Staycation all I ever wanted! Sometimes the best getaway is a staycay. Save the gas and skip that kid kicking your seat on the plane in lieu of an OOO flex at some of the best hotels around (we see you Michelin-certified The Longleaf Hotel!). We rest our (suit)case.
Here, a dozen unrivaled must-do’s to build a staycay around during the 12 weeks of summer. We rest our (suit)case.
Dueling Dinosaurs Channel your inner Ross Geller and ~pivot~ your staycay around this epic exhibit 67 years in the making digging into the world’s duo of fave dinos. Free, ongoing, naturalsciences.org
Jaguar Bolera The long-anticipated adult playground will no doubt have you making moves like jaguar over to Raleigh Iron Works to balance Top Chef eats and a roster of duckpin bowling, darts, karaoke and more. Daily, jaguarbolera.com
Rooftop Tour Alexa, play “Rooftops” by Wiz Khalifa. … Get high in the best way by rooftop hopping across Raleigh’s elevated roster—from La Terrazza and The Willard to 10th & Terrace and beyond.
Spark Golf Happy Hour If you’re lookin’ to ~par-tee~, swing into Spark Golf—the hot new all-skill-level happy hour activity teeing up across the Triangle on the daily sans the country club membership. Ongoing, spark.golf
Food Truck Rodeo Summer fitness? More like ~fitness~ as much food in your mouth (!) via a scad of savory and sweet food trucks (and trailers!) on Fayetteville Street. Stretchy pants encouraged. Free, Aug. 25, shoplocalraleigh.org
Sarah Sherman “What, are you obsessed with me?” You will be as SNL’s quirky “Sarah Squirm” promises to make your eyes bug out as she brings her body horror comedy live. July 18–20, goodnightscomedy.com
Live After 5 Live After 5 is in her queen era (!)…. And you’re gonna wanna “kiss beneath the milky twilight… out on the moonlit floor” as ’90s alt queens Sixpence None the Richer light up the night live—NTM a roster of artists tribute-ing legends from T. Swift to the Queen of Country Dolly Parton herself. Summer lovin’ indeed. Free, July 31 & Aug. 28, downtownraleigh.org
NCSU Home Opener There’s always next this year. The Pack is BACK at Carter-Finley to cripple the Catamounts in their campaign to finally reach champ status. Aug. 29, gopack.com
Opera under the stars NCMA Skip the flight and ~rome~ to NCMA’s Museum Park for a breathtaking backdrop serving the soaring arias and enchanting melodies of opera’s most memorable masterpieces. It’s giving Italian coliseum vibes—and, baby, we’ll be counting stars. Sept. 12, ncopera.org
Bull Durham, A New Musical If you’re all about that base, prop up for this new musical bringing the Academy Award-winning classic back home (fun fact: Scenes from the film were shot at Mitch’s Tavern). Sept. 10–22, theatreraleigh.com
Hopscotch Music Festival Oh, hoppy day(s)! Venture Downtown for a rhythmic romp of jams at City Plaza and Moore Square stages—plus late-night sets, comedy shows, day parties, local vendors and more. Sept. 5–7, hopscotchmusicfest.com
Close out the week—and month—via this new DTR event series.
On Fridays, we fitness… then pig out and rock out, naturally. Enter Fitness & Food Trucks on Final Fridays, Get 2 Know Raleigh’s recently launched event series in partnership with Moore Square and Raleigh Parks. So now you can look forward to both the first and last Friday of the month—a win-win!
Running monthly through October, the series features a free hourlong family-friendly fitness class hosted by Zin Yoga & Wine, Current Wellness, Row House Midtown and Knuckle Up (respectively)—plus food trucks, a local vendor market and live music. So you can break a sweat via workouts like yoga, boxing fundamentals, dance fitness, cardio and more, or just come for the eats, drinks and vibes (hey, no judgment).
Inspired in part by her involvement in First Fridays at Moore Square, Final Fridays promotes a healthy lifestyle while manifesting founder Sana Siddiqui’s “vision of families coming together for free fitness activities.” Case in point: trading your typical Friday evening bar-hopping for fitness and fresh fare.
Via her “movement to celebrate and unite our community, both online and off,” she hopes the event series will not only bring people together, but provide attendees a chance to reset and recover from the month. Not to mention emphasizing a “third place” to hang outside of traditional work and home environments at no cost. Here’s to moving and fueling your body! June 28,get2knowraleigh.com
Anyone around in the ’80s may remember a rumpled-trench-coated dog whose business it was to remind us that crime is everyone’s business—and that police can’t fight crime alone. Now, with the marked decline in Downtown crime as the result of a vast community effort, McGruff’s message is more prescient than ever.
In November, we reported DTR crime had increased 60% over the previous eight months as compared to the year prior. Now, incidents running the gamut from aggravated assault to lesser (albeit annoying) evils like harassing phone calls, are improving across many categories. From September to February, drug violations—which accounted for a whopping 30% of all crimes reported—saw a steady decline, ultimately down 55% over the six-month span.
Thanks to extensive unified community efforts, weapons violations also declined a mammoth 73%. And, ultimately, total February crime incidents were almost half of those in September Downtown—including in the “disorderly” dubbed Glenwood South District, where RPD has been focusing much of its enforcement and prevention efforts.
While RPD’s response has been swift and effective, the department credits business and residential partners with whom they work closely for the cooling crime. “Our numbers continue to trend in the right direction thanks to the partnerships made with Downtown Raleigh Alliance and others,” maintains RPD Public Information Officer Lt. Jason Borneo.
For its part, DRA worked to provide private security services, as well as advocate for increased RPD presence and for the City to hire private security in the transit center, says DRA President and CEO Bill King. “All of these efforts have had a meaningful impact as evidenced by the crime data,” he adds. “Having said that, we cannot take our foot off the gas or let the City do so, as there is still a lot of work to be done to fortify these improvements in safety and make even more.”
RPD also worked with local businesses to roll out the CONNECTRALEIGH public safety program in an effort to enable Raleighites to help protect the community by increasing real-time data for guided emergency responses via fususCORE cameras.
Ultimately, Downtown safety is the most vital element to keep businesses progressing—which is why many local owners are happy to be involved in the conversation and efforts, including owner Matt Coleman of popular Blount Street bar The Davie.
“RPD has made tremendous efforts to help solve the growing issue of crime in the Fayetteville Street/Moore Square District after hearing our concerns last September,” says Coleman. “The numbers definitely show a decrease in crime, and we are seeing an increased police presence since then. My only hope is [RPD] continues to apply pressure, as crime tends to escalate during warmer weather, and summer is rapidly approaching.”
Borneo agrees, but ensures RPD is ready. “As the warmer months approach, we anticipate changes in crime trends,” he says. “RPD is always prepared to respond regardless of season—and we are prepared to respond accordingly to those trends. … We rely on our community to actively contribute to public safety, and we are fortunate that so many people have embraced the ‘it takes a village’ approach.”
Fortune no doubt favors the brave—and these efforts are no doubt valiant—but we can’t rest on our laurels. There is still work to be done, and we have to remain diligent and keep our communal foot on the gas. We’ll circle back after the thaw with what we hope is more good news for DTR.
Downtown Raleigh is really proving her resilience. Despite the recent rise in crime, business owners are buying in and continuing to establish roots—and doubling down on Downtown. It’s a welcome harbinger of hope, given that metropolitan downtowns (think San Francisco) typically experience a mass exodus in the face of “unsafe conditions.”
Instead, local entrepreneurs remain invested in Downtown—literally. One such business owner is Caitlin Cary, who is reopening her The Pocket Gallery in City Market in January. “I think the crime reflects some hard times we all can’t deny,” says the owner/founder. “I feel a lot of sympathy, and I also feel I’m a part of a business that is all about building community—I hope that good energy can help overcome.”
Pocket Art Gallery photo by Caitlin Cary
Building on that good energy, Cary—a working artist who specializes in fabric collage and recognizes the economic challenges of the city—plans to move her gallery from its former Oakwood digs into the City Market Artist Collective (CMAC), where she’ll join a community of 12 artists. There, she’ll continue to display her work along with the work of 30 artists on her roster.
And, not leaving the Oakwood space vacant, Cheryl Fraser, owner and founder of Galatea Boutique—which some may remember from Seaboard—jumped on the opportunity and will move into the vacant space in the new year after spending the last year-and-a-half operating out of a mobile boutique.
While the new business blood bodes well for DTR, having retailers committed to staying Downtown is also critical. Popular DTR home for houseplants Copperline Plant Co. owner Anna Grace FitzGerald is one such local who dug into City Market in 2022—and remains committed to the space she’s cultivated.
“When I was looking for a place to lay roots, I knew I wanted to be Downtown,” she says, “and in a place with character and history—because it aligns with the feeling we try to evoke in the shop: a feeling of a stable homebase for folks.”
Over the summer, a window was broken in at her business, but despite the incident, she remains unfazed. Nothing was stolen and no one was hurt, FitzGerald emphasized, and this is what mattered the most. “This is a product of more and more people moving to the Triangle… growing pains,” she adds.
FitzGerald welcomes the ebb and flow of new businesses moving into City Market and the Downtown area, viewing it as a healthy progression of the city. Despite recent challenges, the attractive and charming street—and our city core as a whole—continues to thrive with more businesses, opportunities and activities that not only attract Raleigh residents, but tourists as well. So, seeds of change now cultivating, if you will.
Oh, hoppy day! Hopscotch Music Festival is back for its 13th year, and this year’s lineup feels like Christmas in September for any Raleigh music fanatics—NTM, all the other fun activations and festivities taking place (hey, day parties!). Whether you’re a seasoned Hopscotch veteran or completely new to the fest, here’s your guide to making the most of your three-day rhythmic romp. Hop to it!
Who? Nearly 100 artists will be performing, including King Krule, Pavement, Alvvays, Dinosaur Jr. and a slew of other big names from all genres. Comedians are also making their debut at the late-night shows this year, including SNL cast member Sarah Sherman (!).
Where? Festivalgoers will hop (get it now?) between the two main stages in City Plaza and Moore Square for each set. Don’t worry, it isn’t a far walk, and the constant movement of people makes riding the rail so much easier. Performance locations for each artist are listed on the online schedule and Hopscotch app.
Tickets and Prices GA tickets ($199) grant you access to three days of live music at the City Plaza and Moore Square stages, plus the late-night comedy sets. VIP tickets ($375) score you such additional perks as a VIP swag bag, priority access to late-night sets at participating clubs and entry to the VIP Oak Lounges at both stages.
Day Parties Whether you want to join the fun without footing the bill or just want to pregame the headliners, the free day parties are the move. Raleigh’s best bars and breweries are hosting a bevy of local bands to watch. Pro tip: don’t miss our top day party picks, Cor De Lux at Kings, Teens in Trouble at Transfer Co. and My Sister Maura at Neptunes. The parties will even feature a few names from the main lineup (eyes on you, Truth Club and Max Gowan).
What to Bring
Bring your credit/debit card: Hopscotch is completely cashless, and virtual payments such as Apple Pay aren’t accepted.
Tote a small bag or no bag at all: Any bags over 13 inches by 15 inches must be clear—but let’s be honest, who wants to lug a huge bag around all day? Skip the hassle and spring for a cute fanny pack or go purseless.
Bring an empty reusable water bottle or factory-sealed bottle: Would it really be September in Raleigh without 90+ degree temps? Hydrate or diedrate! Empty reusable water bottles are permitted and each guest is allowed one factory-sealed water bottle.
Opt for comfy shoes: The festival will go on rain or shine, so skip the strappy sandals and opt for the most comfortable pair of boots or sneakers you own—your ’fit will still slay (promise).
