Weekend Plans: Strawberry picking, farm tours, festivals

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

The N.C. Science Festival wraps up on Sunday, but it continues all weekend at venues across the state, bringing fun, hands-on science and technology activities to all. This weekend, kids can take part in a “bio blitz,” learn from real scientists at a SciTech Expo and show of their work during a family science fair. Learn more in this earlier post highlighting some of this weekend's events.

We have strawberries! Strawberry farms across the region are opening. Get the details in our strawberry farm database. In Garner, you’ll find a Strawberry Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, on Technology Dr. in the 4042 area. They'll have games, face painting, arts, crafts and more.

A couple of family theater opportunities: Raleigh Little Theatre’s Charlotte’s Web continues through Saturday. My kindergartner, especially, loved this show when we saw it last weekend. It is faithful to the classic story and mixes young actors with more experienced ones. Cary Players’ “The Wizard of Oz” has shows this weekend at the Cary Arts Center.

Kidcycle, the children’s consignment sale, is open to the public starting Thursday at Durham’s Northgate Mall.

Both the Durham Bulls and Carolina Mudcats baseball teams have away games this weekend, but you still can take in some baseball. N.C. State will play N.C. A&T during a game that starts at 6:30 p.m., Friday, at Doak Field at Dail Park. There will be fireworks after the game. Tickets purchased in advance start at $5 for kids and $8 for adults. A game also is scheduled for 1 p.m., Sunday.

The Piedmont Farm Tour is 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, at farms across the region. Visit farms and learn more about farmers' efforts to make sure we have food to eat. Piedmont Farm Tour advance tickets are $30 per car for all farms, all weekend or $35 if you buy your ticket this weekend. Some tips: Bring a cooler to store items you buy; bring some hand sanitizer (but washing hands is always best); and don’t plan on seeing every single farm. Take a look at the list and find a few that are best for your crew.

At 4 p.m., Sunday, at N.C. State, the Raleigh Civic Chamber Orchestra will present the beloved favorite, "Peter and the Wolf," with guest narrator Harry Shearer (known for his voice work for 23 characters on The Simpsons, This is Spinal Tap and much more). This version will take a slightly different spin on this classic since, you know, the concert takes place at N.C. State, the home of the Wolf(pack).

Durham will host an Earth Day Festival from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, at Rock Quarry Park, 701 Stadium Dr. It’s free. You’ll find music, food, hands-on educational activities and more.

The Raleigh City Farm in downtown Raleigh will host a Bearthday Bazaar from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday. It’s free. There will be farm tours, children’s activities, local vendors and a “bearthday” cake.

Kidzu Children’s Museum will host a Hip Hop Frog Fest to support the Disappearing Frogs Project. The event is 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturday, on center stage at University Place in Chapel Hill. There will be a reading of “The Legend of Lizard Lick” and a performance from the Bouncing Bulldogs.

Celebrate Children’s Day at the Town of Cary’s Sertoma Amphitheatre in Bond Park, 801 High House Road, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. The free event is geared toward attendees 16 and younger and promotes world cultures through performances from countries including Republic of China, Colombia, India, Ireland, Lebanon and Turkey. You’ll also find a community corner, face painting, international crafts such as bead bracelets, blue eye paper decoration, kilim weaving, maracas and more.

Cary is hosting a literary tea designed for middle schoolers and up on Sunday.

The Apex Farmers’ Market opens for the season on Saturday on North Salem Street. Hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturdays. Opening day includes food trucks, activities for kids and more.

Northgate Mall will have a tea party and etiquette class from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. Admission to the tea party is free with online registration, however attendees are asked to bring a book to donate to Book Harvest on the day of the event.

And there’s a family cookout at Maple View Farm in Hillsborough from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday. There will be music, hayrides, some pretty fantastic sounding hot dogs, ice cream, face painting and more. A family four pack is $80; $12.50 for kids ages 2 to 13; and $35 for ages 14 and up.