organizations.

PATTERSON, NY: Thunder Ridge, the closest ski area (just a 45 minute drive away) will be open every day of the break! There are up to 30 trails on a good snow day, and the mountain gets 95 percent coverage by snowmaking machines. Night skiing is available every day except for Sunday. We would suggest going on weekdays because the tickets are cheaper and the mountain will be less crowded. Right next door to the Thunder Ridge Lodge is Liberty Paintball, the “#1 Paintball Field in New York.” It will be open on Feb. 15, and possibly the rest of that week.

NYC: Though The Pond (the skating rink at Bryant Park) was only around for the Holiday Season, there are other exciting things to do at the small park. Fashion Week will be occupying the park from Feb. 11-18. You probably won’t be able to get in, but it’s a cool sight to see if you’re just walking by. Also, Celsius, the huge, inflatable, two-story structure reinforced with metal and glass, is always a great place to eat. With great food and an even better location (it is beside the park, near the New York Public Library), Celsius is great for a nice lunch or a chic dinner. And, of course, the beautiful, old library is always there for a pre- or post-meal read.

             LARCHMONT/MAMARONECK: If you feel like having a relaxing evening, there are plenty of great places to eat and movies to watch nearby. Mamaroneck Avenue, Boston Post Road and Palmer Avenue host a variety of different eateries, including: Japanese and Chinese restaurants (Toyo, Red Plum, Haiku, Gin Ban, Rays, Hunan, etc.), delicatessens (Anthony’s, Mercurio’s, Manor Deli, etc.), national chains (Cosi, Starbuck’s, etc.) and pricier sit-down places (The Globe, Molly Spillane’s, Lusardi’s, etc.). Check out local listings for the many good movies coming out. On Feb. 12, “The Butchering Ghost,” “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” “The Wolfman” and “Valentine’s Day” are premiering in Westchester. On Feb. 19, “Shutter Island,” “The Ghost Writer,” and “The Good Guy”will play at local theaters.

            NYC: Documentary Fortnight, 2010: MoMA’s International Festival of Nonfiction Film will be held in the Museum of Modern Art from Feb. 17 through March 3. The documentaries cover diverse topics, and the films range from three to 90 minutes in duration. More information about times and the different movies can be found at www.moma.org. The museum always has exciting new exhibits in addition to the permanent galleries. During the vacation, there will be exhibits of Monet’s Water Lilies and Tim Burton’s sketches, among others. The site for the Tim Burton exhibit can be found on the website as well, and it looks like a fascinating and creepy collection.

MAMARONECK: There are always great performances by artists at the Emelin Theater. Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, a Bluegrass Gospel band, will be at the theater on Feb. 12 at 8:00. This group won Vocal Group of the Year from 2001-2007 at the Ibma Awards, and released their latest album, Lonely Street, in 2009. On Feb. 20, Amanda Green will be performing at 8:00. She is the performer and lyricist behind the Broadway adaptation of High Fidelity. Tickets will cost $35.

NYC: At Madison Square Garden, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, two Ancient Wonders of the World, will be performing on Feb. 18 and 19. This is a great opportunity to see some of your favorite artists of the ’70s in concert. Tickets will sell out quickly, so go on the Madison Square Garden website to find options for tickets.

BEAR MOUNTAIN, NY: The Bear Mountain State Park, only an hour’s drive away, is a picturesque preserve with mountains, forest trails and a lake. Activities ranging from hiking to boating to swimming are offered seasonally. The largest winter attraction is the Bear Mountain Ice Skating Rink. Surrounded by small mountains and facing the large wooden and stone Bear Mountain Inn, you could not find a more beautiful place to go skating. On Feb. 15, the rink is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; from Feb. 16-18, the hours are 10:00 to 3:30; and on Feb. 19, the rink is open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. A full day could be spent skating, visiting the trailside zoo, cross-country skiing (if you’re feeling adventurous), taking a ride on the carousel or hiking and enjoying the natural beauty of the state park.

NYC: If you don’t want to drive an hour to ice skate in the mountains, there are many places in the city to don your skates. Wollman Rink, located in the southern end of Central Park, is the most beautiful place to skate in the city. Skaters are surrounded by the artful landscaping of Central Park but have a clear view of the hulking stone and steel buildings of Midtown. The rink is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and on Wednesdays to Sundays it is open for night skating. Rates are $10.25 during the week and $14.75 on weekends and skate rentals are only $6.25. A smaller and touristier rink is the Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center. The rink is open from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Mondays to Thursdays and Sundays and is open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

 NYC: February is Black History Month, and at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a branch of the New York Public Library, a range of events will come to pass. The Black History Month Films start on Feb. 8 and continue to Feb. 12, playing at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. From Feb. 12 to Feb. 14, the center will be presenting Bananas: The Josephine Baker Story. This one-woman theater cabaret performance is based on the life of Josephine Baker, a famous entertainer and actress, and was written by Sloan Robinson. The center is located on 515 Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem. The tickets cost $20.