Weekend Plans: Black History Month celebrations, puppet show, family-friendly improv

Happy Groundhog Day! We have a handful of Groundhog Day events on Thursday. Check this earlier post for details.

It's the first Friday of the month, which means that downtown Raleigh museums, galleries, shops and restaurants have extended hours or specials. This includes a lot of family fun, including at Marbles Kids Museum and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. For all the details, check the First Friday website.

The Durham MLK/Black History Month Parade starts at noon, Saturday, on Fayetteville Street. Chuck Davis, founder of the African American Dance Ensemble, is the grand marshal. The parade features bands, floats and more.

The N.C. Museum of Art's children's performance series features the Barefoot Puppet Theatre's "Trickster Tales!" Shows are 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Saturday. Tickets are $5. The popular Barefoot Puppet Theatre will share two folktales of the Baluba and Ashanti peoples. Hear about the adventures of Anansi the spider, Elephant, Hippo, and many more characters. The 50-minute performance is best for kids 5 and up. The museum also will offer free crafts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. You do not need a ticket to participate in the crafts, which are designed for all ages.

The Triangle Father Daughter Dance is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. Read my earlier post for more details. Tickets will be available at the door.

Wake County will celebrate Black History Month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday with a free event. The Wake County Office Park, off Poole Road in Raleigh, will feature storytelling, music and other cultural activities and displays. The events will take place at two sites at the county office park - the Wake County Commons Building and Historic Oak View County Park. They are both within walking distance, but there also will be a hay wagon shuttle that will take people to both sites.

Raleigh Parks and Recreation offers a Paint Your heART Out! Scholarship Fundraiser from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday. Individuals and whole families are invited to create an original Valentine's inspired masterpiece on canvas that will be on display in February at the Sertoma Arts Center at 1400 W. Millbrook Rd. Participation is $6 per person. Fees collected will support the city's scholarship program for kids and adults. Read my earlier post for more information.

Transactors Improv Company will present a family-friendly show at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro at 6 p.m., Saturday. Read my earlier post for all the details. These sound like so much fun!

Blue Jay Point County Park in north Raleigh will mark its 20th anniversary with a special event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Read more about it in my earlier post.

The N.C. State women's basketball team will play a 2 p.m. game Sunday against the Virginia Cavaliers at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. It's Pack the House day, which mean all tickets are just $1. This is great and cheap family fun. Read my earlier post for details.

Raleigh Little Theatre's Storytellers to Go! will present "Blackbeard! Pirate of the Carolina Coast" at 2 p.m., Saturday, at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. The free, hour-long performance is designed for kids ages 5 and up.

And the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh will hold one of its Family Sunday programs from noon to 3 p.m., Sunday. Called CAM You Be Mine?, the event includes hands-on activities, tours and student docents from Exploris Middle School. Admission is $5, free for kids 10 and under.