Free Events for Children & Families in North Carolina

PBS North Carolina brings free, playful learning events and PBS KIDS resources directly to communities throughout North Carolina at easily accessible locations alongside local community partners offering family resources and support. Rootle Roadster Tour stops offers fun and educational activities such as STEM experiments, literacy and movement-based games and creative arts experiences.

2026 Rootle Roadster Tour Stops

Saturday, April 25, 2026
9:30 AM—1 PM
McDuffie Square
129 West Railroad Street
Laurinburg, NC

Saturday, May 16, 2026
9 AM—3 PM
Greensboro Science Center
4301 Lawndale Drive
Greensboro, NC

Saturday, June 20, 2026
10 AM—1 PM
Swannanoa Resilience Hub
216 Whitson Avenue
Swannanoa, NC

Saturday, August 15, 2026
10 AM—2 PM
N.C. Cooperative Extension,
Currituck County Center
120 Community Way
Barco, NC

Wednesday, September 23, 1 PM—8 PM
Thursday & Friday, September 24–25, 9 AM—8 PM
Saturday, September 26, 9 AM—2 PM
Macon County Fair
1436 Georgia Road
Franklin, NC

Saturday, October 10, 2026
10 AM—3 PM
Clinton Square Fair &
BBQ Cookoff
Main Street
Clinton, NC

What is the Rootle Roadster Tour?

Rootle Roadster Tour 2026

Free Community Events Open to All

Specially designed to support children ages 0–8, Rootle PBS KIDS joins community partners in play and exploration, featuring:

Hands-on learning activities and games
PBS KIDS education resources
Local community partners offering resources and support services
Take-home learning materials and giveaways
Special events will show screenings of your favorite PBS KIDS shows and movies and even live performances!

Highlights from the Rootle Roadster Tour

A young child and their parent pose together next to a cardboard cutout of Lyla and Stu from the PBS KIDS show, "Lyla in the Loop" at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

You can pose and take pictures with all of your favorite PBS KIDS characters!

Close up of a child drawing on a coffee filter at a Rootle Roadster Tour craft table.

There are all kinds of crafts to choose from at the Rootle Roadster Tour!

Ava the STEM Princess poses with a cardboard cutout of herself at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

You're sure to meet Ava The STEM Princess on the Rootle Roadster Tour!

A kid shares with a baby and their mom at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Sharing is encouraged in the Rootle Roadster Tent!

A child smiling while holding a car they made out of tubular building toys.

Kids love to show off their awesome creations!

A little boy poses with Hugo Hornet at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

This little boy was excited to get his picture taken with Hugo Hornet.

A child points at Rootle PBS KIDS characters on a poster quiz at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

How many PBS KIDS characters can you name?

A child poses with a "thumbs up" next to cutouts of the Wild Kratt brothers.

The Rootle Roadster Tour at the North Carolina Zoo in 2024.

Young children gather around buckets of kinetic sand with toys in them at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Kids absolutely loved the kinetic sand station.

A child wearing a matching shirt with their parent as they play on a Rootle PBS KIDS picnic blanket on the ground.

Kids of all ages have plenty of space and activities on the Rootle Roadster Tour.

Children and caregivers around a demonstration table.

Educational demonstrations sometimes include slimy critters!

PBS North Carolina Education team members pose with Rootle Ambassadors at a PBS KIDS table at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Cindy from PBS NC and your local Rootle Ambassadors work hard to keep the fun going!

A Rootle volunteer hands out take home goodies to a family at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Cindy from PBS NC hands out goodie bags at the Sanford Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Families line up at Kona Ice food truck at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Families enjoyed shaved ice from the Kona Ice food truck at the Sanford Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Ava the STEM Princess and her crew pose at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Ava the STEM Princess and her family and team pose at the NC State Fair.

A father and daughter play with stacking pins at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

A dad plays with his daughter on the Rootle Roadster tent lawn at the NC State Fair.

families learn science with Ava the STEM Princess at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Ava the STEM Princess teaches kids and their caregivers about science at the Sanford Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

A little boy meets Casey Cardinal at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

This little boy was happy to meet NC State Fair's Casey Cardinal.

Dads play with their kids at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Dads get involved making slime at the NC State Fair.

Sisters who have their faces painted play with slime at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Two sisters who have their faces painted play with slime at the North Carolina State Fair Rootle Roadster tent.

Ava the STEM Princess and her mom meet Daniel Tiger at a Rootle Roadster Tour stop.

Ava the STEM Princess and Lab Assistant Mommy stand with Daniel Tiger at the 2023 Sanford Rootle Tour stop.

Where We've Been

Rootle Roadster county map from 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The Rootle Roadster Tour has travelled over 3,500 miles and visited 19 of North Carolina’s counties:

Alleghany
Bertie
Carteret
Chatham
Dare
Forsyth
Guilford
Harnett
Johnston
Mecklenburg
New Hanover
Northampton
Pasquotank
Pitt
Randolph
Robeson
Transylvania
Wake
Wayne

Want to partner with us to bring the Rootle Roadster Tour to your county? Email rootle@pbsnc.org to learn more.

Support the Rootle Roadster Tour

Since 2022, the Rootle Roadster Tour has partnered with more than 200 community organizations and has welcomed over 75,000 participants to events. Support the Rootle Roadster Tour by becoming a sponsor, an event or table host and/or a contributor of community resources and fun, educational activities aligned with literacy, sensory fun, social-emotional awareness and/or STEM education. Email us at rootle@pbsnc.org for more information.

Thank you to our supporter: