Thursday at lunchtime is Strawberry Day at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh. Along with lots of local, just picked strawberries, there will be dessert samples, a dessert contest, free recipes, and Suzy the Strawberry!

 

The A/V Geeks at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences present "Space Men (aka Assignment Outer Space)," a 1960 science fiction film for their First Friday Movie.

Just outside the Museum, you are invited to take a First Friday Hawk Walk. Naturalists will be in Bicentennial Mall with spotting scopes to help you see Raleigh's urban red tail hawks.

Celebrate First Friday with the Raleigh City Museum and stroll around Downtown Raleigh to take in the First Friday Gallery Walk.

Marbles Kid's Museum is joining the downtown Raleigh's First Friday Fun! Enjoy an evening of play and adventure while you explore the whimsical side of your veggies and design creative sculptures.

Art in the Evening returns to the with the North Carolina Museum of Art with music by the Countdown Quartet, a discussion: On the Veranda with Kings and Queens, and the French James Bond spoof, OSS 117: Cairo Nest of Spies.

Outside the City limits, Holly Springs will be celebrating Family Fun Night at Bass Lake Park. Kick off the evening by making some arts and crafts, meeting a live animal, or borrowing a fishing pole. End the night with a fun interactive concert with kid favorite, Trish Miller.

 

Meet in the Street is expecting a crowd of more than 10,000 to descend upon Wake Forest this Saturday. Like Peakfest, the event will feature a wide variety of handmade arts and crafts, fabulous festival fare, international foods, a Children's Village and a day full of wonderful live entertainment.

 

Enjoy activities, games and crafts as you explore the world of the Longleaf Pine Forest during the Longleaf Festival at Harris Lake County Park.

 

When was the last time you saw a Cord, Franklin, McLaughlin, Packard or Studebaker? Come see antique cars displayed on the grounds at Oak View at their annual Antique Automobile Show. Come watch the Triangle Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America try to break their own record and assemble their 1917 Take Apart Model T in 5 Minutes and 3 seconds!

 

Strawberries are the theme of a fun family event in Durham. The Strawberry Festival in Durham will be a day long celebration with Music, Dance, Food and Games!

 

Celebrate Persian culture and cusine at the NC Persian Festival. The event, being held at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds will feature Persian dances, music, art, crafts and food.

 

The Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel will host their annual Herbfest. In addition to vendors selling a wide variety of herbal crafts, garden products, foods and plants, there will be tours of the Page Educational Garden, entertainment. and hands-on activities for the kids.

 

Enjoy a day of hands-on activities, meet entomology and horticulture experts and encounter invertebrates during the Magic Wings Festival at the Museum of Life and Science all day Saturday.

 

Saturday is Kids Appreciation Day in Holly Springs. Kids are treated to free pizza and a snowball along with inflatables, face painting, arts & crafts, music, a motorcycle & fire engine display and the Terrific Kids Ceremony.

 

Come out and hear the best of the best compete for the Jamfest 2012 title! The annual teen musician competition will supply a great day of music and entertainment at Bond Park.

 

AniMania is an everything-animal festival this Saturday at the Natural Science Center of Greensboro.

 

Saturday at Nash Square there will be a parade and Memorial Service to honor Fallen Firefighters.

 

Teen Day Fuquay, an alcohol-driving awareness program will offer young people the opportunity to experience the realities of mixing alcohol and driving through the use of high tech simulation along with some free pizza and prizes.

 

Sunday is Carrboro Day! The annual celebration features music, food, poetry and family fun.

 

 

On Fridays through June, you are invited to check out the Nature Ranger Cart at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. The traveling science cart will feature creative adventures each week. Come back to the Gardens on Sunday for Spring Family Fun. There will be several activity stations and displays to explore focusing on science or craft projects.

 

Eno River State Park will present a program on Wild Turkeys Saturday morning and Turtles Saturday afternoon. Come back Sunday to learn What's Under That Fallen Tree?

 

Do you have a child who would like to learn to fish? C.A.S.T. (Catch A Sure Thing!) is an introduction to fishing program offered Saturday mornings at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. All the materials and training are provided.

 

Durant Nature Park invites you to come Sample everything they have to offer. You do need to register in advance for this free event so you can try a critter stop, bird watching, crafts, a nature scavenger hunt, dipnetting and fishing.

 

Lace up your shoes and grab a water bottle Saturday afternoon so you can Run with a Ranger at Umstead State Park. On Sunday afternoon, you can learn about Snakes of North Carolina.

 

VocalMotion, the all-volunteer adult show choir sponsored by SAS will perform a Broadway-style musical revue at Bond Park on Saturday afternoon.

 

Friends of West Point on the Eno welcome you to join them for their Sunday afternoon Spring Hikes. The guided hikes focus on the beautiful array of spring flowers blooming along the trails.

 

Along with Mill Heritage & Local History Tours both Saturday and Sunday at Historic Yates Mill County Park, kids are invited to go on a History Detective Tour Saturday morning to solve puzzles, hunt for clues, and investigate the mystery of milling with real historical artifacts.

 

Have you ever told your kids to Get Out & Stay Out? Historical Yates Mill County Park invites grown ups to come to the park Sunday to learn how to Enjoy Nature with your Child.

 

Bring your camera and join park staff at Lake Crabtree County Park on Sunday for a Wildflower Hike. Discover the folklore of some of their species, and learn how to identify common wildflowers.

 

 

Take a Curator's Tour of their new exhibit, Al Norte al Norte: Latino Life in North Carolina in either English or Spanish at the North Carolina Museum of History Saturday afternoon.

 

In conjunction with the exhibition El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa, families will be able to contribute their own work to the Education Gallery project "Lines That Link Communities" during this week's Family Fun Saturday at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

 

Science Saturday is back at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. This month Jeremy Greeter of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will be discussing Stability & Maneuverability in Creatures that Fly.

 

The State Fairgrounds will be hosting the Carolina Reptile & Exotic Animal Show, the Young Champions Karate & Cheer State Competitions, and a Toy Train Sale and Swap Meet.

 

Author Kevin Duffus will be introducing his new book, World War II Off the North Carolina Coast during a Sunday afternoon presentation at the North Carolina Museum of History.

 

The Six Sundays in Spring Concert Series is back again at Carroll Joyner Park with the Will McBride Group performing jazz, funk, rock and pop.