Happy Earth Day! Officially, Earth Day is next week, but many of the celebrations are this weekend along with lots of Egg Hunts. The weather will hopefully hold out Saturday so you can celebrate and learn how to protect and reflect upon this amazing planet we call Mother Earth.

This weeks newsletter welcomes all you new ParkGeeks that we met at FrogFest last weekend. Remember that you don't have to wait for your newsletter each week. If you are ever interested in finding a new park or looking ahead for something fun to do, you can always go to ParkGeek.com.

Thanks again to all of you who forward the ParkGeek newsletter off to friends and co-workers. We truly appreciate your help in getting the word out.

For more info on everything going on, go to www.Parkgeek.com click on "Event Search" and fill in the dates. Be sure to include Friday through Sunday so you don't miss anything. Select the search button and start planning! See below for more...

Two fun events that kick off the weekend Friday night are Art in the Evening at the North Carolina Museum of Art featuring the movie Herb and Dorothy, and a Community Campfire at Leigh Farm Park.

 

 

Downtown Raleigh will host the Planet Earth Celebration at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and Bicentennial Plaza. The event will feature live bands, Burt's Bees Tent, kids activities from the Scrap Exchange and Marbles Museum, live music, strolling magicians, the Annual Sustainable Design Competition, a Trash parade and more than 70 stations with information on sustainable innovations available right here in the Triangle. There are exibits throughout the museum also, so come say hi to ParkGeek on the first floor.

If different species is what you are looking for, you will want to head to the North Carolina Zoo. You are cordially invited to join the Zoo's Party for the Planet this Earth Day. Click through for the schedule of all the fun events from music and face painting to recycling and a can exchange.

HerbFest comes to Wake Forest this week. Lasting all week, the festival boasts rare and hard to find herbs, an animal petting area, bunnies, face painting and more.

Bark Around the Park comes to Millbrook Exchange Park on Saturday. With vendor exhibits and sales, contests, give-aways, micro-chip and rabies clinics, and adoption opportunities, its a festival totally gone to the dogs.

To round out the weekend of fundraising fun runs, bring your dog on over to Moore Square for the K9-3K Dog Walk. The fun, 1.8 mile walk through downtown Raleigh to benefit homeless pets and also feature a "Steak Walk", live music, micro-chipping, festival food and a variety of doggie contests. Click through for the details and schedule.

Part of taking care of the planet is supporting local farmers and buying locally. Many of our local Farmers' Markets are opening for the season. The Cary Farmer's Market is open Tuesdays and Saturdays. The Growers Market of Fuquay-Varina is open Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Durham Farmers' Market runs year round on Saturdays and will add Wednesdays in May. The Wake Forest Farmers' Market opens up this Saturday with a book signing by Debbie Moose and live music by Dry Bread Road.

If you are looking for a fun day trip or you are going to be in Wilmington this weekend, you will want to check out the Riverfront Farmers Market. In addition to the market the Privateer Lynx will be in port and offering Public Ship Tours. Rims on the River also comes to Wilmington this weekend with around 600 cars and motorcycles dating 1980 and older lining the streets of historic downtown.

Speaking of cars, Friday night brings back the Downtown Fuquay-Varina Cruise In. Come on out to enjoy an evening of family fun including a display of pre-1975 classic cars, music, dancing, and hula hoop contests.

One way to beautify the planet is plant more flowers. The North Carolina State Fairgrounds is hosting both a Geranium Sale and an Azalea Sale.

 

 

Children, 12 and under, are welcome to Mordecai Historic park for a Traditional Egg Hunt. Along with eggs, food, music, and a visit from a special bunny will make this a truly memorable event.

Homestead Community Park will host the Carrboro, Orange County, Chapel Hill Community Egg Hunt. Free activities include a Giant Egg Hunt for three age groups, live children's entertainment, games and prizes.

Cary invites you to start your weekend off with Breakfast with the Bunny and then bring your baskets for the Easter Egg Hunt at Fred G Bond Park.

The Durham Parks and Recreation Department will sponsor an Egg Hunt at West Point on the Eno for children up to age 12.

The Easter Bunny will bring more than 12,000 candy-filled eggs to South Park for Fuquay-Varina's Easter Egg Hunt. There will be several special eggs that can be exchanged for prizes.

Come on out to one of Raleigh's 23 Community Centers Saturday morning for a Raleigh Egg Hunt. Click through for a list of locations and contact information.

Join the Town of Garner's Parks and Recreation Department for the Spring Eggstravaganza at Lake Benson Park. The day will start with anti-litter and Big Sweep efforts and finish up with a kite fly, inflatables, entertainment, Earth Day activites and egg hunts.

Bring your Easter baskets and arrive early to meet the Easter Bunny and find candy-filled eggs in Downtown for the Apex Easter Egg Hunt.

Bunnies, bunnies and more bunnies are hopping to the Natural Science Center of Greensboro for Bunny Day. Local rabbit breeders will display a wide variety of live rabbits, such as English Lops, New Zealand Giants and Satins, for visitors to see and pet.

Hop on over for a Candy Hop in the historic Fuquay-Varina shopping district. Set up similar to their Trick or Treat event, children can bring a basket and visit merchants displaying a poster that says "Hop in for Candy".

 

 

The Third Annual Nazim Hikmet Poetry Festival brings together local,national and international poets to celebrate the life and poetry of Nazim Hikmet Ran, who is known as one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century.

Enjoy Jazz Appreciation Month with some cool tunes by the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble at the NC Museum of History.

Lace up your walking shoes and head to Hillsborough for the Sculpture Tour. The inaugural exhibition of contemporary public outdoor sculpture will be exhibited throughout downtown Historic Hillsborough.

Yogi Bear is coming with all his friends to the Holly Springs Cultural Center as this Saturday's Family Movie.

Animals in Art is the theme for this weekend's Family Fun Saturday at the NC Museum of Art. You are also invited to bring your treasures to the Museum for Art Day. Curators and conservators team up to examine works of art brought in by Museum visitors and help them discover more about their works of art.

The North Carolina Museum of History is excited to announce the Opening of their new Exibit, The Story of North Carolina.

If you are looking for a great day trip, Bennett Place Historic Park will be hosting the 145th Anniversary Surrender Commemoration all weekend. The event commemorates the events which led to the largest surrender of the American Civil War on April 17-18, 1865. Union and Confederate soldier reenactors will encamp on the grounds throughout the weekend, with various living history demonstrations and displays.

Can you remember a time before video games? Bring your kids out to Historic Yates Mill County Park for Colonial Toys and Games. Try out a variety of old-time toys and games that have been used for centuries and participate in several field-day activities including hoop-and-stick and sack races

Bring balnkets and a picnic to enjoy the Durham Symphony Pops perform at Trinity Park.

It's the battle of the bots. Join the league of robot enthusiasts who build and battle their bots for fun and excitement at the Museum of Life & Science. See some exciting demos and learn more about current and future innovations in the robotics field at the Robot Rumble.

 

There is alot going on throughout our local parks. The Wake County Parks boast Bird is the Word on the American Tobacco Trail, the Triangle Model Yacht Club and Fishing Tips and Techniques at Lake Crabtree County Park, and Corn Grinding Tours at Historic Yates Mill Pond County Park. The Kids in Training Adventure Race will take place at Harris Lake County Park.

The State Parks invite you to join them for Birdwatching, What's Under That Fallen Tree, Regenerate and Spring Wildflowers at Eno River State Park. You can learn about Snakes of North Carolina at William B. Umstead State Park.

In addition to the plant sales, the NC State Fairgrounds will be hosting a Spring Boat Show & Sale, the Southern Bridal Show and Expo and the Raleigh Invitational Horse Show.