THURSDAY
Monarch Migration.
Gather together with other Little Explorers to say “see you later” to the last generation of migrating Monarchs. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, this class includes a visit to the Butterfly House and admission to the Gardens and Nature Walk.
Ladew Topiary Gardens, 10:30-11:30 a.m. or 12:30-1:30 p.m., tickets $5-15, ladewgardens.com
Colorful Critters.
Explore The Maryland Zoo at this month’s Stroller Safari, featuring fun activities, education, and a stroller walk through the Zoo. Kids ages 18-36 months will love hearing stories and songs all about their favorite zoo animals.
The Maryland Zoo, 11-11:45 a.m., tickets $5 per child plus Zoo admission, marylandzoo.org
PJ Masks.
The hit series PJ Masks comes to life in PJ Masks Live! Time to Be a Hero, a new and fully interactive musical production! With familiar and original songs, acrobatics and all-new adventures for Catboy, Owlette and Gekko, it’s going to be almost impossible to look away.
Hippodrome Theatre, 6 p.m., tickets $48-122, france-merrickpac.com
FRIDAY
Baltimore Book Festival
Baltimore bookworms, this one is for you. With hundreds of author appearances, book signings, poetry readings, kids’ crafts, cooking demonstrations, live music and more, this celebration of all things literary has something for every book lover.
Sept. 22-24, Inner Harbor, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., free, baltimorebookfestival.org.
Cooking Up Chemistry: Sink or Float
This isn’t your high school chemistry class. Watch what happens when experimenting with ingredients found at home. Foods, oils and soaps come together to make something exciting in this adventure in kitchen chemistry.
Kids Room at the Maryland Science Center, 3-3:30 p.m., free with admission, mdsci.org
Guillaume Tell
Gioachino Rossini’s final opera tells the William Tell legend. But, there is more to the story than the boy whose father shot an arrow through an apple on his head — Tell is a Swiss folk hero. The opera, performed by the Baltimore Concert Opera, is in French with English supertitles.
The Engineers Club, 7:30 p.m., tickets: $27.50-71.50, baltimoreconcertopera.com
Little Red and the Hoods
It’s Little Red Riding Hood — with a twist. Performed by the Carroll County Community College Theatre tour group, this is the story of Little Red’s encounter with Harry Wolf, who wants to steal Little Red’s cookie recipe to sell the cookies for a profit.
Westminster Branch, Carroll County Public Library, 10 a.m., free, library.carr.org
Baltimore Comic Con
For one weekend every year, the Inner Harbor welcomes a sea of characters from another world (or galaxy, in some cases), as well as a host of artists, authors and experts, for Baltimore Comic Con. The three-day festival includes costume contests, The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards, panels, discussion boards and photo ops with both characters and their creators.
Sept. 22-24 at Baltimore Convention Center. Tickets: $25-$150. 800-838-3006, baltimorecomiccon.com
SATURDAY
The Dinosaur Play
As the children enter the theater, they are transported back in time to the world of dinosaurs. The children help a dinosaur egg in need of help to hatch, spurring a sequence of events that culminates in defeating the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 1:30 p.m., tickets: $10, marylandensemble.org
Meet the Artist: Henry Matisse
One of the greatest artists of the twentieth century, Henry Matisse, is best known for his post-Impressionist style using bright blocks of color. Learn about Matisse’s life and work, then give it a try yourself with paper cut-out masterpieces.
Central Branch, Enoch Pratt Free Library, 2 p.m., free, prattlibrary.org
Build-a-Boo Puppet Workshop
Tiffany Lange of Charm City Puppets leads this workshop on building hand-and-rod puppets with lots of personality. Using Lange’s patterns, design and sew a puppet pal. These puppet monsters can be creepy or cute — it’s up to you! Ages 16+.
American Visionary Art Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., $100 members/$125 non-members, registration required, avam.org
Teen After-Hours: Escape Room
You’re trapped in a large library meeting room with both friends and strangers. It’s after hours, and you have to work together to solve a series of logic-based puzzles to escape. Can you do make it out? Try your hand at this escape room-style challenge. Refreshments provided.
Westminster Branch, Carroll County Public Library, 6:30 p.m., free, library.carr.org
Columbia BikeAbout
The Columbia Association presents its annual ride about town, featuring long and short rides, history lessons, and family fun.
Beginning 9:30 a.m. at the Lake Elhorn Dock in Columbia.
SUNDAY
The Overseer’s House, Slave Quarters and Farm Tour
Park ranger Anokwale Ananessemfo guides this tour through Towson’s Hampton Plantation, telling the stories of the African Americans who lived and worked on the plantation as slaves. See replicas of objects used on the plantation in the 1800s.
Farm site’s lower house at Hampton Plantation, 1-2:30 p.m., free, nps.gov/hamp
Animal Craft Safari
We’re going on a safari… with animals, arts and crafts. Meet one of the zoo’s many animals, listen to the story “Dragons Love Tacos,” learn about conservation and make a wildlife-themed craft.
Penguin Coast Learning Lab at The Maryland Zoo, 11-11:45 a.m., $5 (not included in zoo admission), registration required, marylandzoo.org
I Know a Man … Ashley Bryan
Ashley Bryan, poet and illustrator of 50-plus children’s books, puppet-maker and artist of sea glass windows influenced by his African heritage, is the subject of this film. 93-year-old Bryan’s childlike wonder and boundary-crossing art seeks to shift the dynamics of art and race.
Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 2 p.m., free with museum admission (free members/$8 non-members), lewismuseum.org
