Right now, all large events in Raleigh have been cancelled, postponed or suspended and it’s hard to imagine life getting back to normal—but it will. Our list of the city’s best events is a mix of Raleigh’s oldest and newest, events where you can give back and a couple that only happen once in a lifetime. Don’t worry, once life returns to normal, we fully expect these events to still be on the calendar.
Band Together NC, an organization that brings the community and nonprofits together through live music is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Band Together will celebrate the milestone with a big community concert honoring all of its partners from the last 20 years.
A great opportunity to indulge your palate and find a new favorite restaurant, this week-long event offers diners the chance to grab great lunches for $5-$10 and three-course, prix fixe dinners for either $20 or $30.
The Black Crowes are reuniting for a tour this year. The Robinson brothers haven’t played a show since 2013, but, luckily for fans, time seems to have healed all wounds and reported rifts. The tour will hit the Carolinas with dates scheduled for PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte on Friday, July 3 and Coastal Credit Union Music Park in Raleigh on Saturday, July 4.
Once again topping USA Today’s list as one of the biggest and best beer festivals in the country, Brewgaloo is North Carolina’s largest craft beer festival, celebrating everything local—local beer, local food trucks and local vendors. The Saturday festival includes a Friday night block party.
Election Day 11/3/2020
It’s a privilege, a right and a responsibility to cast your ballot for many offices but especially for the President of the United States. Please, read up on the issues; decide for yourself who will lead our country best and cast your ballot in service of the direction you’d like to see our country go. And, of course, don’t forget to cast a vote for who you’d like to represent you in Congress, in the U.S. Senate and in dozens of other state and local offices.
One of the Southeast’s premier arts festivals, Artsplosure celebrates fine visual art and live music. More than 80,000 people roam the streets of downtown Raleigh, viewing work in different mediums from more than 180 artists for free.
Evening of Hope is a who’s who of Raleigh, an annual gala benefiting The Foundation of Hope for Research & Treatment of Mental Illness. The gala includes dinner with wine pairings at the Pavilion at the Angus Barn. This year’s speaker, country music singer LeAnn Rimes, talks about her battles with depression and anxiety.
Raleigh’s hometown race and the city’s 14th annual City of Oaks Marathon will offer distance races for everyone. Lace up your running shoes for the full marathon, a half marathon, a marathon relay, the Old Reliable 10K, the Acorn 5K or a mile with the kids. Afterwards, relax at the post-race party with live music and free beer.
Hopscotch returns to venues all over downtown Raleigh for the energetic music festival’s eighth straight year. More than 450 bands will perform for 60,000 fans; look for the festival lineup soon and get those wristbands early, because shows tend to sell out fast.
While the kickoff for North Hills’ 13th season will likely be postponed to later in the summer, this is definitely a summertime must-do event. The series offers the best of Beach Music on warm summer nights and features shag dancing, a storied, time-honored tradition in the South.
Alanis Morisette is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her breakthrough album “Jagged Little Pill” with a tour. Morisette will play in Charlotte on June 21 and in Raleigh on June 23 at Coastal Credit Union Music Park.
The largest free urban bluegrass festival in the world returns to Raleigh with eight stages of IBMA and GRAMMY Award winners, emerging artists, and traditional bluegrass tunes. The Main Stage at Red Hat Amphitheater is a fundraiser for the IBMA Trust Fund, a nonprofit that supports bluegrass music professionals.
Get ready for fried foods of all of all kinds, gigantic pumpkins, exhilarating carnival rides, live performances and more at the annual N.C. State Fair. The event draws in 11 million visitors every year and is the largest event in the state of North Carolina.
The best way to add glitz and glam to your home is with stylish gold accents. Figurines add quirky flair without being too tacky, while lamps, picture frames and candle holders fit seamlessly into any room, adding just enough pizzazz to draw attention without distracting from the rest of your interior.
1. Bulldog statue, $39.95; Inspirations 2. Glitter hex volcano candle, $36.95; Zest 3. Large clam shell, $46; For Your Convenience 4. Two’s Company leaf tray, $4.95; Zest 5. “Vintage Living” by Bob Richter, $45; Shops at 1700 6. Leather pillow, $49; Inspirations 7. Vintage lamp, $95; Shops at 1700 8. Lion salt and pepper shakers, $18; Shops at 1700 9. Bardan floral area rug 5’ x 8’, $329.99; Target 10. “Fruit of the Kings,” $450; For Your Convenience 11. Pineapple bookend, $49; Shops at 1700 12. Two’s company leaf photo frame, $48; For Your Convenience 13. Zodax apple figurine, $24; For Your Convenience
Auric is a deep, rich color that pairs well with other vibrant colors like fuchsia and tealy blues. Pop in some white elements for relief and you have a fun, playful palette. —Carole Marcotte, The Shops at 1700,formandfunctionraleigh.com
Alchemy is a rich, modern gold with green undertones. Bold accents of this color, paired with a deep navy or rich plum, would add a zesty splash to any space. — Elizabeth O’Neal, Southern Studio, southernstudio.com
Gold is a great way to integrate color in a muted, almost neutral way. — Tula Summerford, Design by Tula, designbytula.com
My gold paint color is Bryant Gold HC-7 from Benjamin Moore. Gold tones make a room look warm and elegant. I love it with bright white accents for a more modern look. — Julie Flournoy, For Your Convenience
If you’re truly going to do a ‘rich gold’ finish to any surface or piece of furniture, then the only way to go is with a gilded 14 carat gold leaf paint, that can be found at most any hobby or hardware store … I think Krylon even makes it in a spray can! — Antoine A. Pontón, Principal-AP Designs, LLC, AntoinePonton.com
Activate Good’s pop-up space models what a permanent HQ for the Raleigh nonprofit could look like.
In 2004, Amber Smith and her friend, Heather Leah, set out on a two-and-a-half month long, cross-country journey in search of ways to make a difference. The pair helped build houses, served hot food to the hungry and worked in women’s shelters in more than 20 states before returning home to North Carolina with a mission to encourage others to perform those same acts of kindness in their own neighborhoods.
“One thing we learned on our journey was that people inherently want to help others in their communities,” Smith says. “They just don’t always know how to go about getting connected.”
So, the next year, Smith and Leah founded ME3, later renamed Activate Good, a nonprofit community that recruits and connects individuals, groups and companies through its website to volunteer opportunities with community partners all around the Triangle. (Leah is no longer affiliated with the nonprofit).
Last month, after more than a decade of success mobilizing volunteers to help charitable causes in Raleigh and neighboring communities, Smith opened Activate Good’s first brick-and-mortar project, The Good Hub POP UP, in an office on Oberlin Road. The goal of the pop-up is to showcase how a permanent space will help Activate Good further its work towards closing the gap between those who need help and those who want to help.
Raleigh-based Anthony Property Group donated the pop-up location and Smith says she hopes it will give people an idea of what a Good Hub headquarters will offer the community: Space where locals can strategize to do good together and for neighbors to unite in their desire to make a difference.
“It will be a gateway to hundreds of volunteer needs in our region, and a place where those who want to do good can find a way to serve,” Smith says.
Smith, who grew up in a philanthropic home, says parents often want to be more involved in community outreach but don’t always know how to include young children. Speaking to the notion that volunteerism should be encouraged to begin at an early age, The Good Hub works to help families with children find age-appropriate ways to be involved, matching volunteers with opportunities based on skills, schedules, age and interest. Finally, there will be a physical, rather than virtual, place where those who want to do good can be matched with those in need.
The Good Hub POP UP offers the Raleigh community the chance to pilot a few core features that the future permanent location will incorporate: a learning zone, where those who’d like to volunteer can learn about local causes; a service zone, where visitors of all ages can practice service projects onsite and a volunteer connections lounge, where visitors can gather; and speak with staff members from The Good Hub to learn about ways to get involved.
A key component to the future permanent location will be a rental program, where volunteers can borrow tools they may need to complete a service mission, ensuring that cost for potentially expensive tools isn’t a barrier for those who want to help.
“Volunteerism is an important facet of civic and community life and an indicator of health of the overall community,” Smith says. “If The Good Hub excels at our ambitions for locals to build relationships based upon a common goal of showing love and goodness to those less fortunate, then our communities will only continue to flourish and thrive.”
The Good Hub POP UP is located at 702 Oberlin Road, on the 4th floor, and will be open through April. Learn more at activategood.org/thegoodhub.
WEB EXCLUSIVE:Just because you have to stay home and at least six feet away from other people doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself. Local businesses have introduced innovative ways to keep you and your family entertained while still upholding health and safety regulations that are either government mandated or strongly suggested. Make the most out of the coronavirus shutdown with these locally inspired activities!
Take-Home Paint Kits Keep embracing your creativity at home with Wine & Design’s take-home paint kits, great for kids and adults. Each kit comes with a canvas, a print of a finished painting, brushes, paints, a paper plate and napkins. Wine & Design partnered with Quail Ridge Books to offer story time paint kits that include a book and painting kit with a design to match the story’s theme. Order kits at wineanddesign.com/locations/raleigh for curbside pickup Monday through Thursday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Drive-In Movies You can’t go to the movie theater but you can make like it’s 1950 with free drive-in movie nights at NoRa Cafe (formerly Maude’s Coffee) and V Pizza. NoRa Cafe’s old fashioned drive-ins start at 7:30 p.m. each night. Get there early to grab a coffee or a muffin to snack on during the show—staff will bring snacks safely to you while you stay in your car. Check out the movie schedule at maudesgarden.com. Meanwhile, V Pizza’s drive-in movies begin at 7:45 p.m. and are best enjoyed with a takeout order of pizza, wings and a newly added curbside pickup of pre-packaged Bond Brothers Beer. Check the V Pizza Instagram (@vpizzacary) each day for that night’s chosen showing.
Virtual Happy Hour Tune in to Kingfisher’s Happy Hour every day at 4:30 p.m. to get live cocktail making lessons from owner Sean Umstead. So far, he’s taught viewers how to make cocktail syrups, Emeralds, Mojitos and Negronis, among others. Cocktail book author Kara Newman and Carlo Caroscio, the head bartender at Backbar in Massachusetts, have already made special guest appearances. If you’re out shopping, grab some basic cocktail ingredients to recreate the drinks at home and tune in daily on Kingfisher’s Instagram page @kingfisherdurham.
Virtual Bitters Classes Crude Bitters’ normal bitters classes now take place virtually on Crude’s IGTV channel. Follow along on the Crude Bitters Instagram page (@crudebitters) to learn how to make drinks including the classic Manhattan and different variations of sours, such as a bourbon and maple sour, using two of Crude’s fantastic bitters. You can also order bitters and other mixers and cocktail making tools online for pickup Thursday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. at bittersbittersbitters.com/shop.
Living Room Live! Lauren Kennedy Brady, Theatre Raleigh’s producing artistic director, will interview Triangle performing artist Yolanda Rabun live on YouTube today (Thursday, March 26) at 7:30 p.m. A live concert experience broadcast from Rabun’s own living room will follow the interview. Tune in on Theatre Raleigh’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/channel/UCBrPHqUNhtfRMWQ2Ej8Fxeg.
Talent Show We’ve all got plenty of time to work on our various talents while we’re stuck at home so why not show off what you’ve got in Theatre Raleigh’s virtual talent show. On Friday, March 27, Theatre Raleigh will post a submission form on its social media pages (@theatre_raleigh) asking for a 30-second to one-minute video of performers singing a song, doing a dance, reciting a monologue, performing a magic trick or any other talent they can dream of. On Friday, April 3, Theatre Raleigh will announce its three favorite performers.
History at Home Experience the NC Museum of History virtually with the museum’s new History at Home program! Explore exhibits, engage with collections, tune in to podcasts and view blog posts to learn more about North Carolina’s history with all your newfound free time at home. View all of the museum’s offerings at ncmuseumofhistory.org/history-at-home.
Wake County Library At-Home Access Now’s the perfect time to dive into all those books you’ve been meaning to read. While Wake County Libraries are closed to the public, they’ve put all of their online book, audio and magazine resources in one place and created a way for those without a library card to get a temporary card online. Get remote library access at wakegov.com/libraries/services/Pages/remoteresources.aspx.
Virtual Comedy Show Goodnights Comedy Club continues to provide laughs—at a time when we need them most—through virtual live comedy shows. Follow Goodnights on Instagram (@goodnightscomedy) for updates.
Experience Downtown Culture Virtually
Many Downtown Raleigh museums, performing art institutes and performance venues are offering ways to experience downtown culture from your home. Immerse yourself in one of CAM’s vibrant galleries, watch a science talk from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, or listen to a digital broadcast of the NC Symphony. For a full list of virtual downtown experiences, visit downtownraleigh.org/post/dtrvirtualexperiences.
WEB EXCLUSIVE: These local gyms, studios and fitness centers are offering at-home workouts for you to do while you’re social distancing.
110 Yoga View 110 Yoga’s online class schedule on Instagram @110yoga before registering through MindBody. Some classes are free while others are available to purchase. “Drop-ins” are encouraged! Visit clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/su1.asp to sign up.
Barre3 Active members get unlimited access to Barre3’s live classes led by trainers and instructors throughout the country, while non-members can purchase drop-ins through MindBody. Classes will close an hour before start time. View the schedule and sign-up at clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/mainclass.
Barre-Up Barre-Up is offering virtual classes through Zoom in order to continue to connect with its community. You must be a member, class pack holder or ClassPass client to access the classes, or you can sign up for them with Barre-Up’s new virtual rates ranging from $10 to $110. The studio will hold three to four live classes a day; members and class pack holders will be able to access pre-recorded classes at any time. Follow Barre-Up on Instagram @barreupraleigh for updates.
Burn Boot Camp Continue to meet your fitness goals through social distancing with Burn Boot Camp’s live workouts for nationwide members. The virtual classes will be held every Monday through Saturday at 9 a.m., with class outlines and instructions on how to do certain exercises posted on Instagram @burnbootcamp beforehand. If you’re not already a member, you can still sign up for a free, 14-day trail at burnbootcamp.com/promotions/start-your-trial.
Carolina Barre & Core View Carolina Barre’s virtual workouts through Facebook Live or sign up for daily Zoom classes via WellnessLiving by purchasing a virtual month of membership. Go to carolinabarre.com/schedule to view the schedule and sign up for classes.
CORE Fitness Studio Join Core’s live workouts via Zoom to ensure you’re still getting in a killer sweat sesh straight from your living room. The studio specializes in intense HIIT classes that alternate between weight training and cardio. coreraleigh.com
CycleBar If you have a bike at home, join one of CycleBar’s virtual rides via Instagram IGTV. At the beginning of each week, CycleBar releases an IGTV schedule of the rides as a post; after the video goes live, it’s housed on CycleBar’s stories grid under “WFH.” instagram.com/cyclebar
F45 Training Active F45 members can download F45’s “Challenge” app to access at-home workouts from trainers and coaches released daily. All exercises will be body weight-based, so those without weights or other equipment at home can perform them. Members can also join F45’s private Facebook group to view at-home workout sessions through Facebook Live. For more information and to download the app, visit app.f45challenge.com/register.
MADabolic MADabolic is offering a virtual training membership that gives you unlimited access to its signature strength-driven interval training workouts. By signing up, you’ll be added to a distribution list and receive daily emails with access to a database of virtual resources so you can continue to grind through quarantine. Sign up at clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=193533&stype=40&prodid=133.
O2 Fitness Club Work out anywhere with O2 Fitness Club’s GO2 live classes. Live streams of classes are available on Facebook for free and will go on O2’s page afterwards if you miss them. Follow along at facebook.com/O2FitnessClubs.
Pure Barre Take a break from bingeing Netflix to join in on Pure Barre’s free live classes on Facebook Live. Access the live streams via Instagram stories @pure_barre. Additionally, sign up for Pure Barre On Demand to follow Pure Barre’s signature low impact, full body workouts anywhere, at any time. ondemand.purebarre.com
Shred415 Shred415 has created a Raleigh Insiders Facebook group that houses workout videos uploaded by staff every day. Also, check Instagram @shred415raleigh for daily outdoor runs, treadmill drills and strength workouts. To join the insiders group on Facebook visit facebook.com/groups/483975512160592.
Title Boxing Club Title will feature daily workouts on Instagram @titleboxingclubraleigh, all of which you can do with little or no equipment. You can also sign-up for a free On Demand platform to access at-home boxing workouts online. Start your 30-day free trial at titleboxingclubondemand.com.
Tread Happy Tread Happy is offering professionally recorded audio classes with a coached workout and playlist pairing so you can continue to move with the help of a trainer who can push you out of your comfort zone. Packs of three cardio classes are available, each of which comes with a bonus circuit track and behind the scenes conversations with the coaches. treadhappy.com/audio-classes
YoBa A local studio specializing in hot yoga and hot barre, YoBa is offering one at-home movement class a day, with the goal of offering each type of the studio’s classes on its Vimeo channel within a week. The at-home service is free to all of YoBa’s unlimited members but non-members can still purchase a digital drop-in through MindBody. Live streaming classes are available through MindBody as well. For more information on how to sign up for classes and updates on the services, visit yobastudio.com/yoba-studio-blog.
