Weekend Plans: Bluegrass, American Girl opens, art deco cars, more

Happy weekend! Here’s what’s happening on the family fun front. And, as always, check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar for more weekend ideas for the kids and adults in your life. And check our fall fun and Halloween database for details on pumpkin patches, corn mazes and other fall-related events. Starting this weekend, pretty much all of the corn mazes, pumpkin patches and haunted trails are open.

Wide Open Bluegrass takes over downtown Raleigh through Saturday. This year, they’ve added more family fun and a picnic area near Memorial Auditorium, where you’ll also hear some great performances for free. I’ve had a great time bringing my kids to these annual events.

The American Girl store at Crabtree Valley Mall opens this weekend. You must have a ticket to attend opening weekend events. My earlier post has details on how you can get those tickets and what the weekend holds. This is a temporary store, which will stay open through the holidays and close in late January.

The N.C. Museum of Art opens “Rolling Sculpture: Art Deco Cars” this weekend and will include special family tours as part of the opening weekend festivities. The tours, which are free, but require a paid ticket to the exhibit, are designed for kids ages 6 to 12 and their adults.

UNC REX Healthcare’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will hold a reunion for parents and their children who are alumni of the NICU to reconnect with nurses, doctors and other families. The superhero-themed day of fun will feature free food, games, crafts, music and much more. It's 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, at Lake Wheeler Park, Shelters 8 and 9, 6404 Lake Wheeler Rd., Raleigh.

We have a consignment sale in Smithfield this weekend.

The Triangle Independent School Consortium will hold an admission fair from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, at the Hilton Garden Inn at Southpoint, 7007 Fayetteville St., Durham

Chavis Park Celebrates is 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday. The park, near downtown Raleigh which includes a beautiful carousel, celebrates the heritage, history and culture of the park.

Wake County’s Historic Oak View County Park's Heritage Day is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday. The free event includes live entertainment, heritage crafts, carpentry & blacksmith demos, farm animals, antiques, fishing, a quilt auction, pony rides, carriage rides, kids activities and more.

Jordan Lake State Recreation Area will mark the state park’s centennial with a Heritage Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. There will be hands-on activities, live entertainment, demonstrations relating to the region’s cultural and natural resources and more. It’s free. Bring a picnic lunch. Food also will be for sale from a local vendor. It’s at the White Oak Recreation Area.

In Holly Springs, Bass Lake Day is 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, at Bass Lake Park. It’s free. The festival features live music; interactive exhibits on topics such as recycling, falconry and bow hunting; crafts and games; and live animals such as hawks, snakes, turtles, owls and frogs.

And Festifall in Chapel Hill is noon to 6 p.m., Sunday. The Town of Chapel Hill’s annual celebration features arts and crafts vendors on West Franklin Street. There also will be interactive art and activities; lots of food trucks; and three stages with performances.