Weekend Plans: Bluegrass, pumpkins, Hideaway Woods, touch a truck, more

As always, check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar for more ideas. If you’re looking for pumpkin and corn mazes, check our Halloween and fall fun database (before you go, be sure to check ahead to make sure the farm you want to go to isn’t closed because of the rain).

Also, Hideaway Woods, the spectacular new outdoor exhibit at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, is open. So is the new special exhibit Extreme Mammals at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh.

Wide Open Bluegrass takes over downtown Raleigh this Friday and Saturday. There are all sorts of free concerts and offerings along Fayetteville Street and inside the Raleigh Convention Center. (Update: Most of the performances have been moved inside the convention center because of the rainy weather). Nuvonivo, the downtown children’s boutique, also is offering some special free activities.

We have several consignment sales in the Triangle this week. I wrote about three of them in Raleigh, Cary and Smithfield. Let me add a fourth: The first Mom-2-Mom Sale to benefit St. Paul’s Lutheran Preschool in Durham is 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday, at the church.

Update: This event was canceled because of the rainy forecast: The Fox 50 Family Fest and the Great American Tobacco Duck Race is this Saturday at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham. It runs noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, and features all sorts of fun and free activities for kids and families.

Triangle Oktoberfest is Saturday and Sunday at Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. The Apex Sunrise and Cary MacGregor Rotary Clubs have put the event together, working hard to make it a lot of fun for families. The event will feature entertainment, a variety of German foods, biergarten, football-viewing tent with TVs, sanctioned beer-judging competition and more. The event includes a kids zone with activities, plus contests, an egg race and more. Tickets for Saturday are $20 for 16 and up, $5 for ages 6 to 15, free for 5 and under. Sunday tickets are $15 for 16 and up, $5 for ages 6 to 15, free for 5 and under. Two-day tickets for 16 and up are also available for $30. It will go on rain or shine.

Bright Star Theatre will present “Sadie’s Spectacular Saturday” at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, at Northgate Mall in Durham’s Discovery Nook. The free show, best for grade schoolers, tells the story of Sadie, a caterpillar, who meets a bullying cockroach.

Update: This event has been canceled. Also at Northgate from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, a Touch a Truck event hosted by Durham Parks and Recreation will offer a hands-on opportunity for kids to see and touch service vehicles and meet the people who work with them. Trucks will be located on The Plaza area near Regency Beauty, Durham Arts Council Clay Studio, Hairizon and Stadium 10 Theaters. It’s free!

The Raleigh Dance Theatre is gearing up for its annual Storybook Tales performance in November. Before that, they'll be offering free previews and stories at several Wake County libraries, including this Saturday and Sunday.

Garner’s Firemen’s Day are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, in downtown Garner, in the area of Benson Road and Main Street. There’s a parade at 2 p.m.; live music starting at 3:30 p.m.; raffles; food; vendors and more. Visit any Garner Volunteer Fire-Rescue station to purchase a $5 ticket.

And the Heart of Carolina Marching Band Invitational is at Wakefield High School in north Raleigh. Gates open at noon for the competition, which features a variety of bands from around the region. Tickets are $10; $7 for seniors; and $5 for kids ages 5 to 10.