by Cindy Schaefer | Mar 2, 2016 | Do, March 2016
There’s a lot to see in this little town.
For generations, Raleigh travelers looked for the landmark courthouse in the circle on their way to Asheboro and points west. When a bypass was built around Pittsboro, locals feared the town would be forgotten. Not so. Chatham’s county seat is flourishing, with developers clamoring for a piece of the pie.
Less than an hour from Raleigh down US 64, Pittsboro’s quaint downtown is dotted with unique shops and eateries. Established in 1771, it retains that small town feel we love. Instead of just passing through on the way to somewhere else, we like to park the car and check things out on foot.
What better place to start than the famous courthouse, which garnered national attention a few years back when it was the scene of a lawsuit over a sex tape involving former U.S. Sen. John Edwards. As it happened, a fire nearly destroyed the building during that time, spawning all kinds of conspiracy theories … but we digress. Today, the Chatham Historical
Museum is housed in a small room on the first floor and worth a visit.
Next, take a stroll down Hillsboro Street, the main drag. Even if you don’t like to read, take a minute to soak in the mural of super-sized novels outside Circle City Books & Music. We recognized some old friends on the painted shelf.
When the hunger pangs set in, S&T’s Soda Shoppe is the ticket for an old-fashioned burger and cherry smash. (Chapel Hill alums will want to try the lasagna or Steve’s Gambler – you’ll think you’re back at the Rathskeller.) After lunch, get your ice cream to go and wander next door to the Woodwright’s School. It’s run by Roy Underhill, who you might have seen on his PBS series, “The Woodwright’s Shop.” Watch Roy and his students practice traditional woodworking and take a peek in The Tool Store upstairs.
Before you decide this town is nothing but pure Americana, check out French Connections and browse the antiques and imports straight from France and Africa. Or book a tour at Carolina Tiger Rescue (carolinatigerrescue.org) and look a wild cat in the eye.
With Jordan Lake and the Haw River in its back yard, it’s no wonder Pittsboro appeals to just about anyone who slows down long enough to soak in its charm.
Pittsboro Road House and General Store
39 West St.
Mon – Thurs:
11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Fri – Sat: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sun: 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
919-542-2432
pittsbororoadhouse.com
In a converted car dealership that sits in the shadow of the courthouse, you’ll find the Pittsboro Road House and General Store, the town’s unofficial cultural center. Serving an eclectic menu of made-from-scratch dishes, the Road House caters to a variety of tastes. With live entertainment nearly every night, it’s a great place to stop for dinner or drinks. Don’t miss the fried green tomatoes.
Clyde’s Critter Crossing
137 Bynum Hill Road, Bynum
Folk art legend Clyde Jones lives five miles down the road in the tiny community of Bynum. Known for creating whimsical art with a stump and a chainsaw, Clyde’s critters have been on display in locales as far-flung as the Smithsonian Museum and on the Great Wall of China. Nearly every yard in Bynum has a critter, which can’t be bought – Jones prefers to give them away. His own yard is a treasure trove of his art and respectful visitors are welcome to poke around. There’s even a visitors’ book on the porch.
Carolina Brewery & Grill
120 Lowe’s Drive, Suite 100
Mon – Thurs: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Fri: 11 a.m. – midnight
Sat: 10 a.m.-midnight
Sun: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
carolinabrewerypittsboro.com
With in-house brewmaster Jon Connolly on deck, this locally-owned gem has won national recognition for its craft beers. For a behind-the-scenes look and a complimentary tasting, take one of the free tours offered every Saturday at 2 p.m.
by Cindy Schaefer | Mar 2, 2016 | Eat, March 2016
Got a green thumb but no ground? Or want to learn?
Check out a community garden. There are dozens in the City of Oaks, growing fruits, veggies and flowers; some even house chickens, beehives and other animals. Most offer volunteer opportunities, too, so you can have a hand in the planting and harvest yourself.
They’re in the unlikeliest of places—from schools and daycares to churches.
With the desire for local food, it’s easy to see why community gardens have been sprouting up around Raleigh the past few years. Gardens do more than produce fresh, healthy food.
Tending plants becomes a group effort, fostering a sense of camaraderie. Plus, there’s always someone to help if you don’t know what you’re doing. For seasoned farmhands, it’s a prime way to connect with like-minded people and share expertise.
In Raleigh, community gardening is allowed on private property almost anywhere, provided zoning, code and ordinance conditions are met.
About 30 community gardens dot the city, estimates Anya Gordon, co-owner of the Irregardless Café and active proponent of urban agriculture.
“To my mind it has to do with the growing recognition that the food we are eating is making us sick, destroying our environment, using up non-renewable resources and exploiting the underclass of guest workers,” she says.
Gardeners in North Carolina have the advantage of seasonal crops year-round. “In this area, we can grow four seasons, with different crops in each season,” Gordon says. “It’s amazing how much can be sourced locally.”
What’s in season?
Winter: Bok choy, Brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, rutabaga, spinach, peanuts, sweet potatoes.
Spring: Strawberries, arugula, asparagus, beets, broccoli, green onions, mustard greens, blueberries, cabbage, hot peppers, kale, leafy greens, squash, snow peas, zucchini, radishes.
Summer: Blackberries, honeydew melons, peaches, plums, watermelon, turnips, canteloupe, raspberries, figs, grapes, pears, butter beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, green beans, okra, tomatoes, white potatoes, green peppers.
Fall: Apples, muscadines, Swiss chard, winter squash, pumpkins, cauliflower, spaghetti squash.
Well Fed Community Garden
1321 Athens Drive, Raleigh
www.irregardless.com/garden
The Well Fed Community Garden, sponsored by the Irregardless Café, uses organic practices to grow vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers and provides a home to eight chickens and two beehives. The front yard contains a walking labyrinth and native flower pollinator gardens. The Irregardless Café purchases 80 percent of the produce grown by the garden while the remaining 20 percent is given back to the community. Volunteers are welcome two days a week to learn about urban agriculture.
The Wedge Garden
214 Park Ave., Raleigh,
at Alexander Family YMCA
www.thewedgegarden.com
Established in 2010, the mission of the Wedge Community Garden is to promote a healthy and connected neighborhood through gardening, educating neighbors and volunteers, and sharing the harvest with neighbors, volunteers and the community. The garden got its name from its wedge-shaped plot on Park Avenue.
Alliance Medical Ministry
Community Garden
101 Donald Ross Drive, Raleigh
www.alliancemedicalministry.org/
community-garden
This garden in Southeast Raleigh, founded in 2010, provides fresh produce to the ministry’s uninsured patients. It’s the focal point of a wellness program that provides produce, education and exercise. Volunteer opportunities are available.
Raleigh City Farm
800 N. Blount St., Raleigh
www.raleighcityfarm.com
Raleigh City Farm got its start in 2011 from a group of community-oriented people who wanted to show the importance and value of an urban farm with a social enterprise model.
“Raleigh City Farm grows food – sustainably – on our small plot of land while also working with several local member farms,” says general manager Rebekah Beck.
Member farms receive help co-marketing and branding their produce for sale to local chefs and restaurants and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members. “The goal is to help community members know and appreciate where their food comes from by serving as a very active and visible example of urban farming,” Beck says.
Stop by the Saturday Farm Stand (9 a.m.-noon) in the bustling Person Street Plaza area to pick up some fresh produce. Events are held throughout the year incorporating local food, beer and music as well as workshops, farm tours and work days.
On Saturday, April 23, RCF will hold it 4th annual bEARTH day celebration. From 9 a.m. to noon, the community is invited to volunteer at the Farm. A concert and party from 6 to 10 p.m. will follow. Tickets on sale in March.
National Applause
In August of 2015, Crude Bitters and Sodas’ “Rizzo” won the first Good Food Award given to a bitters manufacturer. Rizzo is a bitter flavored with rosemary, grapefruit and peppercorn. GF awards are given to products with high environmental and social stewardship and exceptional flavor.
by Cindy Schaefer | Oct 28, 2015 | Do, November 2015
With so many requests for donations this time of year, it’s no wonder our giving spirit sometimes starts to sag. What if you commit to doing just one thing this season? We’ve even got a few easy ideas – because we think there’s more Santa than Scrooge in all of us.
Chip in
You’ve always wanted to be a Fairy Godmother, right? Note in the Pocket provides clothing to impoverished and homeless schoolchildren in Wake County. Because the more than 200 monthly referrals come from social workers and agencies who in turn make the deliveries, Note in the Pocket never has contact with the kids it serves.
Brown paper sacks are filled with two weeks’ worth of necessities: jeans, shirts, coats, socks, underwear and, sometimes, shoes. The socks and underwear are always new. A note reading “You are Loved” is tucked into each bag, says Dallas Bonavita, the group’s executive director.
But back to the godmothers. Bonavita says that as bags are filled, there are sometimes missing items. So an email blast goes out to the Godmother Club with the hope someone will come through with a small gift card or will pick up the needed item while out shopping.
By the way, club members don’t have to be women. Men make mighty fine godmothers, too. To sign up, visit www.noteinthepocket.org
Selfless swap
We all buy more than we need. Take one item out of your cart and replace it with something that can be donated—maybe a gift to put under an Angel Tree.
BOGO
Take advantage of those BOGO offers by passing on your free item to someone who could use it. Often, there’s a barrel at the front of stores to collect non-perishables for local charities. You could give your gift before you get back to your car.
Backse
at bags
Remember that little drawstring backpack you got from a giveaway? The one shoved into the corner of a closet? It’s time to put it to good use. If you don’t have a backpack, a clear, resealable baggie will work just as well.
Fill a sack with a few extras you have around the house—little tubes of toothpaste and a new toothbrush, soap, crackers, new socks, maybe even a small gift card to a fast-food restaurant. Toss it in your backseat and, when the opportunity arises, pass the bag out the window to someone in need.
by Cindy Schaefer | Sep 24, 2015 | Do, October 2015
Traipsing through a burial ground under the cover of darkness is fuel for the imagination, so why don’t you take a Oakwood Cemetery walk.
The Lantern Walk at Historic Oakwood Cemetery began 20 years ago, a project of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who maintain the graves. All proceeds are funneled back into the upkeep of the Confederate section of Oakwood Cemetery.
One evening each October—this year Saturday, Oct. 24—lantern-carrying guides in period dress wind through the neighborhood of the Confederate dead, pausing to reflect on the events of the past. Amidst the graves, history comes alive with a series of skits put on by Civil War re-enactors and members of the local Sons of Confederate Veterans camps.
Oakwood was originally conceived as a resting place for the Confederate dead after concern about the condition of the graves that were sprinkled among Union soldiers at nearby Rock Quarry Cemetery. In 1867, hundreds of bodies were disinterred and reburied in Oakwood. The sprawling cemetery later expanded to be the final address of many notable Raleigh residents.
“It’s a huge tradition here,” says Robin Simonton, Oakwood’s executive director, who is quick to note that it’s not a ghost tour. “This is an active cemetery, and we are respectful of that.”
Marc Cheek, who heads up the walk, insists there’s not much about it that’s frightening and says it’s family friendly and suitable for all
ages. Skits are often based on the soldiers or veterans buried in Oakwood and are meant to educate visitors on the War Between the States and why the South went to war.
“I think people just enjoy the war and learning about Southern history,” he says. “The actors certainly aren’t professional, but we put a lot of effort into the skits.”
Simonton says any cemetery after dark tends to feel a bit spooky, especially in October. Even without ghosts, the Lantern Walk plays into that.
“It’s probably the creepiest thing the cemetery does.”
OAKWOOD LANTERN WALK
Where: Historic Oakwood Cemetery, 701 Oakwood Ave., Raleigh
When: Saturday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Cost: $7; $4 for ages 6-11; under 6 are free The tour takes about an hour to complete with tour groups leaving every 15 minutes
Other Halloween happenings
HAUNTED FOREST AT PANIC POINT
Two haunted trails, a haunted hayride, corn maze and roaming haunters to keep you screaming all night. Must sign waiver before entering. Open Friday and Saturday nights in October, 7 p.m,. $16-$29 raleighhauntedhouse.com
HALLOWEEN AT HOGWARTS
North Carolina Symphony Music of Harry Potter, Meymandi Concert Hall, 1 p.m. & 4 p.m., $25
QDR HOWL-O-WEEN HARVEST BALL
City Limit Saloon, Live music from Hunter Hayes, Chase Bryant, Chris Lane & Mo Pitney $1000 Costume Contest, 7 p.m., $15
by Cindy Schaefer | Aug 22, 2015 | Buzz, September 2015
Ever wonder who gets the cool jobs? Raleigh Magazine takes a look.
Culinary Adventurist
Wendy Perry, 57, travels and works in a gypsy-like camper dubbed Squash Blossom, fancying
herself a roving culinary adventurist.
As a food stylist, she prepares dishes for photo shoots. Her very first attempt was tricky. Food doesn’t always tastes as good as it looks in her world.
“I learned really quick that you don’t always cook food to eat if you’re going to photograph it.”
She says it might sound glamorous, but styling food can be boring. “It took an hour and a half to shoot three pieces of cornbread!”
Perry and Squash Blossom are currently promoting George’s BBQ Sauce, a Nashville, North Carolina-based company whose vinegar and tomato based sauce is sold across the state, including in all Food Lions and Lowe’s Foods.
Squash Blossom gets her where she needs to go and provides a workplace for all Perry’s food ideas. “I wake up in the middle of the night thinking of recipes.”
The ultimate whistle-blower
A trip to Pullen Park with his grandson led to a job for Don Coey after a chat with the train driver. “It looked like a pretty good gig.”
The retired investment adviser drives the miniature train two days a week except for the winter months he says are too cold for him. That’s the downside: no protection from the elements.
Riding the Pullen rails has its perks, though, like being hugged around the knees by pint-sized patrons, says Coey, 70. “But the biggest thing is that we’re right across the street from the Morehead School for the Blind. Those kids are so appreciative that you feel like you’re doing God’s work.”
Pullen Park
#Socialmediapays
At Ignite Social Media, the company’s core values are in hashtag form.
“What else would you expect?” asks Kristina Kelly, 35, a community manager with Ignite Social Media in Cary.
Twenty-four-hour Twitter parties are part of the job.
“I get to help brands all over the world develop their social media strategies and content,” says Kelly. “I write copy for different brands in different voices, so every day is new and exciting.
We all work hard and play hard. There’s a keg in the office to prove it!”
One challenge of the job, she says, is placating her parents when they ask, “So you get paid to play on Facebook?”
Nice work if you can get it.
—Cindy Schaefer
