Let us be your present pros. Make spirits bright this holiday season with our local gift guide.
Sparkle is a state of mind. Shine bright like a diamond this holiday season—and every day—with this ~iconic~ thin cable diamond bracelet featuring jump rings for adjustable fit. Bailey’s Icon Collection 0.13-ct. Diamond by the Yard bracelet, 14K yellow or white gold, $575, Bailey’s Fine Jewelry, baileybox.com
Tell them you’re nuts about them with Aunt Ruby’s Peanuts’ range of nut varieties, samplers and sweet treats—and don’t sleep on The Fabulous Five feat. all Aunt Ruby’s roasted products, plus her famed chocolate peanut clusters. From $14.95; The Fabulous Five, $73.95; auntrubyspeanuts.com
Bag elegance and carry your confidence with a range of clutch clutches, from classic gold and metallic black to pearl-studded. $35-$60, Homewood Nursery Gift & Home Shop, homewoodnursery.com
Put the “rum” in “pa rum pum pum pum” and keep spirits high this season with Kill Devil spiced rum, a blend of flavors that transports you to the sun-soaked shores via 11 carefully selected spices, citrus peel and fig. 40% ABV, $29.95, ABC stores, outerbanksdistilling.com
Cozy season + hot cocoa—name a more perfect pairing. Sip hugs in a mug with Videri’s timeless vegan dark hot chocolate mix featuring recipes for hot and frozen so you can also keep it chill all year long. $12.99, viderichocolatefactory.com
Wine flies when you’re having fun. Uncork palatable passion for the enthusiast in your life via Vitis House gift certificates, good for wine, beer and spirits classes and certifications, plus immersive travel experiences. Wine not?! From $100, vitishouse.com
“My very own Louis Vuitton?!” Whether for a staycation, vacation, me-cation or no “cation” at all, Season 2’s got you covered with its stack of authentic LVs and luxe consignment sacs, shoes and accessories. Prices vary, subscribe for 10% off first purchase, season2consign.com
Spruce up their space (and holiday!) with these distinctive Decorated Dots glass trees, then add some sweet crunch to under their holiday pine with some bean-to-bar dark chocolate-coated caramelized almonds—or pretty much any tasty, ornate or functional treat from NOFO @ The Pig’s gift shop. French Broad Chocolate dark chocolate caramelized almonds, $14.95; Decorated Dots glass trees, assorted sizes, $30.05–$57.95; nofo.com
Cozy and content, meet the ultraplush Woodhouse Spa robe—sure to turn any home into a spa sanctuary. Wrap yourself and those you love in luxe comfort with this signature blend of elegance and mod sophistication for ultimate relaxation. $125, Woodhouse Spa North Hills, Woodhouse Spa North Hills
Treat yo’self. Give the gift of splurge this holiday season with a North Hills gift card for use at almost any store, restaurant or salon. visitnorthhills.com/gift-cards
Renew their gin membership this holiday season via carefully curated world-class Moonbird Gin and GOATz Rum from the minds of Dram & Draught owners, distilled with myriad botanicals and minimal sugar. Translation: Smooth enough to shoot straight, yet balanced enough to mix into a cocktail. Cheers! From $32.99, ABC stores, spiritofthedao.com
Design is in the details. Make their every corner a masterpiece via Trig Modern’s custom sculptured glass, hangable art and tailored home furnishings. From $200, trigmodern.com
Love wins! The second book by Raleigh Mag EIC Melissa Howsam—and featuring fan-fave pup Millie—entertains while imparting a powerful message of being kind above all else. $9.95, Bumble Brews Play Cafe; amazon.com
Show them you think they’re, ahem, neat with basically any bottle of bourbon from local fave Olde Raleigh Distillery, from small-batch to straight bourbon whiskey and beyond—and thank us later. Prices vary, olderaleighdistillery.com
Having charted record growth as one of the fastest-growing U.S. markets, today’s Raleigh is a vibrant hub for hospitality, entertainment, art, culture, tech, research, medicine—and a top draw for booming brands and newbies alike. As Raleigh continues to tear up the ranks, it’s a lot to keep track of. Here we break down the most significant stats to keep you in-the-know.
⬆️ SECOND Best performing large city—ranked in top 20 for 12th year in a row and up one spot from last year, second only to Austin (which rose from No. 2 to No. 1). Previous top-performing city Provo, Utah, fell four spots. Raleigh is the only large U.S. city to rank in the top quartile for every indicator—think job and wage growth, housing cost, broadband access, community resilience and more.
⬇️ #6Best place to live, down from No. 3, but remains a top 10 grab as a “young, friendly, diverse and educated” area with a vibrant f&b scene, green spaces, art and music, and Southern charm. Naples, Florida, now tops the list, followed by Boise, Idaho; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Greenville, SC; and (gasp) Charlotte.
🚗 #1 City to drive in the U.S. based on 30 key indicators for driver-friendliness—ranging from average gas prices to annual hours in traffic congestion to auto thefts. Boise, Idaho; and Corpus Christi, Texas, round out the top three.
👨🍳 33 James Beard Award nods Raleigh chefs, restaurants and hospitality titans have garnered, including four this year.
📖 1 of 7 U.S. metropolitan regions to house three tier-1 research universities, including Atlanta, Boston, NYC, LA, DC and Chicago.
🏡 #1Quality of life on the U.S. East Coast: “Though home prices [have] climbed significantly… and housing costs may continue to rise as more people flock to the area, relatively low property taxes make homeownership in Raleigh easier than in some other major U.S. cities.” —U.S. News & World Report
🤢 1 of 3 NC cities among the worst in the U.S. for bed bugs at No. 24. Charlotte and Greensboro are worse, with Chicago, NYC and Philly “taking it to the mattresses!” See you tonight.
🤰 72nd City for women’s health care and safety out of 182 U.S. cities (Durham and Charlotte trailed at 74th & 88th, respectively). Do better, NC. Alternatively, Raleigh ranks 35th when it comes to the economic and social well-being of women (Durham, 21st; Charlotte, 14th).
Move over Santa—the “Queen of Christmas” has defrosted and is hitting her holiday high notes in Raleigh as part of her 2024 Christmas Time tour across 20 cities. Produced by Live Nation and featuring her timeless holiday classics alongside fan-fave chart-toppers, the tour marks Mariah Carey’s grandest holiday spectacle to date. It’s also the first of many ~miracles~ she has in store to fete the 30th anniversary of her legendary Merry Christmas album (!) and its record-shattering single “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Baby please come home, indeed! Dec. 9, Lenovo Center, lenovocenter.com
With Election Day in hindsight, Raleigh readies for its next chapter.
Election Day has—thankfully—come and gone, and Raleigh’s next City Council is slated to be sworn in Dec. 2 at Memorial Auditorium, with six council members returning, alongside the addition of familiar faces: former City Planner Mitchell Silver (District A) and Mayor Janet Cowell, replacing Mary Black and Mary-Ann Baldwin, respectively.
Now the Cap City’s third-consecutive—and fourth-ever, behind Baldwin (2019–2024), Nancy McFarlane (2011–19) and Isabella Cannon (77–79)—female mayor and the first new mayor in five years, former Dix Park Conservancy President and CEO Cowell returns to govern. Having previously served as Raleigh city councilor (2001–05), state senator (2005–09) and state treasurer (2009–16), Cowell comes ready to serve.
“I look forward to working with all of you on the first 100 days, the first year,” said a Cowell on Election Night, after winning in a landslide, adding: “and planning that transition to get really good things done for Raleigh—and make it a city that works for everyone.”
Now, Cowell takes the helm over a city council—save Silver—who has been much maligned during Baldwin’s tenure for its apparent lack of respect and professionalism (e.g. sass and eye rolling at meetings, etc.), as well as issues arising from a voting block by three or four council members. When asked what management style she would employ to both foster collaboration and get stuff done, Cowell is clear she means business.
“Voters made clear in the city election that they want candidates who are respectful of each other, city staff and residents of the city,” the mayor-elect tells Raleigh Mag. “They want candidates who focus on strategic priorities—not personal conflicts. As part of the transition, I will be sitting down with councilors and staff and talking about rules of engagement, how we want to work together, etc. I know and have a good working relationship with city councilors and city staff. I want us to all work together and support each other to accomplish city priorities.”
Cowell cites housing/housing affordability as the biggest issue facing Raleigh and says she plans to address it head on with such early actions as accelerating city affordable housing projects like the old NC DMV site and the renovation of Heritage Park, inventorying city land that might be used for housing, and partnering with the faith community to pursue innovative models of affordable housing.
Beyond providing more housing and affordable housing, Cowell names “giving police and firefighters the resources they need to keep our community safe,” as another priority, as well as “working with Wake County to provide alternative response to those suffering from mental illness and housing the unhoused.”
The campaign is over—and the first 100 days start now. January’s first City Council meeting will serve as a good barometer for where we are headed. “Raleigh is a great place to be,” says Cowell. “As mayor, I will build on past efforts to make it a city of inclusion and belonging, opportunity and empowerment, collaboration and innovation, and nature and green spaces.”
Term Changes Everybody elected this November is serving a two-year term that will end in December 2026. Mayor, one at-large seat, and Districts A and B will run for four-year terms in 2026. The other at-large seat, and Districts C, D and E will run for two years in 2026 and run again in 2028 for four years, creating staggered four-year terms.
Judgment Day is upon us—our annual roast of our top (bottom?) “did they seriously do that” moments. Like the Oscars for best blunders—from flubs and faux pas to shocking lapses in judgment and questionable decisions to just straight screwups—it’s the most wonderful time of the year indeed. And this year’s lot of losers do not disappoint. O come all ye thirsty, cause we’re about to put on a show.
Mark Robinson photo Maxim Elramsisy/shutterstock.com
That’s Going To Leave a Mark In case any local trivia orgs need some updated U.S. history Q’s, we’ve brainstormed some ideas: Which wanna-be NC gov allegedly described Martin Luther King Jr. in racially offensive terms? Which NC lieutenant gov told women to keep their skirts down in reference to reproductive health care? Who allegedly referred to himself as a “Black Nazi” on a porn site? What politician tagged a public Facebook post about parenting #haveyourdeadbeatsspayedandneutered? The answer to all of them: Mark Robinson—NC’s big mouthed politician and overall national embarrassment. Way to represent the Old North State, Markie.
Glen-Wood Avenue You know what they say—if you don’t want your mugshot on the news, don’t whip it out on Glenwood Avenue. Special Deputy Attorney General Torrey Dixon was charged with public indecency and intoxication after (allegedly) exposing himself on the corner of Blue Ridge Road and Glenwood while yelling obscenities—including threats—at bypassers. The scandalous, ahem, outburst apparently came after Dixon was denied entry to the Men Wear Pink Fashion Show at Crabtree because he “appeared intoxicated.” Clearly not the best exposure… if you’re picking up what we’re putting down.
Courtesy of U.S. Department of Justice
Storm’s Brewing Where were you Jan. 6, 2021? If the answer was storming the U.S. Capitol… you may need to rethink, well, everything. So it goes for Cary man James Tate Grant, who was among a crew of five in the first drizzle of rioters who approached and attacked Capitol police officers with a sea of deadly or dangerous weapons. Culminating in a perfect storm, all five men were found guilty for their actions and convicted of civil disorder. Justice served.
Kentucky Not-So-Gentlemen Thanks to cancel culture, elected officials can’t even get belligerently drunk at a bourbon tasting and vomit in a distillery sink anymore… smh. According to an anonymous Reddit user, a group of NC lobbyists and lawmakers got a little too lit at a bourbon-tasting event in Kentucky and proceeded to engage in disorderly conduct—never mind not tipping their bartenders. When asked, an NC Republican Party spokesman said it wasn’t a “state GOP event.” You heard it here first—if it doesn’t happen in-state, it doesn’t actually count.
Courtesy of Chinese Lantern Festival
Cast Away Alexa, play “Damaged” by Danity Kane. The eighth NC Chinese Lantern Festival was washed away—literally—after strong storms caused the fan-fave 200-foot 18,000-pound dragon lantern to sink into the Koka Booth Amphitheatre lake like our very own Nessie, forcing the fest to shutter a few days early. So loose lips sink ships—and apparently torrential rains sink dragons.
We’re the Millers courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc
Tequila Me Crazy The Grinch did indeed succeed in stealing Christmas last year—and he hit us where it hurts (read: 19,000 bottles of stolen tequila). Keeping holiday spirits—and booze supplies—low, only eight of the stolen skids of Hacienda Chactun Tequila were located post-heist… but had to be dumped like a lump of coal due to a chain of custody issues. It’s giving real-life We’re the Millers with liquor in lieu of weed. And we’re willing to bet the squad of Scrooges—er, tequila thieves—are feeling #NoRagrets about their Christmastime crime.
Andrii – stock.adobe.com
Sticky Sitch When Gucci Mane said “A man can get lost in the sauce,” we’re pretty sure this is not what he meant. A tractor trailer carrying 38,000 pounds of steak sauce overturned on I-440 near Wade Avenue, causing traffic to get, well, bottlenecked as crews struggled to wash away the teriyaki marinade and clear the leftover bottles from the road. Fortunately, the saucy situation was unclogged before anyone with a spare filet caught wind of it.
Rawf8 – stock.adobe.com
Twilight’s Last Gleaming NC was feeling charitable (?) this year. An outpouring of love and support (read: cold hard cash) was donated to those who needed it most—aka a group of UNC frat brothers, natch. “Good samaritans” raised $500K+ to “throw a rager” for multiple fraternities after they protected an American flag during a campus protest and were hailed as “American heroes” in boat shoes. It’s not clear where the entirety of the half-mill went, but it’s safe to assume Zyn and Vineyard Vines got their fair share.
Out of Bounds It’s called disrespect—look it up. In a heated match, NCSU bball god—er, guard D.J. Horne—extended State’s infamy of “givin’ ’em the business” when he flashed both middle fingers, resulting in a figurative wrist slap (but no suspension) by the ACC in a mired matchup the Pack clawed back to win while racking up six collective fouls and a Keatts ejection. Consider this game’s flick off the charts.
Courtesy of shutterstock.com, with lizard generated by Adobe Photoshop Generative Fill
The Lizard of Oz Toto, I don’t think we’re in Florida anymore. … Spotted this spring on a self-guided tour of the Cap City, a 5-foot iguana was commandeered by Raleigh Police, marking the second iguana incident of 2024. It’s giving reptile dysfunction—and we’re here for it.
Courtesy of Carolina Panthers
Cup Gate In a fit you’d be more likely to find on a preschool playground, grown-ass tyrant—er, Panthers owner David Tepper—was caught on viral video throwing a “Tepper tantrum” when he chucked a cup toward some jibing Jacksonville fans… and then ran. One of the few completed passes of the 2023–24 season, the moment of utter inTeptitude (s/o Charlotte sports writer Scott Fowler) drew the ire of fed-up fans for its big dictator energy. Failing still to use his words, Tepper basically said “sorry not sorry,” blaming the fans for being mean to him, then managed to avoid suspension and draw a mere $300K for the assault. Translation: $3 to a person with a net worth of ~$200K. … Stay classy, Tepp.
In the Dumps Talk about a major dump. In April, a commercial dump truck hit and knocked down a sign on I-440 near the Hillsborough Street exit, leaving both directions of the highway, ahem, backed up for almost an hour. The clog-up came after the truck’s raised bed caused it to clip the metal structure, which just goes to show you should always squat before you go.
