Weekend Plans: Baseball, rodeo, theater for kids, more

Happy weekend! As always, check WRAL.com’s Out & About section for more weekend activities.

Must be getting close to spring! The Durham Bulls will host the 2017 Fan Fest, a free event, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Fans can take batting practice on the field, get a behind-the-scenes tour of the DBAP and purchase single-game tickets at the ballpark. Wool E. Bull will be there. Any fan who purchases a ticket to a 2017 Bulls game at the event will receive a free hot dog and soda. And Wool E. World, the children's playground, will be open.

World’s Toughest Rodeo, rescheduled from January, is Saturday at the PNC Arena. Ticket holders get into a preshow an hour before the show.

Wake Forest Renaissance Centre has a couple of events this weekend. It will host a free screening of a family friendly movie at 7 p.m, Friday. And, at 7 p.m., Saturday, the center will feature a free show from the Paperhand Puppet Intervention, which uses puppets of all sizes, live music and more to tell stories.

The Women’s Theatre Festival and Sonorous Road Theatre in Raleigh will host Princess Talks, which imagines what princesses might be really thinking. Organizers say this one could be a lot of fun for girls (ages 10 and up are best) and their moms, grandmas, aunts and friends. Shows are Friday through Sunday.

In Durham, the Museum of Life and Science has a pop-up exhibit open through March 19. Forts! lets visitors build tunnels and hiding spaces with everyday materials.

Triangle Town Center in Raleigh will host the Neuse River District Cub Scouts’ annual Pinewood Derby at 10 a.m., Saturday. At this free community event, hundreds of local club scouts will create their own one-of-a-kind car using just one wood block, four nails and four plastic wheels. It's always a lot of fun to watch!

We have consignment sales in Raleigh and Smithfield this week.

The fifth annual USA Baseball Irish Classic games start Friday at the Town of Cary’s USA Baseball National Training Complex, 7445 Green Hope School Rd. Adult weekend passes are $30 and day passes are $12; for seniors (55+) and youth (ages 13-18) weekend passes are $25 and day passes $10. Children 12 and younger enter free. The University of Notre Dame, North Carolina State University, the University of Maryland, Monmouth University, University of Rhode Island, University of Massachusetts-Lowell, University of Dayton and College of William and Mary will compete. Gates open 90 minutes before the day’s first pitch. Parking is free; seating is first come, first served.

Be Young At Heart at WakeMed Apex Healthplex is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, at the Healthplex, 120 Healthplex Way, Apex. Phil Ford, a former Carolina basketball star, will be on hand for a basketball shootout. The free event also includes heart health screenings, CPR education, kids crafts and games and more, including lots of prizes.

WAKE Up and Read’s annual book drive will host a Read Across America event from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, at Cary Towne Center. Highlights include a Dr. Seuss story time, special music by Kidsnotes, art activities and appearances by Ruben the WAKE Up and Read Rooster and The Cat in The Hat. You also can donate books.

N.C. State Live will present “Teacher from the Black Lagoon and Other Stories” with a live show at 3 p.m., Saturday, at Talley Student Center on the NC State campus. The show, from TheatreWorks USA, will feature live versions of a variety of favorite children’s picture books. Tickets are $12.

The N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh will host family tours of its new exhibit, Glory of Venice: Masterworks Renaissance Paintings 1470-1520. They are at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Half-hour tour are designed for families with children age 6 to 12. They are free with a paid ticket to Glory of Venice, which features 50 paintings and a significant group of early printed books and individual pages that illustrate a crucial period in the history of Venetian art and culture. Tickets for both Glory of Venice and the museum’s Ansel Adams exhibit are $18 for adults and $12 for kids ages 7 to 18.