Weekend Plans: 3 kid-friendly New Year's Eve celebrations around Raleigh, holiday lights, more

First Night Raleigh, of course, is the biggest event around here as we welcome in the new year. Now in its 27th year, the event takes over downtown Raleigh and offers dozens of events, programs and performances on Sunday. It begins at 2 p.m. with the DIY Festival at the state history and natural sciences museums. It transitions to City Plaza at 7 p.m. for the early countdown and fireworks celebration and continues until midnight for the official countdown and fireworks.

For tips on what to see and do with kids, check our Q&A with Terri Dollar, who has been programming the event for 20 years and another post about Seed Art Share, which will be offering its moving theater performances during First Night. First Night passes are $11 in advance.

In Chapel Hill, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center hosts its Night Lights family New Year’s Eve celebration. Night Lights runs 2 p.m. to 6 p.m, Dec. 31, at the Chapel Hill center. The afternoon includes games, shows in the center's fulldome theater, Science Live! performances and a photo booth. It ends with a New Year's countdown. Tickets are $5.

And Marbles Kids Museum hosts its Noon Year’s Eve celebration with bubble wrap stomping and a countdown at noon. It’s 11:45 a.m to 12:30 p.m., Sunday, and free with admission, which is $7 per person. Marbles will close at 2 p.m., Sunday, for New Year’s Eve.

Kwanzaa celebrations are planned in Durham and Cary this weekend.

If you’re ready to get 2018 started on the right foot, take a hike. First Day hikes are scheduled across the Triangle and North Carolina. We list 11 of them in our First Day hike post.

Christmas might be over, but holiday light shows are still lit, including Hill Ridge Farms in Youngsville and the Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary. Our holiday light list has the details.

Don’t forget our Winter Break Guide, which lists 11 other ways to stay busy with kids and extended family. And, finally, if you’re wondering what’s open and when, our Weekend Plans post last week listed holiday hours for popular family-friendly destinations.