Lauren Kruchten, Author at Raleigh Magazine

Your 2025 Raleigh Pride Guide

by Lauren Kruchten | May 30, 2025 | Do, June 2025

Fill your June calendar with a range of inclusive events.

Pride is back—and Raleigh Pride is ready to werk with its biggest, boldest fete yet. The annual loud and proud party comes at a time when the LGBTQ+ community faces mounting cultural and legislative challenges, particularly amid a surge in anti-transgender laws in several states restricting gender-affirming care—like with NC’s Senate Bill 516, aka the “Women’s Safety and Protection Act,” recalling 2016’s controversial bathroom bill—and participation in sports.

Book bans and curriculum censorship have also increased—see NC’s House Bill 595, an extension of the state’s ”Don’t Say Gay” bill that bars gender and sexuality discussions in grades K–4—aiming to erase LGBTQ+ identities from educational spaces. These developments reflect a broader backlash against inclusion efforts, intensifying the need for advocacy and allyship.

As such, this year’s celebration is as emotionally charged as ever. “This Pride may be our biggest yet, but it’s also a moment to ground ourselves in community—creating space to give back and honoring the trans legends who made Pride possible,” says Raleigh Pride co-founder Trey Roberts. “This year is about collective joy and collective action.”

Key word: collective—calling Raleighites and rainbow road-trippers alike to bring the glam, the glitter and all the unapologetic colorful charisma they can muster for the largest lineup yet. Expect global headliners like RuPaul’s Drag Race winners, local acts dragging up plenty of revelry, film screenings (think: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, because duh), panels and much more—all curated to uplift and reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community in the Triangle.

Run for Love 5K | Photo by Brett Villena, courtesy of Trophy Brewing

Show Your Pride: 2025 Pride Guide

Rainbow ruckus mode: activated. Get ready for a June packed with epic events—from drag shows and talks to fitness classes and parties that are sure to get loud and proud. Big slay!

5/31 | Run for Love 5K
These sneaks were made for running for love! Pound the pavement during Trophy Brewing and Runologie’s annual rainbow-colored 5K benefiting Raleigh Pride and the LGBT Center of Raleigh. Lace up, show out and run with pride—then stick around for the epic afterparty with Trophy beer, food trucks, DJs and a drag show. Just remember—no matter your pace, love always wins. trophybrewing.com

6/1 | Pride Month Kickoff Drag Show
If you like big decks and you cannot lie, post up at The Bend for performances from Viper D Sedusa, Phina 5000 and B that are sure to be a drag—in the best way. eventbrite.com

6/1 | Raleigh Iron Works Pride Kickoff
Everyone’s invited to this fam-friendly outing starting the month off strong with DJs, inflatables, art installations, activities and health education. And, obviously, you’re gonna wanna support RIW’s locally owned LGBTQ+ businesses while you’re at it—think Urban Pothos, Beatniks and The Flourish Market. Community’s never been so colorful. raleighironworks.com

6/5 | Pop Fitness Dance Class
Ya better werk it! Be up in the club—er, at Poyner YMCA—working on your fitness in a welcoming and inclusive environment. ymcatriangle.org

6/6 | Fashion Showcase
Walk, walk, fashion, baby. Channel a *good* romance via First Friday at Artspace, complete with extended hours, queer DJ Jorge Meza and some sensory-friendly moments (read: no amplified music) from 5–7pm. artspacenc.org

6/6 | Pride First Friday
Friday, but make it gay. Kick off Pride Month in DTR’s historic Gayborhood with bingo, queer-aoke, food from The Pit, drinks from Crank Arm Brewing, kids activities, free rainbow Pride portraits and more. downtownraleigh.org

6/7 | Out in Nature
These shoes were made for strutting outside. Join Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space at Historic Oak View County Park to stroll, socialize and surround yourself in nature. wake.gov

6/7 | Parlor Pride
“We’re all born naked and the rest is drag.” Come out to The Parlor at Heights House for its third annual can’t-miss celebration delivering an afternoon of drag performances (Emory Starr, Alexandra Vittz, Aida Stratton and more), local vendors, live music, food trucks, activities and ’tails from the outdoor Parlor bar—with a portion of all ticket proceeds donated to the LGBT Center of Raleigh. Get ready to party! heightshousenc.com

6/10 | Local Poet Reading & Open Mic
We’re here, we’re queer and we’re lending an ear to writer Josh Tvrdy—who just released his first book of poems, Smut Psalm—at Blackbird Books & Coffee. blackbirdbooksandcoffee.com

6/14 | Pride Market + Drag Show
~Drag~ yourself to Hartwell for its fourth annual market + drag show with Urban Pothos—a fam-friendly bash boasting food trucks, live music and major vibes. Bonus: All drag show proceeds go to the LGBT Center of Raleigh—so come for the queens, stay for the cause. @hartwellraleigh

6/15 | Pride Month Drag Show
These drag queens came to werk! Cheer on a lineup of fantabulous stars at Boxcar—including Ema Del Rey and Jada J Agave—while enjoying signature Sunday specials like $2 mimosas and $8 bloody marys. facebook.com

6/19 | Hormona Lisa
The ideal cure for ~seasonal depression~? Kicking off Pride with “The Bubblegum Babe” herself at Flex Nightclub, who’s bringing her bubbly princess energy for a pastel pink-hued night you won’t soon forget. @flexnightclub

6/20 | Creative Mornings
Early bird gets the edgy dose of feminism. Wake up and channel your finest riot grrrl energy for this Lincoln Theatre talk starring North Carolina-based punk band Babe Haven. creativemornings.com

6/20 | Girls Room
Let’s go girls! (And guys, theys and everyone in between…) The popular Charlotte-based queer femme-led party is returning to Junction West with groovy beats from CLT’s DJ DOMii for the ultimate GNO. @girlsroomclt

6/20–21 | 13th Out! Raleigh Pride
It’s giving 13 Going on 30. …. Think daytime music fest, nighttime street rave. And for lucky 13, Out! is turning up the volume with an adults-only (18+) Friday night vendor and entertainment takeover on Fayetteville Street. While Friday night is all about the grown-up glam, Saturday brings back the familiar fam-friendly fest—think food trucks, local vendors and artists, a KidsZone, beer garden, and live entertainment. The crown jewel: RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 winner Sasha Colby, with additional entertainment by icons Elle LC, Taylor Alxndr and Crystal Waters. Pro tip: Go big and feel fab by snagging a VIP ticket for a meet and greet with Colby or Waters—and Colby’s package also scores you front-row access to her performance, plus a free ticket to GAG! later that night. Um, say less. lgbtcenterofraleigh.com

6/20–21 | Legends Pride Celebration
Bring back my girls! Legends is packing up soon, but not before one final fab Pride bash on Hargett Street. Catch free performances from RuPaul’s Drag Race star Xunami Muse and powerhouse performer Elle LC (June 21), and iconic duo Sugar & Spice (June 20). Sashay away! legends-club.com

Photo by Alexandra Williams, courtesy of Raleigh Pride

6/21 | GAG! Queen
Prepare to be gagged, queens. One of the Southeast’s premier queer dance parties is coming to The Ritz for an electric high-energy night of nonstop dancing and drag performances, hosted by Raleigh Pride’s own Trey Roberts and Marsha Mellows and feat. RuPaul’s Drag Race winners Sasha Colby and Nymphia Wind, plus Raleigh’s DJ Luxe Posh and NYC’s Boyyyish. Slay the house down boots! @gag_raleigh

6/21 | Le Drag
Drag yourself to Le Dive for sequins, sass and unstoppable glam a la a fierce cast of drag queens who are taking the drama next level, along with host Chanté Elise Cassidy and DJ K Stones. Don’t forget your dollars, honeys! @le.dive.bar

6/21 | NC Courage Pride Night
Kick your Pride into full gear by donning your finest colorful apparel and cheering on the NC Courage as they take on the Houston Dash. Let’s go girls! nccourage.com

6/22 | GAG! Tea Dance
Get in, loser, we’re going dancing. The popular day party series at Johnson Street Yacht Club returns with Atlanta-based Taylor Alxndr—drag queen, entertainer, social activist and community organizer. Tea will definitely be spilled… and hips will absolutely be shook. @jsyachtclub

6/23 | Drag Bingo Night
Eyes down, hopes up. Perch on the patio for a fun- and sass-filled night of bingo hosted by Miss Chanté Elise Cassidy—with prizes on the line and a special Pride month cocktail with a portion of sales going toward the LGBT Center of Raleigh. thelongleafhotel.com

6/28 | For the Girls of Raleigh Pridefest
This one’s ~for the girls~. Bring your besties to Dogwood for a vibrant daytime celebration of queer joy, feat. local queer-owned vendors, good tunes and fresh bevs. There’s no such thing as being extra in June, so close out Pride Month with community, connection and good vibes. @forthegirlsofraleigh

June, Multiple Dates | Movie Screenings + Performances at The Rialto
Get in formation at Raleigh’s historic movie theater for a fierce lineup of LGBTQ+-friendly films—Pariah (June 4), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (June 6), Cuckoo (June 11) and How to Survive a Plague (June 25). And don’t sleep on the June 7 tribute to the last 100 years of burlesque, with performers showcasing each decade, all the way back to the Roaring ’20s. And June 18, it’s Bey Night, baby—a Homecoming Dance Party serving drag queens worthy of their Run the World moment. therialto.com

Pride Sips & Snacks

Figulina | Warehouse District
Taste the rainbow via Figulina’s Rainbow Raviolo, on the menu throughout the month of June—with $1 from every order donated to the LGBT Center of Raleigh. figulinaraleigh.com

Photo by JME Photography, courtesy of Hummingbird

Hummingbird | Iron District
Think—and drink—pink with Hummingbird’s Pink Panther, poured with purpose throughout Pride Month to benefit the LGBT Center of Raleigh. hummingbirdraleigh.com

Photo by Aubrey Hall, courtesy of Wolfe & Porter

Wolfe & Porter | Warehouse District
You’ll be crushing hard on W&P’s Blue Crush, an ocean-blue tropicalesque cocktail created in celebration of Pride Month feat. rum, coconut, pineapple, lime, dragon fruit orange blossom syrup and blue curaçao—available through June. wolfeandporter.com

Wye Hill | Warehouse District
Sip happens, so make sure you’re sipping for good. Continuing its annual tradition, Wye Hill will be donating $1 to the LGBT Center for every Luminous Beings sold this June. wyehill.com

Raleigh Wine Shop Pride Month Wine — Photo courtesy of The Raleigh Wine Shop

The Raleigh Wine Shop | Moore Square District
Rosé all day—and all month! Cheers to Pride Month with the wine shop’s Las Jaras Superbloom Rosé and Trophy Brewing’s Trophy Partner IPA, a portion of proceeds from which will be donated to the LGBT Center. theraleighwineshop.com

Players Retreat LGBTQ+ Sandwich — Photo courtesy of Players Retreat

Players Retreat | Hillsborough Street District
Made with love and big flavor, PR’s LGBTQ+ sandwich takes lunchtime next-level with lettuce, guac, bacon, tomato, mayo and queso fresco on multigrain bread. Not to mention all proceeds go to Equality NC‘s fight for queer and trans rights in North Carolina. playersretreat.com

Whiskey Kitchen | Warehouse District
It’s a spritz summer! WK’s Pride cocktail, the Grace Kelly, is a refreshing riff feat. gin, Italicus Bergamot Liqueur, strawberry lemonade, Lillet Rosé aperitif and sparkling rosé. Sip it out on the patio while feeling good about a dollar going to the LGBT Center of Raleigh. whiskey.kitchen

Taking the Temp on Local News

by Lauren Kruchten | May 22, 2025 | Buzz, May 2025

WHAT’S HOT

Turns out, NC really is a vacation destination. Breaking the state’s tourism record with over $36.7 billion in visitor spending in 2024, it continues to be the No. 5 most visited state.

In attempt to continue providing aid to those affected by the Hurricane Helene in WNC, Gov. Josh Stein is calling for an additional $891 million for recovery efforts, which would go toward addressing food insecurity, rehabilitating waterways, repairing damaged schools, promoting tourism and more.

Green with envy? You bet. Dix Park was named in the top 10 of USA Today’s 2025 Best City Park list, as voted on by readers.

Raleigh for the win! Moving and storage company PODS recently ranked the City of the Oaks the No. 3 location people are relocating to in 2025

Canada, eh? RDU is adding two new direct flights to its roster in June, Vancouver via Air Canada starting June 5 and Calgary via WestJet starting June 9.

The mountains are calling, especially now that Asheville’s The Flat Iron Hotel was recently ranked one of Travel + Leisure’s 100 Best New Hotels of the Year. Pack your bags!

RTP’s 19-acre mixed-use community Triangle Mobility Hub selected Hoffman & Associates as the master developer. In partnership with GoTriangle and the Research Triangle Foundation of NC, the project will integrate residential, retail and office space with transit options connecting the Triangle via bus service, bike and pedestrian pathways—plus future bus rapid transit and rail service.

World Cup winner and two-time Olympic champion Lauren Holiday—along with husband Jrue, a two-time NBA champion—are the most recent investors of the NC Courage. Score!

Wheels up! RDU recorded its two busiest days in airport history to date over graduation and Mother’s Day weekend, with over 31,500 passengers boarding flights on Sunday, May 11—aka the second-highest number of travelers RDU has ever served in a day. Monday, May 12, saw 30,600+ passengers depart from the airport, putting it at No. 6.

Life is a highway—but nobody wants to ride Capital Boulevard all night long. Commuters of the section dubbed U.S. 1 may see tolls in the future, either throughout the entire 10-mile section or for just one toll express lane, both with the potential of adding it to the Triangle Expressway system.

Hey… y’all? According to AP News, the Southern accent may be disappearing in some parts of the South as more people move to other regions of the country.

WHAT’S NOT

The light may be dimming on the state’s solar power. Republican state reps want to nix a property tax exemption for solar energy developers that would impose taxes on ~$5.9 billion of solar equipment.

Raleigh Is Cracking Down on Parking

by Lauren Kruchten | Apr 29, 2025 | Buzz, May 2025

Raleigh parking is getting more strict—here’s what you need to know.

“Parking” has become a dirty word in Raleigh. Long ahot-button topic—especially Downtown—people tend to opt for mixed-use developments or big-boxes that have ample free spaces. But a new wave of parking enforcement may shift that perspective. If you thought that $15 ticket for overstaying your welcome on a DTR street was bad, try a $265 fine to get a barnacle off your windshield in a North Hills lot otherwise known for being relatively lax about enforcement.

Barnacle Know-How
A barnacle is a device that snaps to a vehicle’s windshield, blocking the driver’s view and making it impossible for them to drive away. To remove it, the violator must scan the QR code on the barnacle and pay a fine to get a code that will release the device’s suction. They then must deposit it in a nearby dropbox, after which they’ll typically receive a deposit back.

Learning the limits of that leniency firsthand, a North Hills regular was recently met with a bright-yellow barnacle clamped to his windshield—something he’d never before encountered—after spending a day doing business in the mixed-use development. “I’ve parked there for four, five hours at a time before and never saw anyone get ticketed or towed,” he says.

When he reached out to Unlimited Recovery, one of the third-party services that patrols the lots, he was told the price was nonnegotiable—regardless of being on-site for business. “This is an issue,” he laments. “I know [North Hills] needs to enforce limits, and you can’t just leave your car there overnight, but how do you do it the right way?”

That question, and the implementation of fines in general, taps into the reality that even a parking space that claims to be “free”—whether lot, street or deck—never truly is. Someone always has to pay for it—even if it’s not you. Now, mixed-use developments across town traditionally touting free parking are trying to find ways to restrict and limit parking spots via fines and constraints. Here, we dive into the rules and penalties being employed—and how to navigate them.

Village District

“Tow away zone” signs now dot Village District, part of Regency Centers’ efforts to keep parking in check that started in 2023 with restricting storefront and sidewalk spaces to two hours, while leaving the rest of the spots unrestricted. Visitors parking beyond the posted two-hour limit will first get a written warning, with repeat violators getting towed at their own expense.

Village District GM for Regency Centers Brooke Conn notes parking at the DTR-adjacent 18-hour destination is the hardest obstacle to overcome, given the volume of businesses and employees—and expanding parking is limited by cost and available land. The current model helps to “reduce long-term employee parking and keep spaces available for customers who might not be staying for an extended period,” she explains, nodding to the positive feedback they’ve received from both operators and customers.

“We think we’ve found a balance with the current parking setup and are constantly reviewing the trends at the center for peak visits,” adds Conn, also noting Regency is looking at parking trends in other regions and researching national parking initiatives in an effort to improve demands and adapt to the needs of their shoppers.

North Hills

Known for decades for its vast unlimited free surface parking lots, myriad enforcement tactics from towing to barnacles and boots are part of a strategy Kane Realty Corp. has gradually rolled out. Kane’s Hannah Smith emphasizes North Hills has always monitored and enforced a two-hour parking policy. But violators don’t get an initial warning—as current signs state, they’ll be “immobilized or towed at vehicle owner’s expense.” And no portion of fines go to Kane.

“We are always looking at parking and working on fulfilling new needs and challenges as they arise, especially as our property grows,” says Kane Realty’s Dawn Baker, noting the majority of deck and lot parking remains unrestricted unless marked otherwise.

To wit, short-term retail parking has been moved to the lower levels of the Park Central deck following the closure of the popular surface lot across from Happy + Hale and Orangetheory to make way for new apartment building The Strand—and its many tenants.

Long-term parking is available in the Main District Target deck and surface lot near Coquette, save for both two-hour and 15-minute storefront spots—to name but a couple areas. “The policies are in place to support our tenants and to ensure turnover in high-demand areas,” maintains Smith.

Downtown Raleigh

We’d be remiss not to mention barnacles have also made their way Downtown to private lots, which are further upping the ante to crack down on those violating parking signs or neglecting to pay upfront.

The Junction Salon & Bar manager Devyn Solana was recently slapped with a $715 barnacle fine—including a $200 deposit for return to one of two DTR dropboxes—in the Depot lot, despite having a validation code for employee parking.

“[The Barnacle enforcement tool] was first introduced in 2016,” explains Russell O’Quinn, parking superintendent with the Raleigh Transportation Department—“so not as new as someone might think. The City of Raleigh does not use it.”

Many view the barnacles as unfair and predatory—with one Raleighite arguing they run counter to Downtown’s push to boost traffic. However, Barnacle Parking’s Colin Heffron told CBS17 the tool is intended to be a more efficient alternative to towing. “It’s quicker for the violator because, in fact, you’re gone in 5 to 10 minutes,” said the VP of strategic partnerships and integrations. “Whereas had you been immobilized with another device, we reckon it could be 4 to 5 hours before you’re on your way.”

With Downtown long wearing the scarlet A for parking “difficulty” and barnacle backlash now mounting, it all comes back to the underlying reality that all parking costs somebody something—and if you overstay your welcome, that someone will be you. Period.

“Why don’t they just charge for parking?” asks one local about North Hills. “Or clearly state you’ll get a $265 barnacle if you violate time limits? If it’s not free, it’s not free.” The big takeaway? Pay attention to signs, warnings and time limits—or you’ll literally pay the price.

Ridgewood Shopping Center Face-Lift

by Lauren Kruchten | Apr 29, 2025 | Buzz, May 2025

Shopping center gets a much-needed glow-up.

Rendering by New City Design Group, courtesy of Regency Centers

Ridgewood Shopping Center has long been a get-in, get-out kind of destination, whether you’re just dropping in to get a bottle of wine from Ridgewood Wine & Beer Company, groceries at Whole Foods, or some State swag from the Red and White Shop. But that’s slowly begun to change with the additions of spots like Drift and Taco Bamba that entice patrons to linger for more than just a quick errand.

And, now, thanks to Regency Centers—which bought the property in 2018—the center is getting a glow-up, shifting from “a place rather than just a convenient center,” says New City Design Group Principal Ted Van Dyk, one of the main architects on the project. “It’s a great crossroads.”

Anchoring the revamp is an upcoming 3,702-square-foot full-service sit-down restaurant with an exclusive patio, to replace the former All-Star Bike Shop on the corner of the west end side of the property facing Ridge Road—which was bought by Conte’s Bike Shop and moved down to where Drift is ~three years ago in preparation for the reface.

Serving as the only full-service restaurant between Village District and Lenovo Center, says Regency Centers Senior Project Manager Adam Jolly, the eatery will no doubt attract a whole new slew of visitors who are headed to a hockey game or show at Lenovo, or before/after attending the NC State Fair come October.

Regency is still in talks with potential vendors, but Senior Leasing Agent Allison Wiggs says they are “looking for an upscale local, regional or national concept to complement this redevelopment and bring a unique dining opportunity inside the beltline.” Perhaps an upscale Italian or pizza restaurant, she teases.

To boot, the team is also working with the ABC commission to try and get a Common Area Entertainment Permit similar to those in Smoky Hollow and Village District that would allow patrons to enjoy alcoholic drinks on the lawn below Taco Bamba—and throughout the entire center.

“Little by little we’re creating all these activity nodes,” says Van Dyk. “We want to try to create an environment where people might stick around for a while—do a little window shopping, walk around, let the kids play, then have lunch and do their shopping at Whole Foods.”

Having endured several iterations and exterior add-ons throughout the years, the redevelopment also includes exercising adaptive reuse while harkening the design back to its original bones. The green mansard roofs will be stripped to reveal natural materials and a clean, midcentury-modernesque flat roof—which you can already see over the Red and White Shop—that’ll be more cohesive with already-updated areas of the center.

Whole Foods’ refresh includes dark-bronze awnings and a coat of a light-gray paint like that on the Snooker’s/Dress side, and legacy tenant Great Yarns will debut an entirely new storefront that swaps the wood siding for glass. But, don’t worry, the signature pink door will remain (just on the Ridge Road side).

Regency hopes all the changes will uplift Ridgewood in the same vein as Village District. “And who knows what’s going to happen as future tenants look at this shopping center and see what we’re doing,” muses Van Dyk. And, so, a new Raleigh hot spot is in the making. ridgewoodshoppingcenter.com

New Oakwood Pizza Box Location

by Lauren Kruchten | Apr 29, 2025 | Eat, May 2025

If pizza is your love language—especially Oakwood Pizza Box’s ’za—prepare to fall even more head over heels. The locally treasured pizza joint is opening a new carry-out only location this fall in the former Capital Creations Gourmet Pizza location on Wake Forest Road. Owner Anthony Guerra’s decision to expand comes as demand for Oakwood’s signature Brooklyn-style pizza soars, with the new space allowing him to build on a local legacy. “It should be a pizza shop for the next 30 years,” he says. And there’s no doubt loyal devotees will stay lining up for those glorious pies. oakwoodpizzabox.com

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Back