Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras and Lunar New Year celebrations heat up the city and ward off February chills.

Greenwich Village

Two Boots Mardi Gras Ball
This benefit event for the Lower East Side Girls Club features Cyndi Lauper and ?uestlove as Queen and King and promises a full slate of Fat Tuesday fun.
February 12, 7PM
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street
$25 General Admission/$125 VIP (open bar till 10pm, dinner and reserved seating)

West Village

Children’s Museum of the Arts Arty Gras Celebration
Kids can create masks, noisemakers and costumes capped off by an “Arty Gras” parade, with pizza snacks provided all day as part of a series of multicultural festivals celebrating the many artistic and cultural traditions of NYC.
February 16, 10AM-5PM
Children’s Museum of the Arts, 103 Charlton Street
$11 museum admission

City-wide

Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt
Part scavenger hunt, part obstacle course: Tracked with a smartphone app, a series of clues leads you around the city performing physical and mental challenges along the way with a theme of celebrating Valentine's Day in New York. Sign up as a team or as an individual and get partnered up.
February 17, 12:30-4:30 PM
Meeting spot: New York Beer Company, 321 West 4th Street
Tickets: $35

Midtown East

Missed Connections Valentine’s Day Party at Grand Central Terminal
This V-day fete will celebrate the many people who connect (and don’t) at Grand Central. On the ticket are readings by New York Times Metro writer Alan Feuer, tales of missed connections, tastings, cocktails and more.
Thursday, February 14, 6-8 PM
Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal, 89 East 42nd Street
General admission: $10

Chelsea

McKittrick Hotel Valentine’s Dance
Jazz-age attire is suggested for this romantic evening of dinner, drinks and dancing at the mysterious McKittrick Hotel, set of the celebrated Sleep No More.
February 14, 8;30 PM
McKittrick Hotel, 530 West 27th Street
Tickets: $50 (dance only) - $250 (dinner, dance and Sleep No More)

Barney’s Warehouse Sale
Some say if you can only hit one sale, this is the one not to miss for up to 75% off what you’ve been coveting. A tip: arrive early.
February 14-24, see site for hours
255 West 17th Street

Chinatown

Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival
Head to Chinatown for the drums and dragons in a big (6,000 marchers!), colorful parade to welcome the Year of the Snake.
Sunday, February 17, 1pm
Parade begins at Hester & Mott Streets and goes through lower Chinatown ending at Sara Roosevelt Park.

Midtown West

The Westminster Kennel Club 137th Annual All Breed Dog Show
If you’re a dog person this is your day (or two). Check out the new breeds and the best pups in person or watch on live TV.
February 11-12, see site for details
Breed judging Monday and Tuesday at Piers 92/94, West 55th and West Side Highway;
Groups, Junior Showmanship Finals and Best In Show, Monday and Tuesday evenings at Madison Square Garden, West 33rd and Seventh Avenue