Family Picks: A free kids’ festival in Cary, dancing at Marbles

As long lines of cars and hordes of yellow buses attest, school’s back in – at least for traditional calendar students. But what about the pre-k crowd? In particular, what about the sibling whose big brother or sister just headed off to kindergarten? Why not do something special for these smaller kids? Back-to-school time is a big adjustment for them as well.

▪ A trip to the farmers market or produce stand never ends precisely as planned; go for peaches, as we did the other day, and you may end coming home with peaches and corn and muscadine smoothies. Swing by your local farmers market for some okra or some late-season cantaloupes – or whatever you find. NCAGR.gov/markets/facilities/markets lists the five large state markets, but also links to ncfarmfresh.com’s searchable directory of local markets.

▪ Dancers from Raleigh Dance Theatre will be at Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh Sunday afternoon, sharing techniques and moves related to familiar storybook tales. Museum admission is $5, with kids under 12 months getting in free, and the dancers will be there between 1:30 and 3 p.m. Visit marbleskidsmuseum.org.

▪ Sunday’s “It’s a Small World” celebration at Booth Amphitheatre in Cary celebrates a confluence of anniversaries – the amphitheatre turns 15, while Kindervillage turns 25. Accordingly, they’ve teamed up for a free family-oriented party. Between 4 and 7 p.m. there will be performances by area cultural groups, crafts, face-painting and an instrument zoo (leave the live pets at home, though). Visit boothamphitheatre.com.

▪ Bigger kids may appreciate sea life on the big screen. Between 8 and 9 p.m. Monday, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences shows the first installment of “Big Blue Live,” a 3-part live PBS and BBC production also airing on UNC-TV Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 8. This free broadcast features humpback and blue whales, seals, dolphins, great white sharks and other creatures that live in California’s Monterey Bay. Museum doors open at 7 p.m. with pre-film programming starting at 7:30. Visit naturalsciences.org.

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Family Picks: A free kids’ festival in Cary, dancing at Marbles."