Weekend Plans: Modern dance, archaeological dig, kitchen chemistry, more

Of course, check our Summer Fun Guide for all kinds of summer fun activities with links (including the Durham Bulls, which offers its popular Friday night fireworks this week). Also, check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar  for other activities, including lots of free, outdoor concerts.

The American Dance Festival in Durham will present one of its Saturday children’s matinees. The critically acclaimed Pilobolus, known for its high-octane, accessible, and unique performances, will perform an hour-long show for kids and families at 1 p.m., Saturday, at the Durham Performing Arts Center. After the show, stay for a free kids’ party in the lobby with live music, face painting, snacks and other activities. Tickets are $16.

Bentonville State Historic Site in Johnston County will host an archaeological investigation of the grounds of the Harper House, which was built around 1855 and used as a field hospital during the Battle of Bentonville in 1865. Geographers and anthropologists from UNC-Greensboro and N.C. A&T State University, along with the state department of cultural resources, will conduct the dig with ground penetrating radar and a magnetic gradiometer to survey the subsoil around the house. The public is invited to watch it all happen and ask questions from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday and Saturday. It sounds like a fun event for young history buffs.

The N.C. Museum of Art will host one of its Family Fun Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Saturday. The regular series at the Raleigh museum is designed for families. This Saturday, they’ll discover the expressive faces in paintings from the Dutch and Flemish collection and create wire portraits of their families from simple line drawings. Some of the works will be displayed in an upcoming museum exhibition. Tickets for the program are $5. Register for the program by calling 919-715-5923.

Check out the ponies and horses at the annual North Carolina Hunter Jumper Association Horse Show at the Hunt Horse Complex at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. It’s fun to watch these shows (and free) and to walk around the stables to see all of the horses.

Kids can get messy as they explore kitchen chemistry during a special program at Marbles Kids Museum. It’s 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, and free with admission, which is $5 per person. NC BioNetwork will lead the program where visitors can use a microscope to examine crystals, analyze candy dyes and make polymer worms.

The focus is on the human body at the Museum of Life and Science’s lab this week. Nanoscience is the topic starting Sunday. The Durham museum’s lab features a variety of experiments and activities for families with extended hours this summer. It’s open 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays and Saturdays, and 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sundays. It is free with admission, which is $14 for adults and $10 for kids ages 3 to 12.