Raleigh Whirls With Weekend Family Fun!

This weekend offers loads of family fun in the Triangle, from an American Indian Heritage festival and a Christmas Parade on Saturday in Raleigh to a family film festival in Apex on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Peak City Film Festival in Apex is an international film festival that’s suitable for all ages, according to event organizer Bob Crowley. He tells Carolina Parent’s Janice Lewine that all of the films are pre-screened to make sure they don’t contain any offensive material, are in English or have English subtitles, and they are incredible. Entries include 90-minute feature films, 24-minute short films, animated and silent productions, TV commercials produced in North Carolina, music videos and mobisodes, which are seven-minute movie episodes specially formatted for hand-held devices.

If you’re in downtown Raleigh enjoying the Christmas Parade, head over to N.C. Museum of History. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., you can celebrate American Indian Heritage Month with musicians, dancers, artists and storytellers from North Carolina’s eight state-recognized tribes. The lively American Indian Heritage Celebration is the museum’s largest annual event. Admission and parking are free, and you'll find activities for all ages, from hands-on crafts to traditional games and workshops. The festival is so large that it flows outside to Bicentennial Plaza and the State Capitol grounds.

Also on Saturday in Raleigh, The Raleigh City Museum is offering kids a chance to celebrate Thanksgiving. The event, which runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., teaches about the history of Thanksgiving in Raleigh along with other fall traditions. Kids will complete a museum scavenger hunt, receive a silver acorn upon completion, paint their own thanksgiving art from scratch or from pre-made designs, decorate a holiday postcard, and families can check out our reading corner featuring Thanksgiving books. Admission to this program is free.

Visit CarolinaParent.com’s Turkey Day Guide for more upcoming family-friendly outings, including traveling exhibits, performances, tree lightings and Santa sightings in your neck of the woods.

Headed to the movies? Check out Jean's Movie Choices for Kids to find out what’s appropriate for your tot, tween or teen.