Raleigh, start your engines—er, electric skateboards! Oak City Onewheel’s Oak City Shred Fest—the only head-to-head Onewheel racing event on the East Coast—is coming to town May 13–15 for a stoke-filled weekend of Onewheel (a self-balancing single-wheel electric board-sport) races, live music, camping and much more. Riders from all over the nation will be flocking to Raleigh to compete in the race, which covers two FloatTracks (aka quarter-mile, dirt, triple-track loops) just outside of Downtown. “As a 100% disabled U.S. Air Force veteran, I am so grateful for the medicinal properties of the Onewheel and the Onewheel Community,” says Oak City Shred Fest and Oak City Onewheel Director and President Josh “Supremo” Christensen. “Thanks to the power and capabilities of the Onewheel and Oak City crew, I’m regularly transported to new incredible places, meeting wonderful new people, and discovering new places and possibilities for the future.” More than just Onewheel, the event also allows off-road electric skateboards, unicycles and bikes on the track—or you can ditch the wheels altogether and enjoy brews, food trucks and stand-up paddleboarding at Lakeside Retreats. No matter how you shred it, it’s bound to be a wheelie good weekend. oakcityshredfest.com
Sweet dreams are made of… live music. J. Cole’s highly anticipated Dreamville Festival—which first graced Dorothea Dix Park in 2019—returned in full force this year with not one, but two days of high-energy performances (NTM local food trucks, art installations and all-around killer vibes). Here, we round up our top takes from Dreamville 2022. Until next year…
The Lineup
After two years of cancellations, you’d expect J. Cole to pull out all the stops for Dreamville’s two-day lineup—and he did not disappoint. The NC-bred Grammy-winning multiplatinum hip-hop artist enlisted big names like Lil Wayne, T-Pain, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Ari Lennox and Lil Baby to join him for the festival—and, as promised, every single performance was lit.
Go VIP
We hear you—even GA tickets were pricey, let alone VIP. But honestly… worth it. Each stage had its own designated VIP area, complete with its own bathrooms and bar (read: shorter lines!). The best part though? Each VIP area gets you up close and personal with the artists on stage (!) thanks to separate entrances. There were multiple tiers to the VIP tickets, but JV VIP was more than good enough to have a grand time.
Casa Bacardi
Bacardi’s rum punch cocktails were the crème de la crème of the bar menu—and the Bacardi tent (aka Casa Bacardi) was the spot to get a drink. Tropical, boozy and oh-so-refreshing, these bevs were the perfect match for the hot sun. Our faves? The Say Less (which ironically packs a punch that’ll have you saying more) and The 919 (doubles—obv).
We will say, however, that all the alcoholic beverage ops at this year’s fest were pretty expensive—we’re talking anywhere from $15 to $17 for a cocktail or seltzer/beer (and $26 to $30 for doubles). So… maybe plan a pregame. But, luckily, water was free and there were plenty of water stations throughout the festival grounds. #HydrateOrDiedrate
’Grammable Photo Ops
What with all the incredible art pieces and installations at this year’s fest, there was no shortage of ’Gram-worthy photo opps. The floral-filled cars! The swings! The neon-colored light display! Surely a win for your Insta feed.
Ferris Wheel
Positioned almost smack dab in the middle of the festival—aka a great rendezvous spot for finding your friends—the bright colorful Ferris wheel definitely took Dreamville to the next level (It’s giving… Coachella, yeah?). If you didn’t mind waiting in line, it was totally worth a spin.
Merch
Merch or it didn’t happen. The swag ops for this year’s Dreamville Fest were ubercool—from tees and sweaters to blankets and more—with tons of designs to choose from for apparel (the cozy hoodie was ideal for keeping warm at night!). Pro tip: Next year, preorder your merch to avoid long lines at the fest!
Insider Tips
We will say, it wasn’t all dreamy. Despite the fact that Dreamville added a cell tower this year, it was no match for the tens of thousands of people (and their cell phones) that showed up to the festival. It was almost impossible to use your phone as service was pretty much nonexistent—which meant it was tough to get in contact with friends, post to social media or—most importantly—order an Uber/Lyft to get home. Let’s hope next year they figure the cell service sitch out!
Ciao, bella! For a taste of Italy in the South worth melting for, look no further than Geluna Gelato, which is opening its first brick-and-mortar in Downtown Cary in April after several successful pop-ups—and almost five years of blood, sweat and tears (er, recipe-tasting, construction and sourcing!).
Owners Diana and Warwick* did their (tasty) homework with a true sweet escape—sampling gelato all over the globe (especially Italy, natch). But it was a shop in Australia, from where Warwick hails that inspired them to go to Carpigiani Gelato University in Italy (yes, it’s a real thing) and learn the scoop, if you will—plus train with a gelato maestro from Bologna. Now, they’re bringing those sweet skills to their gelato shop here in NC, slated to open in April as one of the first of its kind in the Triangle.
Not to be confused with ice cream (and, if you ask for our hot take, gelato is better…), gelato is denser, smoother and creamier, and is made with different ratios of milk, cream and sugar. But Geluna Gelato could be confused with an Italian gelateria—because it’s that good.
Starting with local milk and cream, and made with fresh, raw ingredients with no preservatives or artificial flavors, Geluna Gelato‘s rotating small-batch flavors include must-licks like peanut butter stracciatella, milk and cookies, sea salted caramel, blueberry yogurt, and chocolate—plus tangerine, strawberry and a variety of other dairy-free sorbets. Not to mention gelato pops (!) and cookie sandwiches.
“We’re really just going for giving people an experience, and just that pure pleasure of closing your eyes and being like, ‘Oh, that’s so good,’” says Diana. So, like Gwen Stefani said… “If I could escape and recreate a place as my own world … now wouldn’t that be sweet?” Yup. Essentially, it’s heaven—er, Italy?—in a cup.gelunagelato.com
5 frothy patios to fulfill your pursuit of hoppiness.
This year, NC Beer Month is in October (a shift initiated last year), but this April marks the inaugural #HopIntoSpring—because “there’s no finer way to enjoy the sunshine of a Carolina day than with… a locally crafted NC beer.” We agree… it’s always hoppy hour during patio season. Here, our five fave beer patios with a mix of vibes and a variety of brews—pouring out the perfect perch for eternal hoptimists. Cheers!
Dubbed “Raleigh’s favorite patio,” Wye Hill is an alfresco affair that promises to cure what ales you. Impeccable views + bangin’ housemade brews + chef-driven bar food = our definition of a perfectly spent spring day. You’re gonna need some Everything Brussels… then wash ’em down with Wye’s constantly rotating small-batch brews—so there’s always something new to sip on. wyehill.com
You’re gonna want a slice of patio-drinking season at this Trophy hot spot. Pizza and beer already make the perf pairing—but nothing pairs as well with a slice of ’za than Trophy’s house-brewed sips. Fave combos include the Local Celebrity pizza with a Cloud Surfer IPA, or the Most Loyal with a Trophy Husband witbier—but TBH, you can’t go wrong no matter what you tap into. trophybrewing.com
Savor the flavor (and the sun!) on this sun-soaked patio—complete with a small, calming herb garden that sets the scene for a serene day out. The old-meets-new brewery specializes in Belgian ales and IPAs (but experiments with other brew styles as well), which are best enjoyed with European bistro-inspired fare with a North Carolina twist—out under the twinkling lights, natch. neuseriverbrewing.com
Come for the LBC brews and stay for the food from Wilson’s Eatery—thanks to the outdoor haven bridging the two hot spots at Dock 1053. Trust us, there’s no better way to spend a Saturday or Sunday Funday—or any afternoon/evening imbibing sesh—with your crew than with one of LBC’s palatable pints and a sammie or flatbread from its sister resto. lynnwoodbrewing.beer
You can never be two-tired to sit back, relax and enjoy a brewsky post-biking sesh (or, well, ever) at Crank Arm. Complete with bike racks, naturally, this primo alfresco perch always promises a hopping good time, with plenty of tables and chairs (plus a cozy bench) to post up at and relish the sun + warmth with a pint or a tasting wheel. Hoppiness, found. crankarmbrewing.com
A pair of towers is coming soon to DTR—changing the city’s skyline and adding to the accelerated growth Raleigh has seen in the last couple of years. Dubbed Salisbury Square, the two-tower project (which we first announced in 2020) is situated on 4.9 acres across the street from Duke Energy Center at 700 S. Salisbury St., and will consist of a 20-story residential tower and a 20-story mixed-use tower, as well as a four-story residential building and parking deck—plus a parcel for a future hotel. Developers Dominion Realty Partners and New York Life Real Estate Investors plan to start construction on phase 1—which includes the residential tower boasting 304 apartments, plus commercial and office space—in May, with the first apartments expected to open in spring 2024.
