It’s time for a parade! The annual Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade starts at 10 a.m., Saturday. The parade starts at the Lane and Wilmington streets area around the state government complex, makes its way down Wilmington Street, heads down Fayetteville Street (where my family usually sits when we go) and eventually ends at the Raleigh Convention Center. When the parade ends at around 11:30 a.m., a festival will begin at City Plaza on Fayetteville Street with live music and activities for kids. The final performance ends around 6:30 p.m.
If you’re downtown for the parade and festival, you also can head over to Reptile and Amphibian Day at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the free event includes opportunities to see exotic live reptiles and amphibians from around the world and here in North Carolina. There also will be hands-on science education stations, crafts and games.
The Easter Bunny takes his seat at malls across the region. Our
Easter events database has the details, along with information about egg hunts and other seasonal events over the next few weeks. Easter is April 5.
Disney’s new live-action “Cinderella” opens in theaters on Friday, including Marbles Kids Museum’s IMAX theater. Princess fans can
meet and greet with Cinderella and Prince Charming. The characters will be there from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Friday, for those going to the 5:30 p.m. or 7:45 p.m. shows. On Saturday, they’ll be there from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for those going to the 1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m., Saturday, shows.
N.C. Theatre is performing “Peter and the Starcatcher” through Sunday at the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts in Raleigh. The Tony-award winning prequel to Peter Pan is described as a musical play that takes viewers on a “romp” through Neverland. The show is best for ages 10 and up, not because there’s anything age inappropriate, but because it’s a kind of a dense play with lots of dialogue (it’s a musical play, not a musical). The show runs two hours and 15 minutes with one intermission. Tickets start around $25.
The ArtsCenter in Carrboro has a couple of family-friendly shows this weekend.
At 11 a.m., Saturday, Hobey Ford returns with his Animalia, a puppet show that combines both science and art. Learn about the world of birds, see a butterfly’s metamorphoses, witness an undersea ballet of whales and dolphins. Tickets for the one-hour show are $9; $7 for kids; and $28 for a family four pack. Kids under 2 are free. It’s part of The ArtCenter’s SuperFun series for families.
And at 6 p.m., Saturday, Transactors Improv: For Families will perform a short-form improv show based on suggestions from the audience. Tickets are $10 and $6 for kids. The show runs about an hour. It’s best for grade schoolers and up.
Forest Moon Theater’s Children’s Interactive Theater will present “Miserella Finds Her Manners” at 11 a.m., Saturday, at the
Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St. The story features Princess Miserella, who is beautiful, but has horrible manners. She learns a lesson thanks to a retired fairy and an orphan. The show is best for ages 3 to 7. Tickets are $5 each.
And
Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University in Durham has a free family day from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday. The afternoon includes a gallery hunt, hands-on activities and a photo station where visitors can pose like old masterworks in the museum’s collection. Rags to Riches Children’s Theater will perform a variation of Aesop’s Tales at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. It’s all free.
