June 1st - 7th 2017 Triangle

by Pam & Michael Davison

It looks like another fabulous weekend! With close to 100 events listed on ParkGeek.com this week, we are going to hit the highlights in this week's newsletter. Please go to the ParkGeek.com Event Search for the complete listing.

First Friday Fun

The PNC Downtown Raleigh Movie Series continues their summer of 90's comedies Friday night with Robin Hood Men in Tights.

Movies by Moonlight at Regency Park presents Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Friday after dark. Come early for pre-movie activities including Star Wars characters photo ops, Star Wars Trivia contest, Hard Knocks Laser Tag demo, make a TIE fighter plane, games and Cotton candy.

Join First Friday at the North Carolina Museum of History for beer samples, fun bee-inspired crafts for the kids (and the adults!), and wine samples in the Museum Store. Also, there will be a special "Bee" Happy Happy Hour in the "Glass Box" on the first floor of the Museum for members.

You are also invited to explore the First Friday Gallery Walk throughout the galleries and restaurants in Raleigh and extended hours at Marbles Kids Museum and the City of Raleigh Museum. As a special treat this month at the COR, check out their train and telegraph exhibit while you listen to the music of 9th Wonder.

Roll Out the Barrel for the annual Yankovic Day celebration with Polka Plus Band Friday night at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center.

Fridays on the Front Porch of the Carolina Inn will feature the live music and local food trucks.

Head on over to Bass Lake Park Friday night for their monthly Family Fun Night. Start with some fishing, arts & crafts and live animal demos and end with a special kids show.

Festivals, Fairs & Special Events

Get dirty Saturday at Walnut Creek Wetland Center during Mud Day. Along with Food Trucks, you can take creek walks, make a mud sculpture, try some puddle jumping, create a soil painting, play in the Mud Kitchen and visit with Live Animals.

Saturday is the Annual Beaver Queen Pageant at Duke Park. Come enjoy the annual neighborhood "pageant" featuring live music and fun. WUNC"s Frank Stasio will emcee this years pageant whose theme is "Wizard of Gnawz".

Downtown Apex will come alive with the Latino Arts Festival Saturday. There will be crafts, art workshops, piñatas, jewelry making, woodworking, a Latino Culinary Fest & Bazaar, dance performances and live music.

The Holly Springs Farmers Market will gear up for their annual Taste of Holly Springs Saturday morning. Come enjoy sample some of the best dishes from local Holly Springs restaurants.

The North Carolina State Fairgrounds will host the 43rd Annual Raleigh Money Expo, the North Carolina Junior Beef Roundup, the Raleigh Bottle Club Antique Bottle & Collectibles Show and the Capital Dressage Classic at the Horse Hunt Complex this weekend.

Come run for the animals at the NC Zoo. Saturday will be their 3Run Wild 5K with the American Association of Zookeepers.

Saturday is Crawfish Day at the State Farmers Market. Get there early because they will sell out!

The Family Renaissance Fair Sunday at the North Carolina Museum of Art will feature both indoor and outdoor activities like calligraphy, blacksmithing, maskmaking, interactive drumming, and performances along with a wide variety of food trucks.

Kids Together Park invites you to their Birthday Party Sunday. Craft noisemakers, join the parade, here the story of the park and help make Roly Poly fruit slushies.

Music, Movies & History

Science Buffet at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences is a lively science presentation featuring a "taste" of everything the Museum has to offer: live animals, weird science facts, dramatic demonstrations, and explosions (small and controlled of course), all seasoned with a touch of humor Saturday afternoon.

Also at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, this month's Science Saturday will explore Conservation, Metagenomics & Conducting Reasearch in a Museum.

Build a Better World Summer Reading Celebration is the kick off to the Holly Springs Library's summer reading program Saturday. The whole family is invited to bring a white T-shirt to tie-die and enjoy face painting.

Its a Super Fun Saturday at the Halle Cultural Arts Center. Join them on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays for free arts and crafts for children ages 4-12.

Tours are back at Historic Yates Mill Pond County Park! Join them Saturday for a Half Hour Tour of the main power drive and milling machinery of the fully restored mill and a Discovery Table all about Eggstraordinary Egg Layers. Sunday brings Mill Heritage & Local History Tours. Kids ages 7-14 are invited to join them Monday for a Peek into the Pond.

Enjoy Project Dance with American Dance Festival Saturday at Marbles Kids Museum. This upbeat, hip-hop workshop with special guest Ronald West will get your hearts pumping and bodies grooving.

The Six Sundays in Spring Concert Series at Carroll Joyner Park closes this weekend with a concert by Charros de Mexico.

Come to the North Carolina Museum of History Sunday to learn about the Black Ballerina Experience with Debra Austin and Sherri Holmes.

The Halle Cultural Arts Center invites you to bring the kids to their Free Week Long Kid's Movies. Click through for the entire line up.

The Holly Springs Cultural Center kicks off their Summer Cinema Series with the movie Wreck-it Ralph Monday morning.

National Trails Day

Saturday is National Trails Day. Celebrate here in the Triangle with a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, guided hikes & programs and celebrations.

There will be volunteer workdays at many of the county and state parks on Saturday. Most do request that you register so they have a good idea of how many people will be helping. Click through for all the details.

Celebrate National Trails Day with events and programs at Umstead Park, Eno River State Park and Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve.

Wake Forest will celebrate National Trails Day Saturday at E. Carroll Joyner Park with an Environmental Education Expo.

Join a Park Ranger Saturday and learn about the different trees and the surrounding ecosystem at Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area.

Harris Lake County Park will host a Family Disc Golf Lessons and Play Time Saturday for families of all levels.

Lake Crabtree invites you to go Birding with Vernon early Saturday

Whooo's Wild About Owls? Join them Sunday on the American Tobacco Trail to learn all about these fascinating birds of prey.

West Point on the Eno Park invites you to join them Sunday for the Spring Hike Series out to Bobbitt Hole.

Both Harris Lake and Crowder Park will hold a variety of programs for young children next week.