15 family-friendly events for weekend of September 7 to September 9

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

Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator behind the Captain Underpants and Dog Man series, will be in Raleigh Saturday for a presentation at NC State. Tickets for the presentation are sold out, but you can still attend and take part in activities in the lobby and even get a book signed by him. Doors open at 1 p.m., Saturday, for the event, which is at Hunt Library on NC State’s Centennial Campus.

Music Month at Marbles Kids Museum continues with a free open mic from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday, in the courtyard. You also can catch Marbles’ latest documentary, “America’s Musical Journey 3D,” at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets to the movie are $5.

Paperhand Puppet Intervention’s 19th summer show moves to the N.C. Museum of Art for shows on both Friday and Saturday. The outdoor show features puppets of all kinds and sizes, along with live music. Tickets are $8.50 for kids ages 7 to 18 and $17 for adults. Doors open at 6:20 p.m.

The Raleigh Greek Festival is Friday through Sunday at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. Kids under 13 are free. Otherwise, tickets are $2 for ages 13 to 18 and $3 for adults (or free if you print them off at home) The annual festival features Greek food, traditional dance, music and more.

The 16th annual AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, at the NC State Fairgrounds. The free event includes demonstrations, giveaways, games and more.

The Civil Air Patrol will host an open house this Sunday to share information about how anybody - ages 12 and up - can get involved. The group builds awareness about aviation and fields such as aerospace and STEM education. Kids as young as 12 can get involved. It’s noon to 3 p.m., Sunday, at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

The Durham Bulls are in the playoffs with games Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. There will be fireworks after Saturday's game. And kids run the bases after Sunday's game. Playoff tickets are $16 each and include unlimited Bright Leaf hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos and cheese, pretzels, popcorn and fountain Pepsi products!

Duke Homestead, the state historic site, will host a free family day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday. Learn about the harvest season and take part in some fall crafts and a hornworm scavenger hunt.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, at Hillside Pool in Durham, the annual Pooch Plunge includes an opportunity for dogs to swim and play in water. The fee per dog is $6 for city residents and $11 for non-city residents. Pre-registration is required.

Orange County’s Animal Services Department also will hold its annual dog swim from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, at the A.D. Clark Pool located at the Hargraves Community Center at 216 N. Roberson St. in Chapel Hill. Orange County dogs can swim for $10 and dogs from other counties can swim for $15.

Chapel Hill Public Library’s book sale will feature more than 20,000 books this weekend. It is open Friday (for members), Saturday and Sunday.

Both North Carolina FC and NC Courage have games Saturday. It’s a 5 p.m. game for North Carolina FC and 7:30 p.m. for NC Courage. During both games, fans are encouraged to bring their old, unwanted denim to donate to the Blue Jeans Go Green effort.

The K-Fest Arts and Education Festival is 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, at Knightdale Station Park. Artists, musicians, educational vendors and more will be on hand during the afternoon. It’s free.

New Hope Valley Railway hosts Thomas in the Garden on Sunday. Train tickets are $8 to $12. Trains depart at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Take an hour-long ride on the open-air train and then check out the model railway with several Thomas cars.

The Trung Thu Moon Festival is 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, at the Renaissance Centre for the Arts. The event marks ones of the most important festivals in the Vietnamese culture. The Moon Festival celebrates the opportunity for parents to catch up with their children after the summer harvest is completed. The event will include music, stories, food, arts and crafts and will wrap up with a children’s lantern promenade. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and kids under 12.