Weekend Plans: Fall fun, Go Ask Mom at the market, festivals, more

Pumpkin patches and corn mazes start opening up this weekend. Be sure to check our Halloween and fall fun guide to make plans and get tickets for some of the more popular events. As always, check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar for more activities.

Don’t miss our annual Go Ask Mom event at Midtown Farmers’ Market at North Hills in Raleigh! We’ll be there from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, with music from the Sandbox band, free Zumba, the Pickle Mamas hula hoops and more. I’m excited for a great morning at the market!

Project Palooza, a free annual event that celebrates Project Enlightenment and offers all kinds of fun activities for young kids and their families, is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, at the center on Boylan Avenue in Raleigh. I featured a Raleigh mom this week, who shared some great information about all of the center’s programs and services for families of babies to kindergartners.

The Athens Drive Community Library in southwest Raleigh will have a big celebration from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, to celebrate efforts to keep that library open. Wake County commissioners had considered closing the library, which is on the campus of Athens Drive High School. But a public outcry, organized, in part, by a vocal group of moms, helped to save it. On Saturday, the event will include a special storytime, puppet shows, scavenger hunts and more.

Paperhand Puppet Intervention’s annual summer show wraps up this weekend with shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh. Tickets are $17 and $8.50 for kids ages 7 to 18. The show features larger-than-life puppets, live music and more.

Fuquay-Varina’s splash pad season is extended through the end of September. It’s free and open daily.

Take Saturday morning off and send the kids and their grandparents to Marbles Kids Museum for the Buckaroo Breakfast. It’s 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday, at the downtown Raleigh museum. It includes a chuck-wagon style breakfast and other fun activities. Food and museum admission is included in the ticket, which is $15 per person for non-members and $12 per person for members.

The Mom to Mom Consignment Sale is 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, at St. Luke United Methodist Church, Sanford. Local moms will be selling gently used clothing, toys, accessories and maternity clothes. Admission is $1, which gets you into a 50/50 raffle.

Cary’s sixth annual scavenger hunt is Saturday and tests participants’ knowledge of Cary history, food, business, arts and more. Teams include those made up of families. This can be a fun event - especially for families with older kids.

Author Ingrid Law will visit Quail Ridge Books & Music at 7 p.m., Friday, with her new book "Switch," which is best for ages 9 and up. Law's book "Savvy" won the Newbery Honor. My fifth grader has loved this series, which also includes "Scumble."

In Durham, Duke Homestead's Harvest and Hornworm Festival is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday. The free event focuses on the state’s tobacco history with demonstrations and contests, which include a hornworm race and a moon pie eating contest. The day ends with a mock tobacco auction.

Garner will host its third annual Carnaval Latino, celebrating Wake County’s Latin American community. It’s 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, on the back lawn of the Garner Performing Arts Center, 125 Avery St. The free, family-friendly event includes music; food; dancing; and crafts and games for kids hosted by Garner Magnet High School.

The Greek Festival is Friday through Sunday at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The event includes music, dancing, vendors and lots of really yummy food! Admission is $3, $2 for ages 13 to 18 and seniors.

The Falls Lake Festival is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, at the Falls Lake Dam, 11405 Falls of Neuse Rd., Wake Forest. The event includes a Jug-Oar-Knot paddle race, along with free activities for families thanks to local community groups and federal, state and local agencies. The event focuses on promoting safe outdoor recreation, fitness and conservation.

Schoolhouse of Wonder’s family field day is 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sunday, at West Point on the Eno in Durham. The day is a fundraiser for Schoolhouse of Wonder, which offers a slate of outdoor programs and camps for kids across the region. The focus here is on outdoor, old-fashioned fun with activities such as tomahawk throwing, archery and seed spitting, along with a picnic. Tickets are required for the activities and food.