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It's First Friday and Tax Free weekend! Make sure to take advantage of some of the fabulous events this weekend when you need a break from shopping.

The fun really starts Thursday. They will be spitting seeds over at the State Farmer's Market for Watermelon Day. Meet the NC Watermelon Queen, enjoy free watermelon slices and get a peek at this years crop of giant watermelons.

Thursday night at Booth Amphitheater at Regency Park, Movies by Moonlight will feature the classic Taming of the Shrew.

Cool Down in Downtown Wake Forest. While doing all your back to school shopping, you can pop into participating businesses, grab free bottled water, and draw a coupon for another business Downtown.

First Friday

Celebrate the second installment of the Raleigh City Museum's latest exhibit, Portraits of Raleigh: Images of a City and Her People II. This special exhibit highlights the faces and places that make Raleigh such a vibrant city. Join the fun as they celebrate Portraits of Raleigh II and First Friday with live music and free refreshments.

Live music by Hercules Mulligan and the movie Flash Gordon will highlight the events at the The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences First Friday.

Locally renowned artists will compete at City Market to make the best bug in front of a live, on-street audience. LOVEBUG: The Great Draw-Off will kick off with a kids-only round early in the evening, followed by two grown-up rounds and a finalist round.

Along with watching the Draw-Off, you might want to head on over to Marbles Kids Museum and take advantage of their extended First Friday hours.

The North Carolina Museum of History will also be open for extended hours for First Friday.

Visit the galleries, listen to live music and delight in a divine culinary experience while you take advantage of the First Friday Specials offered by participating restaurants during the First Friday Gallery Walk in Downtown Raleigh.

Far from the city lights, Family Fun Night with Trish Miller at Bass Lake Park will feature a whole evening of family fun. Start off with arts & crafts, live animals and some fishing. Finish the evening with an interactive concert with Trish Miller.

Speaking of fishing, CATCH is back this Friday morning at William B. Umstead State Park. Enjoy a peaceful hour of fishing on Big Lake.

Concerts & Movies in the Triangle

Midlife Crisis Band will be the feature band at the Sunday in the Park Concert Series at Fred Fletcher Park. End your weekend with their Blues, classic rock & oldies tunes.

Sherlock Holmes is reimagined as a puckish action hero in this rip-roaring ride through steam-punked 19th-century London at the North Carolina Museum of Art's Movies on the Lawn.

Free Willy: Escape From Pirates Cove will be the featured flick at the Holly Springs Cultural Center's Family Movie.

DJ Piddipat will spin music from her prodigious music collection Sunday evening at Durham Central Park.

Festivals & Special Events at the Parks

Rock Quarry Park is hosting a Latino Festival featuring Latin food, music, Azteca and Mexican dance, Zumba dance for children, pinata and much more.

Chill out and learn how Zoo animals beat the summer heat during ZOO Cool at the North Carolina Zoo.

Kid's Day at the Raleigh City Museum will let kids learn about the history of play through hands-on activities with the toys of our past. Kids will get a chance to play historic games and make a buzz saw to take home.

What kid doesn't like dirt? Explore the science of dirt with soil scientist Liz Driscoll at Marbles Kids Museum for Science Solvers.

Bring the horse lover in your family to the State Fairgrounds for an Appaloosa Show this weekend.

Hikes and Critters at the Parks

For you early risers, local bird enthusiast, Vernon, will be out at Lake Crabtree County Park for his monthly Birding with Vernon walk.

The Wiggles will be out at the American Tobacco Trail. Find out why worms are good for plants as you examine their body parts and learn about vermi-composting.

Saturday you can take an easy hike around the ponds as you explore the Dragonflies at Occoneechee Mountain. Later, you can take a short, leisurely hike and watch the big orange ball in the sky disappear behind Hillsborough on a Sunset Hike.

Come and help the Naturalist catch a Toad at Eno River State Park. Once you find a few toads, you will learn to identify the species found in the park.

Bass Lake Park is hosting the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission's Hunter Education Course for anyone interested in hunting. This weekend is pretty full, but if you are interested in hunting in the fall, you may want to register for the next time they offer it, August 28th & 29th.

August 5th - 11th