“I believe everyone deserves to experience that ‘high-vibe’ feeling without inhibition,” maintains DeCesaris. “Regardless of being sober or not (I am personally not sober!), it is important to experience life—fully alive. High Vibe Raleigh is bringing the club to the streets, and creating a space for clubgoers and party people to party in the am, uninhibited.”
Taking place Oct. 21, the am fest starts with a free pre-event yoga session, followed by an electrifying dance party. “It’s a beautiful way to start your day,” says DeCesaris, “surrounded by like-minded individuals who are all there to embrace the joy of living in the moment.”
Umbrella Dry Bar
As the morning unfolds, the energy will remain high with interactive activities and invigorating music—plus food from Raleigh Raw, a food truck, snacks and a meditation tent—ensuring the buzz never wanes. And despite the lack of alcohol, spirit-free drinks (NA cocktails and beer) from Umbrella Dry Bar will stay flowing. Bonus: Five lucky attendees will even win golden tickets for a special tasting at the bar.
DeCesaris, a self-described hype-woman who delights in getting people “moving, dancing and shaking their butts,” founded the event to “tap into childlike fun, bliss and joy through dance, music, community and wellness.” … “This is a judgment-free environment,” she adds. “It’s just a party where everyone is invited to join the dance.”
High Vibe Raleigh is particularly special as it marks the last event at Union Station before it closes for construction. As DeCesaris puts it, “We’re going out with a bang over there.” So put your party pants on and gear up to let loose, shed your inhibitions and dance like nobody’s watching.
Helping change families’ lives one diaper at a time is Diaper Train’s annual Bottoms Up fundraiser.
Seeking a pamper party with purpose? … Unfolding Sept. 15, go Bottoms Up for Diaper Train’s fundraising event featuring BBQ, music and an all-around good time. Proceeds from the soiree will benefit the Raleigh-based nonprofit’s mission to bottle up diaper poverty in our local community. Read: Your attendance will help provide approximately 500,000 diapers annually to Wake County families in need… because no family should have to worry about where their tot’s next diaper will come from.
“We believe a diaper can change a life,” says Diaper Train Executive Director Katie Landi—“and the proceeds from Bottoms Up help us do just that.”
Diaper poverty doesn’t discriminate. It hits families from all walks of life grappling with unexpected financial setbacks—and it’s a crisis with far-reaching consequences. Let’s face it—raising a child is expensive. Diapers may seem like a small expense, but babies go through eight to 12 diapers a day, equalling ~2,800 diapers during their first year of life alone.
Beyond the financial strain, diaper deprivation directly impacts the emotional health of parents and children alike. Babies wearing dirty diapers are at risk of rashes and other health concerns, while their parents experience stress, guilt and a sense of helplessness due to the situation. That’s where Diaper Train comes in. Established in 2011, the diaper bank is the only organization exclusively serving Wake County, operating with an MO of supplying critical basic needs (aka diapers) to help Wake County seniors and babies remain hygienic and in good health. … Ready to wipe out diaper poverty? diapertrain.org
Create one-of-a-kind footwear via Raleigh author’s new book.
Armed with Posca markers in one hand and an unrelenting passion for sneakers in the other, Raleighite Xavier Crews has taken the sneakerhead community by storm. The viral sensation behind the uberpopular YouTube channel, Xavier Kickz touts some serious skill by switching ordinary sneaks into extraordinary works of art—and now he’s launching an instructional book, Art of Custom Sneakers, so you can too.
Landing on shelves in September, the first-ever sneaker customization manual is a step-by-step guide to creating unique sneaks—including fun and easy designs; techniques for leather or canvas footwear; and instructions on how to prep, paint, airbrush, doodle, hydrodip or toothpick paint your sneaks. Translation: fab footwear on fleek (!).
Art of Custom Sneakers kicks off with the basics (think tools and materials, workspace setup, prep, finishing, and design planning) and each chapter continues to put its best foot forward via vibrantly illustrated custom designs and QR code links to his online vids for extra design deets (plus a few laughs!).
The VA native and footwear maestro kicked off his fascination with shoe customization in high school after garnering attention for his cool kicks. “That really got me customizing,” recalls Crews. “I told my mom, ‘This is so cool, I really wanna do this!’”
A software engineer by day and a sneaker guru by night, Crew transforms sneakers right here in Raleigh—and his passion project for shoe design has garnered him an online following of nearly 1.5 million YouTube subscribers. And padding his popularity, the content creator’s personality and infectious sense of humor has only served to catapult his career via his 100+ YouTube videos inviting viewers into his world of sneaker stylin’. … “I’m also very entertaining,” he adds with a smile.
To boot, the sneaker artist + author aims to use his footwear fame to keep pursuing his dreams and giving back to the community—think gifting basketballs, iPads and his customized footwear, natch.Whether you’re a sneaker aficionado or simply someone who appreciates the fusion of art and fashion, Kickz, well, kicks you the opp to join the customization revolution. So strap on your wildest imagination and get ready for a rollercoaster ride of colors and creativity. … Got (shoe) game?@xavierkickz
