Triangle Weekend Serves Free Kids Fun

Pirates have landed in Raleigh! Prepare for an invasion of free fun for kids as the N.C. Museum of History launches its “Knights of the Black Flag” exhibit today tracing piracy from ancient Egypt on to Blackbeard’s North Carolina connections.

The “Knights of the Black Flag” exhibit will include an ancient Roman amphora, the largest display of artifacts from the wreck of the presumed Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR), Blackbeard’s flagship, and examples of tools of Somali piracy today, including a speedboat and weaponry. Admission is free for ages 18 and under, $5 for ages 19 and up; and $4 for senior citizens, active military personnel, and adult groups of 10 or more. For more on the exhibit, click here.

Also in Raleigh, enjoy First Friday fun. On the first Friday of each month, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh stays open from 5 p.m. till 9 p.m., and visitors are invited  to wander through exhibits highlighting the natural beauty of North Carolina, enjoy snacks and beverages from the Acro Café and groove to live Irish/Americana/bluegrass music from Hercules Mulligan.  At 7 p.m. Friday, you can watch the adorable and durable granddaddy mutant ninja turtle take on a walking boxcutter with an attitude when "Attack of the Monsters: Gamera vs Guillon" (1969) shows on the museum’s big screen. It’s free and a great armchair travel back in time to childhood for some parents. To read the museum’s communication’s director's hilarious and compelling review, click here.

On Saturday in Cary, celebrate the coming of spring for a good cause. Help Team Mer Mer, a volunteer initiative to raises awareness and funds for the research and treatment of pediatric brain tumors, at the Garden Supply Center's annual Spring Festival, Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 1421 Old Apex Rd. For details, click here.

Take in the colorful and beautiful folk dance an music of India for free at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Herbert C. Young Community Center. That's when the Basant Bahar 2009, "Lok Utsav" performances express joy and celebration. You'll see dances and songs from various states that highlight the diverse cultural richness of India.  Basant Bahar is co-sponsored by Hum Sub and the Town of Cary Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department. For more, call (919) 460-4963 or visit www.humsub.net.

Looking ahead to Sunday, March 8, you'll find details on the following three events in Carolinaparent.com's Calendar:

* In Siler City, you'll find kid-friendly fun from noon to 5 p.m. at the Open Barn at The Inn at Celebrity Dairy, located at 144 Celebrity Dairy Way. Take the family to enjoy food, beverages, eggs and goat cheese at a 300-acre working farm. Tour the barn and meet new baby goats.

* In Apex, kids of all ages are invited to watch the Silver Trout Players perform at 2 p.m., and 6 p.m. at the Halle Cultural Arts Center, at 237 N. Salem St. The performances feature Susana and Timmy Abell of Asheville and their puppets, banjo, storytelling and original music.

* In Raleigh, support the St. Patty's Run Green 8K at 3 p.m. at Moore Square, downtown Raleigh. The run is an earth-friendly celebration aimed to minimize landfill waste through the use of electronic race packets and compostable food and drink containers. Proceeds benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Eastern North Carolina. 

For even more family-friendly fun, visit Carolinaparent.com's Calendar.