WEB EXCLUSIVE The Carolina Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker is one of the most anticipated events of the holiday season here in Raleigh. For many families, it’s tradition to dress up and see the show in the days leading up to Christmas. This year, due to COVID, the Carolina Ballet has unfortunately cancelled their live, in-person performance of The Nutcracker, however, they will still be holding a special broadcast of the popular production on WRAL-TV on Christmas night in order to continue the wonderful holiday tradition, with the hope that it will reach a broader audience as well.
“Our company has long valued and supported traditions that make our community special and this year is no exception,” said Joel Davis, Vice President and General Manager of WRAL/FOX 50. “We could not think of a better time and place—Christmas night on WRAL—to make The Nutcracker available to our viewers and our community. It is an honor to share this highly anticipated performance with our viewers.”
In another effort to share the holiday magic with the community, Carolina Ballet will be opening up some of the rehearsals to the public. Subscribe to their e-newsletter and you’ll automatically receive a link each week to sign up to watch the rehearsals in person. Rehearsals will be shared on the Carolina Ballet’s YouTube channel as well, so that anyone, anywhere can watch them online. Filming for the WRAL broadcast of The Nutcracker will begin in just a couple of weeks.
Additionally, the ballet is asking that those who had already bought their tickets to the live performance convert them into a donation to the Carolina Ballet. They have not been able to hold any performances since the pandemic hit in March, so your support is more important to them than ever. Unused ticket holders can also exchange their tickets for next year’s performance of The Nutcracker or for one of their Spring performances (Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto, Four Seasons, Macbeth, or Cinderella), or they can turn Nutcracker tickets into a gift certificate to be used in the ballet’s 2020-2021 or 2021-2022 season.
The Nutcracker premiere broadcast will air December 25 at 7 p.m. on WRAL-TV, with encore performances to be scheduled throughout the holiday season.
When you’ve had just about enough of cooking at home, the thought of cooking an entire Thanksgiving dinner for friends and family is probably the last thing you want to do. This year, let someone else do the cooking for you and reserve a table or pre-order a Thanksgiving meal at one of these Raleigh restaurants serving Thanksgiving meals either for dine-in or pickup.
Salt and Lime Cabo Grill 6006 Falls of Neuse Road | saltandlimecabo.com Preorder by November 18
Driftwood Cantina 8460 Honeycutt Road | driftwoodcantina.com Preorder by November 18
Hibernian Pub 311 Glenwood Avenue | hibernianpub.com Reserve a table or order takeout on Thanksgiving Day.
Seasons 52 4325 Glenwood Avenue | seasons52.com Reserve a table for Thanksgiving Day or pickup November 24 or 25
Capital Grille 4242 Six Forks Road | thecapitalgrille.com Reserve a table for Thanksgiving Day or pickup November 24 or 25
Ruth’s Chris Steak House 4381 Lassiter Mill Road | ruthschris.com Reserve a table for Thanksgiving Day or call (919) 791-1103 to preorder a take-home feast
Irregardless Cafe 901 W Morgan Street | irregardless.com Preorder by November 23
Garland 14 W. Martin Street | garlandraleigh.com Preorder for pickup November 24 or 25
Midtown Grille 4421-115 Six Forks Road |themidtowngrille.com Make a reservation for Thanksgiving Day
The Pit 328 W Davie Street| thepit-raleigh.com Make a reservation for dine-in or preorder for pickup by November 20
Mandolin 2519 Fairview Road | mandolinraleigh.com Preorder for pickup by November 18
Plates Neighborhood Kitchen 301 Glenwood Avenue | plateskitchen.com Preorder for pickup by November 23
Mitchell Casteel A Fine Catered Affair 1732 Capital Boulevard | mitchellcasteel.com Reserve a table or preorder for pickup by November 21
JUST OUTSIDE RALEIGH
These Thanksgiving dinners are worth making the drive for!
The Carolina Inn 211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill | destinationhotels.com/carolina-inn Reserve a table for Thanksgiving Day or preorder by November 19
Chef’s Palette Restaurant & Bar 3460 Ten-Ten Road, Cary | chefspalette.net Preorder by phone (919-267-6011) by November 18
kō•än 2800 Renaissance Park Place, Cary | koancary.com Preorder by November 20
WEB EXCLUSIVE Today’s the day, folks. It’s Election Day! If you haven’t already voted by mail or voted early in person, it’s time to hit the polls and cast your vote for the next president of the United States, as well as for those running for local office. As you all know, this is a very important election and it’s crucial that everyone who is able to vote does so. Before you head to the polls, read through these FAQs to ensure you’re prepared for voting on Election Day on November 3.
Who’s running?
Doing your research is important. Meet the candidates on your ballot—from U.S. president and Congress, to the state legislature, courts and local races—and learn about their qualifications and key issues at https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles.
Are you registered to vote?
You must have already registered to vote before Election Day in order to cast your ballot. Check your voter registration status at vt.ncsbe.gov/reglkup.
Where do you vote on Election Day?
Unlike during early voting, you must vote at your designated polling place on Election Day. Find yours at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup.
What do you need to bring?
If you’ve voted in North Carolina before, you don’t need to show ID to vote, however, if you’re a first-time voter who registered by mail and didn’t provide your driver’s license number or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number on your registration form, you will need to show ID to vote. Acceptable forms include a driver’s license or state ID, U.S. Passport, employee ID, student ID, military ID, or a copy of a utility bill, bank statement or paycheck.
Can you still drop off your ballot?
If you missed the vote by mail deadline or didn’t have time to vote early, you can still turn in your ballot on Election Day. Ballots must be returned to the Wake County Board of Elections office at 1200 N. New Hope Road by 5 p.m. on Election Day November 3.
How late are polling places open?
The polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Any voter in line by 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
What COVID-19 precautions are polling places taking?
County election boards will be enforcing social distancing, providing hand sanitizer and masks, providing single use pens, cleaning surfaces and equipment frequently and other precautions. Remember the three W’s (Wear a mask, Wait six feet apart, Wash your hands frequently)!
For their boutique Longleaf Hotel, the developers at Loden Properties knew they wanted the restored motor lodge to emphasize sustainability, recycling and other eco-friendly features. That’s why, this past spring, they added six new, eye-catching—and rain-catching— cisterns to the property via a cost-sharing program offered by the City of Raleigh.
Kristin Freeman, a communications specialist in the city’s engineering services department, says cisterns are one of the most cost-effective sustainable features a business can use, as they’re a great way to conserve rainwater and can help offset water pollution.
“Instead of rainwater going from the roof to a storm drain, or into the Pigeon House Branch stream, the water is collected in the cisterns and can be used on the property,” Freeman explains. “Because of [Longleaf’s] proximity to downtown, this stream can be more polluted than others, so the cisterns are very valuable.”
Longleaf uses the first inch of rain that is saved in the cisterns for irrigation and landscaping, while any excess water flows from the cisterns to planted areas on the property. The water soaks into the ground, where the soil cleans it out before it runs down into the stream. The cisterns are part of the volunteer-based, City of Raleigh-funded project Raleigh Rainwater Rewards, in which any resident or business can volunteer to pay for a cistern on their property and get reimbursed between 75 percent to 90 percent of the total cost of the project.
Learn more about qualifying and applying for the Raleigh Rainwater Rewards project at raleighnc.gov/projects/content/PWksStormwater/Articles/StormwaterQualityCostShareProgram.html
Venture outside of Raleigh (while practicing social distancing!) this month.
Brecotea Baking Studio
CARY
Richmond-based Brecotea Baking Studio’s second location in Cary delivers a serene space for patrons to enjoy a variety of unique drinks, pastries and desserts. On the Asian-inspired drinks menu you’ll find everything from avocado cream tea to purple potato matcha milk to a standard cappuccino, while pastries, prepared daily include croissants, sweet and savory buns, danishes and more. You’ll want to spend all day in the modern cafe, bouncing back and forth between Brecotea’s tables, barstools and banquettes over breakfast, lunch and dinner. Grab a book from the bakery’s library and get cozy. brecotea.com
Wake Forest Veg Fest
WAKE FOREST NOVEMBER 1
Whether you’re already a vegan, looking to become one or just appreciate good plant-based food, you’ll love Wake Forest’s 100 percent vegan festival which happens this year on World Vegan Day. The event will include live music throughout the day, local art vendors and vegan food and drink vendors such as Cilantro Mexican Cuisine, Deelicious Deelights, Garden of Flavor, Royal India and Kitoko Bites. Educational nonprofits like Triangle Veg Society and aPlantBasedDiet.org will be there to answer any questions about the health and environmental benefits of veganism, while professional speakers explain the science behind it. wakeforestvegfest.org
Da Kine’s Kava
DURHAM
Husband-and-wife team Brent Waffle and Zoey Best are bringing a new form of relaxation to Durham through their recently opened kava bar, Da Kine’s. Kava is a tropical shrub that grows in the Pacific islands and provides natural stress relief while reducing anxiety and delivering physical relaxation. Da Kine’s kava is made from Polynesian kava root extract, all-natural juices and flavors, cane sugar and water and can help with sleep and sore muscles. At the bar, the kava—which includes cucumber mojito, ginger beet and hibiscus lemonade—is made into tropical non-alcoholic cocktails that reap all the same benefits for you while delivering an extra source of stress relief. dakineskava.com
Ran-Lew Dairy
SNOW CAMP
For some of the best farm-to-scoop ice cream and milk in the area, head out to Ran-Lew Dairy, a family-run dairy farm that specializes in non-homogenized, pasteurized milk. Fifth generation dairy farmer Randy Lewis uses the farm’s fresh milk to make delicious gelato every Saturday. Flavors include traditional vanilla, chocolate, buttermilk cream and pawpaw, a seasonal tropical-esque fruit native to the eastern United States that some say tastes like a cross between a mango and a banana. During the holiday season, the eggnog gelato is also in high demand. Pick up a couple pints or a cup on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. ranlewdairymilkco.webstarts.com
Dirtbag Ales Art After Dark
HOPE MILLS NOVEMBER 19
Dirtbag Ales’ MO is “leaving behind the routines and normalcy to experience a life that is an exception to the rule,” according to its website. This applies to both the beer—which goes against the status quo and is made with unique ingredients and flavor profiles—and the art market. Art After Dark features bizarre, curious and extraordinary artists and makers, so you never know what kind of quirky pieces you might find. You might see something that’ll make the perfect Christmas gift for a friend or family member! Grab a beer or two while you browse the market; you may even run into a tarot card reader. dirtbagales.com
