Weekend Plans: Harlem Globetrotters, Lego KidsFest, Dinosaur Train, more

Happy weekend! It’s a big one with some major events. Here’s what’s happening. As always, check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar for more ideas.

The Harlem Globetrotters makes its annual stop to Raleigh’s PNC Arena with a show at 3 p.m., Sunday. Tickets start at $21. You’ll see their crazy moves and stunts as they play against another team. Like last year, fans can help set the game’s rules before the show. I took my grade schooler last year and we had a blast.

The Lego KidsFest takes over the downtown Raleigh Convention Center this Friday through Sunday. This is not a drop-in event. You need to buy tickets for specific sessions. And most of the sessions are sold out. Read my earlier post for details. Thousands will be filling the convention center for this big event this weekend. To all the Lego fans out there who are going: Enjoy!

Dinosaur Train Live! Buddy’s Big Adventure, based on the popular PBS Kids show, will stop at the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts with shows this Friday to Sunday. Tickets start at $14. They include a special 10:30 a.m., Friday, show when tickets are just $5 each. For more about the show and the special $5 performance, read this earlier post.

A big note for Lego and Dinosaur Train fans: Parking or traffic might be a wee bit tight right around the Duke Energy Center and convention center, which are a block away. So be prepared! Click here for a map of available downtown parking spots. There's plenty, but I always find it helpful to know exactly what's out there.

We have several consignment sales across the region this week and weekend. Read this earlier post for more information.

Historic Oak View County Park in Raleigh will offer a free screening of "Annie," (the Carol Burnett, 1982 version). It starts at 1 p.m., Saturday. Popcorn and lemonade will be served. Read this post for more about it and a future screening of "Kit Kittredge."

March 2 is Dr. Seuss’ birthday and National Read Across America Day. We have at least two events to mark the ocassion. Northgate Mall in Durham will host special performances featuring the Cat in the Hat and $1 tickets to a 30-minute Cat in the Hat movie on Saturday. Read my earlier post for details. Local Barnes & Noble book stores will host Dr. Seuss-related events on Monday. Check with your local Barnes & Noble to find out what's happening near you.

One Barnes & Noble exception: WAKE Up and Read will host a Celebrity Read-A-Thon and Book Fair at the Brier Creek Barnes & Noble in north Raleigh from noon to 3 p.m., Sunday. The event will launch a month-long book drive. Ruben, the WAKE Up and Read Rooster, will be there. Visitors can buy and donate a book to a child in the community. The group aims to help Wake County kids become life-long readers.

Wake Forest’s Mardi Gras Festival is Saturday in downtown Wake Forest. The day includes live music, performances, a walking parade, face painting, inflatables and more. It’s 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, and is followed by the Renaissance Ball.

Duke marks Brain Awareness Week with a family-friendly open house from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, at the Duke University Levine Science Research Center, 308 Research Dr., in Durham. They’ll have lab tours, demonstrations and activities for kids.

Applause! Cary Youth Theatre will present “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Cary Arts Center. Tickets are $10 at the door and cheaper if you buy them in advance. There is even a production guide about the show with activities for ages 6 and up. Click here for more information.

And from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, The Engineering Place, N.C. State's engineering outreach program will host Peep-A-Pults at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. Kids can design a catapult out of "junk" and then launch the Easter candy favorite toward a target. It's free with admission, which is $5 per person.