Weekend Plans: First Friday, Field of Hope game, children's festival

Happy weekend! As always, check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar for weekend ideas, along with our Summer Break guide for ongoing summer fun.

Friday is the first Friday of August, which means it’s First Friday in downtown Raleigh when downtown galleries, museums and restaurant offer special hours and deals.

Some First Friday options: The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences will offer its monthly Natural Horror Picture Show. It's free and planned for 7 p.m. This month, the museum will screen the 1964 flick, “The Gorgon.” I’ll leave it to the museum press release to take it from here: “Witness what happens when a female gorgon named Megaera takes human form and terrorizes a small European village by turning anyone who looks at her to stone. Yes, it’s true; she had a face only a mummy could love!” The museum also will have extended entry into “Dig It! The Secrets of Soil," which runs through Aug. 16.

CAM Raleigh will be open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, with exhibits, make-and-take activities, middle school docents, food trucks and more. Admission is free.

The Dollar Book Exchange, which I wrote about last month, is this Friday through Sunday, at 4001 Atlantic Ave. in Raleigh. The sale features more than 100,000 books that cost just $1 each. Shoppers also can fill a bag with children's books for just $10. My girls and I had a lot of fun shopping this sale in July. If you don't mind a bit of a hunt when you're shopping and love books, this sale is for you. The sale's Facebook page has the schedule and details.

Speaking of deals, JoCo Kids Consignment is this Friday through Sunday in Clayton.

UNC Health Care, Rex Healthcare, the Durham Bulls and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund are teaming up for the “Field of Hope” Durham Bulls game on Saturday. Fans are invited to purchase special “Field of Hope” tickets for $12.99, with $5 of each ticket sold benefiting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Tickets can be purchased at rexhealth.com/fieldofhope using the promo code “PLAY4KAY.” The first 1,000 fans to present their “Field of Hope” ticket at the UNC-Rex Healthcare tables along the outfield concourse of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on game day will receive a free gift. The Bulls also will recognize survivors during the game and Rex’s Mobile Mammography Unit will be on-site.

The N.C. Museum of Art will screen "Big Hero 6," at 9 p.m., Friday, at the west Raleigh museum. Doors open for the outdoor movie, rated PG, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5. Kids 6 and under are free.

Apex United Methodist Church will host a back to school bash and bike parade on Saturday. Registration is required. The free event for kids from preschool to fifth grade includes crafts, games and the parade.

The Chapel Hill Fire Department will present an interactive child fire safety puppet show where participants are included in learning fire safety messages covering topics such as smoke alarm testing and what to do during a fire. It’s 10:30 a.m., Saturday, at Kidzu Children’s Museum in Chapel Hill. It’s included with admission, which is $5.50 per person to Kidzu.

Duke Homestead in Durham will hold its annual Summer Children’s Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday. Kids can play 19th century games and toys, try on historic clothing and more. Children’s band Baron Von Rumblebuss will perform. It’s free!

The N.C. State Fairgrounds will host a toy train sale and swap meet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. Admission is $6 for adults and free for kids under 13 with a paying adult. The event includes Kids Club activities, hands-on layouts and train races for kids, along with vendors and workshops.

And we have a couple of food truck rodeos. Downtown Cary Food and Flea Market is noon to 4 p.m., Sunday. The massive Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo is 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday.