Weekend Plans: Wool E. Bull's birthday, theater and more

Lots going on over at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. There are fireworks as usual after the game Friday night. On Saturday, the popular Bucket Boys percussion group will return to perform between innings throughout the night. And it's Wool E. Bull's birthday Sunday. All of Wool E.'s mascot friends will be there for photos and autographs. There will be some free birthday cake for the kids. Get there early for the Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday featuring batting and pitching cages, t-ball stadium, "steal home" bungee run, a super slide, a mobile video game arcade and a minor league baseball museum. Lots more as well. Check the Durham Bulls website for all the details. (For the record, the Bulls will be playing my hometown team the Syracuse Chiefs).

The N.C. Theatre's production of "Annie" begins Saturday and runs through Aug. 1. Andrea McArdle, Broadway's original Annie, will star as Miss Hannigan. Tickets to the show at the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts start at around $30. And, speaking of the N.C. Theatre ... the company will be auditioning kids for "A Christmas Story" starting at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts in Raleigh. Sign-in begins at 5 p.m. (I know ... Christmas seems so far away). They're looking for kids ages 6 to 15 (in appearance). Many, many more details can be found on the N.C. Theatre's website.

PlayMakers and The Artscenter of Carrboro's Summer Youth Conservatory program present "Drood (The Mystery of Edwin Drood)" based on the story by Charles Dickens. The show runs 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Paul Green Theatre in Chapel Hill. The Summer Youth Conservatory is a five-week program for kids ages 10 to 18, who learn the fundamentals of acting, singing and dancing. It received the North Carolina Theatre Conference's Youth Theatre Award and was recognized as a "model program for youth theatre" in the state.

"The Great Cross-Country Race or The Hare and the Tortoise" ends its run at the Raleigh Little Theatre this weekend. RLT's Teens on Stage is presenting the show based on the classic story of the tortoise and the hare. Shows are 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m. Sunday at the Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre in Raleigh. Tickets are $9 for kids 12 and under and $13 for adults.

The ArtsCenter's SuperFun Series showcases the local talents of Jody Cassell and Jude Casseday at 11 a.m. Saturday. The show called Up and Down and All Around is a fusion of music, storytelling and interactive movement. Cassell's book "Where's Leon?" will inspire some of the action. The show is best for preschoolers to third graders. Tickets are $7 (kids 2 and under are free). The ArtsCenter is on East Main Street in Carrboro.

The Cary Scavenger Hunt is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. The event marks the 10-year anniversary of the amphitheater and will take contestants to locations across Cary. There's a special category for "family teams." There is still a day or so left to register. Check the website for details. The Cary Citizen is hosting the event.

Marbles Kids Museum's Family Fit Series continues from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday with members of the Capital Area Soccer League offering tips on ways to stay active and healthy. It's free with admission to Marbles (which is $5 per person).

The free Triangle Town Center Kids Fest is back from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday outside Triangle Town Commons in north Raleigh. The event includes performances by Flow Circus and Same the Magic Man, along with kids karaokie, 20-foot inflatable slides, a trackless train, face painting, games, prizes and more. Kids Fest runs on the second and fourth Sunday of the month from July through September, along with a special date, Aug. 29.