January 28th - February 3rd 2016 Triangle

by Pam & Michael Davison

We at ParkGeek.com are excited that in March we will celebrate eleven years of serving the Triangle! It has been our passion and our purpose to share the awesome array of parks, museums and events available. You can help us get the word out. If you enjoy getting this email, pass it along and forward it to a friend. If you use the website, share it with a co-worker. Like us on Facebook. We post this newsletter as well as fun daily events and news. We are elated with what ParkGeek.com has become in eleven years and we eagerly await what the future will bring.

This Thursday's Science Cafe at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will focus on New Discoveries of a Human Ancestor.

Tuesday is Groundhog Day! Come to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to witness Sir Walter Wally's prognosticating abilities and when we can expect Spring. Along with the shadow ceremony, there will be educational stations, games and activities.

You can also head over to White Deer Park Tuesday morning to witness Snerd the Groundhog's prediction and enjoy crafts, games, music, educational booths and live animals.

Also in conjunction with Groundhog Day, Historic Yates Mill County Park is hosting Wizened Woodchucks and Weather Predictors on Tuesday so you can learn about and construct some home weather equipment.

For more info on everything going on, go to www.Parkgeek.com click on Event Search and fill in the dates. Select the search button and start planning!

Movies, Concerts & Festivals

Wander the galleries with friends as you enjoy the extended hours and the 1951 movie The Tales of Hoffmann during Art in the Evening at the North Carolina Museum of Art. While there, you are invited to enjoy a Friday Night Sound Bite that will focus on Serious Play and music by Peter Lamb and the Wolves.

Join the North Carolina Museum of History to kickoff Black History Month with Saturday's African American Cultural Celebration. This year's theme is Civil Rights-March On! More than 75 musicians, storytellers, dancers, historians, playwrights, authors, artists, reenactors, chefs, teachers, scholars, and more will be on hand to help tell the rich and varied stories of our state and the continued quest of defining and working for freedom.

The NC Museum of Natural Sciences partners with NASA and the Raleigh Astronomy Club to host Astronomy Days Saturday and Sunday. There will be a full weekend of expert speakers, exhibits and activities. Click through for the whole line up.

LEGO-palooza returns to the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center both Saturday and Sunday. Bring the kids to see the amazing displays of unique LEGO scenes, from settlements in outer space to hometowns throughout America (including forts, amusement parks and city landmarks) created by the North Carolina LEGO Users Group.

Entries for both the adult and youth Mill as Muse Art and Photography Contests are due by Monday. Bring your kids out to Historic Yates Mill County Park Sunday afternoon for a Mill as Muse Creative Art Session. They will have the opportunity to craft a work of art to take home or to enter into the "Mill as Muse" kids art contest.

The Halle Cultural Arts Center will be showing the movie Pan for Thursday evening's Pizza and a Movie Night.

The Holly Springs Cultural Center will be showing Stuart Little Saturday morning and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle Monday morning.

Join Raleigh Little Theatre's Storytellers To Go! as they present American Fairy Tale Saturday at the Halle Cultural Arts Center.

Last weekend's Food Truck Rodeo at Durham Central Park has been rescheduled for this Sunday. Come enjoy the winter sunshine, 50+ food trucks, local craft beer and live music.

All Wake County Libraries invite you to make Valentines for Veterans through Monday. Craft materials are provided and all cards will be delivered to local veterans.

Join author Jeremy Taylor for a closer look at how evolution shapes our health and transforms medicine when he presents Your Body by Darwin at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Monday evening.

Starting Monday, February 1st and running through Friday, February 6th, you are invited to the Holly Springs Community Arts Festival. Through the Community Arts Festival, participants are invited to try a new art through classes; view local artists' work created within the Festival's theme; shop the arts & crafts vendor show; Vote for your favorite young student's visual arts and writing pieces: watch community performances of dance, theater, band and chorus; and attend the Gala Fundraiser!

Fun at the Parks

Prairie Ridge Ecostation for Wildlife Learning continues to hold a Nature Storytime every Thursday morning and Citizen Science Opportunities every Saturday.

Friday is Kid's Nature Night at Walnut Creek Wetland Center. Enjoy a date night out as your kids learn about nature, go for a short walk, play games and do a craft.

Join a Ranger in a hike to see some of the Winter Birds of the Piedmont Saturday morning at Falls Lake State Recreation Area.

Learn the fine art of "tracking," make a bandana Track Guide for your family to take home and play animal track games during Saturday's Family Wildlife Series at Blue Jay Point County Park.

Sunday's Winter Hike at West Point on the Eno Park will be a climb up and over Cox Mountain, the highest point in Eno River State Park.

Are your kids nature lovers? Many of the Wake County Parks hold monthly nature programs for kids. This week Crowder Park invites kids 3-5 to join them for Nature Watchers, kids 6-9 to join them for Nature Friends and all ages to join them for Nature Families. Every month features a fun new seasonal theme and this month is all about Squirrels.

Kids 18 months to 3yrs are invited to bring their grown up with them to Blue Jay Point County Park Tuesday to Nature Peekers. This months theme is Busy Beavers.

Fun at the Fairgrounds

Celebrate the Year of the Monkey at Saturday's Chinese New Year Celebration at the State Fairgrounds. There will be Chinese and Asian cultural performances (including the famous lion and dragon dances), exhibits, food, merchandise vendors and arts and crafts for the entire family to enjoy.

The Hunt Horse Complex will host an Indoors Hunter Jumper Horse Show Thursday through Sunday.

The Vietnamese American Association of Raleigh presents TET Festival (Vietnamese New Year Celebration), its annual cultural celebration featuring cultural foods, vendors martial arts demonstrations and traditional musical performances on Sunday.