WEB EXCLUSIVEWhether you love beach music or rock ’n’ roll, get ready to dance because live music is back at North Hills.
The intermission is over and live music has returned to North Hills. Rock out to the beat of your fave bands at Coastal Credit Union Midtown Park all summer long through The Best of North Hills – A Comeback Tour. Each Thursday night through July 22, enjoy an evening of feel-good music—think oldies, Motown and beach music—and, of course, lots of dancing. Featured bands include The Embers, North Tower and Liquid Pleasure.
The ultimate gathering spot, Midtown Park is surrounded by great restaurants and bars aplenty, including Chuy’s Restaurant and Vita Vite Midtown to help get the party started—or keep it going after the concert. Our rec: Make a whole night of it by grabbing pre-concert cocktails and tapas at Level7 and end the night with dinner at your fave North Hills sup spot. Bites and bevs will also be available at the venue.
And the fun doesn’t end there. Come fall (starting Aug. 13), The Comeback Tour continues on Friday nights with a lineup of the best in tribute bands, classic rock, Motown, country music, reggae and more, through Friday, Oct. 8, providing the perfect excuse for all the dancing you have to make up for over the past year-plus.
Tickets to the live concert series are just $10, with a portion of the proceeds going to local charities, including Ronald McDonald House, Make-A-Wish and The Foundation of Hope. Don’t miss this opportunity to give back while swaying to the music all summer and fall long. Purchase tickets here.
WEB EXCLUSIVESip, shop, dine and groove at the NC Hops Festival this weekend at the NC State Fairgrounds.
We’re beyond hoppy for the return of beer festivals (and festivals in general, really) in Raleigh! While we wait for NC’s largest beer fest (Brewgaloo, Sept. 17-18), Shop Local Raleigh is debuting yet another excuse to drink local beer, the NC Hops Festival.
Attendees of the festival, which runs June 12–13 at the Expo Building at the NC State Fairgrounds, will be able to sample beers, ciders and seltzers from 50+ local breweries, including Bond Brothers, Noble Cider, Mordecai Beverage Company and The Glass Jug Beer Lab. We’ll cheers to that!
When the drunchies hit, grab a bite from one of the local food trucks serving up tasty snacks—think dumplings from Chirba Chirba, cheese curds from The Cheese Curd Shack and doughnuts from Dusty Donuts.
And no festival is complete without local makers and live music. Each four-hour tasting session features a unique lineup of local talent guaranteed to make you dance it out (especially with some liquid courage). Additionally, in between brews, shop from local vendors like Adventures in Bloom and Designed for Joy, whose mission is to provide living wage jobs for vulnerable women. More info on all the bands, breweries, vendors, and food trucks can be found on the event website!
Naturally, all attendees must be 21 or over (IDs will be checked at the festival entrance), but if you’re DD-ing (S/O to you) you’ll get a discounted ticket ($10). Each Taster Ticket ($45) will receive admission to one four-hour session; a commemorative NC Hops Fest tasting cup; and unlimited 2-oz. samples of NC beers, ciders and seltzers. Get ready for an un-beer-lievable weekend. For more info + tickets, click here.
WEB EXCLUSIVELet your colors fly and experience Pride at these Raleigh and Triangle happenings.
Pride Month in Raleigh—and the surrounding Triangle area—is louder and prouder than ever! Show your #Pride by donning some rainbow attire and hitting the streets for these inclusive local happenings and deals throughout the month of June.
Celebrate Pride by putting the pedal to the metal at Rush Cycle in Morrisville. These addictive full-body cycle classes put your body to the test with arm moves, fast-led work, and in-and-out-of-the-saddle routines synced perfectly to your fave hits. It’s part-workout, part-dance, and full-on party.
Who doesn’t love some good tea (in the form of an herbal cup of goodness or a little hot gos)? Raleigh Tea Company is helping you stock your tea collection with a sitewide sale in honor of Pride Month. Save 15% on all purchases during June by using the code “pride” at checkout. Also be sure to check out the steep shop’s featured discounted teas, Trans-Tea and LGB-Tea—the punny names are too perfect to pass up.
There’s no raining on your parade here. A plethora of local partnering organizations, nonprofits, businesses and individuals are decorating their vehicles to celebrate the driving forces behind Pride with a socially distanced outdoor car parade on June 27 at Dix Park.
Grab your friends and fam, a blanket, and a picnic, then cast your vote for your two fave cars in the parade (or register your own car if you’re feeling fancy). Winner gets the coveted Best in Tow fan-favorite award.
Additionally, check out the events calendar on the LGBT Center of Raleigh’s website for discussion groups and other events!
All aboard the Pride ride! The Historic Raleigh Trolley will be hosting an hourlong tour of historic locations, neighborhoods, businesses and churches important to the LGBTQ community. An event that’s fun and educational? Count us in.
Enjoy all the glitz and glam of Pride at Raleigh Beer Garden. Your fave queens are back at it, and this time they’re going all out. Round up the squad and reserve a table for the hottest drag show in town, complete with complimentary mimosas, Champagne and brunch classics like the chicken and waffle sandwich. Don’t forget cash to tip the performers and bartenders!
Shop till you drop from a dazzling list of vendors at Ruby Deluxe on June 26. Then quench your thirst with drinks flowing throughout the event, from 1 to 4pm. The vibes are sure to be immaculate.
Join Dash-N-Tell in Moore Square on June 12 to let your Pride shine during this ultimate block party. Complete with over 30 vendors, food trucks and live music, this is the perfect event for getting your rainbow on with the whole crew. A $50 wristband gets you unlimited drinks and no wait—which means more time to let your colors fly—plus do-good feels. Proceeds from sales benefit Chatham Housing Initiatives’ domestic violence nonprofit.
Donate
Whether you’re a member of the LGBT community or an ally, tons of local organizations need your support all month (and year!) long.
Of course, there’s the LGBT Center of Raleigh, which prides itself on programs and support for the gay, lesbian, bi and trans community in the Triangle. Additionally, check out EqualityNC, the oldest statewide organization in the country dedicated to securing rights and protections for the LGBTQ community. And, calling all Wolfpackers, look into supporting the GLBT Center at NC State, dedicated to engaging, developing and empowering members of the gay, lesbian, bi and trans communities, and allies!
WEB EXCLUSIVEFrom humble beginnings to large-scale events—like The Secret Garden Soiree planned for June 6—Darryl Dungee, aka FollowTheDJ, is turning heads—and tables.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Darryl Dungee (known on Instagram as @FollowTheDJ) hit the Raleigh music scene in 2019 and is already making some serious waves. Dungee was exposed to the industry through his godfather’s musical writing career, while artists like Toni Braxton, Me2U and Prophet Jones drove his passion for music, which also helped him overcome the many obstacles he faced during his childhood.
After learning about melody, bpm (beats per minute), base lines and drums, Dungee launched his brand, FollowTheDJ, at the young age of 15.
Over a decade of grinding later, FollowTheDJ has performed in numerous venues and amassed quite a large following. He’s also had the opportunity to work with several producers such as Shawn Campbell, who has produced records for artists like Missy Elliot, and Don Truck, who’s worked with artists like LeToya Luckett.
Dungee is a big believer in serving the community in fun and positive ways through cultural and recreational arenas. He especially emphasizes to all youth that “they too have a chance to make it in life no matter what their situation, just by finding their passion and following through with their dreams.”
He says his two favorite career highlights thus far were performing for the honor roll students at Pimlico Middle School in Baltimore, an event that encourages youth to stay in school and continue working hard to excel academically, and traveling to the Dominican Republic to DJ for Carnival Cruise Line.
And that’s not all, as they say. Besides DJing, Dungee also worked as an event planner and CEO of his own clothing brand, The Brand Raleigh, which specializes in athletic wear for people of all genders, ages and sizes.
FollowTheDJ’s next adventure (and what’s sure to be another career highlight)? Hosting The Secret Garden Soiree on June 6 at Fletcher Park—a Raleigh event unlike any other—with fellow local musical artists Shaun Henderson and Nudely You. Don your finest garden party attire (think floral dresses and pastel ties) and enjoy live music from FollowTheDJ himself, a full bar and lawn games. It may be a secret now, but once the word gets out tickets are going to go fast. eventbrite.com/e/the-secret-garden-soiree-fletcher-park-tickets-154452691157
WEB EXCLUSIVELocal florists have decorated the NCMA with gorgeous arrangements for its Art in Bloom exhibit.
Spring has unofficially sprung at the North Carolina Museum of Art with the opening of its perennial exhibit, Art in Bloom! Opening June 3 and spanning two weekends (June 3–6 and June 10–13), Art in Bloom features different floral designers each weekend that have created their own interpretations of works of art in the Museum collection.
NCMA Director and CEO Valerie Hillings noted how she is “always inspired by the creativity of the floral designers and the excitement of [their] visitors when they see how these living installations also bring [the] museum collection to life.”
“The beauty and creativity of Art in Bloom have made this event a perennial favorite,” adds Jim Hansen, PNC regional president for Eastern Carolinas.
Vanessa and Marc Smith
In addition to the exhibit, NCMA is hosting other Art in Bloom-related events over the next two weeks. Enjoy a virtual watercolor demo from NC-based watercolorist and illustrator Amy Richards on June 4, or drop in for a lunchtime floral demonstration on June 10 to learn about various flowers and techniques on working with color in your arrangements from Morgan Moylan of West Queen Floral Studio.
Not only is the Art in Bloom event beautiful, it’s also tasty. Visit the Art in Bloom tent at the Museum Park Theater for signature floral-inspired recipes and cocktails. Whether you’re in the mood for tarragon chicken salad on a freshly baked croissant, or a corn and blueberry salad, the food is sure to satisfy. And who wouldn’t love to try a blooming butterfly mojito? Peep the full menu here.
Attendees are encouraged to take pictures of the displays and share them on Instagram (it’s hard not to snap a photo!). Make sure to tag @ncartmuseum and use #NCMAbloom and #PNCArtinBloom.
Ailsa Tessier and Emilie Sigel, The Flower Shuttle
While the first weekend of Art in Bloom is already sold out (we told you it’s popular!), tickets for the second weekend are still available—but selling out fast. Proceeds support NCMA programming and exhibitions and benefit the NCMA Foundation. Timed tickets required, purchase online or by calling 919.715.5923
