IronMan, Elmo and Dog Days this weekend

RALEIGH, N.C. — From a half-IronMan triathlon to some family friendly festivals, we have you covered on weekend plans! 

More than 2,000 athletes are expected to compete in the IronMan 70.3 in Raleigh on Sunday. This half-IronMan includes swimming at Jordan Lake, biking 56 miles through Chatham and Wake counties and running 13.1 mile run through downtown Raleigh. Registration is sold out, but you can head out to cheer on the runners. WRAL.com will have pictures of the race from start to finish. Get road closure info and a complete map of the race by checking out our event listing.

The Celebrate Fuquay-Varina Festival kicks off Friday night in the Varina District with a free concert from Spare Change. It continues Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a 5K run, children’s activities, classic cars, food and crafts in the Fuquay district. Events are free!

Cary’s Bond Park on Saturday is going to the dogs! The Cary Dog Days of Summer will include a charity raffle, Frisbee disc competition and more. Get your dog washed, vaccinated and micro-chipped. Just make sure to bring a leash for your furry friend. The festival is free and runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Another pet-centric event happening on Saturday. The Food Waggin’ truck rodeo is being held at Wilkinson supply company in Raleigh. Each participating food truck will donate 10 percent of their sales to the SPCA of Wake County and Wilkinson will be matching that amount! The event is from 1 to 5 p.m. and will feature some of our favorite trucks including Chirba Chirba, Klausie’s and Porchetta.

There is another food truck happening on Saturday evening. Head over to Rebus Works in Raleigh for a food truck rodeo featuring Gouge Wrestling and cold beer. This family-friendly event is from 5-9 p.m. 

Some live music at the Red Hat Amphitheater Friday night. The Summerland Tour featuring Everclear, Live, Filter and Sponge comes to town. Tickets start at $20.

Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird are among the Sesame Street celebs performing at the PNC Arena this weekend. Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music runs through Sunday. Tickets start at $15.

For more family-friendly picks like Elmo, check out our friend Go Ask Mom's blog.