Oscar Night Boston, on Sunday, February 26, offers an exclusive opportunity to walk the red carpet and experience Oscar Night like an A-list star, including live and silent auctions and a photo with actor Chris Cooper’s authentic Oscar statuette before viewing the 8 p.m. Academy Awards telecast live from Hollywood on oversized screens.

This year’s black-tie event, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston, will be emceed by WCVB-TV5′s Susan Wornick, Bianca de la Garza, JC Monahan and David Brown, and features delicious tastings from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Double Cross Vodka, Harpoon Brewery, and Asana, with chef stations and desserts by BiNA Osteria, Cakeology, Grafton Street, Island Creek Oysters, Morton’s The Steakhouse Back Bay, Pain D’Avignon, Russell House Tavern and Temple Bar.

Thanks to sponsor support, 100% of event proceeds will help the Needham-based Ellie Fund fight breast cancer and ease its effects on hundreds of local patients and family members across the Bay State.

For more information, visit www.elliefund.org/Oscars2012.

On Monday, March 26 the Joslin Diabetes Center hosts “Spoonful of Ginger” at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. The 8th annual event benefits Joslin’s Asian American Diabetes Initiative (AADI).

The soiree will once again feature Boston’s finest chefs for a food tasting like none other in the new Art of the Americas Wing.

Guests will enjoy an evening of gourmet dishes inspired by the delectable taste of ginger and prepared by some of Boston’s most renowned chefs, including Joanne Chang, Jose Duarte, Gordon Hamersley, Jacky Robert, and Jasper White.

Proceeds benefit Joslin Diabetes Center’s AADI, which strives to enhance the quality of life and health outcomes for the rising number of Asian Americans living with diabetes, as well as working with Joslin in their commitment to finding a cure.

At this year’s event, Joslin Diabetes Center will honor Chef Wesley Chen of Lotus Blossom Cuisine and local architect Been Wong for their contributions to the AADI’s mission and the Asian American community.

For tickets and more information, call 617-732-2512 or e-mail Kevin.Hudson@joslin.havard.edu.

The Friends of Copley Square, a non-profit organization that provides funding to assist the City of Boston with the preservation, maintenance, and beautification of the Copley Square, will host its second annual “Mardi Gras Celebration” on Friday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at The Fairmont Copley Plaza.

The evening will bring the feeling of the French Quarter into the heart of Boston’s Back Bay. The event will include a New Orleans dinner buffet, live music and dancing, and auction prizes. Guests are encouraged to come in festive Mardi Gras attire, including masks if desired.

All of the proceeds from the event benefit The Friends of Copley Square. To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit www.friendsofcopleysquare.org.

Children and their families are invited to “Celebrate China!,” a complimentary afternoon of celebration and exploration of Chinese culture, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston on Saturday, March 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

As a continuation of the partnership that formed between Mandarin Oriental and the Peabody Essex Museum, the prestigious museum will bring its shared Oriental heritage to the hotel for a day full of festivities and celebration that will be free to the public.

The Oriental Ballroom will be transformed to showcase China’s history and cultural marvels. Adults and children alike can immerse themselves in the nation’s culture with a variety of educational activities and exciting experiences, including:

• Creating a whimsical folding fan or a colorful paper lantern.
• Listening as storyteller Li Min Mo shares special stories about Chinese culture.
• Learning the significance of Tai Chi.
• Experiencing a lion dance performance.
• Experimenting with the technique of Chinese brush painting after viewing a demonstration by artist Yahong Shenthen.
• Discovering the flavors of China by tasting an assortment of hot and iced teas (for adults and children), as well as Mandarin oranges.
• Exploring Chinese culture further with a selection of Chinese-themed books available for purchase from Barefoot Books.

“While Boston is our home, we are immensely proud of our Oriental heritage,” said Mandarin Oriental, Boston’s General Manager, Susanne Hatje. “We are grateful for our longstanding relationship with the Peabody Essex Museum and its shared vision of bringing the historic and artistic traditions of the Orient to Boston.”

“As an educational institution with one of the nation’s most comprehensive Asian art collections, it is our responsibility to shine a light on this extraordinarily vibrant culture,” added Dan Monroe, Executive Director and CEO of the museum. “We look forward to sharing our extensive resources with children, parents and the Boston community.”

“Celebrate China!” is free and open to the public. To learn more, call 617-535 8888 or visit www.mandarinoriental.com/boston.

The national tour of the new musical comedy The Addams Family, based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, will make its Boston premiere February 7-19, at the Shubert Theatre.

The Addams Family, which began performances in March 2010 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and ran through December 2011, immediately became one of Broadway’s biggest hits, described as a “classic, full-tilt, fast paced, old-fashioned musical comedy!” and “A glitzy-gloomy musical entirely worthy of the macabre drawings by Charles Addams.”

Tony Award nominee Douglas Sills and Sara Gettelfinger star as Gomez and Morticia. The principal cast also includes Tony Award nominee Martin Vidnovic as Mal Beineke, two-time Tony Award nominee Crista Moore as Alice Beineke, Blake Hammond as Uncle Fester, Pippa Pearthree as Grandma, Tom Corbeil as Lurch, Patrick D. Kennedy as Pugsley, Brian Justin Crum as Lucas Beineke and Cortney Wolfson as Wednesday.

The Addams Family features an original story and it’s every father’s nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family, a man her parents have never met. And if that weren’t upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before: keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

For tickets and more information, call 866-348-9738 or visit www.citicenter.org.

International recording artists, the Counting Crows, will perform at the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization's major fundraising gala of the year. (Photo courtesy of Pam Sullivan)

On Saturday, February 11, there’s only one place in Boston where you can catch the Counting Crows up close and personal, enjoy delectable food prepared by Boston’s top chefs and support the nation’s oldest mentoring program all at the same time.

“Big Night 2.0,” Big Brothers Big Sisters organization’s major fundraising gala of the year, has a whole new look for 2012: a new venue, new theme and a guaranteed incredible experience.

For the first time ever, the event will be held at the legendary House of Blues with special musical performances by international recording artists the Counting Crows and Grammy Award winning soul artist Raphael Saadiq.

This year’s “Rock the Casbah” theme will turn the venue into a Moroccan oasis complete with satins, silks and sundries while guests will be mesmerized by belly dancers and snake charmers.

The traditional incredible Big Night food experience, with a one-of- a-kind menu prepared by a team of celebrity chefs led by Michael Schlow, remains the same.

After 13 phenomenally successful years and more than $20 million raised, the Big Brothers Big Sisters event committee and co-chairs Joe Ayoub (Robinson & Cole, LLP) and Tim Dibble (Alta Equity Partners) considered the best way to take Big Night to the next level.

“We think this will be the biggest Big Night ever,” said Joe Ayoub, “It was exciting to re-imagine an already terrific experience and hopefully, inspire new guests to join us in supporting transformative change in our community’s children.”

Committee members include: James Athanasoulas, Rick Grinnell, Phill Gross, Jeff Leerink, Martin Mannion, Paul Margolis, Peter Monaco, Frank Petz, and the Event Founder Jim Pallotta.

The Counting Crows will perform their signature hits including “Mr. Jones,” “Round Here” and “Accidentally in Love,” which received a 2004 Academy Award nomination for the film “Shrek 2.” The band has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide.

Raphael Saadiq, the breakout solo artist and former member of the 80′s soul trio Tony! Toni! Tone will open the show. This seasoned performer is also a celebrated producer and collaborator, having worked with stars including John Legend, Joss Stone, Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder and Mary J. Blige.

The fun begins at 6 p.m. at The House of Blues located at 15 Lansdowne Street, Boston. For tickets and more information, call 617-956-0237 or visit www.bignightboston.com.

Boston Ballet’s nationally-acclaimed Citydance program celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year. The ten-week program takes place at Boston Ballet’s 19 Clarendon Street headquarters.

Citydance is one of Boston Ballet’s signature education programs and the largest provider of free dance education to Boston Public Schools. The program reaches more than 2,500 students each year and has reached more than 60,000 students in its 20 year history.

Established in the fall of 1991, Citydance is a scholarship dance program offered to third-grade students in the Boston Public Schools. Designed to educate and introduce public school children to a variety of dance forms, Citydance offers students from all backgrounds access to quality arts education and experience with the art of dance. With its broad scope and commitment to excellence, Citydance has become a model dance education program for institutions across the country.

For more information about Citydance, visit www.bostonballet.org.

The Modern Theatre at Suffolk University presents “An Evening with Bob Rafelson” on Tuesday, February 21 beginning at 7 p.m.

Rafelson is a director, producer, and writer of such celebrated films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Black Widow, and the popular television series The Monkees. He will screen and discuss selections of his work.

The Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmaker will be joined onstage by Robert Brustein, a Suffolk University Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence and National Medal of Arts Recipient. This event is presented as part of the Department of Communication and Journalism’s Suffolk Cinema Series.

The Modern Theatre at Suffolk University is located at 525 Washington Street in Downtown Boston and is the newest performance space in the Theater District.

The grand facade of the historic theater, Boston’s first designed specifically for showing movies, has been painstakingly restored and reconstructed as part of the Modern Theatre and residence hall development.

For tickets and more information visit www.moderntheatre.com.

Children rehearse a traditional lion dance in preparation for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration. (Photo courtesy of the Gund Kwok Cubs)

On Saturday, January 14 we are invited to visit Franklin Park Zoo and celebrate the “Year of the Dragon” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Franklin Park Zoo staff are delighted to be working with local community partners to present a day of dance, arts and crafts, learning and fun to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Throughout the day, visitors will have the opportunity to watch traditional dances, including a lion dance, listen to music and storytelling and learn more about Chinese culture.

Children and adults can participate in a variety of arts-and-crafts activities ranging from Chinese calligraphy to plum-blossom painting and making Chinese lanterns.

Participating partners include the Winchester School of Chinese Culture, Chinese Cultural Connections, MIT China Cares, Tian Yue Academy of the Arts, and the Gund Kwok Cubs, a children’s dance troupe.

The Franklin Park Zoo is located at One Franklin Park Road in Boston.

For more information, call 617-541-LION or visit www.franklinparkzoo.org.

Visitors enjoy the "Grand Tasting" at a previous Boston Wine Expo at the Seaport World Trade Center. (Courtesy photo)

Founded in 1991 by the Boston Guild of Oenophilists, the Boston Wine Expo is one of the most well known and respected wine events in the country, and we are told that the upcoming 2012 weeklong celebration will be bigger, bolder and better than ever.

From its headquarters at the Seaport World Trade Center and the Seaport Hotel, the Boston Wine Expo 2012 will extend its reach into the city for special events, vintner dinners and gala celebrations.

Boston is a foodie’s paradise, and the seventh largest wine market in the nation. To honor this historic region’s passion for food and drink, the Boston Wine Expo is an entire week of festivities celebrating wine, food and culture from the greatest wine-growing regions of the world.

Beginning Monday January 16, wineries will host exclusive Vintner Dinners at some of the city’s most enticing restaurants. Many local favorite restaurants will provide the opportunity for guests to taste creative pairings of food and wine as they learn about each.

Saturday and Sunday’s “Grand Tasting” features wines from four regions of the world, as well as food and wine pairings from more than 40 restaurants. Ticket admission covers all wine and food samples, and allows consumers to enjoy two Chef Stages showcasing demonstrations from celebrity chefs including Christopher Coombs of Deuxave, Antonio Bettencourt of 62 on Wharf, Vittorio Ettore of Bistro 5 and Patricia Yeo of Om Restaurant & Lounge.

A local farmer’s market and Cyber Café will feature live tweeting and attendee polling of the wines available at the Expo.

The educational series has been extended to offer three days of seminars featuring top winemakers and industry experts including keynote Kevin Zraly, as part of the 2012 Seminar Program.

Consumers and trade can explore a range of topics such as “The One Hour Wine Expert” with Zraly, “Explore the Crus of Beaujolais” with Domaine Louis Jadot, “Get to Know Amarone” with the Wines of Masi, “Armand de Brignac Champagne Experience” and “The Tuscan Gem: Ornellaia Vertical Tasting.”

Continuing its 20-year track record of philanthropy, the Boston Wine Expo 2012 will benefit Tufts Medical Center’s Summer Camp Scholarship Program and other local charities. In all, more than $1,051,000 has been donated to charity courtesy of the event’s founders – the Boston Guild of Oenophilists, Inc.

For tickets and more information, call 877-946-3976 or visit www.WineExpoBoston.com.