Chinese Lantern Festival

We decided to check out the Chinese Lantern festival, an annual event held at Fair Park.  It starts during the State Fair in the fall and extends through the Chinese New Year.  Below is the dragon boat, which sat in the middle of a lagoon.  The other structures and exhibits circled the lagoon.

BB, Chris, and the kids in front of a castle.

Chris moments before he was eaten by a very angry dinosaur.  (I don't know that dinosaurs have anything in particular to do with Chinese culture, but whatever.)

This was my favorite -- an amazing structure made entirely of Chinese porcelain spoons, cups, bowls, and plates.

There was a Chinese Zodiac display as well.  It's based on a twelve year cycle, with each year in the cycle relating to an animal sign.  Your animal is the year you were born.  Coincidentally (or not?) Chris (1974) and Scarlett (2010) are both tigers.  Max (2011) and I (1975) are both rabbits.  BB (1948) is a rat.  (Sorry, BB, both for revealing your birth year and for having to break the news to you that the rat is your Zodiac animal.)

The Tigers.

The Rabbits.

The Rat.

Scarlett refused to believe she was a tiger, insisting instead that both she and Max were bulls (how very stubborn and bull-like of you, Scarlett).

Max inspects a dragon dog.

Scarlett in a dinosaur egg with the dragon boat behind her.

Max's turn in the egg.

Cherry blossoms.

Panda bears.