Weekend Plans: Playground opens, Veteran's Day parades, theater for kids, more

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

Halloween may be behind us, but some corn mazes and pumpkin patches are still open for the season. Check our Halloween and fall fun database for details.

Sassafras All Children’s Playground opens at Laurel Hills Park, 3808 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh, on Saturday. A dedication is set for 10 a.m. and includes music from the Sandbox Band and more. The playground is designed for kids of all abilities to play together and has a variety of unique pieces. It’s also the largest playground in the city.

Two parades will mark Veteran’s Day. The Raleigh parade begins at 9 a.m., Saturday, in downtown Raleigh. It goes down Fayetteville Street to the State Capitol Building. Downtown Fayetteville has a Veteran’s Day Parade at 10 a.m., Saturday.

Raleigh Little Theatre presents two holiday shows in one - “Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Jingle Bell Jukebox.” The shows, part of the theater’s youth series, run just one hour total. They run through Nov. 13.

“Odd Squad Live!” is on stage at the Durham Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m., Saturday. The show is based on the popular PBS Kids series.

Wake County Public School System holds its magnet fair on Saturday, at Southeast Raleigh High School. This is a great opportunity to learn about any magnet school in the Wake County system.

Raleigh Dance Theatre will perform a live version of a beloved children's book character - Fancy Nancy. The pre-professional program for young dancers will present its popular Storybook Tales performance in November, featuring "Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly" and "Jonathan and the Gingery Snare." Performances take place at 3 p.m., Nov. 5 and 3 p.m., Nov. 6, at the Fletcher Opera Theater at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh.

JC Raulston Arboretum has Moonlight in the Garden this weekend and next weekend. For the first time in more than a decade, visitors can walk through the gardens in Raleigh in the evening and see thousands of luminaries. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under.

Celebrate Fuquay-Varina is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, in the Fuquay Business District. This event was rescheduled from a few weeks ago when Hurricane Matthew hit. The day includes music, food, a free kids zone and more.

The Neuse River Valley Model Railroad Club will host its long-running model railroad show and sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, at the N.C. State Fairground’s Expo Center. Tickets, which cover both days, are $8 for ages 12 and up. Kids age 11 and under are free with an adult.

Three Bears Acres’ Great Pumpkin Smash is Saturday at the facility in north Raleigh. The event includes lots of outdoor fund and special activities to smash old pumpkins from Halloween.

The Durham Mother’s Club will host a preschool information fair from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, at the Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro St., Durham. Meet up with representatives from preschools and parent’s morning out programs to learn about their offerings.

Postpartum Education and Support will hold a touch-a-truck event from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, at W.G. Pearson Elementary School in Durham to raise money for its programs that helps women suffering from perinatal mood disorders such as postpartum depression. The event gives kids a chance to see as many as 30 different kinds of vehicles up close and ask the drivers all about them. There also will be food trucks, face painting and games. A honk-free time is schedule for noon to 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per family of five or more.

And the N.C. Museum of Art will celebrate the opening of its newly expanded and redesigned Museum Park with an event from 1 p.m. to dark, Sunday. It’s also the last day to check out the massive inflatable bunnies on the grounds. The free NCMA Park Celebration includes live music, art-making and recreational activities, food trucks and more.