14 family-friendly activities for weekend of Feb. 22 to Feb. 24

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

Raleigh Little Theatre continues its run of Junie B. Jones, The Musical this weekend. The show runs through March 3 and is based on the popular chapter book series for young readers. I had the chance to see it with my nine-year-old, and we both really enjoyed it. It definitely captures the heart of Junie B. Jones. Tickets are $12 for kids and $18 for adults.

Marbles Kids Museum’s sixth annual Future Me Kids Career Fair is 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday. The popular event brings together dozens of local professionals for a kids-size, playful take on a career fair. Children and their families meet, greet and play with grown-ups in a myriad of professions: architects, dentists, engineers, scientists, educators, entrepreneurs and more. It’s free with admission to Marbles, which is $7 per person.

World’s Toughest Rodeo stops at the PNC Arena for one show - 6 p.m., Saturday. Tickets start at $20 (and go up by $2 on the day of the show.) They are half price for kids 12 and under (courtesy of WRAL-TV). You’ll see a variety of livestock and cowboy competitors. And, back by popular demand, is Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey.

Go on a winter discovery walk with your family at JC Raulston Arboretum. The program is 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, at the arboretum near the NC State Fairgrounds. This one is best for families with grade schoolers to middle schoolers. The cost is $20 per family. (And registration is limited, so sign up now.) During the program, families will go on a scavenger hunt. Afterwards, you’ll take part in some winter activities in the arboretum’s yurt.

The N.C. Book Festival is this weekend. As part of it, Quail Ridge Books will host several festival events designed for kids and teens on Saturday. The weekend includes a special 10:30 a.m. storytime with author-illustrator Jonathan Voss; 2 p.m. stories and drawings with Paul Tillery IV, the author and illustrator behind Thundercluck; and a 6 p.m. Q&A with YA and middle grade authors, including Kati Gardner. Quail Ridge’s calendar has more information about each of the programs, which are free.

Durham Performing Arts Center has a couple of shows. For adults, there’s Rock of Ages on Friday and Saturday. And for kids and families, there’s Wild Kratts LIve 2.0, which is based on the popular PBS show, on Sunday.

And a focus on tiny science continues with the Nano exhibits and activities at the Museum of Life and Science.

LightUp 2019 is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, in downtown Chapel Hill. This annual event highlights Asian cultures, food, performances and more. The afternoon includes performances, hands-on crafts activities, a lantern parade and more.

Ackland Art Museum’s Family and Friends Sunday is 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday. This weekend’s event is inspired by Ackland’s current exhibition, The Beautiful Brain. The afternoon will feature a matinee screening of Disney’s Inside Out and an “Ask a Neuroscientist” table with scientist-artists from the UNC Neuroscience Center whose art is featured in The Beautiful Brain. Free.

Chapel Hill Public Library will host Bright Star Theatre: Heroes of the Underground Railroad from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., Saturday. Best for kids in kindergarten to fifth grade. The play highlights several of the fascinating stories of the brave men and women who dared to escape slavery, and the abolitionists who risked everything to aid them along the way. It's free.

Applause! Cary Youth Theater will perform “Charlotte’s Web” at the Cary Arts Center. Shows are Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $10 for adults; $8 for students and seniors and $5 for kids 5 and under.

After closing for a major expansion more than a year ago, Wake Forest Community Library will celebrate its reopening with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m., Feb. 24. The expanded library has more room for books and programming, including additional space for family events.

The town will host Princesses in the Park from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, at Wendell Community Center. The free event includes visits with various costumed characters, followed by a screening of Moana.