April 2nd - 8th 2015 Triangle

by Pam & Michael Davison

Spring is finally here and Happy Easter! There are a few more Easter Egg Hunts and holiday activities leading up to Sunday. Easter Sunday is a great day to take the family to a park. Just be aware that some of the municipal and county parks will be closed Sunday.

The Museum of Life and Science invites you to their Dino Egg Hunt again this weekend. There is an additional admission fee in addition to the museum admission, but kids will get to unearth colorful eggs, take a photo with their resident dino, dig up some real fossils, put together dinosaur skeleton "puzzles," make their own colorful fossil rubbing and test their skills in matching dino skeletons with the complete dinosaur.

My favorite egg hunt in the Triangle is the Annual Spring Egg Hunt at the JC Raulston Arboretum which runs daily through Saturday. They;ve hidden brightly painted wooden eggs throughout the Arboretum gardens. Search the Arboretum for the hidden eggs and write down the letters you find on them. After unscrambling the letters, tell them the secret word and receive a small prize.

Thursday evening, Cary will hold their Easter Eggstravaganza for kids with special needs at Bond Park. Enjoy fun activities and entertainment after the hunt

Morrisville Community Park will host the Town's Easter Egg Hunt Friday morning. Meet the Easter bunny and hunt for plastic eggs filled with goodies and very special prizes. In addition, they will have food trucks, a bounce house, face painting and much more.

On Saturday,, the 8th Annual Raleigh Easter Celebration will hold the largest Easter egg hunt in Raleigh with seven hunt times and 60,000 eggs! Held in Moore Square this year, egg hunts will be open to all children, infants through 12-years-old. Egg hunts will be held every half-hour and will be divided into age specific groups. In addition to the Egg hunts there will also be inflatable games, prizes, and free balloons.

A little outside the Triangle, the North Carolina Zoo will hold their annual Egg-Stravaganza both Saturday and Sunday. See Zoo animals hunt for treats inside decorative eggs. Click through for the schedule of animals to see.

Also a day trip outside the Triangle, Battleship North Carolina will host an Easter Egg Hunt Carnival Friday. Hippity Hoppity down the Battleship trail for a fun Spring event with continuous games, egg hunts and photo opportunities with Buddy the Battleship Bunny throughout the day. Offered again this year is a slower paced hunt area for kids who need a less stressful environment or for children with special needs.

The North Carolina State Fairgrounds invites Expectant Parents, Kids and even Grandparents to check out the Easter Expo Saturday. It will be a specialty show with vendors offering a variety of products and services for children and expectant parents.

The Cary Calvary Chapel invites the public to their Easter Service Sunday morning at the NC State Fairground's Dorton Arena. There will be Children's Ministry for ages 1-4 and interpreting in Spanish and for the deaf.

First Friday (and Thursday fun, too)

The weekend starts early for Science Thursday at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences with extended hours, Science Trivia and a class in Getting Your Kids Started in Astronomy.

Marbles Kids Museum celebrates Twilight $2 Thursdays every week with extended hours and discounted admission.

Come back to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Friday night for First Friday Movie Night. The museum boasts the 1961 film "Gorgo," extended hours, and your last chance for discounted tickets to "The World's Largest Dinosaurs."

The North Carolina Museum of History invites yo to join them for First Friday and visit The Story of North Carolina chronological history exhibition on the lobby level and the Starring North Carolina! film exhibit (half priced admission all day) on the third floor. The North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild will also be offering tastings of beer from Raleigh"s Nickelpoint Brewing.

Also in Downtown Raleigh Friday night, City Market will host local artisans, live music, entertainment, and local craft beer along with street performers & cornhole. The local restaurants and galleries will come alive for the monthly Gallery Walk, the Raleigh City Museum invites you to learn about Raleigh's Local Historic Sites and Marbles stays open late.

Art in the Evening at the North Carolina Museum of Art Friday night will boast the music of Ed Stephenson and the Paco Band along with Sound Bites focusing on Making Up the Rules.

Family Fun Night comes to Bass Lake Park Friday evening with arts & crafts, live animals and a show by Happy Dan The Magic Man or a concert by Trish Miller.

Festivals and Museum Happenings

The Lebanese Festival will be celebrating Lebanese Cuisine and Culture with Belly Dancing, Folk Dancing, live bands, kids activities, cultural booths, authentic Lebanese cooking, hookas, future telling and more in Raleigh's City Plaza on Saturday.

Wake Forest will be celebrating Dirt Day Saturday with an over sized sandbox and crafts for kids as well as gardening seminars, camping gear displays, a beekeeping demonstration, vendors, live music and festvial foods.

They will be learning about Watching Lighning From Space at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on Saturday afternoon.

Historic Yates Mill Pond County Park will be running half hour Old Mill Tours of the fully renovated mill on Saturday as well as hour long Mill Heritage and Local History Tours on Sunday. Seniors are welcome to come to the park Monday for the monthly Seniors Stay Fit Nature Walk.

Horse lovers will want to see the All-Arabian Horse Show at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds this weekend. The Arabian-Half Arabian competition includes various events performance, halter, sport horse, dressage, hunter jumper and carriage driving.

Lost North Carolina is a traveling exhibition highlighting architecture forever lost through demolition, natural disaster, social and economic change, or simple neglect. The exhibit is on display at Historic Oak View Park through May 17th.

Spring at the Parks

You are invited to Hike for Your Health every Thursday morning at Raven Rock State Park. Come back to the overlook Saturday for Tracks and Skins and learn about some of the critters that call Raven Rock State Park home. On Sunday they will host a program on the Raptors of Raven Rock.

Join Lake Crabtree's bird enthusiast, Vernon, for an easy walk while looking and listening for our feathered friends Saturday morning or help them pick up trash along the shore during Saturday's Big Sweep.

Kids ages 6-12 can C.A.S.T. (Catch A Sure Thing!) Saturday morning at Jordan Lake to learn basic fishing skills or kids ages 7-15 can take a Beginning Fishing Clinic Saturday evening at Harris Lake County Park.

2015 is Year of the Amphibian,. Join a Park Ranger at Umstead State Park Saturday to learn about the Amphibian Life Cycle while creating an origami frog on a lily pad. Also Saturday, you can take a Nature Photo Hike.

In honor of NC Invasive Species Awareness Week, Lake Crabtree County Park will host What's That Invasive? Monday evening.

April brings free fitness classes to the City Plaza Astroturf every Monday through Wednesday for Shape Up Downtown.

Crowder District Park will be giving Three Cheers for Trees on Tuesday's Nature Families program,