Umbrella Dry Bar showers the local community with a slew of sober soirees.
There ain’t no party like a sober party, ’cause a sober party don’t stop! … Local zero-proof cocktail biz Umbrella Dry Bar doesn’t only boast delish nonalcoholic drinks, it touts a batch of events and activities showcasing just how fun sober socializing can be.
The sip-sational enterprise began from a dream held by longtime Raleigh resident Meg Paradise of filling a gap in the market for the sober-curious. “I wanted to create a new option for people,” shares the founder. “Even though it’s specifically nonalcoholic, that’s not to say before or afterward you can’t have alcohol. There are some places that call themselves more of a sober bar, but I see it differently. I just call it a super-inclusive space.”
To expand that vision, Paradise leans into her local connections to host/co-host amazing events inviting people into a safe space where they can let loose—without the hangover (a win-win!). Umbrella has showered sober fun around Raleigh via its recurring appearances at Live After 5, plus its presence at an array of hip local happenings (think Raleigh Pride, FlowerFest, Brookside Bodega’s Summer Block Party, Ever After and Kidchella). And the zero-proof sippery has even begun to dip its toes into the world of private events by catering to baby showers, corporate events and more.
To boot, Umbrella’s permanent pop-up location at Norwood Gardens now hosts regular “weekend kickoff” parties, yoga classes, mocktail mixology/herbal medicine courses and Beyoncé/Barbie-themed dance parties.
And the ’Gramworthy alcohol-free haven cares about more than just brand awareness. For Paradise, it’s all about amping up accessibility to a healthier lifestyle for the community craving a sober social hub just as much as she does.
“I chose to create this because I want to be a customer,” elaborates Paradise. “I want it to exist, so I’m making it exist. It’s beautiful, it’s delicious and it’s good for your body—why wouldn’t you make that choice? Once people are in the space, we have a lot of repeats. I feel like there’s this collective consciousness that’s asking for it. We’re answering that call.”
As for the future forecast of Umbrella, the biz plans to debut a flagship location Downtown—and Paradise doesn’t plan to stop there. “I want to have places everywhere, all over America,” she explains. “I don’t want to be just the nonalcoholic version of a liquor store—I want to be more of a resource, more curated, and provide very specific content and customer service.” Shakin’ it up, indeed!
Soccer fans, assemble! This Friday, find the U.S. Women’s National Team in New Zealand facing off for its first FIFA Women’s World Cup matchup versus Vietnam. And while our leading ladies are kickin’ it across the world, we’ve rounded up local events where you can show your support and spots to screen the match stateside. Let’s make this worldwide event one for the books. #Goals!
The Rialto The show must go on! The Rialto is reopening today at 7:30pm for World Cup USA vs Vietnam at 9pm—enter for free with beer, soda and maybe popcorn for sale. @rialtoraleigh
Tap Yard Fam and furry friends alike are welcome to cheer on our fierce females on the big screen (with the sound on!) with food trucks and cold bevs, natch. And be sure to don your best team USA gear! tapyardraleigh.com
Sports and Social What’s better than watching the World Cup on not one, not two, but 65+ TVs (NTM a 42-foot LED screen)?! Partake in the party—complete with games, giveaways and good vibes—and cheer on our gals with a specialty Hat Trick cocktail in hand. sportsandsocial.com
Live Viewing Party in Moore Square Pitch can’t kill the vibe at this Downtown watch party feat. live music, food truck fare and a load of lawn games (think knockerball, human foosball, soccer challenges and more). Score! raleighnc.gov
The Avenue While it might not be a soccer pitch, roll up to the grassy oasis at The Avenue and catch the game on one of its stockpile of screens—and squeeze in a game or two of pool during halftime. Play on! avenueraleigh.com
The Bridge DTR Clear eyes, full bellies, can’t lose. Fill up on food, drinks and camaraderie at The Bridge for soccer screening—Downtown soccer pub style. thebridgedtr.com
Carolina Ale House Give our kickin’ women an “ale yeah” at the NC Courage watch party in Brier Creek feat. food, games, and an appearance from the mascot Roary (!) along with select players from the NC Courage team. carolinaalehouse.com
Hibernian Pub Channel the luck of the Irish for our all-American soccer stars via a jaunt across the pond—er, to Glenwood South—for pub fare, drinks and an all-around kickin’ time. hibernianpub.com
There’s a new dog in the hause. Shifting from its previous doggie scoop shop concept Salty Paws franchise, meet the revamped vision + moniker: Hause of Dogs.
First discovering the franchise four years ago, local mother-daughter duo Amanda Moody and Ashton Edens, respectively, planned to launch their Salty Paws franchise in Smoky Hollow late this summer thanks to its solid business model—and thus delivering the first doggie ice cream bar and bakery (um, barkery) to bow in NC. But there’s been a recent revamp.
With a central focus on operating the biz to help dogs in need, the duo decided to walk away from the franchise in favor of more creative freedom and in the name of centering their enterprise on saving our local furry friends.
Despite the conceptual shift, Hause of Dogs remains set to open in its originally planned Smoky Hollow locale by visionary developer Kane Realty Corporation in mid-August. “Kane was really excited about the change,” shares Moody. “They thought it was a positive change for our platform and what we are hoping to do.”
Hause of Dogs maintains its plans to host its array of animal-centered activities—from partnering with New Anthem Beer, West Street Dog and DOSE Yoga to keeping their paws open to new ideas from the community. And for our dog lovers/yogis in the hause, find Doga on the schedule, aka yoga with shelter dogs roaming between the mats (did all the dog people just let out a collective squeal?!).
“It’s just giving us more creative freedom,” says Moody. “We can have better events, better parties and can now partner with other places we couldn’t work with before. There’s one shop we are hoping to work with that does customized bark boxes.” Translation: Your dog’s face on a cookie. Who’s ready to let the dogs out? @hauseofdogsraleigh
Create one-of-a-kind footwear via Raleigh author’s new book.
Armed with Posca markers in one hand and an unrelenting passion for sneakers in the other, Raleighite Xavier Crews has taken the sneakerhead community by storm. The viral sensation behind the uberpopular YouTube channel, Xavier Kickz touts some serious skill by switching ordinary sneaks into extraordinary works of art—and now he’s launching an instructional book, Art of Custom Sneakers, so you can too.
Landing on shelves in September, the first-ever sneaker customization manual is a step-by-step guide to creating unique sneaks—including fun and easy designs; techniques for leather or canvas footwear; and instructions on how to prep, paint, airbrush, doodle, hydrodip or toothpick paint your sneaks. Translation: fab footwear on fleek (!).
Art of Custom Sneakers kicks off with the basics (think tools and materials, workspace setup, prep, finishing, and design planning) and each chapter continues to put its best foot forward via vibrantly illustrated custom designs and QR code links to his online vids for extra design deets (plus a few laughs!).
The VA native and footwear maestro kicked off his fascination with shoe customization in high school after garnering attention for his cool kicks. “That really got me customizing,” recalls Crews. “I told my mom, ‘This is so cool, I really wanna do this!’”
A software engineer by day and a sneaker guru by night, Crew transforms sneakers right here in Raleigh—and his passion project for shoe design has garnered him an online following of nearly 1.5 million YouTube subscribers. And padding his popularity, the content creator’s personality and infectious sense of humor has only served to catapult his career via his 100+ YouTube videos inviting viewers into his world of sneaker stylin’. … “I’m also very entertaining,” he adds with a smile.
To boot, the sneaker artist + author aims to use his footwear fame to keep pursuing his dreams and giving back to the community—think gifting basketballs, iPads and his customized footwear, natch.Whether you’re a sneaker aficionado or simply someone who appreciates the fusion of art and fashion, Kickz, well, kicks you the opp to join the customization revolution. So strap on your wildest imagination and get ready for a rollercoaster ride of colors and creativity. … Got (shoe) game?@xavierkickz
Started in 2015, Hops for Hope pairs 30 local corporate teams around town with a local brewery to create a one-of-a-kind beer benefiting Children’s Flight of Hope. After all, teamwork makes the dream work—especially when it’s for a good cause. Join us on July 13 from 5 to 8pm at Crank Arm to try out our custom brew and help us come up with a name for it (choose between Hope Rides Eternal, Bunny Hops for Hope and Wheels of Hope!). Plus, be sure to mark your cal for the main event at Midtown Park in North Hills on Sept. 16 feat. live music, food trucks, a kid’s zone, and beer tasting + judging. … We’re all about drinking for good!
