DTR knows how to turn up for events: music pumping, crowds buzzing—but what about the in-between? As Raleigh reshapes its core, street performers might just be the missing beat, adding a vibe reset that attracts locals and tourists alike and infuses the city with the kind of daily rhythm that defines vibrant destinations.
We’re talking buskers—local musicians posted up on corners and sidewalks, amplifying Downtown’s pulse and appeal. Think Broadway in Nashville, any random street in NYC, New Orleans’ French Quarter, even Downtown Asheville—places where vibrant street scenes turn casual strolls into culture-soaked moments and help shape a city’s identity.
So what’s stopping Raleigh from adding a little harmony to the hustle? Turns out, not much. The city issues street performer permits year-round and currently has 36* active, according to City of Raleigh Hospitality and Nightlife Planner Rachel Bain.
The rules are simple and street-smart. Street musicians must follow the city’s noise ordinance, keep sidewalks ADA-accessible, and wrap up by 10pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends. Amplification is fair game—as long as wires don’t cross sidewalks—and a yearlong permit runs just $50. Bonus: Unlike food trucks or pushcarts, buskers aren’t locked into one location.
So far, the harmony holds. “Generally, feedback has been positive,” attests Bain, noting complaints are rare. “If someone’s getting close to the noise cutoff time, we might remind them. But nothing egregious and no major issues.”
That low barrier has allowed pockets of personality to bloom, from the occasional musician at Person Street Plaza to Moore Square’s daytime Busker Series. Still, most performances are sporadic—or tied to organized events.
“If buskers were brought in as a strategic activation,” says Downtown Raleigh Alliance VP of Communications and Community Relations Ileana Rodriguez, “it could be a fun way to amplify the idea of Fayetteville Street being North Carolina’s Main Street.”
While the organization doesn’t have current plans to bring in buskers, Rodriguez ensures they’re open to the idea down the line. One creative proposition? “Putting performers on different blocks and asking each of them to choose songs from a different NC musician’s repertoire—or by having the musicians choose from a genre related to NC music or Southern music and culture in general.”
The concept could start small—say, one Saturday a month. Coordination would be key to prevent competing noise, says Bain, but it’s definitely doable. “For something more organized, we might want to space performers out, similar to how we regulate pushcarts,” she explains. “But we’re absolutely open to it.”
And it’s not just about ambiance. Busking could give local musicians a platform, boost foot traffic for small businesses and help reshape what Raleigh nightlife looks like.
In short, Raleigh doesn’t need Broadway’s bachelorette chaos—but a few strings strummed while guests enjoy a Sip n’ Stroll beverage after a dinner Downtown? That might be just the rhythm we’ve been missing.
Promising a sleek new future and boosted safety, rideshares changed how cities move. But lately in Raleigh, booking an Uber or Lyft feels more like a high-stakes gamble—especially if you’re trying to get home from a busy concert, bar or game on a Saturday night. One minute, your ride costs $15; the next, it’s pushing $90.
On one such Saturday in May, a Raleigh Magazine employee left a country music concert at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek around 10pm. She pulled up both the Uber and Lyft apps to book a ride home to her house in Raleigh—a 14.3-mile trip.
For a standard-size car, Lyft quoted $13.98 for the ride. But Uber, for the same standard car, quoted $83.95—with a note that read: “It’s busy, fares are a lot higher than usual.”
Naturally, she Lyfted. The driver, who asked to remain anonymous, said she drives for both Uber and Lyft, but prefers the latter. Despite riders paying 5 or 6 times the normal price during busy times, that money isn’t going to the driver, she said.
Known as “surge pricing,” the tactic is meant to match driver supply with rider demand during peak hours. But the giant jump in price is starting to feel less like a supply-and-demand solution and more like price gouging—or straight-up robbery.
At Lyft, surge pricing is referred to as Prime Time. In an earnings call last August, the company’s CEO David Risher said he’s “opening a can of whoop-ass on Prime Time” and referred to surge pricing as “rideshare’s most hated feature.”
During the second quarter of 2024, Lyft had worked to decrease the average surge amount added to each ride by 25% and, in turn, saw better conversion rates (read: more people choosing Lyft over Uber).
Uber hasn’t publicly rolled out the same surge-busting plans as its main competitor, but an Uber spokesperson did tell RMdrivers are earning more than ever. “Driver earnings remain strong,” she said. “In times of high demand, drivers are able to earn more on the platform.” The spokesperson did not, however, clarify if that ability to earn more comes from Uber wages or an increase in tips from the riders due to higher ride costs.
But the bottom line tells the story: Q1 2024 saw Uber’s revenue up 15% year-over-year, Lyft’s up 28%—but Uber still hauled in 693% more overall. And, now, some Raleigh riders are opting for alternative rideshare companies like Wridz and Just Her Rideshare, a Charlotte-based company that prioritizes women’s safety for both drivers and riders that recently rolled out in Raleigh. Unlike Uber and Lyft, the latter does not implement traditional surge pricing.
“We understand how frustrating and unpredictable that can be for riders,” said CEO Kimberly Evans. “Our pricing model is intentionally designed to be fair and consistent, while still ensuring our women drivers are paid equitably for their time and service.”
So, fair warning: The next time you’re leaving a game at Lenovo Center or a night out on Glenwood South, check your options before settling with the first high-priced ride you see.
BTN
$54B U.S. rideshare market size
↑$61B Projected U.S. rideshare market size by 2029
Ridership 2024 Q2 Uber: 156M Lyft: 23.7M *Lyft’s North American-only, while Uber rides worldwide.
Are Raleigh’s signage rules keeping things classy or killing creativity?
As Raleigh grows and evolves, so does the conversation around the city’s character—and what we want it to be.
When it comes to appearances, the writing’s on the wall—or hanging from it. Signage helps define the vibe of a district (think Asheville’s Biltmore Village or the French Quarter in New Orleans), but Raleigh’s sign identity isn’t clear.
DTR’s handful of standout signs—namely the vintage neon glow coming from The Mecca, DECO and Parkside Restaurant, to name a few—add warmth, personality, and a little bit of buzz for locals and tourists alike. And, yet, they’re the exception—not the rule.
Raleigh’s signage is governed by a set of city regulations that dictate everything from size and color to whether a sign can blink, flash or glow. The result? A look that’s polished and professional, but perhaps a little too buttoned-up.
It begs the question: Are Raleigh’s signage restrictions keeping things tasteful and tidy, or are they shutting out creativity?
The Rulebook
Photo by Jared Haworth, courtesy of Lightship Neon
Raleigh’s restrictions date back to the late 1970s, rooted in a desire to preserve visual order as the city modernized. And while minor tweaks have been made over time, the framework remains largely the same, according to Justin Rametta, planning and zoning administrator for the City of Raleigh.
Per Rametta, the regulations focus on what can be controlled by the city: size, placement, lighting and materials. The message on the signs, however, can’t be regulated by the city due to free speech rights. “We can’t say very much about what’s on a sign, but we can say how big it is, what color it is and what type of sign it is—those sorts of things,” he says.
Digital signs, for instance, are largely restricted to Downtown—and even there, they’re tightly controlled to avoid visual clutter and the dreaded Vegas-effect. Elsewhere in the city, digital signs are mostly off-limits so as not to disturb residential areas.
Neon signs, while not outright banned, are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are more likely to be approved when tied to historic businesses (see: Person Street’s Krispy Kreme). There’s no designated district in Raleigh that encourages creative or unconventional signage, but Rametta says ideas like that could be explored by city council.
Glowing Up
These city restrictions reflect an outdated bias against neon, says Jared Haworth, owner of locally based Lightship Neon, a relatively new neon shop that spun out from now-closed Glas—known for signs like DECO’s neon masterpiece.
“A lot of these kinds of regulations came about due to public pressure campaigns in the 1960s that were trying to demonize neon signage,” shares Haworth. “As new plastic fluorescent signs became popular, neon became associated with older or rundown businesses. It’s an undeserved reputation.”
Haworth’s signs are hand-built in Raleigh, and he sees neon not just as signage, but as visual art that contributes to a neighborhood’s personality. Case in point: Lightship Neon’s recently made sign for Mexican restaurant Little Rey in Raleigh Iron Works beckons visitors to the restaurant via hot-pink lettering and an eye-catching neon chicken. Due to the restaurant’s location inside of the district, some of the stricter signage regulations that would apply to street-facing businesses did not apply to this sign, maintains Haworth.
As far as a dedicated district with cool signage, Haworth is all for it. “It would be impressive for both people coming to visit and something visually impactful for locals,” he says. And he’s already workshopping plans to bring to city council in hopes of updating some of the city’s broader regulations.
So while Raleigh might not ever reach the signage legacy of places like New Orleans and Austin, a Downtown district with soulful signs could be in our future. They’re just one bright idea away.
Is Raleigh’s psychedelic mushroom scene going mainstream?
Raleigh’s latest vice is psychedelic, plant-based and technically illegal. Yes, we’re talking about mushrooms—and we don’t mean the kind growing in your mulch after a storm.
These shrooms are wrapped in professional packaging; sold as bite-size gummies or chocolates; and branded with words like focus, clarity or elevate. Some promise spiritual awakenings. Others a trippin’ good time.
Regardless, the rise of shrooms is hard to overlook. You’ve probably seen them in a sponsored Instagram ad, or maybe in the crowd at a local concert—even passed around at a party in place of a bottle of wine.
And, yet, psilocybin (the compound that gives magic mushrooms their magic) is very much illegal in NC. So, what gives?
Tripped Up
Though psilocybin is a Schedule I drug and illegal under federal law (save Colorado’s and Oregon’s rare exceptions), that hasn’t stopped the surge of mushroom-themed products popping up all over Raleigh and online. But, spoiler: Most of what’s being sold isn’t psilocybin.
According to a holistic psychedelic therapist we spoke to, today’s retail environment for mushrooms serves up a slew of hallucinogenic and psychedelic substances and compounds that aren’t psilocybin-containing, So, if you venture into a local shop in Raleigh, you’ll most likely see mushrooms sold as chocolates, gummies and drinks—and most of those, if not all, don’t contain psilocybin at all. In actuality, he says, some of those labeled “magic mushrooms” actually consist of substances like legal 4-AcO-DMT (a synthetic cousin of psilocybin), Amanita muscaria (the red-and-white “Super Mario” mushroom) or some Frankenstein-ish proprietary blend.
It’s kind of “skirting the law,” maintains the holistic guide, where folks are branding this as hallucinogenic mushrooms or psychedelic mushrooms. “Most of the time, they’re going to contain different types of pharmaceutical compounds that don’t have regulation behind them—so they’re technically legal to use.”
In turn, manufacturers and retailers can get away with selling them. But they’re not officially regulated—meaning locals need to make sure they’re aware of where the products are coming from and exactly what’s inside.
Party Favors
The “why” behind consumption may not be what you suspect—most aren’t taking shrooms to trip face in the woods. For some, they’re a go-to for a lift without the liquor hangover or downsides of drinking, while others are just looking to take the edge off after a stressful workweek or to simply catch a soft buzz.
And the stigma is fading. Two Raleighites versed in microdosing for mood elevation and visual effects—either in natural or gummy form—say their friends are all on board with magic mushrooms, many joining in at parties and hangouts. “I kind of compare it to a THC type of high, except it’s nowhere near as drowsy,” one of them says of the growing acceptance. “It’s an elevating feeling, kind of happy-go-lucky—almost like you get an energy boost. It’s about the same kind of buzz as a 5 milligram THC seltzer, without any come down, hangover, ‘crash’ or anxiety.”
While classic dried psilocybin mushrooms are still out there, in Raleigh’s new shroom scene they’re becoming less popular than their consumer-packaged counterparts. To wit, the couple recently ordered some gummies online from website TRĒ House, which showed up in “bold, psychedelic packaging with trippy reflective images, ‘magic mushrooms’ in loud type and emoji-like dosing graphics.” But when they tried to reup the order a few weeks later, they were met with an error message saying state regulations no longer allowed shipments to NC—though they were able to easily find the same branded gummies at several local dispensaries.
Photo by Sean Junqueira
Not-So-Magic
While a trip down magic mushroom lane has been nothing but good vibes and breakthroughs for some, not all shroom experiences are chill and life-affirming. The serious negative side effects of psilocybin are rare, but the potential risks are significant enough that UNC psychedelic researcher Dr. Bryan Roth recommends against trying shrooms at home alone—especially if they’re from unidentified sources.
“Psilocybin can trigger psychotic breaks, especially in people with family or personal history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder,” warns Roth, who practiced psychiatry and specialized in treating schizophrenia before becoming a researcher. “I would have the occasional patient come to me saying their first schizophrenic break occurred when they took psychedelic drugs and they haven’t been the same since.”
At the same time, he explains, several current active clinical trials and studies vetting shrooms as potential treatments for depression, anxiety and PTSD are in progress across the U.S. “And some promising preliminary clinical trial data shows psilocybin may have some therapeutic utility—but it’s not an approved therapeutic currently.”
That said, the mushroom momentum is undeniable. The culture is clearly blooming, and industry experts predict psychedelic mushrooms will go mainstream—potentially even soon becoming legal at the federal level.
“It’s not gonna be like cannabis where you can just walk into a recreational dispensary and buy your products. There has to be support services built into this,” notes the holistic guide—“a whole ecosystem of facilitators, microdose coaches, therapists, mental health professionals and medical professionals advising people on how to use drugs therapeutically.” So, maybe don’t expect Raleigh to have a mushroom dispensary next to your Pilates studio in the near future.
When taking a stroll around your typical Raleigh shopping center or strip mall nowadays, you’re likely to stumble upon the signature seven leaves of a pot plant waving proudly on a storefront’s flag or a neon sign glowing with a bold THC.
Rest assured; your eyes aren’t deceiving you. These shops have been sprouting up across the Triangle, growing like weeds in an open field.
And, yet, despite their presence, marijuana remains completely illegal in North Carolina—even for medical use. So, what exactly are these dispensaries selling? And how is it legal?
This state of cannabis confusion has lingered since 2018, but major changes could be coming soon at the hands of the state legislature.
One thing is certain: This isn’t your grandmother’s pot. Attitudes are shifting, demand is growing and the Old North State is trying to keep up.
The Legal Loophole
In 2018, Congress passed the Farm Bill—a major bipartisan effort that legalized hemp and its derivatives at a federal level—sparking a green rush in states where marijuana was illegal.
Though hemp and marijuana both come from the cannabis sativa plant, hemp contains smaller amounts of THC, while marijuana contains more.
The Farm Bill allowed for the sale of any products containing less than 0.3% delta-9 THC (aka the ingredient responsible for the “high” in marijuana).
That small legal distinction opened the door for hemp-derived THC products like delta-8 and delta-9 gummies, prerolled joints, drinks, and vapes. Despite producing effects similar to marijuana, these products are legal because they come from hemp.
John Boccella, co-owner of The Hemp Company NC, has sold hemp products in the Triangle since 2018. “The reason there’s been such a proliferation of CBD and THC products in North Carolina is because they are derived from federally compliant hemp,” he says. “Most people don’t understand that cannabis is being defined in two distinct ways. If the plant at harvest has above 0.3% delta-9 THC, it’s marijuana. If it has less than 0.3%, it’s considered hemp.”
Boccella, a longtime Raleigh chiropractor who recently retired, began his foray into the hemp business with the opening of his North Raleigh store in 2019, followed by a Wake Forest location in 2022. Recently, he’s seen customer demand blossoming.
There’s definitely been an uptick because people of all creeds, all religions, all races and all ages have aches and pains, sleep issues, anxieties, skin issues, and stress,” he says. “People are benefiting from these products, and they are getting relief naturally without the side effects of things like pharmaceuticals and alcohol.”
Shades of Gray
Though the federal Farm Bill made hemp-derived THC legal across all states by default in 2018, NC didn’t officially join the bandwagon until 2022. For four years, the state operated in a legal gray area, with businesses allowed to sell hemp-derived THC products despite a lack of explicit state-level regulations.
In 2022, the NC General Assembly officially passed legislation that adopted the federal definition of hemp into state law, mirroring the same rules and regulations as the Farm Bill and ensuring hemp-derived products remained legal.
The legislation did not, however, include widespread regulation for the local hemp industry. Though selling hemp-derived THC products is legal, there is little to no specific regulation in place for the safety of the products or the businesses selling them.
Local hemp businesses have spent years fighting for that regulation, Boccella says. “Right now, there are no regulations,” he explains. “But we’re working on getting common-sense regulations passed that protect the consumer and the product too. We want a free market, but at the same time we don’t want products that are unsafe being sold or consumed.”
Another local hemp industry businessman, Reilly Dunn—co-owner of Groovewagon, a beverage company that makes and sells THC-infused drinks—is working with lobbyists and representatives to get more regulations passed.
Everybody is just deferring to the federal guidelines from the previous Farm Bill, which mandated that 0.3% or less by weight THC was allowable,” he maintains. “Because of that, the market has a ton of hemp-derived products available, but there’s no clarity at the state level. We desperately want to see regulation and some clarity around all of this.”
More state-level regulations would not only ensure businesses are operating within the same guidelines—they are also needed to protect the health and safety of consumers.
Yet another gray area calling for regulation exists with an emerging product—THCA flower. Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid is a nonpsychoactive compound that, when in “flower” form, converts to THC when heated.
Current legislation measures THC in dry weight only, which allows THCA to skirt around THC percentage requirements. Some stores in NC are now selling THCA flower, despite the lack of state regulations for the product.
What remains in stark black and white, however, is that recreational marijuana use and medical marijuana use are still wholly illegal in North Carolina.
Regulation on the Horizon
The Tar Heel State’s best chance at real hemp regulation is now in action. A bill recently filed in the state Senate aims to establish firm rules on the sale and distribution of hemp-derived THC products.
If passed as it currently stands, the legislation would require licenses for manufacturers, distributors and sellers. It would also introduce age restrictions (21+) for purchasing products; prohibit hemp products on school grounds; and mandate product testing for heavy metals, pesticides and toxic substances.
Supporters of the bill are expecting it to pass in the coming months, as a similar measure has already cleared the House in a previous session. If enacted, it would bring an end to NC’s unregulated hemp market, where businesses have been operating without oversight since 2022.
Boccella, who has been actively working on cannabis regulation efforts, supports responsible legislation that ensures product safety without stifling business. He’s spent years advocating for a bill like this one to be passed.
Though the state has been slower to pass legislation, the regulations being discussed are more robust than what other states have in place.
North Carolina has the opportunity to really lead by example here,” emphasizes Boccella. “Most states have no regulation at all, while others just ban things without understanding the market.”
The Business of Cannabis in NC
Despite the legal uncertainty, hemp businesses are alive and thriving across the state. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s database, NC is home to over 750 active hemp-growing licenses.
Given its strong agricultural expertise and long history with tobacco farming, the state could become a major player in the hemp production industry. And if NC legalizes medical or recreational marijuana use, the demand for growers and related businesses will only increase.
New jobs in farming, production, distribution and retail would emerge, as well as a new stream of tax revenue to be spent on education, infrastructure and public services.
Photo courtesy of NC State University
But part of that success is in the hands of state legislators, notes Boccella. He believes common-sense legislation should benefit state farmers and local businesses, rather than out-of-state corporations that might be looking for a chance to swoop in and dominate the market.
“If we legalize, we should make sure the industry stays in the hands of North Carolinians,” he contends. “We don’t want big multistate operators coming in and taking all the profits out of state. North Carolinians should be the ones growing, manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing it.”
To wit, the state is already building a local hemp business community. According to the Secretary of State’s site, there are over 100 active licensed companies in North Carolina with “hemp” in their name. These businesses, like The Hemp Company and Groovewagon, are establishing a strong foundation for a future legal cannabis industry.
As lawmakers continue debating cannabis reform, one thing is clear: The economic potential is not to be ignored. Whether through hemp expansion, medical cannabis or full legalization, NC is at a crossroads. The decisions made now will shape the state’s role in the cannabis industry for decades to come.
NC vs. All Y’all
Despite being a hot spot of a state, North Carolina has—and is—lagging when it comes to cannabis use. With both medical and recreational marijuana use illegal, NC is one of the most restrictive states in the country when it comes to cannabis.
Nationally, 24 states have legalized recreational cannabis, and 39 states have some form of a medical cannabis program—and that includes several of NC’s fellow Southern states, showing that the programs can be bipartisan and destigmatized.
So far, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Virginia and Arkansas have all surpassed North Carolina in enacting medical marijuana programs. So though NC is First in Flight, the state is falling behind in this race toward reform.
Public Perception
As cannabis laws change across the country, public sentiment throughout the state is shifting as well.
A Meredith College poll released in February surveying statewide registered voters found 71% supported the legalization of medical marijuana. The report also noted a majority of every demographic group in the state supported medical marijuana, including those who self-identified as the most conservative residents.
North Carolina is one of a handful of states without some form of legal medical marijuana,” the poll’s director, David McLennan, said in the report. “With the public strongly behind such a law and most within the medical community supporting this legislation, it seems like this might be a good time to pass such a bill.”
Longtime Raleigh resident and cannabis enthusiast Jim Baldwin has witnessed the change firsthand. Baldwin remembers when cannabis was considered wholly taboo, and users were often judged harshly.
“There were people who thought nothing of going out and getting obliterated drunk, but then would look down at you if you had a hit of a joint,” he says. “I’ve always had issues with people justifying alcohol but ragging on THC.”
But the tide has begun turning in recent years, and he’s noticed a shift in attitudes. “I’ve had a lot of friends who used to think cannabis was some dangerous thing while they were out drinking half a bottle of whiskey every weekend,” shares Baldwin. “But, now, more and more people are trying THC drinks or gummies, and they’re realizing it’s actually a better alternative to alcohol.”
Essentially, THC beverages and edibles have introduced a new, more accessible way to consume cannabis, drawing in people who may have never considered smoking it. As these products become more widely available, perceptions of cannabis as a legitimate alternative to alcohol and pharmaceuticals continue to evolve.
“I’ve been living with this double standard forever and I think it is changing,” says Baldwin. “And when double standards like this do change, there’s always gonna be some hesitancy on one side. But it’s pure joy on my side.”
Alcohol vs. Cannabis
The conversation around cannabis isn’t just about legalization anymore, it’s also about how it compares to alcohol and other drugs. Alcoholic drinks have been widely considered acceptable for adults in the U.S. (post-Prohibition, that is), while cannabis products are often thought of as criminal or controversial.
But a recent warning from the Surgeon General could change that narrative. The issued statement cautions that alcohol consumption is harmful, even in small amounts.
For some consumers, this has led to growing interest in THC beverages, which promise a psychoactive experience without the hangover, calories or long-term health risks associated with excessive drinking.
Some, including in the Raleigh area, are now opting for THC drinks for relaxation or social event lubrication, says Dunn.
His goal for Groovewagon is to create alcohol alternatives that offer a more balanced, enjoyable experience without the negative effects of drinking. He believes THC beverages could lead to a significant drop in alcohol consumption, benefiting both public health and consumer choice.
“The biggest public health benefits come because people start substituting alcohol for THC,” he claims. “The harm reduction from switching alcohol for THC is unbelievable, and it’s well-documented going back for quite some time now.”
For some, this moment has been a long time coming—including Baldwin, who has been eagerly anticipating legal THC for decades.
“I would argue that THC in social settings is far safer and better for society in general,” he asserts. “Somebody that’s had too much cannabis typically just mellows into the background, whereas somebody that’s had too much alcohol can do just about anything.”
A New Era
The decades-long debate about marijuana is still ongoing, but the tide is turning (or, some may say, getting higher)—leaving NC as one of the few still holding on to outdated stigmas.
Public support for legalization is growing; businesses are calling for regulation; and lawmakers are slowly coming around. With hemp-derived THC already available, it’s only a matter of time before NC joins the growing number of states embracing cannabis reform. And if the now-filed hemp regulation bill does pass, the industry could be heading for a major transformation with more robust oversight.
Until then, North Carolina’s cannabis laws are still half-baked. Whether the state loosens its strict stance or rolls with the changing times, the path forward remains hazy. We’ll be watching to see which way the smoke blows.
