Though visiting Santa is likely on the top of this weekend's priority list for many, there are a number of other worthwhile activities taking place throughout the Triangle - some where you might even encounter the man in the red suit, "off duty."
In Durham, the Walltown Children's Theater presents an encore performance of "The Durham Nutcracker!", a contemporary adaptation that infuses ballet, salsa, tap, hip-hop, Capoeira and African dance into a tale about Sarah Tucker, a young dancer auditioning for the role of Clara in "Nutcracker."
The show runs Saturday at 2 and 6 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., at Holton Auditorium, 401 N. Driver St. Adults $15, seniors and children $10. For tickets visit www.walltownchildrens theatre.org .
Tonight, children can don their pajamas a bit early and head to Peter's Pajama Party, a regular occurrence at the Regulator Bookshop, 720 Ninth St. in Durham. At 7, local musician Peter Holsapple will share books, stories and songs for children of all ages - jammies encouraged but not required for this free event. Visit www.regulatorbookshop.com for info.
The Bahama Christmas Parade is taking place Saturday morning at 10 on Bahama Road in northern Durham County. This traditional celebration includes candy, Santa, classic cars, and holiday music. The folks there try to keep it simple, and the small-town country feel of it can be a nice break from the bustle of a downtown.
Saturday, the Kidzu Children's Museum in Chapel Hill is hosting two gingerbread house decorating workshops, at 2 and 3:30 p.m. The children will have an hour to turn an undecorated gingerbread house into a thing of edible beauty. Cost is $15 per house, and two children can share a house. This is for children 3 to 9 years old, and registration is required. Visit www.kidzuchildrensmuseum.org or call 933-1455 to register.
Santa Claus will ice-skate with the public at the Triangle SportsPlex in Hillsborough on Saturday from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Visit www.triangle sportsplex.com for details.
Marbles Kids Museum is hosting two special events this weekend. Saturday at 11 a.m., the FutureVet with Banfield Hospital workshop will allow children to interact with a therapy dog and learn about what it takes to take care of animals. They will graduate with a FutureVet certificate from this interactive program led by a real veterinarian. Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m., Science Solvers - School of Ants program lets children learn about, you guessed it, ants, and they can assist real scientists from the NCSU School of Ants team in collecting data, schoolofants.org.
For a full listing of the museum's events, visit www.marbleskidsmuseum.org.
A little elf told me that if your children have penned a letter to Santa, there are some special mailboxes around the Triangle, such as at the Durham County Library, where those dropped off will be answered by the man himself.
