Experience the vibrant traditions of India and explore the connections between cultural heritage, science and the natural world. Celebrate the Festival of Lights through the stories and knowledge that have been passed down through generations. Learn how Indian contributions to astronomy, mathematics, medicine and more shaped how people understand the world around us. Join us to discover the ideas that still spark curiosity, creativity and innovation today. Learn more: https://ncmns.net/4yY9XS9
Just beat it! Channel your inner old soul and vibe to Ally J’s sultry and expressive R&B via Music on the Lawn at Heights House. heightshousenc.com
6/15 Lore
“Part smooth sailing, part careening chaos.” Change your tune and dive into the anarchic blues-grunge combo of Nashville-based duo Laura Reed and Laur Joamets via That Station’s Artist Notes at NC State’s Centennial Campus. Rock on! thatstation.net
6/15 Spaces for Queer Joy
Thursday—but make it gay and make it spark joy. Pop over to CAM Raleigh for this panel discussion with local DJs and event producers to chat the cruciality of having queer nightlife spaces for the LBGTQ+ community in Raleigh. camraleigh.org
6/16 Dierks Bentley: Gravel & Gold Tour
If you’re “a little found, a little don’t know where I am,” come a little closer to the road to gravel & gold as the country crooner kicks up some dirt at the Creek. walnutcreekamphitheatre.com
6/16 NiiTO x Johnathan Scales Fourchestra
Populate the “paper town” via the hometown stop of NiiTO’s 11-show tour. Let’s jam! thepourhousemusichall.com
6/16 Sacred Soul and Bluegrass Revue – Pinecone
Now that’s finger pickin’ good! Settle in for an evening evoking rural downhome NC tunes—think bluegrass, string band, quartet gospel and soulful rhythms reminiscent of Black churches across Eastern North Carolina. martinmariettacenter.com
6/16 The Token Straight Friend Ally Party
There’s always that one friend… Show your support for the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies via this Green Monkey Pride party. “Isn’t it time we celebrated our ally friends?!”greenmonkeyraleigh.com
6/16–17 The Southeastern Plant Symposium and Rare Plant Auction
One of the nation’s largest gatherings of plant lovers and experts is returning to Raleigh for two days of unbeleafable horticulture education and fellowship. You grow, girls (and boys)! jcra.ncsu.edu
6/16–18 Nate Jackson
Let the “laff tracks” commence. Join global comedy performer and Washington state native as he brings the sillies to the Goodnights stage. goodnightscomedy.com
Opens 6/17 Spiders: Fear to Fascination
Clear out the cobwebs! We’re giving eight thumbs up for the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ immersive and entertaining spider exhibition descending onto the scene this week. naturalsciences.org
6/17 Cumulus: A Day Party
Have your head in the clouds? Then float on over and cumulonim-bust a move at this daytime dance party feat. electronic dance tunes. between2clouds.com
6/17 Father’s Day Market
Need a last-minute gift for dad? Roll up to this Father’s Day market filled with the most dad-esque items (think bourbon, candles, outdoor apparel and more). Alexa, put the Home Depot theme song on blast. olderaleighdistillery.com
6/17 Official Pride Bar Crawl
Color the town via this crawl through some of Raleigh’s best bars and nightclubs—plus cheers with discounted rainbow-themed drinks and dance the night away to local DJs. Better shake what your mama gave ya! eventbrite.com
All are welcome at Hartwell’s Pride market benefiting the LGBT Center of Raleigh that promises to be bigger and better than last year’s event thanks to 20+ local vendors, food trucks and more. We’re def coming out! hartwellraleigh.com
6/17 Raleigh Retro Gamers Summer Expo
Got game? Get outta control via this DTR expo feat. a slew of gaming vendors, live music, food trucks and more. Let’s play! raleighretrogamers.com
6/17 Rebelution Good Vibes Summer Tour 2023
“Fade away” into the good vibes that are sure to be in order from one of the most popular reggae rock music bands in the country. Feeling alright, indeed! redhatamphitheater.com
6/17–18 Goathouse Refuge Art Show
Feline fine! Help connect cats with loving families and join the local Pittsboro animal shelter for a two day art show featuring local painters, sculptures, jewelers and more. goathouserefuge.org
6/18 GAG Yacht Club Tea Dance
If you like big decks and you cannot lie, get down with your bad self at Johnson Street Yacht Club’s second tea dance—a long-held gay tradition originating in 1966 in New York’s Fire Island Pines at the now-famous Blue Whale bar—of the summer. Who’s got the tea? @jsyachtclub
6/18 Luau Party
Crank it up, y’all! … And crack open a cold one in a fun Hawaiian costume for a luau lounge party that’s sure to tropic like it’s hot.crankarmbrewing.com
6/18 Soul Food: The R&B Picnic
Grub on food that’s “good for the soul” (essentially, mouthwatering Southern fare) amid vibey aesthetics and smooth R&B sounds. Sounds like a perf picnic, indeed! boothamphitheatre.com
6/18 Summer Solstice Mala Event
It’s hot girl summer… and what better way to flex the occasion than an outdoor yoga sesh celebrating the official start of the hot season. To boot, there’s a live DJ and a complimentary blue beauty spritz included. Oh, let the mat-ness begin! doseyogaraleigh.com
6/20 Mad for Madtoms
Cat(fish) got your tongue? Meet the Carolina Madtom, a federally endangered tiny catfish native to NC and exclusively found in the Neuse River Basin. Just keep swimming! naturalsciences.org
Want the scoop? Moose Tracks is amping up the cool factor in the City of Oaks via 10,000 free (!) scoops of ice cream in DTR benefiting The Salvation Army of Wake County. How sweet! moosetracks.com
6/21 History at High Noon: Fifteen Hurricanes That Changed the Carolinas
Calling all storm chasers! Kick off hurricane season via some cloudy history with author and hurricane historian Jay Barnes. Ready to be rocked like a hurricane? ncmuseumofhistory.org
6/21 Live After 5
Get groovin’ for the third installment of DRA’s spring concert series feat. a handful of local performers, including Hard Tuck, Kate Rhudy, Joseph Terell, Chessa Rich and King Akira. See you after 5! downtownraleigh.org
6/21 Make Music Raleigh
Let’s make some sweet music. Roll up to streets, sidewalks and parks across the city for a samplin’ of sounds feat. Instrument Zoo, a preview of Raleigh’s Anniversary of Hip-Hop Music Celebration, World of Bluegrass festival and more. Play on! makemusicday.org
6/21 Summer Solstice Yoga
Breathe in, breathe out. Take advantage of the longest day of the year (aka the first day of summer!) with a sunrise yoga sesh at Flowers Field. dixpark.org
6/21–7/1 National Women’s Theatre Festival
There’s no need to feel upstaged. Grab a seat for this annual festival’s 8th season (!) feat. performances, workshops, community convos and other happenings all focused on females and other marginalized gender artists. The show must go on! womenstheatrefestival.com
Find fiber artist/print maker extraordinaire Claire Kiester debuting her solo art exhibition, Tasty at the Sertoma Art Center—with a reception taking place May 27. Let’s get this party arted! clairekiester.com
5/25 Pop-Up-Market and Pizza Party
What’s a party without pizza?! Swing by Boxcar to nosh on pies, play games, listen to live music and shop. … Name a better way to spend your Thursday night—we’ll wait. theboxcarbar.com
5/25 Wine Tasting
Where there’s a wine, there’s a way! Sip some, ahem, sour grapes in the form of two bubbly wines and two rosés with the pros at Killjoy. Sippin’ into summer indeed! killjoycocktail.com
5/26 Carolina Mudcats Friday Night Fireworks
Take us out to the ball game (!). See the Carolina Mudcats take on the Down East Wood Ducks—then end your Friday funday with a bang—literally—via postgame fireworks. Let’s play ball! milb.com
5/26–28 Animazement
You’ll be amazed at the concerts, educational panels, limited merch, unique artwork and more at Raleigh’s premier Japanese animation and culture convention. animazement.com
5/26, 28 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship
Re-lax, bro. See chicks slinging sticks for a spring sports event showcasing some of the finest female collegiate lacrosse stars. It’s giving “speak softly and carry a big stick” vibes. ncaa.com
5/27 The Backseat Lovers
We’ve been “waiting to spill” this one. … Nobody likes a backseat driver… unless it’s this alt American rock band making a splash on the charts. Let’s rock! concerts.livenation.com
5/27 Eddie 9V
“Beg, steal and borrow” with this soulful croonin’ musician at Transfer Co. Food Hall.
Giving us butterflies—like, actually—is the NC Museum of Natural Science’s living conservatory. Feel like flying by? naturalsciences.org
5/27, ongoing Summerfest 2023
It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy—esp. at NC Symphony’s concert series under the stars at Koka Booth. Pro tip: Each week, roving judges will select the best picnic before the concert to win prizes. May the best spread win! ncsymphony.org
5/28 Five County Family Sunday
Discounted baseball tix? Say no more. Folks from Wake, Franklin, Nash, Johnston or Wilson counties can score $7 tix to this Carolina Mudcats game versus the Down East Wood Ducks, while all attendees will have the chance to play catch on the field after the game. Batter up! milb.com
5/28 NC Sugar Rush
Hankering to satiate your sweet tooth? Head to City Plaza for desserts all day—plus live music, a DJ and a slew of vendors. Here we crumb!ncsugarrush.com
5/28 Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Come pick me up, take me out as the ultimate Heartbreaker bends the boards at Red Hat. Oh, My Sweet Carolina, indeed. redhatamphitheater.com
5/31–6/11 The Weight of Everything We Know
“The limit does not exist!”—for love, physics and everything in between. Observe the undeniable weight of relationships and mathematics via this romantic comedy tale. Time to get astro-physical. theatreraleigh.com
WEB EXCLUSIVE With Gov. Roy Cooper’s announcement of a Safer At Home phase 2.5 last week comes the long-awaited reopening of museums—albeit at limited capacities, with increased cleaning measures and face mask requirements. Several Raleigh museums have reopened already and are eager to welcome back visitors after six months of being closed; more are gearing up to open in the very near future. Here, we break down what you need to know about each local museum’s COVID-19 safety measures before planning a visit.
To visit the newly reopened art museum, visitors must reserve a free, timed ticket either online or in-person for both musuem buildings—cash is not accepted. Tickets are available in half-hour increments in order to limit the number of visitors in each gallery and maintain social distancing practices within the entire museum. There will be a designated door for both entering and exiting in each building and, throughout the galleries, a one-way path will be noted by signs.
Additionally, the art museum requires all visitors and staff to wear face masks. Museum staff will frequently deep clean high-touch areas, including doors and restrooms, and plexiglass shields have been installed at check-in desks and the Museum Store. The Iris restaurant and Sip coffee kiosk will remain closed for now, along with the Museum library and the interacitve exhibitions. For more COVID updates, visit ncartmuseum.org/visit/plan_your_visit.
Hours: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., Tuesday – Saturday for immune-compromised and senior citizens; 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesday – Saturday for the general public; 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday for the general public
Gov. Cooper’s 50 percent capacity rule limits up to 250 people in the history museum at a time, though the museum will not require tickets to enter; admission is free. Visitors are expected to follow the “Three W’s” (Wear a mask, Wait in line at least six feet apart from others, and Wash your hands).
The museum is also installing protective barriers at sales counters and information desks, as well as placing hand sanitizing stations around the building and increasing the frequency of cleaning public areas and restrooms. The Museum Shop is still open, as are all exhibits except for the Tar Heel Junior Historian Discovery Gallery and any interactive exhibit features. Visitors can grab a map with highlighted sanitizer stations and paused visitor experiences, or scan a QR code for a touchless experience. Visit ncmuseumofhistory.org/about/plan-your-visit to learn more.
COR Museum is reopening its doors with a special surprise exhibit featuring “Joseph Winters: The Music Maker” and Raleigh Home Movie Day in partnership with A/V Geeks. “Joseph Winters: The Music Maker” explores the life of Joseph Winters, one of Raleigh’s earliest African American policemen, who also brought musical legends including James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles to perform in the City of Oaks. The exhibit will run through February 2021; COR’s permanent exhibits are also reopening.
Opening date: September 11-13 for members; September 16 for the general public
Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Wednesday – Sunday
Marbles is adapting two new prominent policies upon reopening: all members and guests must reserve a timed entry ticket online for $9 a person and everyone age 5 and older must wear a CDC-approved face covering. Marbles asks that guests also adhere to social distancing guidelines and wash/sanitize their hands frequently. The museum will temporarily close exhibits throughout the day for thorough cleaning and sanitizing as well.
Additionally, Marbles has created one-way paths for guests to follow in order to assist with traffic flow and reduce contact with other visitors. Capacity limitations will be posted at each exhibit. You can find more FAQs about Marbles’ reopening policies at marbleskidsmuseum.org/reopening-faqs.
The Museum of Natural Sciences will also require free, timed-entry ticketsin order to maintain a limited capacity under Gov. Cooper’s phase 2.5 guidelines. These are available to reserve online only—choose a 15-minute time of entry window, then stay in the museum for as long as you’d like. A face covering for those ages 5 and older is also required for all who enter the building and are available to buy at the Museum Store.
The museum will take extra precautions to enhance cleaning of facilities multiple times throughout the day. Hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the museum and water fountains will not be in use. During the first phase of reopening, certain areas, incuding the WRAL 3D theater, the butterfly room and The Naturalist Center will remain closed. Before planning your trip, visit naturalsciences.org/open for more updates.
The Gregg announced it will reopen on Wednesday, September 23 on Instagram but has yet to release many details on any COVID-related procedures the museum plans to follow. The post states that “there will be precautions in place to ensure the safest and best possible experience” and that registration will be required.
Keep an eye out on the Gregg’s website and social media for reopening details.
Back in December, before social distancing was a thing, Eric Dorfman, then-director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, was named the new director of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Dorfman was an influential head of the Carnegie Museum, with the museum breaking annual visitation records, installing an education scholarship program to provide access to underserved communities and raising over $24 million to support its mission under his leadership. Now, Dorfman, who was supposed to assume his new role in March, is teleworking from his home in Pittsburgh. We spoke with Dorfman about the changes he’s already making at one of the state’s most popular museums.
How were you selected to be the new director at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences?
A recruiter contacted me, although it was a recruiter I knew, so they already had a sense of who I was, what my interests were and felt that what I enjoy doing and what I am good at was aligned with what the museum was looking for. [What probably resonated] with them is that it’s important for me to come to a place and listen to the community and figure out how I can contribute to what their needs, interests and drivers are. Also, they were looking for somebody who could bring this amazing museum to the next phase in its development.
What do you hope to accomplish as director at the state’s most visited museum?
I really want to make us more relevant, not only to people who engage with the museum traditionally, but also to underserved communities that may or may not see us as relevant. I’m thinking about how we can activate the museum’s amazing research facility within the building and ways in which we can offer it on a national stage. Operationally, to become more relevant, I’m interested in having a stronger bilingual presence. You’ll increasingly see signs in Spanish and English in order for us to recognize the greatest diversity possible of the people who come and engage with us.
What’s it been like taking on an influential new role in a new city during an international health pandemic?
It is hard. [One thing that] put me in good stead was having four weeks of boots on the ground out there with everyone. I spent hours talking to staff members about their needs, their aspirations, their concerns. That gave me an opportunity to understand the institution better than I would have otherwise. I commend everybody who works at the museum. Everybody is pulling together and conquering the frustration of being stuck at home. It feels like a fantastic team that’s getting a lot done despite this.
What kinds of programming have you installed to encourage people to continue interacting with the museum during stay at home orders?
Trying to find the positives is essential. One positive, for us, is doing more online and reaching a greater audience. We’ve started doing free virtual cafes every Thursday night. A scientist will call in and the host will give a presentation and ask questions. We’re reaching hundreds of people, not just in Raleigh but further afield. We’re also improving the content on the web so we have lots of things for people to do at home, as many museums do. For us, and the whole museum sector, it’s giving us a new way to talk to people and an understanding of the kinds of things that people want to see. I’m planning on starting a podcast soon, too. Right now would be the perfect time because people are at home and they’re listening to podcasts.
What do you think of the City of Oaks? Aside from leading the museum what else are you excited about doing around town?
One thing I love about being there is it’s so green. There’s trees everywhere, parks everywhere. I love to walk so Umstead Park is really going to be exciting. And of course, try new restaurants. I really like Gringo A Go Go, Sitti and The Pit. I’m looking forward to getting out to see some of the cultural stuff, too. When the pandemic stops, it’s going to be really important for everybody to start supporting local businesses, local culture, theatre. Raleigh seems to be a city that’s burgeoning. I want to make sure the museum keeps pace with the amazing growth, not just fiscal growth but intellectual growth. That renaissance of this area is one thing that makes being the head of this museum so exciting.
