March 16th - 22nd Triangle 2017

by Pam & Michael Davison

Hope you had a spectacular St Patrick's Day! There are a few more events celebrating the Irish this week. Marsh Creek Community Center invites the whole family to Family Nature Night Thursday evening. Celebrate Saint Patrick's Day by planting something green! Each participant will decorate a flower pot, plant a seed and take it home to watch it grow.

Pirates Vs. Leprechauns, the Hunt for Pullen Parks Gold is an awesome family treasure hunt. Participants will choose a side, Pirates or Leprechauns, and then compete in a series of tasks to see which team can gather the most gold Friday morning.

The Mischievous Leprechauns have been playing tricks at Yates Mill. Join them Friday morning to listen to Irish music, read leprechaun stories, and build your own leprechaun trap to help them catch these clever creatures.

With St Patrick's Day behind us, we also celebrate Arbor Day and the coming of Spring on Monday.

Each spring Cary continues the national tradition of celebrating the importance of trees with their Arbor Day Celebration in downtown Cary. A tree dedication ceremony opens the event Saturday and then guests can enjoy free tree themed crafts for kids, education and entertainment.

The North Carolina State Farmers Market will also be celebrating Arbor Day Saturday with seedling give aways, lots of experts and fun exhibits.

Kids Get Crafty with a Bird Bonanza Monday at Crowder District Park. Create a weather craft to celebrate the new season.

The Vernal Equinox signals the beginning of Spring. It is the point where there is exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness at the equator. Mark the change of seasons Monday by heading to Yates Mill County Park to explore fun facts about this special time of year.

Fun Thursday & Friday

Take a night off from cooking dinner and bring the whole family to enjoy Pizza & a Movie Thursday night at the Halle Cultural Arts Center. The featured flick will be Trolls. Earlier Thursday morning, the Halle will host a Musical Memories Class Presentation, taking a trip around the world with the Rodgers and Hammerstein Travel Agency featuring a medley of songs including favorites such as "Oklahoma!", "June is Busting Out All Over", "The Sound of Music", and "You"ll never Walk Alone". Traditional Dance Caller, Connie Carringer and an old-time string band will be teaching fun dances for Friday's Family Dance at the Halle Cultural Arts Center and Raleigh Little Theater's Storytellers To Go will present Soar! The Hero Pigeons of WWI Saturday.

This week's Science Thursday at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences features a special Science Cafe: Brain Awareness Week - Brain, Behavior & Addiction featuring a special Science Cafe, Evolution of the Human Brain, a chance to meet local neuroscientists and interact with hands-on brains and behavior themed exhibits.

Ring of Cary will be playing Celtic Music Friday night at the North Carolina Museum of Art along with a sound bite on Matter and Meaning. Stay after the sun goes down for the film The Kneeling Goddess (La Diosa arrodillada) and a Contemporaries Third Friday Tour.

Its Family Movie Night this Friday at the Hill Street Community Center. Join them for a free movie, drinks and popcorn. They will also be showing "Trolls".

Explore Spring at the Parks

Did you know that the spring peeper is one of the first amphibian species to emerge in the spring? Come to Lake Crabtree County Park Saturday morning to take a Signs of Springs Hike and learn about our native tree frog.

Come learn what Animals live around the Falls Lake Area Saturday afternoon.

Come join an Umstead Park Ranger Saturday afternoon to push your Super Senses out in the woods with exercises for you to experience the natural world in a different way.

This Sunday's Spring Hike at West Point on the Eno will explore Willie Duke's Bluff Wildflowers. Join them for a somewhat difficult hike with some being off trail, some bushwhacking and one steep climb.

Tuesday is National Agriculture Day. Celebrate at Historic Yates Mill County Park by trying your hand at back-to-basics living, just like the Ingalls and Wilder families. The fun continues Wednesday at Yates Mill County Park with a Weekday Mill Heritage Tour. Explore the inner workings of the mill itself and witness the power of water as it turns the milling machinery.

Learn to Garden for Wildlife Wednesday at Lake Wheeler's adult program.

More Weekend Fun

Bond Park's Annual Kite Festival is a great way to spend Saturday afternoon. Participate in a free kite flying contest, see an expert kite flyer who will provide kite flying tips, enjoy music, concessions and kite flying fun.

Bentonvile's Medical Living History Program will feature both the treatment received by soldiers during the Civil War and the treatment that our wounded warriors now receive by showing examples of modern military field hospitals. You can also tour the Harper House to learn about Civil War era medicine. The event will also feature artillery, infantry, and home-front demonstrations throughout both days.

Historic Yates Mill Pond County Park offers their special Corn Milling Demonstrations one weekend a month and this is the weekend. Join them for a tour with their 19th century costumed interpreters and watch the millstones at work grinding corn into meal. Also on Saturday, join them for Millwrights, Millers & Their Apprentices, a program exploring the historic trades and some Country Dancing in the Mill Yard. On Sunday, their drop by Discovery Table will propose a History Mystery.

Tarboro Road Community Center will host a Youth and Family Movie Night Saturday night complete with popcorn and drinks.

There are lots of fun events at the North Carolina Museum of Art this weekend. Join them Saturday for a Family Gallery Tour and studio workshop fun on My Journey, My Power or a Guided Tour of the Museum Park. Both Saturday and Sunday, they also offer Meet Your Museum Tours and Weekend Family Friendly Tours.

CreativeNC hosts a Film Screening and Resource Fair Saturday at the North Carolina Museum of History with writers, musicians, filmmakers, designers, tech entrepreneurs, and other professionals.

PineCone is holding a Kids Jam at Marbles Sunday afternoon. Join them for some finger-picking, toe-tapping bluegrass for young musicians and music enthusiasts!

The Monday Morning Movie at the Holly Springs Cultural Center will be We Bought a Zoo.

The Fairgrounds

India Fest - A Cultural Arts Showcase comes to the North Carolina State Fairgrounds this weekend. Discover Indian cultural arts through dance, music, cultural cuisine, and traditional crafts in a Bazaar-style atmosphere.

Horse lovers won't want to miss the Indoor Spring Classic a hunter jumper horse show.

The Coastal Paws Cat Show also comes to the Fairgrounds this weekend with an Allbreed cat show including household pet class judging and feline agility competition.

Fun4RaleighKids.com is hosting a free Summer + Track Out Camp Expo Saturday. Check out the wide selection of area camps, including those offering summer, track-out, and holiday camps as well as demonstrations, interactive experiences and special deals.