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July 26th - August 1st 2012

by Pam & Michael Davison

 Looks like its going to be warm again this weekend. Luckily, we have some wonderful museums if you want to get out of the house, but stay out of the heat. Plenty of evening hikes, movies and concerts let you get out and enjoy the fresh air once the sun goes down.

On Thursday, the Carolina Hurricanes come to Marbles Kids Museum. Score big at the inflatable slapshot booth, and practice skills and drills with the Hurricanes staff. Plus, take home a piece of the action with posters and giveaways.
 
Get Out to a Park
 

Take a Day off in the Woods at Walnut Creek Wetland Center Friday morning. Join them in a guided exploration of the wetland.

 

Since it is going to be warm outside, you might want to get out after the sun goes down for a Sunset Hike at Occoneechee Mountain. Come back to the mountain Saturday morning for a Geology Hike and explore the pyrophyllite quarry with a real geologist!
 
Prairie Ridge Ecostation invites you to join them for a  Weed Workshop Saturday morning. Come take a hands-on tutorial focusing on the identification and eradication of exotic invasive plants.
 
Get up early before the heat kicks in and take a Seasonable Summer Hike at Historic Yates Mill County Park Saturday morning. Go on a search for summer birds, blooming flowers and the variety of plants that grow in the park.
 
2012 is not only the Year of the Dragon, it's the Year of the Lizard! Explore the world of these little dragons and learn about the scaly and taily denizens of Lake Crabtree County Park Saturday afternoon.
 
Come out to Prairie Ridge and celebrate National Moth Week with Moths All Night! The program starts Saturday night and last until early Sunday morning. After a quick introduction, you will get to explore the black lights and traps to see what moths are active a different times through the night.
 
Rangers at Eno River State Park will also be out as the sun is going down to look for the Common Toad Saturday evening.
 
Come to learn about Butterflies in your Backyard at JC Raulston Arboretum Saturday morning. You'll visit three nearby butterfly havens: NCSU Raulston Arboretum, NC State Museum's Prairie Ridge Ecostation, and Schenck Forest!
 
Take a Family Twilight Hike with a park naturalist at Annie Louise Wilkerson Nature Preserve Saturday after dark to explore the woods and fields at twilight time. You'll look for deer, coyotes, owls, toads, moths and lightning bugs. You'll also do some star gazing.
 
Join the Park Naturalist at Eno River State Park and learn about Bobcats and their relationship to our domestic cats on Sunday afternoon.
 
Discover how to identify the signs animals leave behind and learn the infamous "Scat Song" on Sunday afternoon at Lake Crabtree County Park during Footprints and Feces.
 
Join a Park Ranger at William B. Umstead State Park on Sunday afternoon to learn how to read a map and use a compass. Basic Land Navigation will include a short discussion followed by a field exercise.
 
Join a Ranger paddling Jordan Lake on a Canoe Hike Sunday morning.
 
Music & Culture

Oak City 7 is back to Raleigh's City Plaza this Thursday night with the bands Lila, Once and Future Kings and the Annuals.

Wind down the day Friday night at Durham Central Park with a Warehouse Blues Concert by Bullfrog Willard McGhee.
 
Featuring guitar, flute, fiddle and vocals, Craicdown will be playing a Starlight Concert Friday night at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center.
 
Artists, food vendors, musicians and craftspeople set up their wares on the sidewalks around the courthouse in Downtown Historic Hillsborough for Last Fridays. This month will also feature an ice cream contest.
 
The NC Museum of Art exhibition El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa closes July 29, so they"re throwing a party before it goes! Join them Friday night for a Farewell Celebration of this show. Admission to the exhibition on this special evening is free. Along with the art, enjoy live music by Diali Cissokho and his band Kairaba. Art in the Evening will also take place in the West Building with the Peter Lamb Trio and an Art Exploration of American Celebrations.
 
WUNC's Back Porch Music brings Justin Robinson and the Mary Annettes to the American Tobacco Campus Amphitheatre Friday night for a concert.
 
It's Fridays Made Easy over at the Museum of Life and Science. After 5pm admission is only $5 on the 4th Fridays of the month. Explore the 84-acre science park and enjoy its newest attraction, Into the Mist, as well as the butterfly House, outdoor animal exhibits with black bears, lemurs, and red wolves, a Dinosaur Trail and lots of hands-on science.
 
Swift Creek will be playing their version of new grass, gospel and country rock Friday night for a Summer at the Springs Concert at the Holly Springs Cultural Center.
 
Come on over to the South Parking Deck at American Tobacco Campus Saturday morning to grab some coffee & pastries while you enjoy Coffee & Cars. Enjoy browsing a variety of antique, one-of-a-kind and exotic cars.
 
Historic Preservation Society of Durham volunteers lead an Architecture & the Urban Landscape Walking Tour through downtown highlighting the many architectural styles popular in the 20th century on Saturday morning.
DJ Piddipat will be at it again Sunday night at the Pavilion at Durham Central Park with a fun collection of old school and r&b music for Music in the Park.
 
Movies at the Parks & Museums
 

Madagascar 2 will be this Friday's Movies by Moonlight at Booth Amphitheater at Regency Park.

 

Marmaduke will be the featured family flick over at Falcon Park. Come on out and enjoy free popcorn on the hillside.
The 2011 French silent film, The Artist written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius will be screened at the North Carolina Museum of Art's outdoor amphitheater after dark Friday.
 
Even More Fun

Over 80 exhibitors will be buying, selling and trading vintage to new sportscards, memorabilia, Nascar, etc. on over 200 tables at a Sportscard and Sports Memorabilia Show.

The Hunt Horse Complex on the grounds of the State Fairgrounds will be hosting both a Dressage and Dressage Sport Horse Breeding both Saturday and Sunday.
 
Wednesday afternoon continues the Summer Family Film Series and Drop in Art at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Each week features a different theme with new and classic live-action and animated films.
 
The Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market will highlight a wide selection of the area's finest cheeses this Wednesday. The event will boast a grilled cheese cook off featuring downtown Raleigh's top chefs, local beer and cheese pairings with the NC Brewer's Guild, live music programmed by Hopscotch, local lunch vendors, and lots of fresh produce, meats, and artisan baked goods!
 
Another way to get fresh local produce is at the mobile LoMo Market at the American Tobacco Campus on Thursday afternoons.

 

 

 

 

 

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