Weekend Plans Halloween Edition

Of course, the pumpkin patches, corn mazes and haunted houses are going strong. See the Halloween and fall fun database for details.

Noah's Landing in Coats will hold its annual Halloween Spooktacular. Come in costume and get ready to trick or treat at the zoo. Campfire, pony rides and more are part of the fun. It's 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday. Tickets are $8 per person.

The SPCA of Wake County will hold its 6th annual Howl-O-Ween celebration from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, at the SPCA Curtis Dail Pet Adoption Center, 200 Petfinder Lane, Raleigh. There will be Halloween crafts, sweets, games and a fashion show put on by dogs currently available for adoption. A donation of cash or a pet-related item is appreciated.

North Hills in Raleigh will hold its Halloween Festival from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, in the Commons next to Starbucks and Ben & Jerry's. They'll have a masquerade parade, costume contest, face painting, hair-spray painting, games, sugar cookie decorating, pumpkin decorating, and more. Kids can trick or treat at participating merchants from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences has a big weekend ahead of it. The new WRAL 3D Theater will open on Saturday and feature the documentary "Tornado Alley." The day includes visits from “Storm Chasers” star Sean Casey. See my earlier post for details. And from noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, the museum will host its Natural History Halloween for kids ages 2 to 12. There will be a costume contest, live spooky animals, a bake sale, crafts, games and prizes. Sunday's event is free.

Darkside Haunted Estates will hold a low-scare night for kids from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday. Admission is $5. There will be carnival games, face painting, trick or treating along the trail and more. This otherwise very scary haunted house sits about seven miles from Five County Stadium in Zebulon.

The Raleigh Jaycee's Terror at Possum Creek, 2526 Hillsborough St. in Raleigh, will hold a kids day from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday. Kids can come dressed up in their costumes for kid-friendly activities and trick or treating. The usual "inhabitants of Possum Creek" will tone down their makeup and leave the lights on. Admission is $5. Best for ages 10 and under.

Cary's Halloween celebration starts Friday with haunted twilight tours of downtown Cary (for ages 13 and up) and continues with a big celebration from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, in downtown Cary. Activities include a hayride, pumpkin painting, haunted house and more.

Mordecai Historic Park near downtown Raleigh will have its haunted trolley tours, haunted Mordecai lantern tours and the family-friendly Haunted Mordecai Free Festival on Saturday. The haunted trolley tours are sold out, but there are still some spaces for the Mordecai lantern tours. No reservations are needed for the festival, which is 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. Just show up. Check the link for details and to get tickets.

Harry Potter will be the theme at the Haunting of Harris Lake County Park in New Hill in Wake County. Dress in costume and enjoy Harry Potter-themed games and activities. Take a hayride into a "forbidden forest" Tickets for the hayride are on a first come, first served basis. All tickets are available the day of the event.

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill will screen its "Scare-olina Skies" on Saturday and Sunday. The spooky version for older teens and adults is 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Saturday. A family edition is 3:30 p.m. Sunday for kids five and up.

Spence's Farm will have a Harvest Fest Celebration from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at the farm in Chapel Hill. Food, hayrides, inflatable, horse rides and more.

In Johnston County, Lazy O Farm's Maze Dayz wraps up this weekend with a maze, farm animals, a pumpkin patch and more. It's 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh has lots going on. Its Family Fun Night "Spooktacular" is 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. The after-hours event is free and only for kids with special needs and their families. Kids are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. From Friday to Monday, Marbles will have special activities including boo bubbles, roasted seeds, pumpkin pounding and more. And its Spooky Kooky Halloween Party is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. Reservations are required for this and space is limited at this point.

Garner will mark Halloween with a couple of events this Saturday at Lake Benson Park. There's a 5K and fun run at 4 p.m. Saturday. And the free Goblins in the Park is 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday with crafts, carnival games, hayrides, the Trail of Terror, a costume contest and more.

Holly Springs will host its annual HollyFest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Womble Park, across from 301 Stinson Ave. The free festival includes arts, crafts, entertainment, inflatables, a costume parade, pumpkin carving contest and more.

As I wrote earlier this week, IMACS will offer some free math and computer science placement classes starting this Saturday. The program is geared toward gifted kids in first through twelfth grade. Read my earlier post for details.

N.C. State's Center Stage KidsStuff Series will present "Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny" from the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, 3 p.m., Saturday. Two bedtime stories come to life on stage with these adaptations of Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd’s beloved classics. The acclaimed Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia brings its whimsical puppetry, dreamlike imagery, and original music to two best-loved childhood stories, infusing young audiences with a wonderful sense of security and peace, and providing an effortless introduction to the performing arts and the excitement of reading.

The N.C. Museum of Art brings "Gems: The World's Wisdom Stories" with Doug Berky. Shows are at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday. Enjoy stories from around the world told through mime, puppetry, drama, comedy, and music. Performer Doug Berky inspires and educates with classic wise tales. Tickets are $5. The museum also will offer free crafts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. You don't need a ticket to the performance to participate in the crafts.

Triangle Town Center in north Raleigh will host its final Kids Fest from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. The free event includes inflatables, face painting and more.

And Saturday is Cheese Day at the Carrboro Farmers' Market. Chef Amy Tornquist of Watts Grocery will be there sampling dishes using Celebrity Dairy goat cheese and Chapel Hill Creamery cow cheese in the market gazebo. The market also will start its winter market hours from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Happy Halloween!