Start off your weekend with some art, at Friday's Family Fun Event hosted by the Sheldon Museum of Art. The free event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Local artists and art instructors Resa Ortiz, Susan Otte and Nancy Childs will help children create 3-dimensional drawings, clay sculptures and Styrofoam prints. Refreshments will be served.

Fancy Nancy fans can dress up in their fanciest clothes for a free Fancy Nancy storytime at the O Street Barnes & Noble Booksellers at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Enjoy all things baseball on Sunday when Principal Financial Group brings its traveling baseball festival to Haymarket Park.

The free Family Fun Fest runs from 3 to 6 p.m. It features a 4,000-square-foot midway with more than 20 baseball-themed family attractions, including a baseball museum, video game trailer, batting and pitching cages, bounce house and bungee run. At 6:05 p.m. the Lincoln Saltdogs will take on the Sioux Falls Canaries.

This column includes events that are of interest to families. Material must be received at least two weeks before the event.

Address suggested material to Family Calendar, P.O. Box 81689, Lincoln, NE 68501 or e-mail to eandersen@journalstar.com.

*Friday

Storytime Spectacular, "Tickle Monster," 10:30 a.m., SouthPointe Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 2910 Pine Lake Road. 421-7979.

Sei Shin Kan Karate program, 11:30 a.m., Lincoln Children's Zoo.

Sheldon's Family Fun Event, 5-7 p.m., Sheldon Museum of Art, 12th and R streets. Materials provided for making art. Refreshments available. Free.

Family night swim program, 6-8 p.m., Woods Pool, 3200 J St. $5/admission/family.

The Academy of Rock concert, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Walt Branch Library. Free.

* Saturday

Bi-lingual storytime, 10-11 a.m., Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P St.

Kids in Parks summer program, "Birdie Basics," 10 a.m.-noon, Homestead National Monument of America, Beatrice. For all ages. Free. (402) 223-3514.

Fancy Nancy storytime, 4 p.m., Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5150 O St. Dress in your fanciest clothes.

July Campfire program, "Bess Streeter Aldrich: Living History," 7:30 p.m., Homestead National Monument of America, Beatrice. Free.

* Sunday

Rock and Mineral Grinding Party, 1-4 p.m., Pioneers Park Nature Center, Chet Ager Building. Free.

Family Movie Night, 6 p.m., South Branch Library. Free.

* Monday

Lincoln City Libraries Storytimes, Toddlers: 10:10, 10:40 a.m. Anderson Branch.

Storytime Spectacular, 10:30 a.m., SouthPointe Barnes & Noble Booksellers.

Monday Mania, play your favorite video games, 2-3:30 p.m., Walt Branch Library.

Puppets and Company program, 2:30 p.m., Bennett Martin Public Library.

* Tuesday

"Hour at the Museum," 10 a.m., Nebraska History Museum, 15th and P streets. Historic storytelling, activities and crafts for kids through third grade. Free.

Summer drop-in programs: Animal Antics, "Turtles," 10 a.m., Pioneers Park Nature Center, Prairie Building. For all ages. $1/child.

Entertainment at the libraries: Puppets and Company, 10:30 a.m., South Branch; Chris Sayre, 10:30 a.m., Walt Branch.

Lincoln City Libraries Storytimes, Preschool: 10:30 a.m. Anderson, Eiseley, Gere and Walt. Toddlers: 10, 10:35 a.m. Gere; 10:30 a.m. Walt.

Make-and-take crafts, 1-3 p.m., Anderson Branch Library.

Harry Potter Premier Party, 7-8:30 p.m., Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P St. Free.

* Wednesday

Kids Rule Summer Film Series, "Surf's Up" (PG), 10 a.m., Lincoln Grand, 1101 P St. and SouthPointe Cinema, 2920 Pine Lake Road. $3, includes free popcorn.

Entertainment at the libraries: Musical Petting Zoo, 10:15 a.m., Gere; Chris Sayre, 10:30 a.m., Walt; Puppets and Company, 2:30 p.m., Arnold Heights and 6:30 p.m., Eiseley.

Lincoln City Libraries Storytimes, Preschool: 10:30 a.m., Anderson, Eiseley, South and Walt Branches. Toddlers: 10:30 a.m. Walt; 10:35 a.m. Eiseley.

Summer chess, 4-5:30 p.m. (every Wednesday in July); free lessons, 4-4:30 p.m., Gere Branch Library.

Wild Wednesday, 5-8 p.m., Lincoln Children's Zoo. Theme: scarlet macaws.

* Thursday

Free Thursday night admission at Nebraska State Museum, 4:30-8 p.m. Thursdays in July, Morrill Hall, 14th and Vine streets. Regular admission for Planetarium shows.

Summer drop-in program: Water Wildness, "Slurpin' It Up," 10 a.m., Pioneers Park Nature Center, Prairie Building. For ages 5 and older. $1/child.

Kids Rule Summer Film Series, "Surf's Up" (PG), 10 a.m., Lincoln Grand, 1101 P St. and SouthPointe Cinema, 2920 Pine Lake Road. $3, includes free popcorn.

Lincoln City Libraries Storytimes, Preschool: 10:15 a.m. Bennett Martin; 10:30 a.m. Bethany, Eiseley and Gere Branches, 7 p.m. Arnold Heights. Toddlers: 10, 10:35 a.m. Gere; 10:35 a.m. Eiseley.

Music & Mozzarella, 5 p.m. pizza; 6 p.m., the Doo-Dads, Lincoln Children's Museum. Concert free; pizza pack, $3.

Native American Stories and Games with Kevin Abourezk, 7 p.m., Arnold Heights Branch Library.

The Academy of Rock, 6:30 p.m., Anderson Branch Library.

* Shows

"Pete's Feat," Nebraska Wesleyan Theatre, 2, 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, The Studio at Wesleyan, 2710 N. 48th St. Adventures of Peter Pan in Neverland. $5/person, ages 5 and under free. Tickets: 465-2384.

Planetarium Astronomy shows: "Secret of the Cardboard Rocket," 7 p.m. Thursdays. "The Little Star that Could," 2 p.m. and "Two Small Pieces of Glass," 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission, $8/adults, $5.50/ages 5-18, $2.50/ages 4 and under, (includes admission to University of Nebraska-Lincoln State Museum), Mueller Planetarium. 472-2641.

Hyde Observatory shows: "One Small Step - Apollo 11" and "Summer Constellations," sunset to 11 p.m. Saturdays, Hyde Memorial Observatory. Free.

"Sesame Street Presents: The Body," through Sept. 6, Omaha Children's Museum, Omaha. Regular admission.

"Earth From Space," through July 19, Strategic Air & Space Museum, Exit 426 off I-80.

* Register now

Froggy Went a Huntin', hunt frogs, tadpoles and water insects, 6-8 p.m. July 24, Pioneers Park Nature Center, Chet Ager Building. $8/person, $15/family. Register by July 22, 441-7895.

Butterfly Count, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. July 25, Pioneers Park Nature Center, Prairie Building. Children must be accompanied by an adult. $5/person. Register by Thursday, 441-7895.

Summer Dance Camp, July 27-Aug. 5, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Information/applications: 477-8446.

* Workshops/classes

Breast-feeding support groups for pregnant and breast-feeding women, contact La Leche League, Sara, 488-8269 or www.lllusa.org/web/LincolnNE.html or BryanLGH College of Health Sciences, 481-3328.

Coming up

Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 17-19 and 24-26, Fremont & Elkhorn Valley Railroad, 1825 N. Somers Ave., Fremont. $18/person/ages 2 and older. (866) 468-7630.

"The Wiggles! Go Bananas Live," 3, 6:30 p.m. July 31, Pershing Center, 226 Centennial Mall South. 475-1212.