Weekend Plans: Sales tax holiday, meet the Heels and Pack, birthday at the zoo, watermelon celebrations, more

Lots of shoppers will be taking advantage of what is, as of right now, the last sales tax holiday in North Carolina. The recent tax deal hammered out by state legislators cuts the annual holiday after this year. If you are headed out to the stores, check in with WRAL.com’s Smart Shopper blog, where my colleague Faye has the scoop.

If you’re looking to get out of the house this weekend and avoid all the stores, here’s what’s happening. As always, check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar and our Summer Fun Guide for more ideas.

Friday is the first Friday of August. Downtown Raleigh galleries, museums and restaurants offer special deals, events and extended hours. There’s plenty here to keep families entertained and lots of opportunities to see some new things. Read my earlier post for details.

It's Watermelon Day at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday. The museum will mark National Watermelon Day by feeding its animals the fruit, offering some watermelon experiences and featuring watermelon at its cafe. For more information, read this earlier post. 

Marbles Kids Museum also is celebrating the melon with a weekend of watermelon activities. From Friday to Sunday, the Raleigh museum will offer watermelon play in the garden at 10:30 a.m., screenings of Watermelon Magic in IMAX and special watermelon dishes at Pogo, the museum's new restaurant. Click here for the details.

Saturday is Meet the Heels day at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Gates open at 3 p.m. Players and head coach Larry Fedora will start signing autographs at 4 p.m. And there will be a Carolina Kids Zone in the east end of Kenan with inflatables and other activities until 6 p.m. You also can collect free Carolina football trading cards, schedule cards and posters. The UNC Kids Club also will hold its annual kickoff event at 3 p.m. Check GoHeels.com for details on parking, entrances and the kids club.

Sunday is Meet the Pack Day at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. It's from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Parking and admission are free. Fans can meet and get autographs from players and coaches, take photos with the cheerleaders and see Mr. and Ms. Wuf. Each family will also get a free "This is Our State" yard sign when they leave. And Communities in Schools will be collecting school supplies for Wake County children. Check N.C. State's website for details.

The Carolina RailHawks soccer team will open the fall season with a game against FC Edmonton at 7 p.m., Saturday, at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Before the falls season opener, the soccer park will host the Taste of the Triangle at 5 p.m. The festival features free samples of food and beer for those with tasting bracelets (which cost $15). You will still need to get a ticket to the game as well. 

World Breastfeeding Week is Aug. 1 to Aug. 7 this year. As part of the week to raise awareness about breastfeeding, we have some Big Latch On events in the area. They are at Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique, Davis Chiropractic and North Cary Park on Friday and Saturday. The events aim to break the record for the most women breastfeeding at the same time. To find out more about local events and others across the state and world, go to the Big Latch On’s website. For local breastfeeding help, check our resource page.

Raleigh Area Children's Theatre will perform Stone Soup with shows Friday and Saturday at the Raleigh ACT Studio, 2411 E. Millbrook Rd. Tickets are $6 each and seating is limited. Check Raleigh ACT’s website to get your tickets in advance. The show features local kids.

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center will host a movie and program for teens on Friday. Read my earlier post for more information.

JoCo Kids Consignment Sale in Clayton is open to the public Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Click here for the details.

United Skates of America will offer low-sensory hours this Sunday for those with sensory disorders. The music will be turned down and the lights will be turned up. Click here for information.

On Saturday, the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro will celebrate the first birthday of Bomassa and Apollo, baby gorillas that both arrived in August 2012. The party starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Forest Glade gorilla exhibit with African music by “The Healing Force.” From 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., the two will get special birthday treats. There also will be special feedings for all of the gorillas starting at 11:30 a.m. with keepers available to meet with visitors and answer questions until 1:30 p.m. The party ends at 2:30 p.m. with a round of “Happy Birthday. The two have become some of the zoo’s most popular animals. It's all free with admission, which is between $8 and $16 depending on the age and kind of ticket. The zoo is about 90 minutes from Raleigh. 

For all ages, Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre, will present “Sleeping Beauty” this weekend. It’s one of several shows at the theater, about 30 minutes west of Chapel Hill, this summer. It’s set for 10 a.m., Saturday. Tickets are $5.

And New Hope Valley Railway will host its monthly train rides on its diesel and steam trains on Sunday. Take an hour-long ride through southwestern Wake County on the open-air trains. You also can check out some other train cars and model trains at the station.