If your kids are interested in horses, this is your weekend. The annual Jump for the Children Horse Show will be at the State Fairgrounds this weekend. You can visit with the horses, participate in kids’ activities and see Olympic-level jumping and dressage competitions.

The multi-day show, which benefits Duke Children’s Hospital, started on Tuesday and runs through the weekend at the Hunt Horse Complex. Except for the Grand Prix event on Saturday night, the show is free.

Competitions will be going on in three rings all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 8 a.m. and ending late in the evening. While two of the rings are outdoors, the main ring is indoors with heat and comfortable seats.

“It’s pretty awe-inspiring for children,” said Joan Petty, the show chairwoman. “Families are welcome to stop in anytime during the day to check out the horses and watch the horse shows. Or they can wander down to the barns.”

There will also be food vendors and a silent auction.

Friday night will be fun if you are bringing little ones. Beginning at 5:30, kids can make their own stick horses (or bring ones from home). At 6:45, the kids will compete in a stick-horse race. Afterward, you can stay to watch a show jumping competition, which starts at 7:30.

Saturday night is the big event, the Duke Children’s Hospital Grand Prix. Beginning at 7:30, you can watch the best riders on the East Coast compete in an international-caliber jumping competition. The winner takes $30,000 in prize money. Tickets are $10, but kids under 10 get in free.

This is Jump for the Children’s 29th year, and they have raised more than $1.6 million for Duke Children’s Hospital.

There are lots of other family-friendly events this weekend.

• The Veteran’s Day Parade is Saturday morning in downtown Raleigh. It starts at 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of Fayetteville and Davie streets and ends at 11 a.m. at the State Capitol.

• At Cameron Village Library on Saturday, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., City Ballet will present short pieces from The Nutcracker. Kids can even learn some of the dances.

• Saturday is the Optimist Music and Storytelling Festival. Some great storytellers, including North Carolina favorite Donald Davis, will be there. There will also be a capella music from the group Second Shift. Events run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Apex United Methodist Church, 100 S. Hughes St. The event raises money to fight childhood cancer.

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