Weekend Plans: World's Toughest Rodeo, preschool fair, MLK events

Here’s your weekly post on weekend activities. As always, check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar for more ideas.

Friday is an early release day for many Wake County students, so I’ll point out that the Annie Louise Wilkerson MD Nature Preserve in north Raleigh will hold a nature play day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday. Pre-registration is not required for the free, drop-in activities that give kids an opportunity to explore the preserve. Children must be with an adult.

The World’s Toughest Rodeo returns to the PNC Arena in Raleigh with one show at 7:30 p.m., Friday. This very popular show features the nation’s top cowboys and cowgirls, along with a monkey who rides a dog (for real). Tickets start at $18 and thanks to WRAL-TV and Fox 50, kids 12 and under get ½ price tickets on regularly priced seats (except the $75 seat). You’ll need to buy an adult ticket to get that deal.

The Chapel Hill/Carrboro Mother’s Club will hold its annual preschool fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, at the Carrboro Century Center. Learn all about the preschools in that part of the Triangle. For more about that event and scheduled open houses for many preschools in the area, read this earlier post.

Pro Martial Arts of Morrisville will hold a grand opening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The event includes free pizza, karate lessons and a chance to win a Kindle, pizza parties, gift certificates and other items. Pro Martial Arts is a national martial arts franchise that specializes in character education. It also offers the ARMOR program, which aims to keep kids safe from predators, dangerous adult behavior and bullying. The Morrisville location is at 1004 Lower Shiloh Way, Morrisville.

In Cary, the town’s MLK Jr. Dreamfest: An Arts Tribute to Martin is 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, at the Cary Arts Center. The event includes dance, spoken word and song, along with a Family Frolic Dance Mix by DJ Tay.

Monday is the official Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For more events on Monday, read this earlier post.

The Carolina Hurricanes offer a series of Family Night packages. The next one is for the 5 p.m., Sunday, game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The packages start at $99 (plus fees) and include four tickets, four hot dogs, four popcorns and four drinks. The remaining Family Nights are Feb. 8, March 16 and April 3. 

Finally … they are still skating in downtown Raleigh and the American Tobacco Campus. Here's more about Raleigh’s Winterfest outdoor ice rink. Click here for more about The Ice Factory in Durham. The Ice Factory closes Jan. 20. Winterfest closes Feb. 1.