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Weekend plans: Puppets, ballet, figure skating, hayrides and more

What to do this weekend? Plenty. Check out your weekend family fun.

Posted Updated
Cow
By
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall
Many of you might be hunkering down this weekend with plans for some long days at the N.C. State Fair, which starts up Oct. 14 in Raleigh. Stay tuned for more tips on the fair in the next few days.

But let's focus on this weekend:

The N.C. Museum of Art's fall children's performance series starts with the Barefoot Puppets production of the "Little Bread Hen." Shows are at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $3. Shows in this series have been known to sell out, so get your tickets in advance if you plan on going. The show retells the classic tale of the "Little Red Hen" with a twist. Free drop-in crafts also are offered at the museum from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. And you don't need a ticket to the show to do the craft.
Infinity Ballet Theatre will present the Magic Toyshop at 11 a.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Halle Cultural Arts Center in downtown Apex. Doors open 30 minutes before the show. The humorous dance is based on the ballet Coppelia and is about a clever young girl, her silly boyfriend, a beautiful mechanical doll and a funny old toymaker who wants to make the doll come to life. The Inifinity Ballet Theatre is a local nonprofit that provides performance opportunities for students and a pre-professional youth program for aspiring dancers. Tickets are $5.
Lazy O Farm in Johnston County will host its first Family Day this month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The farm at 3583 Packing Plant Rd. in Smithfield will feature hayrides, barnyard animals, a picnic area and pumpkin patch. Fall decorations will be for sale. The farm's second family day will be next weekend. And of course there are many many other fall events in the area. Check our Halloween and fall fun database for a lot more.
A reminder: There four consignment sales this week in Fuquay-Varina, Wake Forest, Tarboro and Smithfield.
Re-enactors will demonstrate camp life during the Civil War at Bennett Place State Historic Site from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Activities include cooking, musket firings and talks about how North Carolina soldiers came to be known as "tarheels." It's free.

As usual, Cary is busy with festivals and special events.

Indian movies are the theme at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary during Indian Movie Night at 7 p.m. Friday. Doors open at 6 p.m. The free event features a Bollywood movie under the stars. Bring a picnic, lawn chairs and blankets for this outdoor movie.
Then Saturday brings the Cary Eid Festival to the amphitheatre. The multi-ethnic "festival without borders" features foods and desserts from the Middle East, Mediterranean and elsewhere. You'll see dances from a variety of countries, including Lebanon, Puerto Rico, Turkey, China, Ireland, and more. It's from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $4. Kids 12 and under are free.
Jordan Hall Arts Center will have its Fall Fair of Arts & Crafts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. You'll find live art demonstrations and be able to talk to instructors about upcoming courses at the center. Jordan Hall provides arts classes and activities for kids to adults. In late spring, art classes and open studio times will move to the new and larger Cary Community Arts Center.
The Fall Sertoma Series at Bond Park in Cary will feature Brass at Bond, a celebration of brass instruments. The free performance will feature some of the state's most innovative brass ensembles. Concert starts at 1 p.m. Saturday. Click on the "Fall Sertoma Series" link also to learn more about a production of Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" at the Sertoma Amphitheatre this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Cary Players will continue its run of "Over the River and Through the Woods" with shows at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Cary's Page Walker Arts and History Center. The show follows Nick Cristiano and his four Italian grandparents who have gathered for the traditional Sunday family dinner. Nick tells them he's moving across the country to Seattle and the grandparents hatch a crazy plan to try and keep him at home. Know that the show does contain some mild, adult language. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.
Morrisville Fire Department will have its annual open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the station, 10632 Chapel Hill Rd. Tour the station, check out the equipment and meet Sparky the Fire Dog. Free popcorn and drinks available. The Raleigh Fire Department also will have some information at Crabtree Valley Mall's promotional court Thursday, Friday and Saturday as part of National Fire Prevention Week.
I'm a big fan of taking kids to watch other kids do something they excel at. And this weekend will be the beginning of a big figure skating championship in Wake Forest. The Triangle Figure Skating Club will host the South Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships at the Polar Ice House in The Factory at Wake Forest. The competition, sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating, is one of the last steps to qualify for nationals. This weekend, Friday through Sunday, is the nonqualifying event, featuring lower level, but still talented skaters. Admission is free to watch the skating. The qualifying events are next weekend and will showcase the higher level skaters with tickets starting at $10 for adults and $8 for kids 6 to 12.

Edison Johnson Recreation Center, 500 W. Murray Ave. in Durham, will host a free community day for Durham residents. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, you'll find live performances, activities for kids, refreshments and more. Call 919-560-4270 for more information.

Duke Gardens has a couple of events this weekend. Its storytime is 10 a.m to 11 a.m. Saturday for kids ages 3 to 8. Enjoy a nature story and take home project. It's $3 per child and space is limited. And its Sunday Science free drop-in program, which runs on Sundays through Oct. 31, is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Sunday. You'll find nature-themed experiments and activities. Drop in anytime. It's free.

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