Weekend Plans: Duke fan day, kindergarten kickoff, tween dance and more

The Wimpy Kid Ice Cream Truck will make its way to Quail Ridge Books on Wade Avenue in Raleigh on Thursday as part of its tour to promote the upcoming fifth book in the very popular series "The Ugly Truth." Author Jeff Kinney won't be there. But you can get a free Wimpy Kid frozen treat and bookmark and pre-order your copy of the book, which is due Nov. 9. The truck will be there from 5 p.m .to 6:30 p.m. The series is best for kids 11 to 13. And then stick around to hear from Stephen Messer, author of the fantasy "Windblowne." Messer will speak at 6:30 p.m. His book is best for kids 9 and up.

UPDATE: This event has been postponed because of the weather. WakeMed and Safe Kids Wake County are teaming up Thursday to offer Battling the Bad Guys, a special safety event before the showing of Monsters vs. Aliens during Koka Booth Amphitheatre's Movies by Moonlight series. Activities start at 7 p.m. before the movie and are free. Movie tickets are $3 for adults. Kids 12 and under are free.

The Carolina Classics Car Show in downtown Raleigh runs Friday through Sunday. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 7 to 12 and free for kids 6 and under to go inside the Raleigh Convention Center to see the show. But there also will be 800 classic cars and trucks parked on or near Fayetteville Street. And those are free to see.

Pump It Up in Raleigh will host a Tween Dance Party from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday. Pre-registration is required for the event for kids ages 10 to 14. Tickets are $10. This is a drop-off program.

The Friendship Closet children's consignment sale runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday at Apex United Methodist Church in Apex. You'll find all kinds of deals on toys, clothes and gear for kids. This also gives me an opportunity to plug our consignment sale list.

It's Duke Football Fan Day on Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham. The free event, which is open to the public, features an open practice from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and an autograph and photo session with coaches and players from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be free posters and schedule cards. And the Kids' Zone with inflatable games will be set up on the stadium concourse. You can catch the Duke volleyball team from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium. And Duke's men's soccer team will take on UNC-Greensboro at Koskinen Stadium at 7 p.m. (As an aside, I try to attend a few non-revenue college sports games every season with my older daughter. You still get some of the excitement of a football or basketball game, without the ticket price.)

Rising kindergartners in Wake County should head over to Marbles Kids Museum from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday for the Kickoff to Kindergarten. Kids can go through a pretend lunch line, board a school bus, talk to first graders and more. Teachers will be on hand for parents to ask questions. The event is free for rising kindergartners and their families. The museum will open to the general public at noon.

After Marbles, you can head over to Artspace in City Market for its Family Fun Day from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The festival includes artists' demonstrations, face painting, carnival treats and art activities for all ages.

Durham Parks will host a community day and official grand opening for Walltown Park Recreation Center, 1308 West Club Blvd. The free event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday will include an official ribbon cutting at 2 p.m. followed by food, music, class demonstrations and guided tours.

Kids Fest is back at Triangle Town Center from 2 p.m .to 5 p.m. Sunday. The free series includes performances by Flow Circus, Sam the Magic Man and other activities including karaoke, inflatable slides, a trackless train, face painting, games and more. It's held on the second and fourth Sunday of the month through September, along with Aug. 29.