Its time for Science Trivia Thursday night at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Along with extended hours, you can also enjoy discounts to Birds of Paradise: Amazing Avian Evolution and a special night of StormFest. Come meet local meteorologists and learn about severe weather and what your family can do to be prepared.

 

Come back to the NC Museum of Natural Sciences Friday night for all the fun that goes with First Friday! There will be live music, a Teen Science Cafe with the NC State University's Human Physiology of Wearable Robotics Lab, BOGO admission to Birds of Paradise, an opening reception for "Distant Relatives: Dinosaurs and Birds" and the 1966 movie "War of the Monsters: Gamera vs. Barugon."

 

Downtown Raleigh comes alive for First Friday with the Downtown Gallery Walk and extended hours at the Raleigh City Museum and Marbles Kids Museum. While at Marbles, drop off some new or gently-used books for their WAKE Up and Read Children's Book Drive going on all month.

 

Art in the Evening brings live music by David Dryer and the Crooked Smile Band, Sound Bites focused on the challenges of depicting dancing figures and the two silent classics Two Tars & Three Ages.

 

Way outside the lights of the city, Bass Lake Park invites you to bring the kids to this month's Family Fun Night. The first hour you can make arts & crafts, meet a live animal or do some fishing. Close out the evening with an interactive concert with Trish Miller.

 

 

Come to downtown Raleigh for the ChillyFest Chili Cook-off Saturday. Along with the chili sampling, there will be music, activities for kids, and a beer garden.

 

The historic Piper Cox House at Eno River State Park will be open Saturday for you to tour and learn about pioneer life in the early 1800's.

 

Morehead Planetarium educators will be out at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area Saturday after dark for an Astronomy Viewing Session.

 

Saturday morning is a Volunteer Work Day at Crowder District Park. This weekend they are looking for help mulching their new trail. Come back to the park Sunday for a Family Pond Study to Peek into the Pond.

 

Sunday afternoon continues the volunteer opportunities with a Big Sweep Shoreline Cleanupalong the banks of Harris Lake.

 

West Point on the Eno Park is looking for hikers to explore the Source of the Eno Sunday afternoon.

 

Calling all home schoolers and Track 1 students. Starting Tuesday and running through Thursday, Historic Yates Mill County Park will be running another awesome Track Out Camp all about Amazing Animals.

 

 

Visit the exhibit "Cedars in the Pines," and make a simple Family Tree during Saturday's drop in opportunity at the North Carolina Museum of History.

 

Also Saturday at the History Museum, you can hear about Tar Heel Sports Legends, past and present, from North Carolina sports legends, then participate in a gallery hunt through the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame to test your sports knowledge.

 

Come back to the Museum of History Sunday to enjoy concert with Barrowburn who will delight you with a variety of traditional Celtic music, contemporary ballads and comical pub songs.

 

Discover the spectacular Yoruba Egungun masquerade costumes in the North Carolina Museum of Art's African collection and then create a garment to celebrate your family traditions during this weekend's Family Fun Saturday.

 

Come to the Cary Arts Center Sunday to experience Basant Bahar, a tribute to the ancient Indian cultural ideology of panchabhootham, that everything is made up of 5 elements of water, fire, earth, air and space.

 

Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts presents the Gifts of Gold Visual Art Celebration on Tuesday evening. Join them in celebration of more than 100 creations by Wake County Public School students.

 

Ender's Game will be the featured Wednesday Evening Movie at the Halle Cultural Arts Center.

 

 

The 66th Raleigh Antiques Extravaganza with over 125 exhibitors, from Florida to New England, featuring quality antiques and old collectibles will be at the State Fairgrounds Saturday and Sunday.

 

Calling all you car collectors. The Carolina Collector Auto Fest  will include a swap meet with more than 125 vendors, car corral for buying and selling and Car/Truck shows.

 

Coins, postcards and stamps (U.S., foreign, ancient, gold & silver) will be available and dealers will be selling foreign, domestic and ancient currency at the Coin & Stamp Show.

 

There will be a Hunter Jumper Horse Show over at the Hunt Horse Complex Friday through Sunday.

 

There will be a Bead Mercantile Show on both Saturday and Sunday with vendors from across the country and world selling everything from hand-made artisan glass beads to direct imports such as beads (seed, pewter, semi-precious gemstones), findings, threads/cord and everything else you need to make beaded jewelry as well as workshops.