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December 10th - 16th Triangle 2015

by Pam & Michael Davison

This is the second weekend of holiday festivities throughout the Triangle! If you missed out last weekend or just can't get enough, there are more tree lightings and parades this weekend.

I encourage you to take a moment from the excitement of the Holidays and enjoy the peace that parks offer this time of year. There is something special about the warm sunshine on a crisp winter day and all the sounds that winter brings. Listen for a scurrying squirrel or the chirps of a cardinal. Its times like these that melt away stress and allow you to take on whatever challenges the rest of the day may bring.

Do you have plans for New Years? ParkGeek.com is proud to be a sponsor of First Night Raleigh. A $10 All Day Pass gives you access to nearly 100 performances in over three dozen locations across Downtown Raleigh as well as the Childrens' Celebration and the midnight Acorn Drop. Advanced tickets are available now at Harris Teeter, Rite Aid and online.

Holiday Events

Come Downtown Thursday night for the Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Festival at the North Carolina State Capitol. Festivities begin with the lighting of luminaries and musical performances and culminate with the lighting of the State Tree. After the ceremony you are invited inside the Capitol for a Holiday Open House. The Open House will continue through Saturday. Thursday night the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences features extended hours, live animals, "Spinning, Rope-Making and More" and a Science Cafe on Cotton, Color & the Courtroom. While your Downtown, lace up some skates and do a few laps on the Raleigh Winterfest Ice Rink.

The Holly Springs Community Band will present Christmas Time is Here Thursday evening at the Holly Springs Cultural Center.

Join the Town of Cary and the Jewish Community to celebrate Hanukkah Thursday at the Jewish Cultural Festival and Menorah Lighting at the Cary Arts Center.

Come out and see the Mordecai house decorated for Christmas! Each room will be decorated according to a different time period that the Mordecai family resided in the home. The free Holiday Open House will run Saturday and Sunday. Saturday evening, they will also offer Holiday Lantern Tours with the Burning Coal Theater. Tours sell out so call to reserve your ticket early.

The Town of Carrboro will celebrate the season Friday night with music on the lawn and tree lighting.

Christmas by Candlelight is back again this Friday at the Duke Homestead Historic Site. Celebrate an 1870 Christmas during the evening candlelight tours of the Homestead. After the tour, enjoy caroling, hot apple cider, and other goodies while you take in the period decorations. Come back Sunday to experience a Victorian Family Christmas.

A Main Street Christmas, a traditional-style celebration, with Christmas carols, hayrides and other festivities culminating in a tree lighting ceremony at the Holly Springs Cultural Center Friday night that will get you in the mood for the Happy Holly Days Christmas Parade through Downtown Holly Springs Saturday.

Friday evening, Bennett Place Historic Site invites you to take a Guided Candlelight Tour. They will be celebrating Christmas in the Carolinas During the Civil War Saturday. Come see how the holidays were celebrated in the Piedmont Carolinas during the American Civil War with living historians and demonstrations.

The Wake Forest Christmas Parade will be marching through Downtown Wake Forest Saturday.

Saturday afternoon brings the Cary Christmas Parade.

The Chapel Hill - Carrboro Holiday Parade marches through town Saturday morning.

The Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge is a unique kind of holiday display -- and one you don't want to miss. See 60+ trees gloriously decorated by area nonprofits on the Diamond View Lawn. By voting for your favorite, you'll help a nonprofit win great prizes.

The Bahama Ruritan Christmas Parade in Downtown Durham is an old-fashioned Christmas parade with bands, firetrucks, and floats by community organizations Saturday morning.

Enjoy Scenes from the Nutcracker with Carolina Youth Ballet Sunday afternoon at Marbles Kids Musuem.

The Natural Science Center of Greensboro has put a Holiday twist on their laser show. Laser Holidays shows daily. The show features sights and sounds from your favorite Holiday classics. They are also showing The Light Before Christmas, a 3D adventure about two lost children who are magically transported into the classic tale.

More Fun!

Thursday morning, bring the kids over to the Carrboro Century Center for Kids, Cookies & Candy Canes. Join them for cookies, crafts, balloon sculpting and a children"s show.

Books make great gifts! Check out the Wake County Library Book Sale Thursday through Sunday at the NC State Fairgrounds. Paperbacks and Children's materials are all $1 and the price of hardcovers goes down each day.

A four day Art Extravaganza kicks off Thursday night in Downtown Fuquay and continues through Sunday. There will be Art Exhibits, Kids Crafts, Holiday Entertainment and Pictures with Santa.

Do a little shopping, enjoy a night out and take in the festivities during Friday night's Art After Hours in Downtown Wake Forest. Santa will even be there to visit with kids of all ages.

The North Carolina Museum of Art kicks off the weekend Friday evening with extended hours, live music by Onyx Club Beasts and a Gallery Exploration of the Making Meaning. Both Saturday and Sunday they will be offering Weekend Family Friendly Tours and Meet Your Museum Tour.

Also Saturday at the NC Museum of Art, Curator David Steel will present a lecture titled Escher through the Eyes of an Admirer. Bring the whole family for a Pop-Up Art event and create a work of art inspired by M. C. Escher.

This Sunday's Music of the Carolinas at the North Carolina Museum of History will feature an afternoon of Hanukkah music with one of the most popular klezmer dance bands in North Carolina, Freylach Time.

The Holly Springs Cultural Center will show Frozen on Saturday morning and Frozen again Monday morning.

Sunday is Durham Community Day at the Museum of Life & Science. All Durham County residents with ID get free admission to the Museum. They feature two free days a month.

Grab the kids, snacks, blankets and and head over to the Halle Cultural Arts Center Tuesday morning to see Mickey"s Once Upon a Christmas on the big screen. Bring the whole family Thursday evening for Pizza and a Movie Night and the movie Minions.

Fuquay-Varina Parks and Rec invite you to experience the Winter Dance & Winter Gymnastics Showcase Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

Parks offer Outdoor Activities This Weekend

Celebrate winter and create beautiful Nature Related Crafts for the holiday season using natural materials Thursday evening at Harris Lake County Park. You can also make some Holiday Gifts from Nature Saturday afternoon at Durant Nature Park.

Joint them at Occoneechee Mountain Friday afternoon for a scenic Sunset Hike. Go Fishing with a Ranger Monday afternoon.

Head to the State Farmers Market in Raleigh at lunchtime Friday for Pecan Day, There will be free Samples, free recipes & educational information as well as lots of local pecans for all your holiday treats.

This Saturday's Family Wildlife Series at Blue Jay Point County Park features Holiday Habitat Helpers. Create simple outdoor decorations and crafts that will attract wildlife to your backyard.

They will be taking a Beginner Birders Hike Saturday morning at Falls Lake State Recreation Area.

Join a ranger Saturday afternoon at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area to make a Reindeer Craft Project.

Wilkerson Nature Preserve will host an Astronomy Night Saturday after dark.

You won't need any special equipment to view the Geminids Meteor Shower Sunday night at Blue Jay Point County Park. The Raleigh Astronomy Club will even have some telescopes available.

Crowder District Park's Family Feature Sunday afternoon will be their Winter Wrap Up. Join a naturalist and learn how to identify tracks, explore conifers, and drink pine needle tea. Then observe snow and ice through hands-on science experiments.

Jordan Lake will host an Astronomy Viewing Session Monday night to take advantage of the Geminids Meteor Shower and Falls Lake State Recreation Area will host a Star Wars Star Party Wednesday night after dark.

In addition to the Wake County Libraries Book Sale, the State Fairgrounds will also host the Sportscard and Sports Memorabilia 3-Day Show this weekend.

 

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