Weekend Plans: State Fair, Justin Roberts, car show, Halloween train, more

Be sure to check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar for more activities and our Halloween and Fall Fun Guide. For practical tips on going to the State Fair with kids, click here to read my earlier post. With Friday being an early release day for most Wake County students, I suspect attendance at the fair will be up and attendance at school will be down.

Family performer/kindie star Justin Roberts stops at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro for an 11 a.m., Saturday, concert. Read my earlier post for more information about this award-winning performer. Because of a perfect storm of birthdays and soccer, my family won’t be able to see him - the first time in five years. This is a great show! We are so sorry to miss it!

If an afternoon at the fair on Friday isn’t for you, there are a couple of alternatives. JC Raulston Arboretum on Beryl Road (note: very close to the fairgrounds) will host Arboretum Trivia from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Friday. Explore the gardens while you search for five scavenger hunt questions. Start out at the visitor center. This is a drop-in program. It’s $1 per family.

In north Raleigh, Annie Louise Wilkerson MD Nature Preserve will host a Nature Play Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is another drop-in program. Explore the park with your kids and take part in some special activities. Free.

The Raleigh Little Theatre will preview its holiday production "June B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!" with a special performance at 5 p.m., Friday, at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh. Best for ages 5 and up. (This is a preview, not the entire play).

Cary Diwali is Saturday at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. Gates open at 10:30 a.m. The annual event showcases Indian culture, including music, dance, food and crafts. Admission is free. The event ends at 8:30 p.m. with fireworks.

The Cooke Street Carnival near downtown Raleigh is 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday. The grassroots neighborhood festival offers art, music, food and more. There’s also a pickle-eating contest, artist created photo-opp boards and activities for kids. Free.

As part of the N.C. Museum of Art’s Porsche by Design exhibit, the museum will host a European car meet up from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday. Check out the cars before heading into the exhibit, which features about two dozen Porsches from the 1930s to present day. (Again ... note that the museum is close to the fairgrounds so be prepared for some possible traffic).

The Bull City Race Fest and Food Truck Rodeo is Sunday in Durham. There’s a half-marathon, five mile and one mile race, along with lots of food. A kids zone includes bounce houses and face painting.

In southwest Wake County, New Hope Valley Railway offers Track or Treat Halloween rides on Saturday. Rides department at 4 p.m., 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. The earlier rides, when it’s still light out, are probably best for younger kids. This year, the railway has new haunted caboose tours and interactive Halloween scenes along the eight-mile track. Tickets are $10. They’ll also be running the train on Oct. 26. I recommend getting your tickets in advance for this.

In Johnston County, Bentonville Battlefield will host a living history program and fall festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday. You’ll find period carnival games, a corn shucking contest, town ball (a form of baseball played in the 19th century), wagon rides and lots of demonstrations. Wagon rides will cost $1 each (kids 5 and under are free). All other activities are free.

Sk8-Cary, 2040 NW Maynard Rd., will host two weekends of competitions starting Saturday. It begins with a BMX contest on Saturday. It continues with a skateboard contest on Oct. 26. Both events start at noon and are free to watch.

The Haunting at Harris: The Haunted Zoo is 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, at Harris Lake County Park in New Hill. Take a hayride through a haunted zoo. Costumes are encouraged for all ages. Hayride tickets are first come, first served. The park also will offer fall fun hayrides on Sunday and Nov. 2.

Kids Together Playground in Cary will host a Fall Foliage Stroll from 11 a.m. to noon, Saturday. Landscape architects will lead a tour of trees, shrubs and flowers at the park. It’s followed by an art activity using plant material collected during the tour. Refreshments included. It’s free.

And St. Francis of Assisi Preschool will host a Harvest Moon Festival from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sunday, with games, a cake walk, silent auctions, food, prizes, hay maze and more. It’s at 11401 Leesville Rd., Raleigh.

An addition: Dynamic Community Charter School will hold a gift and craft show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, at 3313 Wade Ave., Raleigh. The school, scheduled to open in 2014, is designed for students with intellectual and  developmental disabilities. There will be a cake walk, bake sale, photo booth and book drive for the school's library. Click here for more information.