Weekend Plans: Sandbox Band, Puss in Boots, skywatching sessions, more

If you know a teen girl, who is looking forward to the prom, but not sure how she or her parents will be able to afford the dress, shoes and everything else that goes with it, The Prom Shoppe will be open from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, at The Peak United Methodist Church, 1200 N. Salem St., in Apex. For more information about the event, how you can help and how it can help girls in the community, read my earlier post. Shoppers do not need to register to shop. They can just show up.

Dr. Seuss' birthday is coming up. And so is the release of the new animated film "The Lorax," based on one of my very favorite books, next week. We have a couple Dr. Seuss-related activities: Wake Forest Branch Library will celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday on Saturday with a special storytime. Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss is 10:30 a.m. to noon at the library on 400 E. Holding Ave. The Wake Forest Junior Women's Club is sponsoring the event, which includes stories and activities. Register at the library's circulation desk or call 919-554-8498. Or you can drop in the East Regional Library in Knightdale to help knit a paper thneed as part of an ongoing activity. For details on this and all of the other great programs at Wake's libraries, go to the system's website. (Note: Wake libraries are closed on Friday for a staff development day).

After playing the Broad Street Cafe in Durham last week, the Sandbox Band returns for another concert from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, at Tir Na Nog in downtown Raleigh. The event raises money for a local family, whose young son has been diagnosed with cancer. The band tells me there will be a modest per family donation at the door, along with some raffles for family activity packages for things to do in Raleigh. As Go Ask Mom readers know, I'm a big Sandbox Band fan. This will definitely be a fun concert and a good opportunity to help a local family. Read more about the boy, Oliver, and his family in this article from The Independent Weekly. Another benefit concert, featuring 16 bands including The Avett Brothers, is scheduled next month.

Rags to Riches Theatre for Young Audiences will present "Puss in Boots" at The Artscenter in Carrboro. The show is 11 a.m, Saturday. The 45-minute show is best for preschoolers to third graders. Tickets are $7 for kids, $9 for the general public and $28 for a family four pack.

Raleigh Little Theatre's Storytellers to Go! ends its run of "A Rollicking Tale of Blackbeard!" this weekend. You'll find the performance at 2 p.m., Saturday, at the Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex. The free show features a cast of students from Raleigh Little Theatre. The show, which is less than an hour, is best for ages 5 and up.

Children's author Kelly Starling Lyons (and local mom) will visit the Raleigh City Museum from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m, Feb. 25. Lyons' latest book is "Ellen's Broom." For more information about Lyons and her books, read my earlier post.

There are a series of trunk shows at Triangle-area Omega Sports stores featuring Dragonfly girlgear, a line of athletic support just for tween and teen girls. Read my earlier post for more.

The experts at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center will hold two free skywatching sessions this weekend. The first is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday, at Little River Regional Park. The second is set for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturday, at Jordan Lake State Park. These are great opportunities for families, especially this time of year when they have earlier start times because the sun sets earlier in the day. For details and exact directions, check the website. These are, of course, weather permitting.

Catch a screening of "Race to Nowhere," a critically acclaimed movie about the state of education in our schools, particularly at the high school level, at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, at Carrboro High School. Tickets are $10. For more information about the movie and to buy tickets, click here.

Also: As I wrote back in my children's performance series in the fall, TheatreworksUSA will present Skippyjon Jones at N.C. State's Stewart Theatre on Sunday. Last I checked, the tickets were sold out for this performance.