As Deputy Overlord of the Art&Seek calendar, I noticed Feb. 7 is saturated with unique offerings – I don’t even know where to start. What do you want to hear about first – the Burlesque queens or the penguin adoptions? We shall proceed chronologically …

10 a.m. – A Chinese Lantern Festival at the Crow Collection of Asian Art’s first Family Day of 2009. Lion dancers, sticky rice balls, and fun for the kids.

Noon – La Reunion TX’s Second Annual Open House and Tree Carving Reception. Artists carving trees on the Oak Cliff site of the upcoming artist residency; I anticipate several epiphanies occurring here.

4 p.m. – Dr. Sketchy’s Anti Art School drawing session. Drinking, drawing, dames and games, but at least one renowned North Texas artist has attended past sessions and raved. Your model this evening is the lovely Ginger Valentine…

9 p.m. – Dallas Burlesque Festival at the historic Texas Theater. It seems that North Texas is a hotbed of that lost art’s growing revival, but don’t take my word for it. I asked Ginger Valentine, Festival Soloist, how an adorable young woman evolves into a Burlesque queen:

“As a little girl I was already interested in frilly things and being a lady, and glitz and glamour. Didn’t want to have anything to do with any rough and tough stuff. I’ve always been really into the old showtime numbers, like the old showtunes and all that kind of stuff. So that’s kind of like my foundation. And then I did ballet. And then the Burlesque revival came up. Thus Ginger Valentine was born.”

Last but not least, for the truly wild at heart, the Fort Worth Zoo is allowing you to Adopt an African black-footed penguin through Monday. Packages start at $10 with the Love Peck; higher priced packages come with awesome perks like a penguin tote bag, a personalized adoption certificate, and an invitation for two to a romantic Valentine’s Day Penguin Party on the 14th. BUT THE DEADLINE FOR ADOPTION IS MONDAY.

So adopt your penguin before you leave to see the Burlesque queens. And that is a sentence I never thought I’d write, but that, my friends, is your Saturday.