WEEKEND FESTIVALS SHEEP THRILLS.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

If you can't make it to San Francisco for the Chinese New Year celebration, and you've got kids in tow, head for the Los Angeles Zoo.

To kick off the beginning of the lunar calendar's Year of the Sheep, the zoo has planned a weekend of Asian-themed festivities beginning with an opening ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday. Visitors will learn that when the sheep reigns, it's supposed to be a year of relaxation and tranquillity in which wars and mutual animosities usually end. But you'll hear all about it and the habits of sheep from zoo curator Michael Dee and KNBC reporter Gordon Tokumatsu in their special program.

Then the fun begins, with the traditional lion dance performed with drums by Northern Shaolim Kung Fu dancers underneath a paper lion. Children are invited to participate in the mini-parade around the zoo's Treetops Terrace and then watch a martial arts demonstration. More children's events include workshops on paper lanterns and cotton-trimmed lamb masks, with free fortune cookies and traditional Chinese New Year's lucky red envelopes filled with coupons for food and fun at the zoo.

Other entertainment, beginning at 1 p.m., includes ethnic folk dances by the Hi-Za Yoo Korean Music and Dance Institute and the Korean Dance Academy, as well as traditional Vietnamese dances by the Lac Hong Dance Group.

In addition to the regular food fare and souvenir shops on the zoo grounds, the Lunar New Year celebration will include a variety of Asian-themed food booths and gift areas, offering lucky bamboo plants, bonsai trees and Chinese horoscope signs. And in honor of the Year of the Sheep, there will be plenty of domestic sheep to pet in the children's zoo and a special educational exhibit where the bighorn sheep are kept.

Since the zoo is outdoors and often involves negotiating steep paths, wear comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes. If the weather continues to be hot and sunny you'll need water, sunscreen and bug repellent.

FIFTH ANNUAL LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION: Treetops Terrace at the Los Angeles Zoo, located at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways, Los Angeles. Parking is free. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $8.25 for adults; $5.25 for senior citizens; $3.25 for ages 2 to 12 and free to children under 2. Food and souvenirs priced separately. Handicapped accessible; no pets or alcohol allowed. Call [phone] or see www.lazoo.org. Also happening this weekend:

CELEBRATION OF THE WHALES: Here's your chance to see the annual migration of the Pacific Gray Whale, whether it's from the deck of a ship at sea or in an exhibit at the Channel Islands Harbor Visitor Center and the Gull Wings Children's Museum. The celebration continues through Jan. 31 at Channel Islands Harbor, 2731 S. Victoria Ave., Oxnard. Whale watching cruises are available through Cisco's Sportfishing and Whale Watching, and half-day excursions are at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Prices are $26 for adults, $2 for seniors 55 and over; $16 for ages 3 to 12 and free to children 2 and under. For reservations, call [phone]. No handicapped access on ships; no pets; no alcohol. Warm clothing and rubber-soled shoes advised. For general information, call [phone].

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The L.A. Zoo celebrates the Chinese Lunar New Year - the Year of the Sheep - with a weekend of Asian-themed activities, including parades, free fortune cookies and crafts for kids.