Go Ask Mom

Weekend Plans: Pumpkin patches, Dog Olympics, festivals, Go Ask Mom event, more!

It's a huge weekend for family fun and activities, maybe one of the biggest of the year.

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SparkCon 2013

It’s a huge weekend for family fun and activities, maybe one of the biggest of the year.

As always, check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar and our newly updated Halloween and Fall Fun Guide for more ideas. We have several pumpkin patches and corn mazes opening for the season on Saturday - Hill Ridge Farm in Youngsville, Ken's Korny Corn Maze in Garner and Hubb's Corn Maze in Clinton.
Also, don’t forget Go Ask Mom’s event at Midtown Farmers’ Market at North Hills from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday. We’ll have a free workout for moms from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., plus all sorts of free activities for families including music, stories, crafts, a visit from Rapunzel and more! I hope to see you there!

And here’s the rest of the weekend’s activities!

The very first Not So Normal 5K takes over various venues and locations across Carrboro and Chapel Hill this weekend. Unlike a normal 5K (thus the name), the guy behind the race (who runs the Mom in Chapel Hill blog) has put together an entire weekend of parent- and kid-friendly events, concerts, charity benefits and more. There are even child care options so parents can enjoy some adult time. Registration closes at 8 p.m., Thursday. Check the website to learn more about this event, which sounds really fun! Oh … and an actual race is part of the weekend. It’s 2.95 miles … a not so normal 5K distance, as you might suspect.
SparkCon will take over the streets of downtown Raleigh this weekend. This massive event with more than 2,000 performers, artists and others in some 200 shows features all variety of artistic endeavors - dance, music, art, design, food, poetry, fashion, comedy. Festival hours are 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.., Friday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday; and noon to 4 p.m., Sunday. Some highlights on Saturday: A Main Stage line-up of music, dance and theater, street painting on Fayetteville Street, an art bazaar in City Plaza and kids activities with Arts Together and Marbles. On Sunday, the finished street paintings will be ready for viewing. The circus takes over a block of Fayetteville Street. And other activities.
The 23rd annual Dog Olympics at the N.C. State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, at 1060 William Moore Dr. near the intersection of Blue Ridge Road and Hillsborough Street in Raleigh. The day includes competition, demonstrations, rescue groups, free microchip clinic and a Paralympics Parade for dogs with spinal cord injuries. Dogs of all kinds are invited to compete in competitions like Musical Sit, Howling and Rollover Rover. Admission varies depending on if your dog is competing - from $5 for an owner and competing dog to $1 for individuals. Kids 5 and under are free. 
We have five consignment sales this weekend, including sales in Raleigh, Benson and Chapel Hill.
The fourth annual StrollerThon, benefiting Postpartum Education and Support, is 10 a.m., Saturday, at Fred G. Bond Metro Park in Cary. The event supports the group, which offers free programs and materials for moms dealing with postpartum depression or anxiety. It’s the group’s largest fundraiser. After the walk, there will be games and activities for kids, plus a concert from The Buzztown Band. A raffle includes prizes form local stores and a Bumbleride stroller. Registration is just $10 for individuals and $15 for families. This is a wonderful group to support.
Durham Connects will celebrate the more than 6,000 Durham babies that this group has visited over the years with an event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, at Duke Park in Durham. Kids can enjoy carnival games ($5 for 10 tickets). There also will be a food truck and fire truck. A cake cutting is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. The privately insured, uninsured and low-income families on Medicaid with babies are all eligible to participate in Durham Connects’ complimentary in-home visits. Registered nurses provide weight and health checks for the baby and make sure mom is doing well. Families also get help with breastfeeding, child care selection, parenting classes and more. It launched in 2008. Another great group helping local moms!
Transactors Improv: For Families is 6 p.m., Saturday, at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. Tickets are $10 and $6 for students. This is a fun, audience-driven show best for grade schoolers and up. 
The PNC Bank at 1135 Kildaire Farm Rd. in Cary will host a family fun day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday. The free event includes child IDs, a visit from the Cary Fire Department, face painters, food and more.
Fairview Live! A Day in the Park will offer free activities for families at the park in Hillsborough. It’s sponsored by the Hillsborough Police Department and Fairview Community Watch. It’s noon to 5 p.m., Saturday.
The N.C. Museum of Art hosts one of its regular Family Fun Saturdays at 10 a.m., Saturday. These are designed for kids ages 5 to 11 and their adults. Saturday’s program lets participants make their own journal and then take a walk through the Museum Park where they’ll record their journey. The cost is $5.

And the art museum in west Raleigh also will host the award-winning Paperhand Puppet Intervention’s summer show. Performances are at 7 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The group uses masks, giant puppets, stilts and more. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8.50 for kids ages 7 to 18.

Wendell Community Center hosts a viewing of “Frozen,” along with other free activities, starting at 6 p.m., Friday. And Knightdale Community Day is 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, at Knightdale Station Park. The event includes games, inflatables, local vendors, food trucks, performances and more. Plus, there’s play on the great playground here. Something that’s always fun to see: WakeMed’s helicopter will land on field one at 10:30 a.m. and stay on location through the event. http://www.knightdalenc.gov/index.aspx?page=320
The long-running Greek Festival is at the N.C. State Fairgrounds Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with food, performances and more.
The annual Harvest and Hornworm Festival is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, at Duke Homestead State Historic Site in Durham. The free event includes demonstrations of historic tobacco harvesting, stringing and curing. There also the hornworm race, MoonPie eating contest, music, crafts and more.
Colonial Kids Day at the Burwell School in Hillsborough is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday.
In Raleigh, Project Enlightenment’s Project Palooza is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, at the early childhood education center on Boylan Avenue near downtown. The free event offers music, crafts, games and more.
Watts Chapel will host family fun and jazz from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, at the church at 3703 Tryon Rd. in Raleigh. The event celebrates the church’s 138th anniversary. There will be music, free food, games, bounce houses, a dunk tank, video game truck and more. You can RSVP online at at the church's website or call the church office at 919-828-7348.

 

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