Escapade with Luxe Posh, Jermainia & Gay Agenda
Sunday, March 29, 2026
3:00pm-7:00pm
Bitter Social 104 S Wilmington St Raleigh, NC 27601
ESCAPADE 🌀 DAY PARTY
An Adventurous Sunday Party
Just bops, fellowship, and pure Sunday chaos.
🎧 GAY AGENDA • JERMAINIA • LUXE POSH
📍 Bitter Social — 104 S Wilmington St
⏰ 3–7PM | 💸 $5
You earned this escape. Let’s make it loud.
Somatic House Collective presents Airwaves – Inspired by house music played in clubs around the world, our residents and guest DJs aim to bring a fresh sound to the Triangle through the music we love
$10 cover, 21+, doors open at 8pm
@somaticouseco
@edmcfaddendj
@leeumjdj
4/6
Austin Meade
Abstract artist alert! Join this quirky musician for a night of jams—loser mentalities only. thepourhousemusichall.com
4/6
LIVE@Lake Raleigh
Ready for that lake life? NC State’s free outdoor concert series returns to Lake Raleigh once again, serving up all the singin’ and swayin’ vibes. See you by the water! live.arts.ncsu.edu
4/6
Sakura Festival
It’s cherry blossom season! Join O-Ku to taste the flavors of spring via speciality chef tastings, themed cocktails and festive fun. o-kusushi.com
4/6–23
The Cherry Orchard
You’re guaranteed to both laugh and cry during this quirky dramedy spotlighting the socioeconomic divide between workers vs. landlords. burningcoal.org
4/7
Peace Love & Rage: A Divorced Dad Rock Dance Party
Calling all lovers of divorced dad rock classics (yes, it’s a thing)! Come out to rock—and rage—to the likes of Limp Bizkit, Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine, Nickelback and more. thepourhousemusichall.com
4/7
The Taylor Party: Taylor Swift Night
Polish up real nice for this T. Swift-inspired dance party feat. all of Tay’s most iconic tunes you know all too well. taylorswiftnight.com
4/8
K9 Spring Fling
Ruff day? Unleash the stress with some furry friends via this community canine soiree featuring vendors, adoptable pups, food trucks and a doggie Easter egg hunt. Sounds like a paw-ty. k9springfling.com
4/8
Midtown Square Spring Festival
Food trucks, music and good vibes all the way! Spring has sprung… and it’s time to celebrate with a fab fair weather fest. bondbrothersbeer.com
4/8
Museum Untold Tour
Who needs Night at the Museum when you can take a fun, fast-paced and engaged tour of the NCMNS?! Um, we want to know what’s buried below the dinosaur exhibit… naturalsciences.org
4/8
Print Your Heart Out Class
Perfect your printing game via this three-hourlong class with Alanah Reid teaching participants traditional techniques for creative and compelling print creations. Keep calm and print on! artspacenc.org
4/8–9
BIG INK at Artspace
“Aww, you guys made me ink!” … Witness the “Big Tuna”—aka a giant portable printing press—churn out large woodblock prints created by local artists using traditional Japanese chisels. artspacenc.org
4/8–9
League Championship Series (LCS) Spring Finals
It’s game time. Witness the peak of competitive League of Legends play to conclude the LCS 2023 Spring Split. pncarena.com
4/9
Easter Brunch Buffet at The Durham
Hoppy Easter! Celebrate with a special seder buffet complete with carving stations (Prime rib! Smoked salmon! A seafood bar!), French toast, oodles of pastries, veggies, charcuterie and more delish bites. How egg-cellent. thedurham.com
4/11
Canes v. Red Wings
Red Wings take flight back to Motor City with an L. pncarena.com
4/11
Mead Pairing Dinner
We’re all about the perfect pairing. … Roll up hungry for chef David Mitchell’s locally sourced and globally inspired five-course meal that comes with a mead pairing for each dish. Ready to celebrate “humanity’s first alcoholic beverage” with a swig? plateskitchen.com
4/11
Nature Play Day
It’s officially play outside season. … Find fort building, bubbles, paint, puppets and more at this nature play day. Hope you’re willing to get messy. naturalsciences.org
4/11
Riding With Compassion
Ready to ride? Cycling 1,600 miles up the East coast, find Compassionate Care ALS zooming through the City of Oaks on its way to the finish line in Falmouth, Massachusetts, in support of those affected by ALS. ccals.org
4/11—16
Carolina Mudcats Opening Week
You’re crazy, Wildcat—er, Mudcat. … Buy some peanuts and Cracker Jacks at the opening week of our very own baseball team facing off against the Salem Red Sox. Batter up! milb.com
8 ways to raise the bar at your NYE house party
Hey, Alexa—play “Thank U, Next.” If you’re feelin’ a little like toasting the end of ’22 but also a smidge “too school for cool”… in the words of Pink—“we can always party on our own.” If rubbing shoulders with all of Raleigh for a NYE night on the town isn’t your speed this year, welcoming 2023 with a house party is def worth raising a glass for. To get the party started, we tapped Vine Rich Events & Experiences Lead Experience Planner and founder Catrina Vienrich for her top tips for hosting—and spicing up—NYE at home.
Ready to Mingle
Little apps spread around the space help with flow and encourage guests to mingle in different areas, allowing them to connect in smaller groups at a larger party—which can keep things feeling cozy and intimate.
Toast of the Town
Whether it’s with a signature cocktail, a spruced-up glass of bubbly or themed glassware for everyone, make the “cheers” so fun guests will be clinking glasses all night vs. just at midnight.
Sharing Is Caring
Have guests contribute—consider a cookie exchange, a wine tasting, bringing their candy of choice or even their fave childhood meal.
Thanks for the Memories
Experiences make people feel like their time is valued—and they help create lasting memories. Make the evening memorable by providing a way guests can experience the evening together. Think: a make-your-own sushi bar; a bubble bar with different syrups, crude bitters and types of bubbly; or even a themed party.
Stay Posing
Create an area dedicated to photo memories and offer to snap the shot—or set up a Polaroid—so your partygoers are sure to pose for photos with significant others or friends.
Break the Ice
Pose a question in a framed print or tent card at entry or in the common area to help inspire conversation. Some fun Q’s include: If you won the lottery tonight what are the first three things you would do? What is one thing you’ve always wanted to improve or learn, and could you start working toward it in the new year? What is one way you can exhibit better self-care in the new year? What is one habit you’d like to kick in the new year?
Spice It Up
NYE parties are notoriously long, as many start at 7 or 8pm—hence, five-plus hours of entertainment. To keep guests going, make each hour “new.” This can be anything from proposing a new topic each hour to spicing it up hourly (a welcome beverage, more food or a dessert, a game, a Champagne tasting).
Out With a Bang
Make the “new year” moment memorable with a balloon drop or by passing out confetti and streamers, etc. Then keep the energy going post-midnight—or end with a bang—by amping up a dance party at 12:01am, serving extra food after the ball drops, setting off fireworks, burning a paper with everything you’re leaving behind from ’22, or even just sending guests home with a special little something that encourages them throughout the new year.
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
