This newsletter will cover two weeks to help you plan out your holiday. If you are staying in town and are looking to get out and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine before or after your Turkey feast, there are plenty of wonderful parks in the area. Do be aware that several local county and city parks (the ones with gates) will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Neighborhood playgrounds, greenways and state parks are a great destination to run off some energy or extra calories.

 

Come to Yates Mill Friday and find out what it was like to be a kid at the First Thanksgiving. Play 17th century games, learn to talk like a pilgrim, and try some of the original Thanksgiving treats.

 

Do you have visitors coming into town? Historic Yates Mill County Park will also be running their Saturdays at the Old Mill Tours on both the 23rd and 30th and Mill Heritage & Local History Tours on Sunday the 24th.

 

The weekend kicks off Thursday at the Halle Arts Center with a Pizza and a Movie Night. The featured flick will be Monsters University.

 

What are the effects of urban warming on tree health, and the implications of climate change for natural forests? Thursday's Science Cafe at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will explore Can Forests Take the Heat?

 

 

Once you are downtown, you can head over to The North Carolina Museum of History for the Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration. Come celebrate North Carolina's American Indian heritage at this exciting festival featuring music, dancing, storytelling, hands-on activities and food. There will be members of the state's eight recognized tribes sharing their heritage and demonstrating their skills at pottery, basketry, beadwork and stone carving. Its a great event to learn about the history of the American Indian that took place right here in North Carolina.

 

You can also lace up some skates and enjoy a few laps on the Raleigh Winterfest Ice Rink. Opening Friday, the rink will be open in Raleigh's City Plaza through February 1st. $9 includes both admission and skate rental.

 

Find creative, locally handmade gifts of art for everyone on your holiday list at the Durham Art Walk Holiday Market both Saturday & Sunday.

 

Also in Durham, the Ice Factory at American Tobacco is now open daily. $10 per person includes admission to the outdoor rink and skate rental!

 

Looking for a fun day trip? Natural Science Center of Greensboro invites you to get into the holiday mood with special shows daily in their OmniSphere Theater. The Laser Holiday Show combines amazing lasers with a mix of classic holiday songs and the Light Before Christmas will magically transport you into the classic tale, "The Night Before Christmas."

 

Saturday's Family Wildlife Series invites the whole family to come on out to Blue Jay Point County Park to create your own holiday wrapping paper from recycled items and nifty stamps.

 

Become a Food Scientist on Sunday at Marbles Kids Museum and dig into the chemistry of food and the science behind some of your Thanksgiving favorites. Marbles will also feature Thanksgiving Themed Museum Play from Monday, November 25th through Sunday, December 1st. You are encouraged to contribute to their Thanksgiving Family Food Drive on Wednesday & Friday , November 27th & 29th. Marbles will also be celebrating the Grand Opening of their new News Around Town helicopter this Saturday.

 

 

The Carolina Designer Craftsmen Fine Designer Crafts Show also is held every Thanksgiving weekend at the State Fairgrounds.

Come learn to make your own Holiday Wreath using natural materials Sunday, December 1st at Durant Nature Park.

 

Do you enjoy Decorating for the holidays? The Staff of Historic Oak View Park is looking for volunteers to help them hang garland, decorate mantles & maybe even decorate the scenes for their program "Christmas at Oak View Farm." They are starting on Monday, December 1st and will probably continue Tuesday.

 

Kids are invited to get into the spirit of giving by helping to cut out and assemble warm fleece blankets for children in need during Monday's (December 2nd) Home School Day at Historic Yates Mill County Park.

 

 

This Friday brings Third Friday to Downtown Durham with a Gallery crawl and lots of live music.

 

This Friday the North Carolina Museum of Art kicks off the weekend with Art in the Evening in the West Building featuring the band, The Beast and Rockabilly Retro Friday in the East Building with the band Straight 8. After you enjoy some tunes, pull together a team and don your thinking caps for Trivia Night. There will also be a Gallery Exploration focused on innovative materials. Bring the kids back Saturday for a Family Fun Saturday all about Birds. On Sunday, Konrad H. Jarausch will give a lecture on Porsche's Story: A Historical Context.

 

Art in the Evening returns Friday, November 29th with the band Peter Lamb and the Wolves, a Gallery Exploration and the free movie Art Car: The Movie. The movie, which documents the preparations a high school class makes to prepare a car for the Houston Art Car Parade, will also be shown Saturday afternoon. Come to the museum early Saturday morning for an Art Car Meetup along Blue Ridge Road.

 

Traditional Dance Caller, Connie Carringer will teach fun dances for the whole family this Friday night at Halle Cultural Arts Center. The Family Dance even boasts an old-time string band.

 

All the holiday craft fairs are coming to the Fairgrounds after Thanksgiving, but this weekend, you can check out all the critters at the Reptile & Exotic Animal Show.

 

Tangled will be the featured film the Holly Springs Cultural Center Monday, November 25th and The Smurfs on Monday, December 2nd.

Fun at the Parks

 

All levels of educators are invited to an NC Aquatic Wild seminar Jordan Lake State Recreation Area this Saturday. The 6-hour workshop introduces participants to the free Aquatic WILD K-12 educator guide. The workshop is similar to the N.C. WILD Basic workshop, except there is a focus on aquatics.

 

Wake Forest received a Kids in Parks TRACK Trails Grant earlier this year and will be celebrating with a a special ribbon cutting ceremony and guided walk at E. Carroll Joyner Park this Saturday.

 

Join a Jordan Lake Ranger Saturday, November 30th for a guided Nature Hike along the Old Oak Trail or a Canoe Paddle along White Oak Creek.

 

Join an Eno River State Park Park Ranger at the Piper Cox House Saturday, November 30th for a Sing-Along celebrating the animals that call Eno River State Park home

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Also next Saturday, join an Umstead State Park Ranger for a guided hike down Company Mill trail to the Company Mill site and learn of the park's history.