WEB EXCLUSIVEExplore Raleigh’s African American heritage with the Downtown Raleigh Alliance’s Black History Walking Tours.
Lace up your sneakers and head Downtown—we’re going walking through history. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance’s digital self-guided Black History Walking Tours are the perfect way to explore and learn about the untold history of Raleigh, with stops highlighting Black leaders, entrepreneurs, institutions and places that played pivotal roles in the community.
DRA currently has two tours available—the Raleigh’s Black Main Street and the Historic African American Churches tours. Stops include familiar locales Downtown like the Hamlin Drug Store, East Hargett Street and the Raleigh Furniture Building, with each stop providing a brief writeup on the history of the building, when it was built and its current condition. In between stops, you can read up on some of the people who were influential in Raleigh’s Black community, like Calvin Lightner, an American architect, building contractor and mortician; and Mollie Huston Lee, the first African American librarian in Raleigh.
Next month, DRA is launching two new walking tours exploring the Prince Hall Historic District and East Raleigh – South Park Historic District. The Prince Hall Historic District, formerly South Person/South Blount, is home to several Raleigh landmarks—and US National Register of Historic Places—like the Prince Hall Masonic Temple and the Rogers-Bagley-Daniels-Pegues House.
This area has been home to the African American community (largely given its proximity to Shaw University and to East Hargett Street) since the Reconstruction era. Additionally, the Prince Hall Historic District is dubbed Raleigh’s first African American and mixed-use district.
The East Raleigh – South Park area’s history runs just as deep. African Americans moved to the area en masse just after the Civil War and continuing through the turn of the 20th century, making it Raleigh’s largest historic African American neighborhood.
So the next time you’re gearing up for an afternoon stroll Downtown, why not tune in to a little bit of Raleigh’s history along the way. You might just learn a thing or two. Click here for tour information and map.
WEB EXCLUSIVEA fresh cut at Sky Parlor Salon this weekend supports the Women’s Center of Raleigh.
If you’re in need of a trim this weekend, consider a trip to Sky Parlor Salon for a refresh that will simultaneously empower women in our community. On Saturday, June 26 (10am–4pm), the salon is offering $40 30-minute dry haircuts (or a $20 donation) to benefit The Women’s Center of Raleigh.
The Women’s Center is a multiservice crisis intervention and assessment center in Downtown that provides a portal of entry for homeless women to begin the stabilization and healing process via medical healthcare, two meals a day, clothing and basic needs, jobs and housing support, and transportation assistance.
The nonprofit’s ultimate goal is to end the cycle of trauma, abuse, violence and homeslessness. In 2020 alone, The Women’s Center aided almost 750 women, and in its 40 years of service, the center has served more than 65,000 women.
Now, with a Saturday dry cut, you can be a part of growing that number. The Women’s Center of Raleigh was chosen as the event’s charity by Sky Parlor Salon office manager Elissa Hopkins who, after donating haircare products to the center, realized how big the center’s need is. She was also moved by how thankful the director was for the donation—especially given the center had just added showers a month prior.
Sky Parlor Salon owner Joey Humphrey is also a huge proponent of the importance of service and dedication to the community. He hopes this weekend’s event inspires his stylists, as well as the community, to give back—and emphasizes that giving back doesn’t have to exclusively mean donating money. It can be fun and unique—like, say, getting a haircut.
Each donation also earns you four raffle tickets for baskets and giveaways from local businesses including Goldwell, Oribe, Kevin Murphy, Virtue and Sola Coffee Cafe. If you can’t make it, donations can be taken over the phone as well. Walk-ins and over-the-phone appointments welcome, 919.747.9137.
WEB EXCLUSIVESample tacos, tequila and so much more at Tacos ’N Taps this weekend.
Grab your sombreros and get ready to fiesta! Tacos ’N Taps is nacho average food and drink festival—it’s maybe the most spec-taco-lar event of the year (okay, we’ll stop with the puns now). The festival features over 30 different types of tacos—plus other Mexican favorites—from your fave local Mexican restos and food trucks, in addition to 60-plus different craft beers, mezcals and tequilas. In between tequila tastings, take part in the hot pepper eating contest or shop from the boutiques offering brewery merch, jewelry, hot sauces and more all to the beat of mariachi bands and your fave local DJs. Taco ’bout a good time! (Last one, promise.)
How? Three types of tickets will be sold (purchase your tickets here)
Taco Only Ticket: includes 4 taco tickets (valid 1—5pm)
General Admission/Tequila and Beer Drinky Ticket: includes a souvenir glass and endless samples of beer, mezcals and tequilas (valid 1—5pm)
The VIP Super Super Muy Muy Taco Session: includes one extra hour of tastings, 4 taco tickets, a souvenir glass and sombrero, limited admission and extra goodies (valid noon—5pm)
WEB EXCLUSIVELocally source alllll the fruits and veggies from these 7 Triangle farmers markets.
Farmers market produce just tastes better—it’s a fact. Getting your fruits and veggies fresh from the source—from the farmers who harvested them themselves!—is unbeatable, and nothing beats strolling through the stalls on a weekend, chatting with farmers and sampling a strawberry or two, only to walk away with everything you need to make a bomb meal later. Being an ag state, North Carolina has no shortage of farmers markets. Here, we’ve rounded up 7 Triangle farmers markets for you to peruse this weekend—and beyond.
The OG farmers market located near NC State’s campus, the State Farmers Market has it all—and is open every day year-round! Grab a drink from 321 Coffee—the rotating specials are always killer—before heading out to the main building to check out all the produce. And you can’t leave the market without grabbing a new plant to add some greenery to your home (we’re currently obsessed with all the adorable succulents—plus they’re practically unkillable). Hot tip: On Saturdays the wholesale building offers plenty o’ fresh produce at a reduced price!
Servicing both Durham and Raleigh, The Black Farmers Market is an opportunity to intentionally support Black farmers. Its goal is to not only provide healthy and affordable food options to communities with limited access, but also to bust the myth that healthy living is unattainable for all. The biweekly market rotates locations between Durham (second Sundays, 1—4pm) and Raleigh (fourth Sundays, 1—4pm), and fosters a community of inclusion and belonging.
Each Saturday morning from 9am to noon, this farmers market—nestled behind the old Mule and Tobacco Trade in Downtown Apex—is bustling with fresh seafood, plants, beauty products, artisan food products and, of course, fresh fruits and veggies, making it a one-stop shop for everything. Stroll through the market before heading over to Salem Street to check out the shops and maybe grab a beer or mimosa from Downtown Apex’s newest business, Highcraft Beer.
Located in Morrisville, this hidden gem of a market is ideal for anyone near RTP (or Triangle residents who needed to do some grocery shopping after hitting up the new Boxyard RTP). Staple vendors include Muddy Dog Roasting Company, Rebud Certified Organic Farm and Little River Ranch, so you can grab almost anything you may need for the week, from meat to fruits and veggies to pastries. Open every Saturday year-round from 8am to noon.
Say hello to the Triangle’s newest farmers market! In its inaugural summer, Phillips Farms Farmers Market boasts a wide variety of fresh fruits and veggies straight from the farm. Plus, on select weekends, explore its expanded market featuring local vendors and food trucks. The market, which runs on both Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 3pm, is the perfect family outing. Let the kiddos take a ride on the cow train while you grab local beer and flowers to spruce up the house!
Grab your reusable tote (#sustainability) and head over to Downtown Cary. This market is complete with kids’ activities, meat, fruits, veggies, goat cheese and plants. We’re obsessed with The Alchemist Backyard, who cultivates and sells rare and unusual produce and plants—definitely worth checking out—and Paradox Farm Creamery. Get there early on Saturday morning because, even though the markets are open till noon, things sell out quickly—and you’ll want to get your hands on the best of the best.
An evolution of the Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market, Moore Square Market features fresh fruits and veggies, seasonal goods, pastries and original high-quality crafts from local makers. The market runs through Oct. 3 and features themed days complete with special programming, live music, children’s activities, weekly nonprofits and more. Come out every second Sunday for the expanded Brunch Moore Market, which features food trucks and local artisans, in addition to the regular Sunday vendors.
WEB EXCLUSIVEWilmington’s newest addition, the Riverfront Park Amphitheater, is leveling up the city’s nightlife.
We just found another reason to visit Wilmington this summer, as if we really needed one. Live Nation is bringing its first ever coastal outdoor venue to Wilmy’s riverfront. The venue, called Riverfront Park Amphitheater, is part of a multimillion-dollar 6.6-acre city park complete with fountains, walks, boardwalks, greenspace and of course beautiful river views.
“We can’t wait to bring incredible live entertainment to this one-of-a-kind coastal venue in Wilmington, and we know the experience at Riverfront Park Amphitheater will be hard to top,” says Grant Lyman of Live Nation Carolinas.
The amphitheater features rooftop VIP areas, state-of-the-art sound, event lighting and large-screen image amplification, plus plenty of places to buy bevs and bites. The 7,200-capacity venue offers both lawn and seated options, and will be perfect for dancing through the summer nights.
The venue already has a few shows booked like Widespread Panic (July 16–18), Train (Aug. 10), Glass Animals (Sept. 5) and Brett Eldrege (Oct. 14)! Details and more concert drops can be found on the amphitheater’s Facebook. Said Wilmington mayor Bill Saffo, “Wilmington’s Riverfront Park offers an amazing opportunity for residents and visitors alike to experience the biggest names in entertainment at a venue unlike any other.”
Stay tuned for more summer activities and reasons to visit Wilmington in the July/August edition of Raleigh Magazine!
