Weekend Plans: Santa visits, Illusionists, Veggie Tales, PaleoPalooza, more!

Happy weekend! Here are some options if you’re looking for family fun. As always, check WRAL.com’s Out & About calendar for more.

Santa continues his entrances into malls across the Triangle. You can already find him at Triangle Town Center, Cross Creek Mall and Cary Towne Center. This Saturday, he arrives at Crabtree Valley Mall, Also on Saturday, he lands at Bass Pro Shop in Cary for pictures. There’s also arcade games, crafts and a race car track.

Veggie Tales Live! Little Kids Do Big Things is 6 p.m., Friday, at the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts in Raleigh. The live show is based on the popular Christian-based series of shows, books and toys. Tickets start around $24. (Ages one and up require a ticket).

The Illusionists are at the Durham Performing Arts Center for shows through Sunday, including a special 11 a.m. matinee on Saturday for families. The show "showcases the jaw-dropping talents of the most incredible Illusionists on earth," according to a description. I had a chance to see one of them at the WRAL-TV newsroom on Wednesday morning and it was really entertaining! Looks like a great show! Tickets start around $20 for this one. Some shows are close to selling out.

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences’ PaleoPalooza is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, at the downtown Raleigh museum. It’s the nation’s largest event dedicated to paleontology. And it’s free! The day includes displays, activities, presentations and more.

Triangle Truck Day is 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, at the Bright Horizons at Harrison Park in Cary. Kids can explore a variety of trucks and vehicles. There also will be games, activities, food trucks and music. Proceeds raised will go to the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, which helps families in crisis. Suggested entrance donation is $5 per child (adults are free).

Raleigh Little Theatre continues its run of “A Year with Frog and Toad.” Tickets typically sell out for the theater's youth shows!

Vamos a la Playa with Mister G is at 11 a.m., Saturday, at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. The show is part of the venue's SuperFun Series for kids and families. It features Latin Grammy nominated musician Mister G, who has traveled across Latin America and Spain gathering inspiration for his original bilingual children’s songs, according to a description. Tickets are $10 and $40 for a family pack (no more than 6 tickets per pack). Kids under age 2, who will sit on a lap, are free.

The Out & About calendar lists lots of holiday markets, but I’ll point out one very popular one: Wakefield High School’s Mistletoe Market is 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday.

In Fayetteville, Kidtopia runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Crown Expo Center. The free event includes music, games, displays and inflatables.

The N.C. Museum of Art will host family tours of its new exhibit about M.C. Escher at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are free for the tour, but you’ll need a ticket for the exhibition to participate. The 30-minute tour is best for kids ages 6 to 12. The museum will also host a separate family tour at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, for kids ages 5 to 11 and their families. That one will focus on foods and feasts found in art in the museum’s collection. Admission is free for that one.

Finally, Baby + Co. in Cary is celebrating its first anniversary with a party from noon to 2 p.m., Sunday. The maternity boutique offers a very comfortable place for expecting moms to labor and deliver under the care of certified nurse midwives. It also has classes and other programs. The afternoon includes a free yoga class, face painting, food, information sessions from BeautyCounter, a free class on how to write your own birth story and more.