Weekend Plans: Lazy Daze, theater, free ice cream and more

It's a big weekend in Cary with the town's annual Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday throughout downtown Cary. You'll find live entertainment, arts, crafts, food and more. The Kid's World at the corner of Academy and Park streets will include some make-and-take activities, a misting tent and kids entertainment, including the Sandbox Band at 10 a.m., followed by storytelling, magic shows and a clown. Also at the festival, Jason Lynch, owner of E.G. Bear Company in West Virginia, will attempt to create the world's largest doll. The public can help out. About 50,000 people are expected for this, the 34th annual, Lazy Daze. So heed the advice and be sure to hop on the free shuttle from Cary Towne Center to avoid any traffic and parking headaches. Shuttles will run every 15 minutes beginning at 8:30 a.m. The last bus leaves Cary Elementary at 5:30 p.m.

Kids in grades three to eight especially will enjoy the Open Dream Ensemble's production of "Peril on the Red Planet" at 4 p.m. Saturday at the N.C. Museum of Art. Open Dream Ensemble is a professional outreach program of the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. "Peril on the Red Planet" tells the story of a 13-year-old whiz kid's efforts to save the planet's human inhabitatns from death and famine. General admission tickets are $10; $5 for kids 3 to 12. Hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn and similar fare will be available for purchase.

Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site will hold its annual summer living history program from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The event will include costumed living historians who will demonstrate how soldiers made meals; maintained their weapons and uniforms; trained for battle; withstood weather and more. The free program includes musket demonstrations at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Artillery firings are at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Bentonville Battlefield is located at 5466 Harper House Rd. in Four Oaks.

Meet the 2010 Carolina football team during the free Meet the Heels on Saturday at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Gates 2, 5 and 6 will be open for the general public at 5 p.m. and the team will be introduced at 6 p.m. Players will be available for autographs at 6:15 p.m. For the kids, a Carolina Kids Zone will be located in the east end of Kenan Stadium with inflatable games and other activities until 7 p.m. Free Carolina football trading cards, schedule cards and posters will be available while supplies last. The UNC Kids Club will celebrate the season starting at 4 p.m. at the stadium. The kids club is for kids in grades eight and under. Click here for more information about joining the club.

The Historic Speedway Group will host the fourth annual Celebration of the Automobile Car Show and Racers Reunion. The free event runs Friday and Saturday at the Occoneechee-Orange Speedway in Hillsborough. The speedway is the only surviving dirt race track from NASCAR's inaugural season in 1948. The reunion will feature some guest appearances by some prominent NASCAR drivers from years past. There will be a car show with hot rods, street rods and vintage NASCAR racers, along with free rides for the children, free shuttle service, a live auction, exhibits, souvenirs and concessions. You can also walk the .9 mile dirt track and explore the miles of forested trails along the Eno River.

The sixth annual Children's Good News Spectacular is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The free event includes inflatable games and rides, popcorn, snow cones and drinks, along with an illusion show blended with several gospel puppet presentations. The event is sponsored by the Child Evangelism Fellowship of Greater Raleigh Area, which is dedicated to the task of winning boys and girls for Christ. The fairgrounds, always a hub of great free weekend activities, will host a free arts and craft show on Sunday and a horse show with free admission Friday through Sunday. Click here for details.

The Person County chapter of the Autism Society of North Carolina will hold a concert Saturday to raise money for the group. The event features country singer Ray Scott at 6 p.m. at Hyco Lake Amphitheatre in northwest Person County. Gates open at noon and will include other bands and entertainment as well. (UPDATED TO SAY) Tickets are $25. Kids 10 and under are free.

There are two children's consignment sales this weekend. Next 2 New 4 Kids in Clayton runs Friday through Sunday. Wings Children's Consignment Sale in Raleigh is on Saturday. And there are still many more. Check the full list for all the upcoming sales.

And it's Kids Fest again at the Triangle Town Center in Raleigh. From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Flow Circus, Sam the Magic Man, karaoke for kids, inflatable slides and more free activities will be outside the Triangle Town Commons. An added bonus: the Breyers All Natural Sundae Showcase also will be there from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. with free Breyers ice cream. Also in Triangle Town Center news, the mall's new Monster Spider Jump indoor bungee system is now open in the Macy's and Saks wing.