Weekend Plans Father's Day Edition: Celebrations for dad, free ice skating, more

There are several events planned in honor of dads, including special activities at Marbles Kids Museum all weekend; a Pops for Pops concert Sunday at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham; and a Father's Day Celebration at Noah's Landing, the hands-on zoo in Coats (where they will release a screech owl and two great horned owls at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday). For more on these events and a couple of others, read my earlier post by clicking here.

The Bull City Chili Challenge might appeal to many dads out there. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (or when the chili runs out) in Durham Central Park on Foster Street near downtown Durham, the cook off will feature both chili and salsa. Chili cooks will be competing in four divisions - Texas Style, Freestyle, Restaurant and Junior. The event includes games and entertainment for kids and adults. Admission is free. Chili and salsa tasting kits will be sold for $4. Chili turn-in is at noon so it's best to get there early if you want to try some.

Also in downtown Durham, the seventh annual Juneteenth Celebration is 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday on the CCB Plaza. A procession opens the event at 12:30 p.m. with men and children marching, along with church and school groups, athletic associations, boys and girls clubs, and more. A children's village will have games, face painting, crafts and other activities. Vendors will sell a variety of African and African-American clothing, crafts and foods.

Cars 2 is coming out next weekend but Borders bookstores is celebrating the release on Saturday with a party at 2 p.m. It's at the only Borders left in the Triangle (other than the airport location) - at 8825 N. Six Forks Rd. in Raleigh. The event is designed for kids ages 3 to 8. Click here for details.

Cary's Polar Ice House will hold an open house from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and offer free skating, games, prizes, food and a visit from the Carolina Hurricanes mascot Stormy. There will be a DJ. And instructors will offer mini-lessons to new skaters. You'll also find some contests where you can win a variety of prizes including learn-to-skate classes and a free birthday party. For more information, visit www.polaricehouse.com or call 919-460-2756.

Little Pros Academy of Morrisville will hold a large yard sale from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday with lots of baby and children's items. The school is at 131 Keybridge Dr. in Morrisville.

Historic Yates Mill County Park will hold corn grinding tours from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The 30-minute tours are an opportunity to see the historic mill in operation. The fee is $5 for adults and $3 for seniors age 60 and up and kids ages 7 to 16. It's free for kids 6 and under. The last tour begins at 3:40 p.m.

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh will hold StormFest from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Meteorologists from four local news stations will be there. Visitors can learn why weather happens, how to predict it and what it's like to be on TV. There also will be information about how you can prepare your family for bad weather.

In addition to its special Father's Day events, Marbles also will host Banfield Pet Hospital's FutureVet interactive program led by a veterinarian. Kids can explore careers in pet health, meet a therapy dog and graduate with a FutureVet certificate. It's from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday. Free with admission to Marbles, which is $5.

For lovers of Calico Critters out there, The Children's Store in Chapel Hill will be holding a Calico Critter Day from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday with giveaways, crafts and a chance to win a Calico Critter Townhouse.

The Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary will feature the PG-rated "Despicable Me" on Thursday at dusk. Gates open at 7 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults. Kids 12 and under are free. Bring your picnic, a blanket or lawn chair. Click here for details.

And on Saturday at Koka Booth, the N.C. Symphony will perform "Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney." Gates open at 5 p.m. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 for general admission on the lawn and $35 for table seats. Prices increase by $5 the day of the show. Kids 12 and under are free on the lawn. And kids should check out the orchestra's instrument zoo before the concert. You'll find a variety of instruments to try in the Amphitheatre's courtyard before the concert.

Raleigh's Sunday in the Park concert series will feature the Chapel Hill Village Band at 6 p.m. Sunday. The concert is at Fletcher Park, 820 Clay St. right near the intersection with Glenwood Avenue and Peace Street. It's free.