14 family-friendly activities for weekend of June 22 to June 24

WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar lists more weekend activity ideas.

Our Raleigh area Summer Activities Guide covers more than 45 ideas to keep you busy this summer. And our Summer Fun Toolbox lists details about outdoor pools and spraygrounds, free and cheap summer movie series and more.

Historic Yates Mill County Park, just south of Raleigh, has a free, all-ages drop-in arts and nature program from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. The theme is Incredible Insects. Learn bug facts, go on a scavenger hunt and make your own butterflies, dragonflies and more.

Pop-Pupalooza at Dix Park is noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, at Raleigh’s Dix Park near downtown. It’s free. During this pop-up event, dogs will be allowed off leash while at a specially crafted dog park. The dog park features four acres for dogs to roam. There will be a small dog area too. There also will be some special activities and food trucks for humans.

Learn more about the sun when the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences hosts International SUNday from noon to 3:30 p.m., Sunday. Safely view the sun through a solar telescope, hear about unusual space weather and current solar research, and more. International SUNday is held annually on the Sunday nearest to the summer solstice, which is the day with the most hours of sunlight during the entire year, marking the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The event is free.

Macaroni Kid North Raleigh will host a children’s literacy festival from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, at Lafayette Village. There will be hands-on activities, a book swap tent and other activities.

American Dance Festival will host one of its family shows at 1 p.m., Saturday. Modern dance group Pilobolus will perform at the Durham Performing Arts Center. A free party in the theater’s lobby with live music, face painting, snacks and other activities will follow the performance. Tickets are $17.25.

Durham Comics Fest’s big event is Saturday at Southwest Regional Library. The free event starts at 11 a.m. and runs through 3:45 p.m., featuring a comic book swap and workshops with acclaimed cartoonists. All ages are invited.

Durham Central Park will host a free screening of the PG-rated “Marmaduke” from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday.

Chapel Hill Public Library will host a session called Coolest Hottest Missions from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. Tina CoyneSmith, NASA Solar System Ambassador Volunteer will take you on a journey to the stars, to Mars, and to the sun with an exciting talk about four NASA missions happening this summer, according to the description. It’s free and for all ages.

Fit4Mom Chapel Hill and Carrboro will host the Climb Out of the Darkness 2018. It starts at 9 a.m., Sunday, and includes a stroller-friendly hike in Briar Chapel. The annual event aims to shine light on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

Booth Amphitheatre’s Movies by Moonlight series will feature “Despicable Me 3,” Friday. Gates open at 7 p.m., movie starts around 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and free for kids 12 and under.

Vollmer Farm’s fourth annual Blueberry Music Festival is 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday. The day includes play on the farm’s massive Back Forty playground, food trucks, cooking demonstrations, pie eating contests and more. Tickets are $10 in advance ($15 day of). Kids 12 and under are free.

It's Dino Night on Sunday at the Holly Springs Salamanders game, which starts at 5:40 p.m. Kids also will get to run the bases.

Wendell's Big Truck Day is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, at 16 E. Campen St. in downtown Wendell. Kids can explore big trucks of all kinds and ask questions of the people who operate them. It’s free.

The Carolina Mudcats have home games both Saturday and Sunday. Kids run the bases after Sunday's game.