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Weekend Plans: Cirque du Soleil, pirates, wizard wrock, family fun in Hillsborough, more

Cirque du Soleil's Alegria is in town. The N.C. Symphony features everything pirate. State historic sites and museums offer special events during the Second Saturdays series. And Hillsborough offers lots of family activities. Your weekend family fun.

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Cirque du Soleil presents "Alegria"
By
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Here's your weekend family fun ...

Cirque du Soleil's Alegria opened at the RBC Center on Wednesday and continues with shows through Sunday. The internationally acclaimed production showcases breathtaking acrobatics and more. I hear it's a pretty amazing show. Tickets start at $28 for kids and $35 for adults.
This is the second Saturday for the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources' three-part summer program Second Saturdays, which features lots of family-friendly, free or cheap activities at historic sites and museums across the state. We're lucky to have many of them here in the Triangle. It's also a great opportunity for a day trip. Among the events at local sites: The N.C. Museum of History will feature glass jewelry designer Lynn Burcher of North Carolina and host a free drop-in craft program from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Historic Stagville in Durham will screen "Gone with the Wind," along with a talk after the movie comparing and contrasting Historic Stagville to Hollywood's interpretation of Southern plantation life from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. And pack a picnic and head over to the North Carolina State Capitol where the site will celebrate Union Square, one of Raleigh's five original parks. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a local artist will be selling original paintings, jewelry and photography; the Executive Mansion's groundskeeper will offer summer and fall gardening tips at 10:30 a.m.; and CLAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation will present a live raptor program about some of the square's most popular residents - the red-tailed hawks - at 11:30 a.m. There also will be a scavenger hunt and more. For more information about all of this Saturday's events, check the Second Saturday's website. Search for Triangle events in the "Piedmont Region Schedule."
Hillsborough will host a Family Fun Day with guided tours (best for adults and teens), children's activities, a farmers market, shopping and more from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Among the activities: the Orange County Main Library, 137 W. Margaret Lane, will have "passports" to Historic Hillsborough. Kids can visit the places in the passport and collect stamps. A storytime will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Purple Crow Books, 109 W. King St. The Orange County Historical Museum will have a scavenger hunt from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Triangle SportsPlex, 101 Meadowlands Dr., will be offering a buy one, get one free admission to swim or skate if you bring in a stamped passport (good for Sunday too). And there's more. Click here for details. Future Family Fun Days will be held Aug. 13 and Sept. 10.
It's countdown time for the next Harry Potter movie and some local libraries are celebrating. Cameron Village Regional Library in Raleigh will have a party from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and a concert featuring wizard wrock band The Remus Lupins, who sing all about the Harry Potter series, at 6 p.m. Monday. Click here for details. Eva Perry Regional Library in Apex will offer a Harry Potter craft on Saturday for kids in grades three to twelve (registration required) and a concert from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday featuring four wizard wrock bands. The party and concerts are designed for all ages and I suspect many of the concert goers will be dressed as their favorite characters. Click here for details on the Eva Perry events, including details on how to sign up for the craft.
Pirates! are the theme of the N.C. Symphony's SummerFest concert on Saturday. Gates open at 5 p.m. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. You'll hear all sorts of pirate-related pieces, including music from The Pirates of Penzance, Hook, Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. It's followed by fireworks. But there's more than music. Dress in your best pirate costume and compete in the costume contest. Prizes will be handed out to child and adult winners during the intermission. And the first 200 concertgoers will get pirate-themed gifts. There also will be activities and performances from Marbles Kids Museum, Shadow Players Stage Combat Group, Backyard Playground and Ebony Child Face Painting. The symphony will bring out its popular Instrument Zoo, where kids can try out the orchestra's instruments for themselves. And judges will be roaming the grounds searching for the weekend's best picnickers, who will win a $100 gift basket from Whole Foods. And there's a lot more planned. General admission lawn seating is $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Picnics allowed.
The Cary Cross Currents Chamber Music Arts Festival runs through July 17 in Cary and features five concerts with the Brussels Chamber Orchestra and international and local soloists in the new Cary Arts Center. There are some free open rehearsals, a great opportunity for young musicians out there. They include a free open rehearsal from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at the Cary Arts Center and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at First Baptist Church Chapel in Cary. There are more. Click here for details and information about the other events and rehearsals.
Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh will have a Cars Pre-Race Pit Party from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets include dinner, crafts, special activities and a private showing of Cars 2 at Marbles' IMAX Theatre. Tickets are $22 for adults and $18 for kids. A big note: Tickets could sell out and must be purchased by 5 p.m. Thursday.
John Vettel will bring his energetic and interactive show for young children to Raleigh's Sunday in the Park concert series on Sunday. The free concert starts at 6:00pm at Fletcher Park, 820 Clay Street. Bring lawn chairs and picnic baskets. Vettel has been playing for kids for about 15 years and aims to please both kids and their adults with both traditional and new songs. This is a great series for families. Plenty of space for the kids to run around, dance and wear themselves out before bedtime.
Looking for other things to do with the kids? Check our database of park and recreation reviews and our look at Triangle family destinations.

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