Family Picks: Train mania at the fairgrounds or some drama at RLT

Is it really nearly June? Do we really only have a few weeks of spring left? These are the times that stick in kids’ memories – warm days spent outside, or just time spent with the family in general. Among the many, many options this weekend, here are a few that stood out to us:

▪ Raleigh Little Theatre’s outdoor production of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” features a mixed cast – adults and kids. If your children are at all interested in drama, seeing others their age performing on this level may be a confidence boost – or they may simply think it’s cool. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” started Thursday and has shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and again on June 4, 5 and 7 at the Raleigh Rose Garden. Tickets are $17. More at raleighlittletheatre.org.

▪ Friday night the Triangle Brass Band presents a big band concert at the Sertoma Amphitheatre in Cary’s Bond Park. If you’re in your 30s or 40s, you may remember your grandparents dancing to this music. Your kids, though, might not, making this a valuable opportunity to connect them to a generation they might not have known as well as you did. So take a sentimental journey. It’s free and it starts at 7 p.m. More at trianglebrass.org.

▪ A toy train show and sale takes over the Kerr Scott Building at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh Saturday and Sunday. While there will certainly be train layouts of different scales for kids to watch, there will also be model trains for sale – perfect for bigger kids who want to try their hand at building little railroads. Admission is $6, though children under 13 get in free with a paying adult. It runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. Visit ncstatefair.org or email jfmitch@juno.com for more information.

▪ Does the doctor make your kids nervous? WakeMed’s Teddy Bear Clinic, Saturday at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, uses play to combat this fear. It’s good for the kids, sure, to see their stuffed animals brave exams and shots, and it’s good for the parents if it results in easier check-ups. The Teddy Bear Clinic lasts from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and museum admission is $4-$5, while those under 1 year old get in free. Visit marbleskidsmuseum.com.

This story was originally published May 28, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Family Picks: Train mania at the fairgrounds or some drama at RLT."