Weekend Plans: Harold and the Purple Crayon, Durham Dances, Superhero Saturday, more

The American Dance Festival’s first ADF Kids performance is Saturday featuring a performance of the classic children’s story “Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Hubbard Street 2. Tickets to the hour-long 1 p.m. show at the Durham Performing Arts Center are $8 (less than the usual $15 for the festival’s other family performances). It’s followed by a free Durham Dances event at the American Tobacco Campus (which is across the street) from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Durham Dances is free and open to the general public. Meet some of the dancers from the 1 p.m. performance and take in a parade with the Paperhand Puppet Intervention. There will be crafts and much more. For more about the festival and its offerings for kids, read my earlier post.

The Museum of Life and Science will open a new permanent exhibit on Saturday called Into the Mist (in the Catch the Wind section). This will be a shady, cool place to explore on hot summer days -- a great addition to the Durham museum. You’ll find a giant mist dome, a rain tree and more. There are lots of opportunities for kids to have fun and soak in some lessons on water and how it shapes our topography. I’ll have much more on this exhibit on Friday. So stay tuned. The exhibit is free with admission to the museum, which is $14 for adults and $10 for kids ages 3 to 12.

Catch some Lego movies during the BrickFlix film festival at Carolina Theatre in Durham on Friday night. A 7 p.m. showing, followed by a Q&A session with an award-winning animator, is designed for all ages. A 9 p.m. show features movies for those 16 and up. Tickets are on sale now. Read my earlier post for details.

In other movie news, the N.C. Museum of Art will screen E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial at 9 p.m. Friday. Read my earlier post for details. The Lumina Theatre will show the PG-rated Pirates: Band of Misfits at dusk Friday and Saturday on the green at Southern Village. (Also, don’t forget our free and cheap summer movie database).

North Hills and its Midtown Farmers’ Market will celebrate Independence Day a few days early. From 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, you’ll find free crafts, activities for kids and more. There’s a children’s bike parade starting at 10 a.m. in front of Moe’s. Kids are Music will perform patriotic music. A watermelon eating contest starts at 10:30 a.m.

Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh will celebrate a Superhero Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. There’s Superhero Training Camp and Super Science activities. Kids can make their own secret identity cape and mask. And (this is going to be cute), kids can come dressed as their favorite superhero and join in the Parade of Superkids at 12:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. It's all free with admission, which is $5 per person.

In Raleigh, Babiology, the children and maternity consignment store featuring higher-end brands, will have 50 percent off all consignment through Saturday.

And New Hope Valley Railway’s monthly rides begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Hop aboard the diesel and steam engines and check out its exhibit area. The hour-long rides on the open air trains take you through southwestern Wake County. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for kids 2 to 12.