Through Sunday. It’s the last weekend to catch Cirque du Soleil’s “Alegria” before it swoops out of Colorado. The show uses acrobatic feats, crazy contortions and colorful characters to tell its story, a meditation on the passage of time. Playing in Loveland through Sunday, the fanciful show features music from all over the globe, from klezmer to tango to pop. 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday. Budweiser Events Center, 5290 Arena Circle, Loveland; 970-619-4100. Tickets are $35 to $90, with discounts available for children, students, seniors and military. To buy tickets, call 877-544-8499 or call comcasttix.com. Learn more at cirquedusoleil.com.

Wednesday. Opera Colorado presents a special production of “Hansel and Gretel” just for little ones at the Children’s Museum of Denver. Part of the city’s Czech Point Denver celebration, the kid-friendly performance takes youngsters deep into the forest with Hansel and Gretel—and teaches them a bit about opera along the way. The show is sung in English, too, and edited down to accomodate young attention spans. Space is limited, so show up early to snag a seat. 5-6 p.m. Wednesday. Children’s Museum of Denver, 2121 Children’s Museum Drive; 303-433-7444. Concert is included with museum admission: $8 for guests ages 2 to 59, $6 for 1-year-olds and seniors age 60 and older. Learn more at mychildsmuseum.org.

Saturday-Sunday. Dig for dinosaur knowledge at the Paleo-Explorers Dinosaur Festival at the Colorado Chautaqua. Budding paleontologists can inspect the Hankla fossil collection from eastern Wyoming, plus help build a life-sized duckbill dinosaur. Make and take home casts of a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth and a duckbill vertebrae, too. Hang out with some real paleontologists from the University of Colorado—they’ve got the inside dirt on dinos. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Colorado Chautauqua, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder; 303-442-3282. Tickets are $5. Buy advance tickets and learn more at chautauqua.com.

Thursday. Follow Flat Stanley around the world in “The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley,” the latest children’s production at the Arvada Center. After a bulletin board flattens the three-dimensional Stanley Lambchop in bed one night, Stanley decides to embrace his flatness. It’s pretty cool: He can sneak into rooms under the door, hide easily and even slip into an envelope and travel the globe. He still wouldn’t mind being normal, though, and tries to restore his former 3-D self. The show runs through April 16. 10 a.m. and noon, Mondays through Fridays, with some exceptions—call to check. The Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada; 720-898-7200. Tickets are $8 for general admission, $10 for reserved seating. To buy advance tickets, call or visit arvadacenter.org.

Sunday. Start the Chinese Year of the Rabbit early with the Colorado Chinese New Year Celebration at the University of Denver. (The New Year officially starts Feb. 3.) The afternoon starts with a culture fair, featuring booths from Chinese and Asian Pacific organizations, plus children’s activities and arts and crafts. At 2 p.m. the festival continues with a cultural variety show, including magic acts, folk songs, acrobats and, of course, the famous lion dance. Be sure, too, to check out the exhibit of Chinese art on display throughout the celebration. Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. The Ritchie Center, University of Denver, 2240 E. Buchtel Blvd. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and children ages 3 to 16. Buy tickets at denverchineseschool.org.

Kathleen St. John