Here in the Triangle we have another awesome summer weekend jam packed with fun events and activities! Start the fun Thursday with movies, concerts and celebrations.

 

Halle Cultural Arts Center continues their Free Week of Kid's Movies through Friday. Click thorugh for each day's featured flick.

 

They're building a new Fort in the garden at Marbles Kids Museum! Join them Thursday afternoon as they celebrate a Fort Fiesta with music, games and a look at Fort construction in progress. The Museum will be open late and admission after 3pm is only $2.

 

The State Farmers Market in Raleigh will be celebrating Watermelon Day during lunch Thursday.

 

The Sweet Carolina Music Series will feature Ken Knox & Company in Chapel Hill Thursday night.

 

Space Camp will be Thursday's Movie Under the Stars in Downtown Chapel Hill.

 

Pickin' in the Plaza returns to Raleigh's City Plaza Thursday with Diamond Creek. As a special treat, they will welcome special guests The Carmonas and Season & Snare.

 

Thursday evening's Back Porch Music concert at the American Tobacco Campus features both Hank Smith & Lindsey Tims as well as the Jeff Austin Band.

 

Thursday's Science Cafe at the North Carolina Museum of Sciences explores a Cure for HIV along with extended hours.

The fun at the parks starts after the sun goes down Friday. Join them at Lake Crabtree for a Full Moon Paddle. Reserve a canoe or kayak from the park or launch your own and explore the lake after hours. Come back to the park early Saturday to go Birding with Vernon.

 

Come admire the quiet beauty of Twinkling Lightning Bugs at night while learning a little bit about these interesting insects Friday after dark at Raven Rock State Park.

 

They will be celebrating the Grand Opening of the Rodgers Family Skate Plaza at Trackside Saturday. Head to Downtown Apex for festivities including a ribbon cutting, demonstrations, food trucks, DJ, prizes and Skateboarding.

 

They will be offering Half-hour Guided Tours Saturday and Mill Heritage & Local History Tours of the fully restored mill on Sunday at Yates Mill. In addition, you are invited to do some Hot Weather Hiking on Sunday morning and participate in Art in the Park, a collaborative community art project celebrating "Friendship Day" Sunday afternoon.

 

Crowder Park invites you to bring your little ones to one of their nature programs this week. They offer several different programs for different ages 18 months to 9 years and even a weekday program for the whole family.

 

The first Tuesday in August will be designated Tuesdays for Tots at Regency Park. This family-friendly event will offer a fun filled morning of story-telling, creative movement and play, stroller walks around Symphony Lake and more.

 

Tuesday, August 4th is National Night Out. Many of the Triangle Cities and Towns are sponsoring events in conjunction with local Police Departments, Many events in Raleigh are taking place throughout city neighborhoods and in the suburbs of Raleigh, many events take place in Target parking lots. Two towns, are holding municipal events. Wake Forest invites you to a Street Party in town hall's Centennial Plaza. There will be a DJ, food and special prizes, and fire, police and EMS vehicle displays, along with a variety of booths highlighting crime prevention and safety.

 

Holly Springs invites you to a National Night Out of music and free food, including hot dogs and hamburgers, popcorn and ice cream along with a bike safety rodeo, taekwondo and dance demonstrations, a watermelon eating contest, inflatables and games for kids. Organizations including the Marine Corps, National Guard, N.C. Wildlife, Interact and Mothers Against Drunk Driving will have booths at Womble Park.

The Warehouse Blues Series closes out the summer concert series with Paul Messinger at Durham Central Park Friday evening.

 

The Gravy Boys will be playing the tunes and food trucks Bam Pow Chow and Baguettaboutit will be serving dinner on the Front Porch of the Carolina Inn Friday.

 

Downtown Cary comes alive with all types of art, food and entertainment on the Final Friday of the month.

 

Peter Lamb and the Wolves will be playing the tunes for Friday night's Art in the Evening at the North Carolina Museum of Art along with a Sound Bite all about Material Matters.

 

Triangle Taiko will present the magic of Japanese Drumming to Fred Fletcher Park for a Sunday in the Park Concert.

Pride starring Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West will be on the big outdoor screen Friday night at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Come back after dark Saturday with your kids for the film The Book of Life.

 

Guardians of the Galaxy will be playing on the big outdoor screen after dark Saturday at the Apex Nature Park.

 

Finding Nemo will be playing in the cool air conditioning of the Holly Springs Cultural Center Saturday morning. Come back Monday for the movie We Bought a Zoo.

Get a stamp in your pretend passport at this explosion of Chinese Culture Saturday at marbles Kid museum. Calligraphy, knot making, diablos, Chinese painting and Chinese traditional dance. Learn from a group of students visiting from Beijing as part of camp at the Global Education Institute.

 

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will discuss Small Satellite Communication at this weekend's Science Saturday.

 

Get free professional motorcycle riding technique tips through both classroom discussions and ride-outs with the Holly Springs Police Saturday during BikeSafe. Limited space is available so register early.

 

The North Carolina State Fairgrounds will host a Bead Mercantile Show both Saturday and Sunday.

 

Celebrate National Watermelon Day and enjoy special watermelon-themed animal programing Monday at the Museum of Life and Science.

 

From July 16 through August 16, paleontologists from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will be excavating dinosaurs in two areas of the Utah desert as part of the Dinosaurs of the Dawn project. Come to the Museum Tuesday morning to speak with project scientists in real-time live from Utah