NC Junior Beef Round-Up (Sat/Sun 6/1-2, 2013)

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Update: Scroll down for a video I took this morning

Were you a member of the 4-H as a kid? If so, you can go back to your roots this weekend. (And let me know, I’m curious to hear the story.) If you weren’t, even better to get you some real farm experience.

Even though I featured the Beef Round-Up last year, I didn’t make it there, but I’m hoping to go this year. You can basically think if as a dog show, only that the middle-aged ladies with their poodles are replaced by farm boys and girls and their livestock.

There is not too much information for visitors (I’m not even 100% sure if this is open to the public), and the website has not too much information. We’ll see! Update: Walter Earle with NCSU commented that this is indeed open to the public. Thank you, Walter!

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4H Cows By Lewis Hines [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. This is image is from Charleston WV, and was taken back in 1921.

Here is a video from the event I took today.

Video from the NC Beef Round-Up 2013

Caribbean Instrument Petting Zoo (5/25 2p)

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This Saturday, the Cameron Village will turn into a zoo of sorts, but no animals will be there; no, the “petting zoo” will be filled with exotic instruments from various Caribbean islands and from Nigeria. Members of the Raleigh/Durham Afro-Caribbean Association will show the instruments and provide opportunities to explore them up close.

Pool season starts this weekend! (5/25)

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This Saturday, Lake Johnson Pool opens at 10 a.m. and officially starts the pool season. The pool will be open daily until the fall and is also open on Monday (Memorial Day). The other pools will open soon as well, Ridge Road on June-1, and Chavis on June-8. Finally, I also want to mention Buffaloe Road Aquatic Center, which is indoors and open year-round, and a great alternative during the summer as well.

Zoppe Family Circus in Raleigh (5/17-5/19, 2013)

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Update: We didn’t make it to the circus unfortunately, but a fellow local blogger (and clown!) wrote a very nice three-post series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) with many pictures about his visit to the Zoppe Family Circus. Go have a look!

I featured another circus a few weeks ago, and we’ll remember that one fondly as our family’s first circus experience. But depending on how the weekend pans out, we may go to the circus again, since Zoppe promises a small intimate circus right within walking distance.

Zoppe is a family circus, and its history is a marvelous read: Back in 1842 (no typo), a young clown from France (Napoline Zoppe) fell in love with an equestrian ballerina in Budapest, Hungary, much to the chagrin of the ballerina’s father. A clown just didn’t cut it. The young lovers ran away to Venice Italy and founded the circus. Napoline’s great-grandson Alberto came to the US to work for Ringling Brothers (in exchange for an elephant), and brought the circus over here. He performed in the circus until recently, well into his 80s, and today the circus is run by his son Giovanni, great-great-grandson of Napoline and pictured above as clown Nino.

Zoppe features clowns, acrobats, horses and dancing dogs. They perform Friday – Sunday in front of the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts. No online tickets – Advance Tickets at the box office or at the door.

Image (c) Zoppe Family Circus.

Play a Public Piano (5/15-5/30)

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As part of Artsplosure, the City has placed six artfully adorned pianos at various downtown locations. The public is invited to play them – no skills required! The pianos are placed at the following locations:

  • outside City Hall (Hargett&Dawson)
  • in front of Duke Energy Center
  • on City Plaza
  • in City Market (across from Big Ed’s)
  • in Moore Square (by Marbles)
  • in Marbles’ courtyard

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Photo (c) City of Raleigh.

Got to be NC Festival 2013

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Do you feel like the State Fair is a “must-see” for your kids, but do you loathe the crazy crowds? Try the Got to Be NC Festival instead.

Less crowded, less crazy, more family-friendly, more exciting. You still get all the main State Fair ingredients (rides, tractor pulls, lawn mower racing, farm animals, fried food), but in a more relaxed atmosphere.

The event kicks off Friday afternoon and continues through Sunday. Admission and parking is free.

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Image (c) NC Department of Agriculture.

Turtle Day in Holly Springs (Sat 5/11)

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Holly Springs is serious about its turtles, and celebrates the annual TurtleFest. Crafts, Hayrides, Live Music, and, of course, turtles.
TurtleFest takes place at Bass Lake Park, a scenic place to hang out, or walk along the lake. If you want a change of scenery this weekend, Bass Lake is only 30 minutes from downtown Raleigh, down Lake Wheeler Road.

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Image by Ken Thomas [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

National Train Day in Selma and Cary (Sat 5/11)

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Amtrak celebrates National Train Day this Saturday, and there are two ways to participate:

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  • First, you can drive to Cary, where a quite large event is taking place in the downtown depot. Even better, you could take the (short) ride on the Amtrak from Raleigh to Cary; leave Raleigh at 11:45am and get back at 3:11pm, about 15 minutes on the train each way. Train fare $11/adult.
    The event has a Chuggington exhibit, model trains and free train whistles, live music, hot dogs, and other things that get rail fans excited.
  • Secondly, you can take the train to Selma, where National Train Day is a major event for this  quaint Eastern Piedmont town. For this trip, you would leave Raleigh at 10:25am and get back at 4:42pm, and spend closer to 40 minutes on the train each way. (You could of course also drive to Selma.) Train fare $16/adult.
    Selma’s event is probably a bit smaller, but not any less exciting, with a live band, food vendors, kids activities and so on. There will also be trains arriving and departing while you’re there, going to far-away places like New York or Savannah.

If you’re planning to take the train to one of these events, let me know.