Things to do in Chicago: Chinese New Year parades and more Jan. 30-Feb. 5

The 2019 Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown. | James Foster/For the Sun-Times

Looking to take in some live entertainment in the week ahead?

We’ve got some suggestions to consider:

Year of the Rat

Celebrate the Chinese New Year (Year of the Rat, 4718) at two Lunar New Year Parades. The Uptown parade at 1 p.m. Feb. 1, featuring music, traditional lion dances and more, steps off at Argyle and Winthrop, with the celebration continuing until 4 p.m. with various programs and pop-ups. On Feb. 2 in Chinatown, the parade begins at 1 p.m. at 24th and Wentworth and heads north to Cermak. Featured are marching bands, colorful floats and lion dances. For more Chinese New Year events, visit choosechicago.com.

Celebrating a master

George Crumb

The Music Institute of Chicago presents a celebration of 90-year-old composer George Crumb with two programs featuring the work of the Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner. There’s also an exhibition and panel discussion with Crumb joining in via video. Among the performers are Fifth House Ensemble, mezzo-soprano Barbara Ann Martin and pianists Marie Alatalo, Katherine Petersen and Jeffrey Jacob. At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31-Feb. 1, Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago, Evanston. Tickets: $25-$40. Visit musicinst.org/nch.

Jazz meets electronic

Makaya McCraven

Chicago-based drummer, producer and self-proclaimed “beat scientist” Makaya McCraven presents his multimedia production “In These Times,” a program that blends jazz and electronic music with video collage created by Kim Alpert. Joining McCraven on stage are guitarist Matt Gold, trumpeter Marquis Hill, bassist Junius Paul, saxophonist Greg Ward and harpist Brandee Younger. At 8 p.m. Jan. 31, Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. Tickets: $24-$76. Visit cso.org

Chicago dance debut

Merce Cunningham Dance Company presents “I hunger for you.”

Kimberly Bartosik and her company daela come to town for a performance of the new piece “I hunger for you.” A former member of Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Bartosik has created a work, suspended in a stark and mesmerizing world, that is a reflection of faith and its power to transform the body. Working in close collaboration with the dancers, Bartosik draws on her personal experience with charismatic spirituality. At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30-Feb. 1, Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan. Tickets: $10-$30. Visit dance.colum.edu.

Blues in the ’burbs

Syl Johnson

An impressive lineup of Chicago blues artists performs at Hey Nonny’s inaugural Winter Blues Summit. More than 20 performers appear on four stages, including a rare appearance by Jimmy Johnson and Syl Johnson plus The Kinsey Report, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Toronzo Cannon, Big James & the Chicago Playboys, John Primer Band, Joanna Connor Band and many more. From Jan. 31-Feb. 2, Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail, Arlington Heights. Tickets: $60, $120. Visit heynonny.com.

Searching for truth

A Sayward Schoonmaker piece for “Return to the Everywhere”

An intriguing new exhibit, “Return to the Everywhere,” examines various means of communication in an attempt to understand the broader implications of our current “post-truth” era. The artists — Gwyneth Zeleny Anderson, Jesse McLean, Sayward Schoonmaker, Sonnenzimmer and Sadie Woods — were able to mine the vast archive of WBEZ-FM (91.5) for inspiring source material with a goal of sparking discussion of topics such as fact vs. fiction, truth, transparency, objectivity, bias and belief. To April 4 at Weinberg/Newton Gallery, 688 N. Milwaukee. Free. Visit weinbergnewtongallery.com.

Oscar nominees

“Memorable” is one of the best animated short Oscar nominees.

Here’s a chance to be in the know when it comes to those pesky little-known categories on your Academy Awards ballot. The 2020 Oscar Nominated Short Films are being screened at area theaters including the Music Box, which has the nominated documentaries, and Landmark Century, showing shorts in the animated and live action categories. For a theater near you, visit shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/theatrical-release/

Warm up winter

Cocoa Crawl

Enjoy the winter season at historic downtown Long Grove during the Cocoa Crawl. From noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 1, merchants team up for a fun-filled, family-friendly day where visitors can enjoy complimentary cocoa and cocoa-inspired foods and drinks. The fun begins at the Visitor’s Center, 308 Old McHenry, Long Grove. Visit longgrove.org.