LOCAL HAPPENINGS: County libraries plan a dinosaur-heavy reading program for kids this summer

ASHEBORO — When school’s out, dig into a DINO-mite Summer Reading experience at Randolph County Public Libraries with a prehistoric season of stories, discovery and fun! Stomp, chomp and explore your way into a summer packed with performances, puppets, magic, story-times, hands-on activities and more with reading challenges and rewards the library promises are saurusly awesome!

“Unearth a Story” is the dinosaur-focused theme of this year’s Summer Read-ing initiative, which offers children and teens a no-pressure way to stay engaged with reading and learning while out of school, so they can avoid “summer slide” and be ready to pick up where they left off when school starts in the fall. 

Adults aren’t extinct from the fun, either, with author visits and hands-on experiences. Everyone gets to roar into reading.

Visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summer for a complete schedule of events, or pick up calendars at your local library.

Appearing at all libraries in June is musical storyteller Luke Vandergriff   with DinoHearts. Vandergriff creates an imaginative, interactive, bilingual English/Spanish performance using original songs, handmade instruments and playful audience participation to tell the story of Juanca, a young boy from Bolivia as he navigates big feelings like fear, courage and kindness with the help of his imagination — and a few friendly dinosaurs.

At all libraries in July is Bright Star Touring Theatre’s Dino Academy. Travel back millions of years in time for an action-packed prehistoric adventure with delightfully quirky paleontologist Dr. Sarah Tops as she opens the doors to her top-secret dinosaur facility and invites audiences to step into a world where science, storytelling and imagination collide.

Meanwhile, there’s more to unearth at the various libraries, a list which includes but is not limited to:

■ Sigmon Theatrical returns with The Big Dino Show.

■ Shepherd Shakespeare presents DinoShakes.

■ Steve Somers Digs Into Reading.

■ The NC Zoo, Ellie’s Exotic Road Show and Wild Tails NC visit with ani-mal ambassadors.

■ Matt Sandbank brings back his Shadow Factory Puppet Show.

■ Dana Hill performs Presto Prehistoric Magic.

For more information, call 336-318-6804.

NOTE: Appearances by Luke Vandergriff and Bright Star Touring Theatre are sponsored by the Friends of the Library. The project receives support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

THIS WEEK

The Asheboro ZooKeepers open their season

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro ZooKeepers, Asheboro’s summer league Coastal Plain League team, begins play on Wednesday, May 27, with a free exhibition contest against Randolph County Post 45, an annual pre-season event for both teams who call McCrary Park home and share the field during the summer months. That game begins at 6:30 p.m. The ZooKeepers’ first home game will follow two days later against Forest City. Game time is 6:30 p.m. See today’s Sports section for more information about both teams’ upcoming summer campaigns.

UPCOMING

‘Keep NC Weird’ author visits Asheboro, Archdale libraries

ASHEBORO  — Take a journey through the strangest history, most eccentric characters and darkest folklore of the Old North State on Thursday, June 4, at the Archdale and Asheboro libraries. Join award-winning storyteller, writer and director Liz Z Pardue for “Keep NC Weird,” a lively exploration of the bizarre, macabre and delightfully peculiar stories that make North Carolina unforgettable, at 2 p.m. at the Archdale library and 6:30 p.m. at the Asheboro library.

Pardue, founder of Sisterhood of Spirits, LLC, operates ghost tours and spooky historical theatrical productions from her home in Fuquay-Varina, purported to be the most haunted small town in the South. In the last year, she published her first book, Fuquay-Varina Ghosts, Legends and Lore, and performed at the North Carolina Storytelling Festival, the Bynum Front Porch Series, the Monti, and the Stone Soup Storytelling Festival, where she won both the Linda Goodman New Voices and People’s Choice awards. Currently she is touring the state with her “Keep NC Weird” series.

Find the Asheboro library at 201 Worth St., the Archdale library at 10433 S. Main St. For more information, call 336-318-6803 (Asheboro) or 336-431-3811 (Archdale).

Thrifty Thursday movie explores the Audie Murphy story

ASHEBORO — On June 4, this month’s Thrifty Thursday movie is showing “To Hell and Back,” a World War II true story about Audie Murphy, whose exploits made him the most decorated soldier in U.S. history. Admission is $5 which includes a drink and popcorn. Moviegoers 50 and older get in free thanks for local sponsors. The showing takes place at Sunset Theatre, 234 Sunset Ave., downtown Asheboro.

The Randleman Market & Music series is back June 5

RANDLEMAN — The Market & Music Concert Series will fill up the night with food music and vendors when it returns to Commerce Square in downtown Randleman on Friday, June 5. Food trucks begin to arrive at 5 p.m. and vendors also open at 5 for visitors to the Timken Farmers Market. The music begins at 7 and runs until 10 p.m., with this week’s guest The Holiday Band. Bring your own chair to enjoy the outdoor concert.

Archdale begins a new movie series at Creekside Park

ARCHDALE — On Friday, June 5, the Archdale Trinity SerCo Club and the City of Archdale are offering a free showing of “Zootopia 2” as the opening part of an Outdoor Movie Series. Other movies include “Dog Man” on Aug. 7, the original “How To Train Your Dragon” on Sept. 11 and “Hocus Pocus” on Oct. 2, the latter drive-in style. Concessions will be available. Bring a chair or blanket to enjoy the outdoor events.