Despite its small size, Littleton offers a lineup of delish dining, eclectic shops and live music worth a daycation drive.
Craving more than a staycay but don’t have time for a vacay? Allow us to propose the perf daycay (aka daytrip) destination. Hop in the car for a quick 1.5-hour venture to the “Gateway to Beautiful Lake Gaston,” the aptly named Littleton (read: little town—it consists of about 1 square mile). The spot is the perf pick for a quick getaway all on its own—or as a warmup before lapping up the Lake Gaston life.
As they say, good things come in small sizes—and this quaint Southern gem is no exception. We recently road-tripped to see, eat and explore Littleton. Here, our takeaways for those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city in lieu of a “little” daycation escape.
LIVE TUNES
Let’s get loud! Find the newly bowed Ed Fitts Amphitheater—brought to the town by the Levitt AMP grant and Littleton locals Ed and Deb Fitts, who have worked tirelessly to revitalize the Downtown area via a ream of revitalization projects—located behind the Lakeland Cultural Arts Centerand featuring a summerlong series of free concerts + food trucks on Saturday nights through the end of August. To boot, find an array of acts and shows on deck at the arts center heading into the fall. Play on…
Photo by Anthony Comella
EAT & DRINK
Hungry for local eats and drinks? Wander down the downtown strip and meander into Main Street Winesto uncork a vino for any and every occasion; sip a java and grab a gourmet treat from Daphne’s Coffee Shop; or tuck into plates on plates of fab seasonal fare from executive chef Ashleigh Fleming of Blue Jay Bistro(Pro tip: the Blue Jay cocktail is a must-order!). Did we mention the cappuccinos are ubercute?!
Blue Jay Bistro, photo by Anthony Comella
SHOP
Seeking a shopping adventure? Step into mother-and-daughter-run Frank’s Fine Artsfor a mix of established and up-and-coming artist works. And if you’re feeling a hands-on experience, sign up for a class to learn how to make leather bags, phone pouches or belts with co-owner Cathy Wiggins. Keep strolling for home furnishings and gourmet goodies at The Village Market, or lock in your lake-day gear over at Lake Gaston Outfitters. Ah, for the love of retail therapy!
COMING SOON
Littleton is on the up-and-up, with more exciting concepts coming down the pipeline for the growing town. From Timber Waters Brewery (slated for a spring 2024 opening) to Main Street Mercantile (anticipated to debut this fall), Littleton only continues to amp itself up as an ideal daycay destination, giving visitors all the more to look forward to. Weekend plans, found!
Pull up a chair for The Green Chair Project’s 11th annual Chairity event.
Feeling chairitable? Take a seat with The Green Chair Project for its multiday annual Chairityfundraising event Sept. 20–23. Since its launch in 2010, The Green Chair Project has helped 26,500+ locals begin anew in the face of homelessness, crisis and disaster by reusing essential community-donated furnishings to nurture and sustain those in need of well-furnished homes.
Now back and better than ever, this year’s 11th iteration will feature an auction of reimagined chairs by such top local designers as Anna Applegate Interiors and Design by Tula, plus ~40 designer showrooms touting the works of Susan Tollefsen of Susan Tollefsen Interiors and Lori Moscato of Casual Elegance, among many others. A real draw, the room and furniture displays will also spotlight new and reimagined pieces (all for sale)—think wallpaper, fabrics, rugs, lighting and furniture (natch).
Also on this year’s fun-filled agenda are talks from experts about tablescaping, floral design, home entertaining and customization, with Saturday’s lineup spotlighting DIY experts—including Brittany Bailey, aka “Pretty Handy Girl” on YouTube—spreading the wealth in the form of home-improvement knowledge.
While you shop the latest design trends, enjoy light bites and mingle with artists, home furnishing partners and interior designers like authors Whitney English (A More Beautiful Life) and Carley Summers (Sacred Spaces). The best part? As you peruse, learn, shop and socialize, you’ll be helping provide Raleigh children with a bed of their own, in addition to essential furnishings for families. Not to mention, all ticket and furniture sales benefit The Green Chair Project. Makes for a pretty chairming weekend, no? Tickets from $35, one.bidpal.net
You may know your red flags… but what about the beige ones?
Well, color us beige! Whether you’re braving the streets of the dating world, in a committed relationship or floating somewhere in the space between (can we have a moment of silence for all the situationships out there?!)—then you’ve probably heard the phrases “red flag” or “green flag” describing a potential partner’s pros and cons. Translation: Do I bring this person home to meet my parents or run for the hills? Green flags are obviously good—maybe they’re an A+ pastry chef, always wash the dishes or remember your favorite snack, while red flags are, well, red. (Alexa, play “Gaslighter” by The Chicks).
However, the world isn’t just red and green—there’s gotta be something in-between, right? Enter the beige flag. As The New York Timesexplains (and TikTokers go ham with), a beige flag isn’t an automatic dealbreaker… but it isn’t anything amping up the dating résumé either. Simply put—it’s a quirky aspect or characteristic that might cause a partner (or even a friend or co-worker) to pause without pulling the plug. It’s something middle of the road, harmless and maybe a wee bit odd—like eating cold pizza, unironically listening to The Muppets soundtrack or having a Legoobsession in your 40s. Here, the RM team waves a few of our beige flags.
“Saying I’m on my way when I haven’t left yet.” —Gina Stephens, Publisher, @ginasdawgs
“Saying sorry all the time—I would apologize to a wall if I bumped into it.” —Liz Comella, Creative Director, @liz.comella.design
“I’m a sauce slut. I don’t eat food that isn’t drenched in sauce—or many sauces and usually globs of it—especially hot sauce. I also had a Sriracha era where the staff at Sono literally called me ‘Sriracha.’” —Melissa Howsam, Editor-in-Chief, @mahowsam
“Wearing a sweater when it’s 75 degrees outside.” —Lauren Kruchten, Associate Editor, @laurenn_nicol
“I deconstruct my food—from sandwiches to pizza, nothing is safe. And I steal toilet paper from my parent’s house.” —Anna Beth Adcock, Editorial Assistant, @_annabethadcock
“I don’t like trash in my house! My kitchen trash can is under the sink, and I take it out daily.” —Debby Serena, Account Executive
“Whenever I have a meal, I have at least four condiments on hand at all times.” —Cam Rhinehardt, Account Executive, @camrht
“I am a completely different person when I get too hungry and never in a good way. Will I be mad? Will I be sad? Who knows! But it won’t be pretty.” —Susan Holt, Contributing Photographer, Susan Holt Photography, @susanholtphoto
“I like to say I’m ‘go with the flow’—but only if the flow goes my way. And also, what time does the flow start?” —Kelsie Barton, Contributing Writer, @kelsie_barton
“I think mine could be that I have to put shoes on (that match my outfit, of course) when having any type of work-related at-home video or phone call. It just doesn’t feel professional to stay barefoot—even though the other person would never see my feet on the call.” —Emily O’Brien, Contributing Writer
“I have more fun with my mom’s friends than my own. 🤣” —Ellie Davis, Contributing Writer
Soccer fans, assemble! This Friday, find the U.S. Women’s National Team in New Zealand facing off for its first FIFA Women’s World Cup matchup versus Vietnam. And while our leading ladies are kickin’ it across the world, we’ve rounded up local events where you can show your support and spots to screen the match stateside. Let’s make this worldwide event one for the books. #Goals!
The Rialto The show must go on! The Rialto is reopening today at 7:30pm for World Cup USA vs Vietnam at 9pm—enter for free with beer, soda and maybe popcorn for sale. @rialtoraleigh
Tap Yard Fam and furry friends alike are welcome to cheer on our fierce females on the big screen (with the sound on!) with food trucks and cold bevs, natch. And be sure to don your best team USA gear! tapyardraleigh.com
Sports and Social What’s better than watching the World Cup on not one, not two, but 65+ TVs (NTM a 42-foot LED screen)?! Partake in the party—complete with games, giveaways and good vibes—and cheer on our gals with a specialty Hat Trick cocktail in hand. sportsandsocial.com
Live Viewing Party in Moore Square Pitch can’t kill the vibe at this Downtown watch party feat. live music, food truck fare and a load of lawn games (think knockerball, human foosball, soccer challenges and more). Score! raleighnc.gov
The Avenue While it might not be a soccer pitch, roll up to the grassy oasis at The Avenue and catch the game on one of its stockpile of screens—and squeeze in a game or two of pool during halftime. Play on! avenueraleigh.com
The Bridge DTR Clear eyes, full bellies, can’t lose. Fill up on food, drinks and camaraderie at The Bridge for soccer screening—Downtown soccer pub style. thebridgedtr.com
Carolina Ale House Give our kickin’ women an “ale yeah” at the NC Courage watch party in Brier Creek feat. food, games, and an appearance from the mascot Roary (!) along with select players from the NC Courage team. carolinaalehouse.com
Hibernian Pub Channel the luck of the Irish for our all-American soccer stars via a jaunt across the pond—er, to Glenwood South—for pub fare, drinks and an all-around kickin’ time. hibernianpub.com
There’s a new dog in the hause. Shifting from its previous doggie scoop shop concept Salty Paws franchise, meet the revamped vision + moniker: Hause of Dogs.
First discovering the franchise four years ago, local mother-daughter duo Amanda Moody and Ashton Edens, respectively, planned to launch their Salty Paws franchise in Smoky Hollow late this summer thanks to its solid business model—and thus delivering the first doggie ice cream bar and bakery (um, barkery) to bow in NC. But there’s been a recent revamp.
With a central focus on operating the biz to help dogs in need, the duo decided to walk away from the franchise in favor of more creative freedom and in the name of centering their enterprise on saving our local furry friends.
Despite the conceptual shift, Hause of Dogs remains set to open in its originally planned Smoky Hollow locale by visionary developer Kane Realty Corporation in mid-August. “Kane was really excited about the change,” shares Moody. “They thought it was a positive change for our platform and what we are hoping to do.”
Hause of Dogs maintains its plans to host its array of animal-centered activities—from partnering with New Anthem Beer, West Street Dog and DOSE Yoga to keeping their paws open to new ideas from the community. And for our dog lovers/yogis in the hause, find Doga on the schedule, aka yoga with shelter dogs roaming between the mats (did all the dog people just let out a collective squeal?!).
“It’s just giving us more creative freedom,” says Moody. “We can have better events, better parties and can now partner with other places we couldn’t work with before. There’s one shop we are hoping to work with that does customized bark boxes.” Translation: Your dog’s face on a cookie. Who’s ready to let the dogs out? @hauseofdogsraleigh
