Hike along the Blue Jay Point trails while learning how to identify plants, insects, birds and any other critters during Saturday's Family Forest Hike or join in on a Trails Workday.

 

Learn Basic Land Navigation with a map and compass then test your new skills Saturday at William B. Umstead State Park.

 

Its the Turtle-Dog Days of Summer Saturday at Leigh Farm Park. These boykin spaniels are trained to find and carefully retrieve box turtles for scientific research. Come watch the dogs in action and help collect data.

 

In addition to their weekly Citizen Science Saturday event, you are invited to Prairie Ridge Ecostation Saturday after dark to study Moths at Night.

 

Explore the monadnock, AKA "leftover mountain" that we call Occoneechee on a Sunday Morning Hike at Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area.

 

 

Africa Unplugged brings a mix of traditional African music with everything that's funky to the CCB Plaza Thursday night.

 

Science Thursday at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences brings a Science Cafe Lecture on the the Science of Language and Speech and classes on Robots and Light Sources. Register early for the Scavenger Hunt Challenge, also.

 

The Midnight Ramblers will be playing a Summer Concert at City market Friday night.

 

Sidecar Social Club will be playing the tunes Friday night at Art in the Evening. The Sound Bites will explore Icons at the North Carolina

Museum of Art. Come back Saturday afternoon to enjoy a Music of the Italian Masters and Their Contemporaries Concert. Also Saturday, the Art Museum will be offering Special Family Tours of their special exhibits: Estampas de la raza and Tall Tales, Huge Hearts. Tours will be offered in both English and Spanish and are aimed at families with kids ages 6-12.

 

Selwyn Birchwood will be the featured band at Friday night's Warehouse Blues Concert at Durham Central Park.

 

Its Third Friday already in Downtown Durham. Enjoy a Gallery crawl, live music and special events.

 

Friday is Beach Night with Peak City Sound in Downtown Cary. There is even a free dance lesson before the concert.

 

The Halle Cultural Arts Center will host an Opening Reception for artists Marty Mathews and Sherri Leeder Friday evening.

 

Kick your weekend off Friday night in Downtown Mebane with the 70's & Classic Rock/Folk/Country sounds of the Curie Wayne Clayton Band.

 

 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will come alive on the big outdoor screen Friday night at Regency Park.

 

The Friday night Outdoor Film Series at the North Carolina Museum of Art will be the 2013 film, Her starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Scarlett Johansson.

 

Saturday morning's featured movie at the Holly Springs Cultural Center is Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Bring the kids back Monday morning for the featured film Cars.

 

The Apex Nature Park will be showing The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Saturday after dark.

 

 

Join the Town of Fuquay Varina for an Ice Cream Social to celebrate National Ice Cream Day and tour their new Administrative Offices Sunday afternoon at Mineral Spring Park.

 

Marbles welcomes the FoodMASTER team from ECU Sunday afternoon for a special Guest Star Scientist Program. They also invite families with special needs kids to join them Tuesday evening for Family Fun Night. Take in the Museum in a calmer, quieter environment. This month a veterinarian from Banfield Pet Hospital will bring his therapy dog.

 

The North Carolina State Fairgrounds will be hosting the Raleigh Coin Club & Stamp Show and the NCHJA " C" Indoors Horse Show which all offer free admission.

 

The Raleigh Antiques Extravaganza and Repticon Reptile & Exotic Animal Show also take place this weekend, but do have admission fees.