what's up for the weekend: mlk weekend edition

Helloooo 3-day weekend! And since it's the last scheduled (or paid-time-off) weekend for many, let's make the most out of it. There are lots of fun family-friend activities happening in and around the city this weekend. For a complete list, you can check our calendar.

Here are our top picks:

LA Made Trunk Show at Wee Chic: Calling all mini-fashionistas! Although it may be hard to think about spring in January, you can preview and style the fabulous LA Made spring line at Wee Chic this week AND preorder. Yes, that's right. You can style the collection YOUR way (or your mini-fashionista's way). Wee Chic in Lutherville is the only boutique in the country to offer LA Made Trunk Shows and they only do it twice a year. Don't miss out! The collection is available to preview at Wee Chic through Saturday.

Ravens Purple Caravan at Towson Town Center: The Ravens Purple Caravan and 98 Rock will be rockin' Towson Town Center on Friday in anticipation of this weekend's playoff game. They're inviting kids of all ages to show off their purple spirit! You'll find the party  -- which includes kid-friendly refreshments, face painting and visits/photographs with Poe-- in the Grand Court beginning at 2:00 PM. The Raven's Caravan makes its appearance between 2:45 PM and 3:10 PM. Participants will also be treated to tunes by the Raven's marching band. The first 100 people to wear their Ravens purple and/or Ravens apparel at the start of the event will receive a free $10 mall gift card by visiting the M&T Bank table.

I Have a Dream Weekend at Port Discovery: Port Discovery has a whole slate of activities scheduled for Saturday through Monday (yepp, they ARE open this coming Monday). During their I Have A Dream Weekend, they will have members of the Negro American League, Tuskegee Airmen and Buffalo Soldiers here to share their rich history. Children can also make peace doves and participate in a dramatization of Cassie's Quilt. 

Clifford, the Big Red Dog: Port Discovery's NEWEST exhibition, Clifford - The Big Red Dog opens this weekend!  Board the Birdwell Island ferry and journey to the world of Clifford, America's beloved big red dog with a heart to match in a special exhibition, Adventures with Clifford the Big Red Dog! {Editor's Note: We are working on a special, (cool) progeny BIG RED playdate for next month. Stay tuned!} 

FREE Entrance to All National Parks: In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., all national parks (all 397 of them!) will open FREE to visitors this weekend (Saturday through Monday). That means there are 24 parks in Maryland just waiting for you this weekend. 

SPACE - The Final Frontier: From the comfort of Robinson Nature Center’s NatureSphere, a digital planetarium and dome-style movie theater, tour seasonal skies without the interference of light pollution, and then explore the cosmos through a full-dome feature films. Children ages 5 and up. Saturday from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM. 

Chili Winter Days at Boordy Vineyards: Ok, so maybe this event is really for the parents -- but if Napa isn't in your game plan this winter and you're looking for a little respite, head over to Boordy for their Chili Winter Days to aample hearty chilis paired with their red wines.  Chase away the chill with hot Wassail and take a tour of the winery; listen to live music in the upper barn or keep warm at their toasty outdoor fire.  Small bowls of each chili, six wine samples and an engraved Boordy wineglass are included in your admission. 

Special Train Rides at the B&O Railroad Museum! In observance of Martin Luther King Day, the B&O offers a special day of train rides with paid admission on Monday, January 16. Bring your family and friends for a round trip ride along the first commercial mile of railroad track laid in America, recognized as the birthplace of American railroading.  

Parks and People Sunday- SPROUTS:  Introduce your pre-k and elementary age school children to birds that live in the desert at Rawlings Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Children make woodpecker, elf owl or roadrunner birds out of paper plates. This month's story time books are Cactus Hotel and Death Valley. Reading starts at 2:30p. This event is free, but donations are appreciated.

The Painting Workshop Art Camp Day: Kids home from school on Monday? Send them to the Painting Workshop in Mt. Washington or Reisterstown from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM ($40) or 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM ($50) for a day of art and creativity. (They are also holding Art Camp Day on January 23, 26, and 27).  

Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Festival: Come together to celebrate the life and triumphs of one of our nation's greatest heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr at the Walters Art Museum on Monday from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Special guests will pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other heroes from the Civil Rights Movement through performances and stories. All ages are invited to share their dreams, personal heroes, and peaceful testimonies through art projects and collaborative community activities! Don't miss one of the most popular festivals of the season!  

Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade: Residents of Baltimore and surrounding areas are invited to take part in the 12th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade which celebrates the life of one of America's most influential civil rights, political and social icons.  The parade, presented by Forman Mills, is held on Monday, January 16, 2012 at noon.  The annual celebration is becoming an event to honor not only Dr. King, but to pay homage to others continuing his legacy. The event steps off at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Eutaw Street, proceeds south on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and disbands at Baltimore Street.