Weekend Plans: St. Patrick's Day Parade, theater for kids, The Little Mermaid, more

It's a busy weekend full of lots of activities for families. First, if you haven't checked out our Easter events database, now is the time. The Easter Bunny will begin appearing at local malls this weekend! Click here for the database!

And, of course, Saturday is St. Patrick's Day. Here's your weekend family fun!

The annual Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade and free Wearin' 'O the Green Festival takes over downtown Raleigh. The festival on Moore Square runs from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with live music, food and drink. The parade, which winds its way north up Fayetteville Street to the State Capitol and then around Edenton and Blount streets to Moore Square, begins at noon. We went last year and had a great time. Lots of green!

Rolesville will hold a St. Patrick's Day Bike Parade Saturday afternoon at Main Street Park. Kids under 9 years can decorate their bikes for the event. There will be prizes for best decorated bike. After the parade, there will be a scavenger hunt. Rolesville's police department will be on hand to teach about bike safety and lead the parade through the park. Registration for the parade and bike decorating contest begins at 2 p.m. It all starts at Main Street Park's Shelter D, which is off Scarboro Street next to Sanford Creek Elementary School.

Leesville Community Library, 5105 Community Trail in Raleigh, will have a St. Patrick's Day-themed drop-in craft from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday. Visitors will make a St. Patrick's Day mobile.

The Barnes & Noble at Triangle Town Center in Raleigh's Friday morning storytime will feature the book "Luckiest St. Patrick's Day Ever!" It's at 10:30 a.m., Friday.

We have consignment sales in Raleigh, Cary, Fayetteville, Smithfield and Durham this week. Read my earlier post for details.

Raleigh Little Theatre's run of Nate the Great, based on the series of books by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, continues this weekend at the theater near Cameron Village. The show runs through March 25. Tickets are $13 for teens and adults and $9 for kids 12 and under. Here's a synopsis: "Nate the Great is the sharpest kid detective ever to solve his neighborhood's mysteries. With his faithful dog, Sludge, and his friends, he solves important cases, always remembering to leave a note for his mother and wear his galoshes! It's the Our Gang comedies meet Raymond Chandler, a spoof of "B" movie mysteries."

Carolina Ballet opens The Little Mermaid on Thursday at the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts. The ballet runs through April 1. There is a special family show on March 24 featuring just The Little Mermaid. For more information, read my earlier post.

Durham Family Theatre's "The House at Pooh Corner" continues this weekend at Duke Memorial United Methodist Church, 504 W. Chapel Hill St., in downtown Durham. Shows are 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m., Saturday. There's a suggested donation of $12 for adults and $10 for children, students and seniors. Tickets are on sale now.

Or you could see "Winnie the Pooh" at the Durant Road Musical Theatre in north Raleigh. Shows are 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday; 7:30 p.m., March 22; and 7:30 p.m., March 23. The theater's shows aren't always open to the public, but I'm told this one was so cute they decided to open it up to a broader audience. The show features students at the theater, including members of its competition team. It's appropriate for kids ages 3 to 8. Tickets are $6. It's best to call ahead and reserve your tickets before you go. To reserve tickets, contact the theatre at 919-844-3228 or info@MyDRMT.com.

The 2012 Cary Cup National Level Table Tennis Championship is at Bond Park Community Center this weekend. The 11th annual event is a nationally and internationally recognized competition and will feature some of the top table tennis athletes from around the world. They are competing for nearly $18,000 in total prize money. There are some opportunities for beginners to participate, though preregistration is required. You can also just watch the competition. It's free.

The Triangle Youth Philharmonic will present An Evening of Ballet with the International Ballet Co. at Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave., in Cary. Performances are 7 p.m., Saturday, and 2 p.m., Sunday. Tickets are $15 for adults; $12 for seniors; and $10 for kids 12 and under. The Triangle Youth Philharmonic is the most advanced group of the Philharmonic Association, which provides local students the opportunity to study and perform classical music.

Love Durham? Then head over to Marry Durham 2012 on the 700 Block of Rigsbee Avenue from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, for a family-friendly event. It includes a parade, food truck gathering, entertainment and more. The event's aim is to keep Durham's streets clean and safe, protect its natural resources, shop locally and support the arts and local non-profit groups.

The newly approved Triangle Math and Science Academy, a charter school, will have a parent information session from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, at Eva Perry Regional Library, 2100 Shepherds Vineyard Dr. in Apex. Other sessions are scheduled for March 24 at West Regional Library in Cary and March 31 at Cameron Village Library in Raleigh. The school is accepting applications for kindergarten through sixth grade.

Young adult authors Ally Carter and Rachel Hawkins will talk about their new books at 3 p.m., Saturday, at Quail Ridge Books & Music on Wade Avenue in Raleigh. Carter is known for her Gallagher Girls and Heist Society books. She'll visit with "Out of Sight, Out of Time," a new Gallagher Girls novel. Hawkins comes with "Spell Bound: A Hex Hall Novel." Both are best for ages 12 and up.

Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site in Four Oaks will compare medical care during the Civil War and what is found on today's battlefield during a special weekend program from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Modern day military representatives will share information throughout the weekend, along with historic site staff and Civil War re-enactors. It is free, except for a special program Saturday evening that will graphically reflect hospital care during the Civil War era. The cost is $5 and discretion is advised for younger guests for the Saturday evening event.

Johnston Community College Performing Arts will present "SkippyJon Jones" at 3 p.m., Saturday. Tickets are $11 in advance and $12.50 at the door. If you missed the sell-out show at N.C. State a couple of weeks ago, here's another chance. It is produced by the New York-based theater company Theatreworks USA and features professional actors. The hour-long musical is best for kindergartners to third graders.

Triangle Community Birth Stories will host its monthly gathering featuring women's birth stories. It starts at 4 p.m., Saturday, at The Diapering Doula in Morrisville.

Storytellers Bookstore in Wake Forest will being offering weekly Saturday storytimes this weekend. It begins at 10:30 a.m. Stories are geared for ages 4 and up, but younger kids are welcome.

The Nasher Museum of Art in Durham will have a Free Family Day from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday. There will be a gallery hunt, along with make-and-take crafts and live entertainment. Activities are designed for ages 3 to 12 and their adults.

And a reader suggested I share this as a moms' night out event suggestion. It's Shimmer 2012 from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. at Solas Lounge in Raleigh. Tickets are $20. Bring your girlfriends and enjoy light hors d'oeuvres and champagne spritzers, along with activities and vendors representing beauty and fashion products.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!