Weekend Plans: Tax-free shopping, outdoor movies, First Friday, skywatching, more

It's a busy weekend! I know many of you will be headed to the malls and stores for some tax-free shopping. It runs from 12:01 a.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Be sure to read Faye's post on the WRAL Smart Shopper blog for all the details and tips before you go, including exactly what is tax free.

The PG-rated movie "Up" will be featured at Koka Booth Amphitheatre's Movies by Moonlight series on Thursday. I love this movie about a 78-year-old man who launches his house into the sky with balloons only to discover he has an eight-year-old stowaway. Gates open at 7 p.m. The movie starts at dusk. There will be special balloon displays. And the great Sandbox Band will be performing on the main stage before the show. Tickets are $3 for adults. Kids 12 and under are admitted free. You can bring a picnic.

It's the first Friday of the month, which means downtown Raleigh's museums and galleries are open with special events. Many of them are family friendly. Marbles Kids Museum will stay open until 8 p.m. The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences will feature the 1965 flick "The Beach Girls and the Monster" at 7 p.m (a fun outing for older kids). And Ornamentea bead and craft shop has a free project every Friday. Click here for details on these events and more.

The N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh will feature the PG-rated "Rango" on Friday evening. It all starts at 7:30 p.m. with crafts, activities and movie-related photo opportunities. Ticket holders can make rancher bandannas and earn their own sheriff's badge. The movie starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $4.

Rising kindergartners can get ready for the year at the Countdown to Kindergarten on Friday evening at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. Read my earlier post for details on this event and another one later this month for Wake County kids.

Teens Going Green, a new consignment sale in Cary catering to tweens and teens, is this Saturday and Sunday at the Cary Masonic Lodge. Read my earlier post for details.

Chapel Hill's parks and recreation department will hold its 10th annual Family Fun Day at Hargraves Center, 216 N. Roberson St. There will be live music, food, swimming, games and more. It's from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

Durham's Latino Festival is from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Rock Quarry Park, 701 Stadium Dr. The festival features Hispanic traditions and folklore. There will be special performances, music, food, activities for kids and more.

Marbles in Raleigh will host the Family Science Olympiad from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Compete in a series of interactive and hands-on challenges. It's free with admission to the museum, which is $5 per person. Click here for all the details, including a list of all the challenges.

Three events on Saturday will mark World Breastfeeding Week in the area. The Big Latch On aims to break the record for the largest number of nursing moms at the same time. There are events on Saturday in Durham, Morrisville and Fayetteville. Read my earlier post for details.

I can't believe it, but the summer reading finale at the Cameron Village Regional Library in Raleigh is from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Drummer and storyteller Braima Miowai will perform. No registration is required for this free event.

The Missoula Children's Theatre will present King Arthur's Quest, featuring local kids ages 6 to 16. The shows are 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. This is a musical adaptation of the classic. There will be dragons, knights, damsels and more. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for kids.

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is partnering with the Orange County Schools on "Stuff the Bus!" to collect new school supplies for kids from low-income families. Look for the Orange County Schools bus in the Morehead parking lot from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Donate your school supplies on that bus and get a coupon for $2 off any Morehead full dome planetarium show, valid Friday to Sunday. Morehead's monthly skywatching session also is from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday at Jordan Lake State Park. This is a great family event. Check the website for the exact location and details. It's weather permitting.

And Joyner Park, 701 Harris Rd., Wake Forest, will have a free bluegrass concert from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday in the shade of the park's pecan grove. Mandolin Orange, a duo featuring songwriter Andrew Marlin and vocalist/instrumentalist Emily Frantz, will perform. A great place to bring a picnic and a blanket.