The NC State Fair is finally here!—plus other happenings to check out around town this week.
10/13 Bob’s Burgers Skeeball Tournament
“Let me see your ‘everything is okay’ face.” Bop over to Boxcar for a Bob’s Burgers-themed skeeball and b-ball tournament. Don temporary tattoos, mustaches, stickers and maybe even a full character-themed fit if you’re really feelin’ it. May the games begin! theboxcarbar.com
10/13 Gardening Workshop
We give this one two green thumbs up! Bloom into a better gardener and grow that plant knowledge via this workshop with Atlantic Gardening Company. dixpark.org
10/13 Raleigh City Council Meet & Greet
Join us (!) and Midtown Raleigh Alliance for a candidate meet and greet at Bowstring Pizza & Brewyard. Plus, register online and you’ll get your first drink on us! raleighmag.com
10/13–10/23 N.C. State Fair
“Nothing could be finer” than the annual NC State Fair! Make your way to the State Fairgrounds for fried food galore (NTM giant turkey legs, ice cream, etc…), rides and attractions, competitions and more good ’ole Southern fun. ncstatefair.org
10/13–30 Dracula and the Masque of the Red Death
Sink your teeth into this bloodcurdling show returning to the stage just in time for spooky season. dukeenergycenterraleigh.com
10/14 Capital Club 16 Oktoberfest
For the 13th year running, Capital Club 16 is featuring all the Oktoberfest essentials (think beer, Bavarian food and bumpin’ music). Get ready to oompah all night! capitalclub16.com
10/14 Gabi’s Ghostly Gala
Calling all guys and ghouls! Whitaker & Atlantic is hosting a spooky soiree to support the special abilities community. Can we get a boo-yah? whitakerandatlantic.com
10/14 NC Beer Night
Feelin’ crafty? Roll up to the NC State Fair’s NC Beer Night for an exciting assortment of craft beers and educational opps on the process of brewing. After all, why be salty when you can be malty? ncstatefair.org
10/14 Saint Augustine’s Homecoming Kickoff Party
Honey, I’m home… coming! Experience the sounds and swagger of NiiTO and DJ Lonnie B & DJ Assassin at this sure-to-be-pumpin’ party. lincolntheatre.com
10/15 Campbell Open House
Future camels can catch a glimpse of what their lives could look like at Campbell University, with an opportunity to speak to campus representatives, hear about the admissions process, tour campus and learn about academic programs. Happy hump day! calendar.campbell.edu
10/15 Chelsea Cutler
“Stay next to me” at The Ritz for Chelsea Cutler’s When I Close My Eyes tour. livenation.com
10/15 Falling for Local
Oh my gourdness! Show some local love while enjoying all kinds of fall fun—think food trucks, local vendors, hay rides, lawn games, a pumpkin patch and more. Ya better beleaf it’ll be a blast. shoplocalraleigh.org
10/15 Fall on the Farm
Get on your high horse and saddle up for Corral’s annual fam-friendly mane event filled with horses, pumpkin decorating and other fun fall activities. corralriding.com
10/15 Howl-O-Ween Pup Crawl
Oh, hot dog! Dress up Fido for Cause for Paws’ eerie-sistible event feat. best-dressed prizes, raffles, VIP swag, food, drinks and more. Time to get unleashed! cfp-nc.org
10/15 Hispanic Latinx Heritage Celebration
Celebrate the final day of National Hispanic Heritage Month with an afternoon of Latin American music, food and crafts at Botanist and Barrel. Eat authentic Argentinian cuisine from Asadito Food Truck, bop to bossa nova and musica latina tunes, and check out multiple handcrafted vendors. botanistandbarrel.com
10/15 NC Wine Festival
Wine not head to Koka Booth to sip your way through exclusive wines and specialty cocktails during this annual fest?! After all, it’s wine o’clock somewhere… ncwinefestival.com
10/15 North Hills Wine Walk
There’s no need to wine when there’s a good cause involved. Go for a walk, drink wine and benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Sip, sip, hooray! kayyow.com
10/15 Oak City Fit Fest
Fitness is fab. Join the Raleigh Event Collective’s Oak City Fit Fest for yoga, spin and trampoline classes—plus peruse a slew of local health and wellness vendors. We’re jumping for joy! @raleigheventcollective
10/15 Oktrophyfest
Grab a beer and go for the gold at Trophy Brewing’s Oktrophyfest, complete with fare from Capital Club 16, live music, local vendors and Oktoberfest bier (natch). Bottoms up! trophybrewing.com
10/15 Red Bull Chariot Race
Calling all fearless, fun and, ahem, may we say, energized Raleighites! The Red Bull Chariot Race is taking place in DTR for the first time ever—and yes, it’s as fun as it sounds. Think you’ve got the wiiings to compete? redbull.com
10/15 Yoga and Mimosas
Will bend for alcohol. Grab your crew and head to Hummingbird for an hourlong vinyasa flow class by Unita Yoga—followed by free mimosas (!). We’ll cheers to that! hummingbirdraleigh.com
10/15 2022 Walk to End Alzheimers
Don some purple and take a stroll at the NCMA to honor both those affected by Alzheimer’s and help raise money for Alzheimers care, support and research. alz.org
10/15–2/26 Powers Concealed: Egúngúns From Africa and America
Translating to “powers concealed” and referring to both masquerade and the embodiment of the supernatural power resident in ancestors, Egúngúns is an eye-opening exhibit on the global hypercontemporary art form. ncartmuseum.org
10/16 Legends of the Lawn
If you’re sexy and you throw it, roll up to compete in lawn games (think bocce, cornhole, croquet, kanjam and kubb) to win The Golden Mallet—plus raise money for local orgs. legendsofthelawn.com
10/16 Community Pizza & Pickleball Tournament
Grab a slice of ’za then slice up the pickleball courts while fundraising for V for Victory, a nonprofit charity benefiting local families battling cancer. Sounds like a big dill. dprplaymore.org
10/18 Doug Stanhope
While his jokes can be vulgar and are “certainly not for everybody,” Doug Stanhope continues to keep it raw and real since his start in 1990–minus the mullet. improv.com
10/18 Greta Van Fleet
If you dream in gold, you’re gonna wanna get tix for Greta Van Fleet’s sophomore album tour at PNC Arena. pncarena.com
10/19 Fall Cookie Decorating Class
If you’re a smart cookie, hit up The Willard for a cookie decorating class complete with a glass of wine and a skyline backdrop. Sounds like a pretty sweet time! thewillardraleigh.com
10/19 Pusha T
We wanna push ya (get it?) to check out Pusha T at The Ritz. “If you know you know.” livenation.com
10/19–23 Film Fest 919
Film buffs, rejoice! Enjoy a slew of some of the finest feature films over the course of five days at this fab film fest. filmfest919.com
Zero Proof is building a community for Raleighites who want to drink less or ditch alcohol altogether.
Jacqueline Lee feared that if she quit drinking, her social life would end. “I have always been very social,” says Lee. “I love parties and getting to meet new people, but all of those events usually revolve around drinking or meeting at a bar.”
At 25, Lee didn’t know many people who were sober. Searching online, she couldn’t find a Raleigh community built around alcohol-free experiences outside of recovery and treatment programs. So she created one.
Launched in 2020, Zero Proof has already offered a staggering buffet of sober events, ranging from aerial yoga to drag shows. Hourlong hikes at Umstead also have proven popular. But she has also organized a series of alcohol-free concerts, dinners and even an outing at Boxcar Bar + Arcade.
“For years, I didn’t stop drinking because I didn’t know anyone my age who was sober,” says Lee. “When you stop drinking, it can feel really lonely, so anything I can do to provide an avenue for people to connect with other people who are experiencing the same thing is really worthwhile to me.”
Mocktails may be easier to find here recently, but Raleigh falls behind peer cities. Lee quickly discovered Charlotte’s alcohol-free Counterculture Club, while Austin brags the nonalcoholic Sans Bar. Lee may have initially felt like an outcast for ditching alcohol, but her efforts are actually making Raleigh more inclusive and current.
Zero Proof typically hosts three to four events each month, and the schedule is heavily influenced by participants. Some local businesses like Current Wellness are eager to partner with her, but it’s not always an easy sell. “It’s challenging when you’re trying to plan alcohol-free events because a lot of businesses don’t want to do it on Friday or Saturday since alcohol is such a revenue driver,” says Lee. But the Zero Proof trailblazer—whose main hustle is at a marketing firm—hasn’t let that stop her.
Zero Proof isn’t a support group, at least not in the classic sense. Instead, it attracts a wide net, including those who are sober curious or want to drink less. Most attendees are in their 20s or 30s. And that’s partially intentional; Zero Proof is open to all—but Lee, now 27, hopes to create a social community for young people like her that normalizes not drinking.
“I have countless new friends who are also sober,” Lee writes on Zero Proof’s website, “which makes me not feel so alone in a culture where alcohol is everywhere”—proof positive that Zero Proof’s spirited social options are filling a void for the spirit-free community. zeroproofraleigh.com
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with one (or all!) of these celebrations in Raleigh.
Feeling lucky? Get yourself to the pint of no return this St. Patrick’s Day with these green celebrations throughout the Triangle—and, remember… it ain’t over ‘til it’s clover.
Goats, food trucks and a Leprechaun Riddle Hunt? Looks like you’ve struck gold. Alpaca the fam into the car and head to Spring Haven Farm for its kid-friendly St. Paddy’s celebration featuring farm animal snuggles, crafts, a tractor train ride, popcorn and more. Who says it’s not easy being green?
Take a pitcher, it’ll last longer. Post up at Boxcar for drink specials ($6 Pink Whitney Bombs, a $7 Shamrock Shooters) for the human kind, and dog beer for the furry kind (!). That’s right, Fido can come paddy with you too.
Irish today, hungover tomorrow… Head to Glenwood Social Club for drinks and DJs that promise to shamrock your world. Scoop presale tickets online to skip the lines all day—’cause, hey, it’s worth a shot.
If “Irish I was drinking…” this DTR bar crawl is just the paddy for you. Tickets include free entry to top bars on Glenwood (think Dogwood, Cornerstone, Village Nightlife and more); themed cocktails; drink and food discounts; and parties before, throughout and after (!) the crawl. Don’t forget to sham-rock your green!
Milk Bar’s annual St. Patrick’s bash is back—and it promises to be a shamrockin’ good time! Tucker Street between Milk Bar and Carolina Ale House will be shut down starting at noon, making room for live music, drinks and dancing. Don’t want to wait in line? Buy a ticket online to skip it, or score free entry if you’re willing to wait.
Get your clovers ready and head to Downtown Raleigh to celebrate St. Pat’s parade-style with all things Irish. The 38th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade will feature music, drinks and more. Pinch me!
Work off all that green beer and Irish whiskey through Wendell’s St. Patrick’s Day-themed race—green and gold outfits highly encouraged. Prizes will be awarded to the fastest runners and best-dressed, so bring your lucky charm! Post-run, enjoy Irish-themed drinks and dishes at Farmhouse Cafe.
If you’re craving Irish-inspired dishes to ring in the Day ‘o Green, Farmhouse Cafe has an exclusive St. Patrick’s Day menu that’ll have you feeling green (think Guinness-braised brats, corned beef and cabbage, and bangers). There’s only two requirements: Wear green and come with an empty stomach—or get pinched!
Eat, drink and be Irish! Brickhouse is throwing a St. Paddy’s Day party complete with green beer, shot specials, Irish empanadas and a DJ—and if the luck of the Irish is on your side, hop up to the open mic.
From bourbon tastings and beer release parties to Canes games and group fitness classes, there’s plenty of fun things to do in Raleigh this week!
Through 3/6 ACC Women’s Bball Tourney
Whether you’re hittin’ the road to G’boro or glued to the tele, court is officially in session. #WPN! theacc.com
3/3 Guided Bourbon Tasting
Get in the spirit with Dram and Draught co-owner Drew Schenck and Old Nick Williams expert Zeb Williams for an exclusive guided bourbon tasting at the Durham location—because we all know bourbon is the (whis)key to happiness. dramanddraught.com
3/4 First Friday
Spring is near… let’s p(art)y! Get your art fix with this month’s installment of First Friday with a host of events and exhibits in DTR. downtownraleigh.org
While Harriet Tubman may be the Underground Railroad’s best-known conductor, this new Pulitzer Prize-winning piece (s/o composer Paul Moravec) highlights abolitionist and conductor William Still’s efforts to free nearly 800 enslaved African Americans pre-Civil War—and gives voice to the passengers who embarked on that harrowing journey to freedom. ncopera.org
3/5 Ephrat Asherie Dance
Witness Asherie’s mesmerizing blend of club dances—breaking, hip-hop, house and vogue—together with the romantic Afro-Brazilian music of composer Ernesto Nazareth via NC State LIVE’s popular spring program, open to the public. You belong here. live.arts.ncsu.edu
3/5, monthly Pup Up Market
Food, Fido and friends… aka the recipe to a perfect Saturday. Join The MAKRS Society during its new monthly Pup Up Market at the Golden Campus, with 40-plus local artists, food and beverage trucks, and dog adoptions. Don’t forget to bring your own furry friend too! themakrssociety.com
3/5 Raleigh Brewing 9th Anniversary Party
We’re on cloud nine because Raleigh Brewing Company is celebrating its 9th birthday! Beer will be a-flowing (including four new rare beer releases!), while food trucks like Pork in the Road and Drunken Noodles serve up the snacks and local bands provide the jams for what’s sure to be a hoppy time. raleighbrewing.com
3/5, weekly Winter Market
The Midtown Farmers’ Market winter edition features seasonal produce (think kale, broccoli, sweet potatoes, etc.), proteins and local food vendors. Who needs the grocery store?! visitnorthhills.com
3/6 Boxcar Dog Beer Release Party
Get ready for a pawsome night full of puppy kisses from adoptable dogs and the release of Boxcar’s new Dog Beer (because if you need a drink, you can bet your pup does too!). theboxcarbar.com
3/6 The Ugly Duckling
With electroluminescent puppetry, poignant storytelling and the creative use of music from classical to pop, this production by Lightwire Theater (America’s Got Talent semi-finalists) brings this classic tale into a new brilliant light via NC State LIVE’s Kidstuff Series, open to the public. live.arts.ncsu.edu
3/8 International Women’s Day Class
“Here’s to strong women…” Celebrate International Women’s Day with a women’s workout led by Shred415 on The Dillon’s rooftop, followed by a happy hour. #GirlPower! shred415.com
3/8–12 ACC Men’s Basketball Tourney
It may be in Manhattan, but all eyes in Raleigh’ll be peeled to the screen to see if swishes really do come true. theacc.com
