Fun Things to Do This Weekend (Nov. 18-20)
The 21st Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration Nov. 19 lands at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh.
Photo courtesy of North Carolina Museum of History
American Indian Heritage Celebration FREE
Head to the North Carolina Museum of History in downtown Raleigh for this family-friendly celebration, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19. The festival features drum groups, hundreds of dancers in regalia, craftspeople, storytellers and other presenters in the museum and on Bicentennial Plaza in front of the building. Take your children for hands-on activities.
WRAL Christmas Parade FREE
Head to downtown Raleigh, 9:40 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, for the kickoff of the largest parade Christmas Parade between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.
Photo of WRAL Christmas Parade courtesy of Nieto Photography
Ice Raleigh
Take a spin around downtown Raleigh’s natural ice outdoor skating rink, Ice Raleigh, at City Plaza on Fayetteville Street. The rink opens for the season immediately following the WRAL Christmas Parade and stays open through Jan. 29, 2017.
Photo courtesy of Carolyn Scott Photography
MARBLES KIDS MUSEUM
Photo courtesy of Marbles Kids Museum
Santa Visits
Check out where and when your child can visit Santa Claus to have his or her photo taken at Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary malls. Browse our roundup of Santa Visits.
Photo courtesy of Lauren Bell Isaacs
Skywatching at Dorothea Dix Park FREE
Head to Dorothea Dix Park, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, to view the stars and moon with telescopes at this drop-in program. Register at eventbrite.com by ending the keyword search "Dorothea Dix."
Playground Opens at Crowder District Park FREE
Celebrate the grand opening of Wake County's renovated playground at Crowder District Park in Apex at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18. Take your kids ages 5-12 years old to try out the climbing wall, 10-foot tower, slides and outdoor musical instruments. Children ages 2-5 can head to the tot-lot, which now features modern play panels. Donate a canned food item to the park’s food drive and you name will be entered into a raffle to win a free nature program.
Holiday Craft Fairs
Visit these fairs to shop for handmade gifts:
- Town of Cary Annual Craft Show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Cary Senior Center in Cary.
- Durham Art Walk Holiday Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, and 1-5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 20, in Durham.
- Emerson Waldorf School Artisan Marketplace, 6-8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 18, at Emerson Waldorf School, in Chapel Hill.
Durham Art Walk Holiday Market photo by Michael Zirkle coutesy of Durham Arts Council
Ornament-Making Workshop FREE
Take your kids to Northgate Mall in Durham, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, for a make-and-take workshop hosted by the Durham Arts Council. The ornament-making workshop will take place at Santa’s Workshop in Santa’s Alleyway just off Town Hall Center Court across from Children’s Place.
Emerson Waldorf Children’s Faire and Artisan Marketplace FREE ADMISSION
Take kids for crafts, gift-making, fun and food entertainment, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, on the campus of Emerson Waldorf School in Chapel Hill. Vendors from around the Triangle will display their handmade gifts.
Hike at Umstead State Park
The Rambling Ranger starts at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, through Camp Whispering Pines in Raleigh. Be prepared to go off trail and rock hop across the creek. Meet at the visitors center. Reservations are required.
The Planets: LIVE! Concert
Listen to the North Carolina Symphony perform Gustav Holst’s famous symphonic suite, "The Planets," while watching NASA images of the planets of our solar system at 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 18, and Saturday, Nov. 19, in Raleigh’s Meymandi Concert Hall. The multimedia concert is the fruit of a partnership between the North Carolina Symphony and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Many images and video renderings will represent the positioning of the planets and stars exactly as they exist on the evenings of the performances. Buy tickets (starting at $66) at ncsymphony.org (TicketMaster fees apply) or by phone at 919-7332750 ($4 handling fee applies).
Saturn's rings: Radio image of Saturn's rings taken by the Cassini spacecraft. Colors correspond to various sizes of the particles making up the rings.
Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech
