17+ family-friendly activities for weekend of April 12 to April 14

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

It’s a huge weekend for egg hunts and Easter Bunny visits, including this weekend’s Easter Bunny Express at the NC Transportation Museum. Our Easter events database has more information, along with details about all of the egg hunts and other Easter activities coming up.

The N.C. Science Festival gears up with a weekend of statewide star parties and more.

The NC Museum of Art’s Family Fun Saturday offers activities at 10:15 a.m. and 1 p.m., Saturday, April 13, at the west Raleigh museum. With a “powder my wig” theme, participants will take inspiration from “swagger portraits” in the museum’s collection to sculpt an elaborate paper hairdo that would make an 18th-century courtier blush. Best for ages 5 to 11 with their adults. Tickets are $8 per person.

The City of Raleigh Museum will host an Oak City Architecture Tour from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday, April 13. Tickets are $10 for adults and $4 for kids ages 7 to 17. These are best for tweens and up. While you’re there, be sure to visit the museum too.

Children’s book author Kelly Starling Lyons will share her new picture book, “Going Down Home with Daddy,” at 2 p.m., Saturday, April 13, at Quail Ridge Books. The book, best for ages 5 and up, explores the power of family traditions.

The NC Museum of History celebrates Tartan Day on Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13. The free celebration of North Carolina’s Scottish roots includes bagpipe performances, Highland dancing, genealogy discussions, demonstrations and more.

Durham turns 150 years old this year, and to celebrate the anniversary, local organizations are launching a yearlong celebration to encourage all of us to learn more about the city's history and where it's headed. To kick it all off, the Durham 150 Opening Celebration is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 13, at the American Tobacco Campus. The event will highlight the four pillars of Durham 150: history and education, innovation and entrepreneurship, social equity and democracy and arts and leisure.

Feed Durham Fest is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 13, at StoryChurch, 100 Pleasant Dr., Durham. They’ll be collecting canned good for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. Egg hunts, free food and games also are on the schedule. It’s free.

Magician Michael Carbonaro will perform at the Durham Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m., Sunday, April 14. Known for his popular show on truTV, Carbonaro will be bringing his magic and antics to the live stage. Tickets start at around $40 and are going fast.

A Plastic-Free Eggstravaganza is set of 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, April 14, at 140 West Plaza in downtown Chapel Hill. This new event takes all of the fun of an annual egg hunt, adds STEAM activities, subtracts the plastic, and moves the whole thing downtown. The egg hunts will employ reusable wooden eggs, painted by UNC art students. Kids between the ages of 2 and 8 will take turns hunting for the eggs in the plaza. At the end of each hunt, egg hunters can swap their eggs for sweet treats and then enjoy a variety of egg-themed STEAM activities, games, arts and crafts.

For four days, a vacant space in downtown Chapel Hill will turn into an art gallery and puppet theater featuring Tarish Pipkins, also known as the master puppeteer Jeghetto. It's open Friday through Sunday at 109 E. Franklin St. and will include a display of his work and a variety of puppet shows. Chapel Hill's website has the full schedule, including details about when children's puppet shows are planned.

The NC State chapter of Give Kids the World will host a Life-Sized Candy Land from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Friday, April 12, at Bond Park Community Center, 150 Metro Park Dr., Cary. Tickets are $12. When you buy two or more tickets, you get half off the cost for your group.

The Festival of Legends runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14, at Optimist Farm, 2908 Optimist Farm Rd. The event is a “celebration of the mythic arts and magic of life itself,” according to the website. Expect to see costumed performers and participants portraying characters and storylines from mythology, folklore, fairy tales and more. Tickets are $15 for a one-day pass at the gate. Kids 12 and under are free with a ticket-holding adult.