Jamuary 7th-13th 2016 Triangle

by Pam & Michael Davison

It looks like we are in for a chilly spell, but don't worry, ParkGeek will keep you from suffering any cabin fever.

If you want to experience the full winter experience, the Winterfest Ice Rink in Raleigh offers outdoor skating. The rink also features themed nights and discount days so click through for the details.

The Weekend Starts Early

Thursday nights are a blast at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science's Daily Planet Café. Each week features a different themed science-centric program. This week's is Science Trivia. In addition, the Museum's galleries stay open late and they will be offering a class on Beginning Astrophotography.

Friday night brings extended hours at the North Carolina Museum of Art for their weekly Art After Hours with live music by Onyx Club Boys and an exploration of Before or During Leonardo?. This Friday also kicks off their winter film season with the 1949 British film noir The Third Man and a special concert by acclaimed mandolinist Tony Williamson

The Halle Cultural Arts Center celebrates an Art Exhibit Opening Friday night featuring the works of artists Wendell Myers, Inge Wright and Michael Weitzmen. The show will run through February 12th.

On the second Friday night of each month, the streets of Downtown Wake Forest come alive with food, merchants and music for Art After Hours.

They also celebrate the second Friday of each month with Art After Dark in Fuquay-Varina. Come out to enjoy local artists and live music.

Kicking off Friday and running through Sunday, the State Fairgrounds will be hosting the Bass & Salt Water Fishing Expo and it is billed as the fishing event of the year.

This weekend also brings the Carolina Piedmont Dog Agility competitions to the Fairgrounds.

The Champions in Motion 2016 Regional Cheer Competition will take place Saturday at the Fairgrounds for ages 4-14.

Stay Warm at the Museums

Raleigh has four Museums which boast free admission! The NC Museum of History has a wonderful permanent exhibit on the Story of North Carolina that traces our state's history all the way from the early settlements through colonization, pirates, wars, economic development and social change. The exhibit is hands on and fun for the whole family. In addition, there are a variety of other exhibits that display Carbine weapons, Sports Hall of Fame, the Civil War and Carolina Bluegrass.

The North Carolina Museum of Art's collection spans more than 5,000 years, from ancient Egypt to the present making it one of the premier art museums in the region. Bring your kids and check out an "Art Tote" at the information desk to explore the galleries on a kid level or take aWeekend Family Friendly Tour or a Meet Your Museum Tour. On Sunday, Robert Dunn of the North Carolina State University will offer a Lecture entitled the Science of the Heart as Revealed by Leonardo da Vinci.

The NC Museum of Natural Sciences and Nature Research Center offer cutting edge science exhibits, hands on labs, live animal presentations, a specimen room, a kids discovery room and dinosaurs every day for free. Running through March, you are also invited to explore their special ticketed exhibit, Extreme Mammals. The public is welcome to Tuesday night's Wake Audubon Society Monthly Lecture.

The City of Raleigh Museum (COR) mission is to "Preserve Raleigh"s Past for the Future." The museum collects and cares for artifacts, curates exhibits, and provides educational programing that highlight and interpret Raleigh"s history and heritage.

Marbles Kids Museum does have a $5 admission fee, but with that admission, you get a day of fabulous fun kids exhibits and special events. As a special treat, the Museum stays open late every week for Twilight Thursday and offers $2 admission after 3pm.

The Museum of Life and Science in Durham also has an admission fee, but is an awesome hands on science museum with live animals, interactive science labs, a butterfly house & insectarium, dinosaurs, a farm yard, displays on weather, sound, space, math, and health. They will beFrozen Over until January 31st with an indoor winter celebration featuring giant snowmen, igloos, snowballs and an indoor synthetic ice rink.

Bundle Up and Get Some Fresh Air

Every Sunday through March, West Point on the Eno Park hosts Sunday afternoon Winter Hikes. The guided hikes are different every week so click through to get all the details about this week's Hillsborough Riverwalk Fitness Hike

Eno River State Park will offer a Cole Mill Grist-Mill Hike Saturday and an Open House at the Historic Piper Cox House on Sunday.

You are invited to become a Citizen Scientistevery Saturday at Prairie Ridge Ecostation or join a park naturalist to explore wildlife in the prairie, pond and lowland arboretum on a Walk Through the Seasons Tuesday morning. Bring your little ones to Prairie Ridge every Thursday morning for Nature Stories.

Get outside, get moving and get healthy! Join a ranger at Raven Rock State Park each Thursday morning to Hike for Your Health.

Join Umstead State Park staff Saturday to celebrate 100 S'more Years in North Carolina State Parks with free cook em' yourself s'mores.

Rangers at Falls Lake will be leading a Winter Discovery Hike Saturday.

Shinrin-yoku is Japanese to describe a visit to the forest for relaxation. Join them Saturday afternoon on Occoneechee Mountain for someForest Bathing and a Nature Hike.

Early Sunday morning, you are invited to come help the Jordan Lake Ranger take a Bald Eagle Count.

They will also be Counting Bald Eagles at Lake Crabtree County Park early Wednesday morning.

Art and Culture

The Family Movie Saturday morning at the Holly Springs Cultural Center will be G-Force. Come back Monday morning to see Kung Fu Panda 2.

Three Kings Day celebrates the end of the Christmas season. The Three Kings Day Parade in Cary Saturday will feature dancing, music, Hispanic foods, and a colorful parade featuring members of different Hispanic cultures.