Weekend Offers Free Family Fun!

Ready to step into the spirit of the holidays? Attend opening night festivities of Disney's A Christmas Carol: An IMAX 3D Experience, in downtown Raleigh on Friday, and you'll return to 19th-century England, complete with caroling, confections, cheer and special appearances from characters in Theatre In The Park's A Christmas Carol.

Raleigh’s very own musical comedy adaptation of A Christmas Carol, by Theatre In The Park, has been warming hearts since 1974. Some of the production’s characters will be ushering in the holiday season and movie-goers for the opening night of Disney’s A Christmas Carol: An IMAX 3D Experience at the Wachovia IMAX Theatre at Marbles Kids Museum. Free festivities are open to all from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. Tickets are required for the film, with shows at 5, 7 and 9 p.m.

Friday is also opening night for Snoopy!!! The Musical, which runs through Nov. 22 at Raleigh Little Theatre, on Pogue St., in Raleigh. www.raleighlittletheatre.org. Based on the comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, the musical is full of laughs and life lessons on friendship and believing in oneself, with songs for Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Visit www.raleighlittletheatre.org.

Do your kids love art? This weekend, Orange County's Artists Guild's 15th annual open studio tour allows you to step into the studios of selected visual artists to meet them and view their work in a relaxed atmosphere for free.

The Open Studio tour runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday and covers paintings, sculpture, pottery, wood working, jewelry, textiles, iron, glass and photography from 65 artists. The free tour will also be offered Nov. 14-15.

Visit CarolinaParent.com’s Turkey Day Guide for more upcoming family-friendly outings, from traveling exhibits and performances, to upcoming free events, like the American Indian Heritage Celebration on Nov. 21, at the N.C. Museum of History in downtown Raleigh.

Headed to the movies? Check out Jean’s Movie Choices for Kids to find out what’s appropriate for your tot, tween or teen. This week she reviews This is It and Good Hair.

One more thing . . . worried about what to do with all that leftover Halloween candy? Noodles & Company’s Raleigh restaurants are featuring Candy Coma Day to encourage kids to swap in their typical Halloween treats for a fresh bowl of free noodles on Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.