Out and About

Bug, International fests lead our weekend best bets

There are a ton of festivals going on this weekend in the Triangle. Here are our picks for what to check out this weekend.

Posted Updated
Bugfest
By
Kathy Hanrahan
RALEIGH, N.C. — Here are our picks for what to check out this weekend.

Festivals

Learn a little more about bugs during the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ Bugfest event on Saturday. There will be more than 100 exhibits, crafts, games and activities to help you learn more about the fascinating world of bugs. You can even sample some bug cuisine prepared by local chefs from Bida Manda, Chirba Chirba food truck and Buku. After 5 p.m., the Evening Insectival will feature bug cooking demos and a screening of the film “James and the Giant Peach.” It’s all free.
Celebrate dance, food and music from around the world this weekend during the International Festival of Raleigh. This annual event is at the Raleigh Convention Center. It is jam-packed with bazaars for shopping, a special courtyard area for children, and cafes serving up authentic cuisine. There will be more than 1,000 dancers and performers including Irish step, Arabic belly dancers and Scottish bagpipers. This year’s theme is “Natural Wonders.” Day passes start at $6 and weekend passes are $19 each.
Another fun event featuring cuisine from around the world – the 12th annual International Food and Music Festival. On Saturday in downtown Wendell sample food, listen to music and enjoy family-friendly fun. The event is free.
“The Princess Bride,” “Die Hard” and “This is Spinal Tap” are among the films being screened as part of the Escapism Film Festival at The Carolina Theatre of Durham. The festival runs Friday through Monday and celebrates your favorite fantasy and adventure films.
Head to the Bull City for the 40th annual Centerfest this weekend. The event celebrates the arts with 140 juried visual artists representing 17 states showcasing their original, handcrafted work in clay, photography, jewelry, sculpture and more. More than 70 performing acts will take the stage. Children can get hands-on arts experience in the Creative Kids Zone. There will also be a locally-sourced foods and international cuisine area. Admission is free but a $5 donation to the Durham Arts Council is appreciated.
Check out some great jazz and blues in Apex on Saturday. The Apex Jazz Festival also features a beer and wine garden. Festival wristbands are $10 and include entire to all venues for the entire event.
La Fiesta del Pueblo, an annual Latino art and culture festival, will take place in City Plaza in downtown Raleigh on Sunday.
It’s already Oktoberfest season at Lafayette Village. On Saturday enjoy fall beers, food, live music, face painting and a wiener dog race!
There is more seasonal fun at Clayton’s Harvest & Music Festival, which runs through Sunday in downtown Clayton. Competitions, concerts, hay rides and a food truck rodeo are just part of the fun.

Music and theatre:

Molly Ringwald, the iconic actress from 1980s classics “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club” and “Pretty in Pink,” will perform songs from her jazz album during a show at Johnston Community College’s Paul A. Johnston Auditorium Friday night. Tickets start at $22.
Stay in the 80s with “Ladies of the 80s” Drag Bingo Saturday evening at the Durham Armory. Tickets are $20 and proceeds benefit the Alliance of AIDS Services.
Eight bands will take the stage at American Tobacco Campus on Saturday to help raise money for Urban Ministries of Durham. It's the Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands. Groups from Deep South Entertainment, the Bank of North Carolina, SunTrust and McKinney ad agency are among those competing. General admission tickets are $25. The show starts at 7 p.m. 
The popular stage adaption of Dirty Dancing continues through Sunday at the DPAC. Tickets start at $35.

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