Weekend Plans: First Friday, movies, music, field day, more

Happy weekend! Here’s what’s happening on the family fun front. As always, check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar for more ideas.

Friday is an early release day for some Wake County school kids. JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh has a drop-in program from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Friday. Explore the garden as you search for answers to five questions. Start your hunt at the visitor’s center. It costs $1 per family.

Another option for kids on early release: Sky Zone, the newest trampoline park to open in the Triangle, will open to the public at noon, Friday, at 2101 Westinghouse Blvd., Raleigh.

It’s also the first Friday of September, making it First Friday in downtown Raleigh when museums, galleries and restaurants open up for special deals and activities. The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences will screen “Return of the Fly” for free at 7 p.m., Friday, and offer discounts for its Rainforest Adventure exhibit.

Wake Forest’s Renaissance Center will screen the PG-rated “Madagascar 3” at 7 p.m., Friday. The movie is free. Popcorn and other concessions will be for sale.

Lake Benson Park will host a screening of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” at 7:45 p.m., Friday. It’s free. The movie will be shown on a 30-foot outdoor movie screen on the park’s main stage. Concessions will be for sale, but coolers are welcome.

The Cary Theater, 122 E. Chatham St., in downtown Cary will show the 2012 children’s movie “Ernest Celestine” at 10 a.m., Saturday. It tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a bear, Ernest, and a young mouse named Celestine. Tickets are $5. Concessions will be for sale.

The third annual Cub Scout Fun Day is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, at Optimist Farm, in Apex. The event is an opportunity for kids and parents to learn more about the world of Cub Scouts. It’s free. Activities include water rockets, a Pinewood Derby, games and crafts. Hot dogs and drinks will be available.

Duke Gardens in Durham has a nature storytime from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Saturday. It’s for ages 3 to 6 and their adults. Nature-themed stories are followed by a short walk. It’s free. Check at the desk at the Doris Duke Center for Saturday’s storytime location.

Triangle Town Center’s new playground will reopen on Saturday after being closed for about a month for an overhaul. I’ll have more about the new playground on Friday.

The Paperhand Puppet Intervention continues the run of its 15th summer puppet show at the Forest Theater at UNC-Chapel Hill. The show, a tradition for many around here, will be performed there through Sunday in Chapel Hill. It then moves over to the N.C. Museum of Art Sept. 12 to Sept. 14. These are great shows, fantastic spectacles.

Hairspray is on stage at the Raleigh Little Theater on select dates through Sunday. Tickets are $22 to $24.

The N.C. Museum of History is celebrating National Grandparents Day from noon to 5 p.m., Sunday. Grandparents can bring in their grandchildren or a picture of them and get 20 percent off in the museum gift shop.

Schoolhouse of Wonder will host its second annual Family Field Day at West Point on the Eno Park in Durham. The event starts at 12:30 p.m., Sunday, and features old-school activities like sack races, seed spitting contests, egg toss and the like.

Eric Litwin of “Pete the Cat” fame will be at Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh with his latest book “The Nuts,” at 3 p.m., Sunday. Best for ages 3 and up.

And singer/songwriter Rissi Palmer, who I’ve written about here many a time, will be performing a free concert of country and pop songs at 6 p.m., Sunday, at Pullen Park, in Raleigh. Sounds like a great way to end a weekend.