Weekend Plans: Dr. Seuss concert, ice skating, holiday exhibits, more

After two big holiday weekends, we have a quieter one ahead of us. But there's still plenty to keep you occupied. Here's your weekend family fun.

Posted 1:55 a.m. Jan 5, 2012 — Updated 1:55 a.m. Jan 5, 2012

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

After two big holiday weekends, we have a quieter one ahead of us.

Here's your weekend family fun. At the end of this post, I'm also listing the special exhibits at Triangle museums. Most will be closing in the next couple of weeks.

It's the first Friday of the month, which means downtown Raleigh art galleries, museums, restaurants and other venues will be open with special events, programs and deals. This can be fun for a moms night out or a date night. But you'll find some family-friendly options too. Marbles Kids Museum, the N.C. Museum of History, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh's new Contemporary Art Museum and the Raleigh City Museum all stay open later. Other family-friendly stops include Artspace, with 30 artists studios; bead store Ornamentea, which usually has a free project; and the shops around City Market (I'm partial to Epona & Oak). Before you go, be sure to check out the First Friday website, where you'll find many more details, along with links to all of the locations that participate.

Raleigh's downtown ice rink is open through the end of January. The hours this weekend are 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m., Sunday. It costs $8 to skate, including the cost to rent skates.

The N.C. Symphony's Young People's Series will present a unique spin on Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham." Concerts are 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday at the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts. The hour-long performances are designed for kids 4 to 12. There are some other special activities planned. Read my earlier post for details. These are great concerts for kids. Tickets are $20 each.

The N.C. Museum of Art will feature The Rhythm of the Drum with the Healing Force. Celebrate African culture through storytelling and music. Shows are at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday at the museum in west Raleigh. Tickets are $5. The museum also will have hands-on crafts for all ages from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You don't need a ticket to participate in these free crafts.

Cary will host a Three Kings Day event from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, at Bond Park in Cary. A variety of Spanish speaking countries will participate in a parade, walking in traditional dress with some musical accompaniment.

Lakota John Locklear, an accomplished,14-year-old musician, will perform a free concert from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. The Lumbee/Lakota Native American is a "bluez" musician and singer who plays the dobro bottle-neck slide guitar and harmonica. He grew up listening to his dad's music library and started playing the harmonica at age 7, guitar at age nine and slide guitar at age 10.

And we have some special museum exhibits in their final weeks:

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences' special exhibit on Genghis Khan runs through Jan. 16.

The N.C. Museum of Art's Rembrandt in America continues through Jan. 22. The museum offers family tours at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The topic this month is Little Dutch Masters and is a great tour to go on before heading over to the Rembrandt exhibit with kids. Check out my earlier post on taking kids to the Rembrandt exhibit for more information.

The Museum of Life and Science in Durham has two special exhibits this season. The Wonderland Express features model trains traveling through a wintry North Carolina scene. It runs through Jan 15. And Race: Are We So Different?, which explores the science, history, and everyday impact of race and racism, ends Jan. 22.

Of note: Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill is closed for maintenance through Jan. 20,

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