NEWCOMER’S GUIDE
EDUCATION GUIDE +
If you are new to the area, welcome to Midtown magazine! This issue focuses on relocation since many people move to the area over the summer. We are also kicking back a little and focusing on summer fun and relaxation.
First things first: In April, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) in Raleigh opened its groundbreaking Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit, and we had the chance to discuss the program with the scientists who run it. With this exhibit, NCMNS has both built an internationally renowned paleontology lab and offered the public globally unique access to the work these scientists are doing. We can watch them work every day if we want to, in person or online. This is an exceptional opportunity for people living in or visiting this area.
NCMNS offers free access to its exhibits, as do many Raleigh museums—one of the perks of living here. We discuss these museums,and much more, in an article called Discovering Raleigh that reaches out to newcomers and offers some suggestions for getting to know the best of the city. Our relocation material also includes a newcomers guide that covers everything from North Carolina barbecue and weather to traffic and college sports. We also offer an education guide—essentially a primer on starting to navigate the excellent (but complex!) education landscape in Wake County. In short, this issue includes everything a newly relocated person needs to get started living the Wake County life.
Moving into kicking-back mode, our summer features include an article that was fun to edit on beach vacations in North Carolina a century ago. Eric Medlin, one of our history writers, has found some wonderful images of people visiting the North Carolina coast in the early 20th century and talks about ways people enjoyed going to the beach back then.
With this issue, we have changed our department pieces to include consistent sections called Local Flavor, Kaleidoscope, and Sports and Fitness. These sections will cover food and drink, the arts, and athletics and fitness stories. Other department pieces will rotate in and out, but these sections will remain consistent. The Raleigh area is producing such a rich series of opportunities to talk about these topics that they deserve the kind of examination that regular coverage can offer.
In this issue’s Local Flavor section you can learn how to make Sassool’s famous falafel (many thanks to Noelle and Simone for sharing it with us!) and read about all the delicious drink options available in Pittsboro’s Chatham Beverage District. In Kaleidoscope, you can find out what it’s been like for Josh Anderson to run productions at the Durham Performing Arts Center for the past 15 years and about the incredible work Raleigh’s Community Music School is doing for young performers. In Sports and Fitness, you’ll find out how North Carolina State University’s star women’s basketball team is training a new generation of female basketball players.
Finally, we encourage you to check out our online-only articles on our Talk of the Triangle page by going to midtownmag.com and clicking on Talk of the Triangle. Talk of the Triangle allows us to cover cultural and local events as they happen rather than limiting us to writing about them every two months. Recent articles have covered everything from how to care for your midsummer garden in the Triangle to 10th & Terrace rooftop bar’s new line of cocktails themed around performances at Red Hat Amphitheater.
Enjoy reading, stay cool and have a great summer!
Elizabeth Brignac, Editor
PUBLISHERS
Ronny Stephens
Kent Braswell
MANAGING EDITOR
Elizabeth Brignac
ART AND WEB DIRECTOR
Sean Byrne
GRAPHIC AND WEB DESIGNER
Dathan Kazsuk
COPY EDITOR
Cindy Huntley
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Kyle Marie McMahon
SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER
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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Sherry Braswell
Paige Gunter
Sophie Lapierre
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Elizabeth Brignac, Nan Chase, Kurt Dusterberg, Marylin Jones, Dathan Kazsuk, Janice Lewine, Sofia Lujan, Kyle Marie McMahon, Eric Medlin, Charlotte Russell, Kristen Schrum, Caitlin Wheeler, Melissa Wistehuff
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jessica Bratton, Dathan Kazsuk, Josh Manning Jenn McKinney Photography, Leah Marie Photography, Caroline Stamey
SUBSCRIPTIONS
6 print issues (1 year) Available online at midtownmag.com 4818-204 Six Forks Road
What
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Dorothea Dix Park builds on its history to extend
Biltmore
Great ways to get to know
Family
Eat, drink and play at Chatham Beverage District
An interview with Josh Anderson, DPAC's production director SOUNDS OF
Community Music School reaches out to young musicians
ARTWORK
Laura Ashley's "Richard Petty Career"
North
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The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ longawaited Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit opened to the public in April, with Gov. Roy Cooper on hand to chomp through the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Photo by Sophie Lapierre.
We celebrated the grand opening of the Designed for Joy store located in the Makers Alley area of North Hills. Designed for Joy has provided over 140 women in crisis with steady employment since 2017.
a pose!
We all scream for ice cream! The Yard Milkshake Bar serves up delectable treats at their sweet shop in Seaboard Station.
Tenth & Terrace unveiled its Concert & Cocktails liquid confections, pairing concerts at nearby Red Hat Amphitheater with matching themed drinks. Seen here from top to bottom: Green River, Pink Pony Club and Goose Juice. Photos by Dathan Kazsuk.
Summer in the Carolinas can test our tolerance for the heat, so it’s always a good idea to find the right state of mind. Lean into summertime with cool, comfortable accessories for the pool and beach, or add a couple of touches around your home to freshen the decor and keep things light and breezy.
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BY JANICE LEWINE
Global superstar J. Cole and Dreamville, the internationally recognized entertainment brand and multi-platinum record label for which he co-founded, successfully hosted the fourth edition of Dreamville Festival April 6–7 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh. More than 100,000 attendees from around the globe enjoyed performances by headliners SZA, 50 Cent, J. Cole and Nicki Minaj, as well as other national hip-hop and rap artists, 75+ vendors, food trucks, artisans and muralists. Festival-goers also enjoyed rides on the iconic Dreamville Ferris wheel with unparalleled skyline views of downtown Raleigh, marching band performances and site-wide art installations.
Photo courtesy of Sam Shapiro Media, The Parallel Agency and Dreamville Festival.
A favorite neighborhood destination for shoppers and diners since 1949, the Village District in Raleigh celebrated its 75th anniversary on April 20 with a beer garden, pop-up shops, giveaways, kids’ activities, and live music from Say Less the Band, Kerry Long and Boat House Row. Drink ticket sales benefited Designed For Joy, a local nonprofit that provides women in crisis with stability through immediate employment and support. The Village District is located at 2068 Clark Avenue and boasts more than 60 retail and specialty shops as well as 20 food and beverage outlets.
Photo courtesy of Village District.
Nature lovers of all ages kicked off the spring season on April 27 at Raulston Blooms!, an annual garden festival offering a plant sale, makers market, educational displays and demonstrations, food trucks and kids activities at JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh. Attendees viewed more than 50 unique entries from the festival’s 22nd annual Birdhouse Competition along with a live honeybee display by the 5 County Beekeepers Association.
Photo courtesy of Janice Lewine.
Hourly raffles for children’s and adult books, bookish trivia and a scavenger hunt with prizes illuminated Quail Ridge Books’ celebration of Independent Bookstore Day on April 27. The event also featured a story time with North Carolina author Ashley Belote, live music from Matt Riedl, custom poems from Poetry Fox, and guest booksellers Darren Farrell, Ellery Adams and Sarah Grunder Ruiz, who recommended their favorite books. Independent Bookstore Day is a one-day national party that takes place at indie bookstores across the country on the last Saturday in April and features exclusive literary items. Quail Ridge Books is located at 4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road in Raleigh.
Photo courtesy of Quail Ridge Books.
BY JANICE LEWINE
Transform your decorating ideas into reality at Ballard Designs, which opened in April at the Village District in Raleigh. Featuring a unique curation of all periods and provenance with a distinctive European influence, Ballard reinterprets classic designs in a contemporary way. Its designers travel the world in search of new trends in fashion, color and style. Ballard offers more than 300 pieces you can customize from finish to fabric, as well as a print catalog and online shopping.
443 Daniels Street, Raleigh
919.827.4325 ballarddesigns.com
Photo courtesy of Ballard Designs.
Ecomaids, one of the nation’s leading eco-friendly cleaning services, recently launched its newest franchise in South Raleigh, Garner and Fuquay-Varina. Ecomaids has been at the forefront of green cleaning since its corporate launch in 2010 and utilizes nontoxic, eco-friendly products and methods that are safe for families, pets and the planet. The South Raleigh franchise is owned and operated by local resident Carolina Silva.
1000 N. Main Street, Fuquay-Varina 919.341.1129
ecomaids.com/south-raleigh-nc
Photo courtesy of Ecomaids.
Specializing in high-end luxury service for high school senior portraits, Jenn McKinney is dedicated to curating dream sessions tailored to each individual, ensuring a truly unique and custom experience. From picturesque outdoor locations to studio setups, every detail is meticulously planned to capture the essence of each senior’s personality and style. Headshots are also available for those looking to make a lasting impression in their professional endeavors.
230 Fayetteville Street, Suite 204, Raleigh 919.280.5548
jmfhoto.com
Photo courtesy of Jenn McKinney.
Woofie’s of Northwest Raleigh celebrated its grand opening May 11 at Boxyard RTP. Owned by Durham resident William Lee Graddy, Woofie’s offers pet sitting, dog walking, a mobile spa and other personalized services for pet owners in Raleigh, Durham and Morrisville. Woofie’s serves all types of family pets who need care— from goats and monkeys to bearded dragons.
984.377.5080
woofies.com/northwest-raleigh
Photo courtesy of Woofie’s of Northwest Raleigh.
BY E R IC MEDLIN
This summer, millions of people are taking at least one trip to visit the beaches of North Carolina. These visitors come from all 50 states and dozens of countries around the world. They will stay at hotels and campgrounds, sample regional cuisine and enjoy miles of sand and surf at the Outer Banks and other North Carolina beaches.
They are, of course, not the first people to enjoy a North Carolina beach trip. North Carolinians and others have been vacationing at the state’s beaches for over 200 years. According to historian David Stick, the first coastal trips for recreation occurred as early as the 1750s, with Beaufort becoming a regular tourist destination by 1800. The first North Carolina community founded specifically as a beach resort was Nags Head in the 1830s. While Nags Head was
popular during the summers, it mostly attracted visitors from the Albemarle region in its early years because it was relatively difficult to reach.
About a hundred years ago, however, the North Carolina beach trip began to assume a form we would recognize today. Many of those trips focused on the sand and the surf. Travelers would spend several hours riding a train line like the North Carolina Railroad to Wilmington, Morehead City or another coastal hub, often taking a ferry to their final destination on a barrier island.
Beach trips a hundred years ago were more restrictive, challenging and time-consuming than they are today. But as a means to enjoy natural beauty and a weekend of fun, a trip to the beach has not changed all that much.
Nags Head in the Outer Banks has been a popular surfing spot for decades.
Photo by stock.adobe.com - digidreamgrafix
Once at the water, what did beachgoers wear a century ago? The bikini would not be invented until 1946. According to the Fashion History Timeline, a Fashion Institute of Technology resource, women wore head-totoe flannel bathing dresses during the Victorian period, but by the turn of the century, fashions were beginning to change. Most women’s bathing suits of the 1910s and 1920s were one-piece swimsuits with hemlines that shortened as the years went on.
The Maryland Center for History and Culture writes that men in this part of America wore shorts and a top— at first modest, with sleeves, but later sleeveless, like a tank top. People changed their clothes in bath houses, which were the only structures built directly on some barrier islands.
Lounging on the beach and walking up and down the sand were as popular a century ago as they are today. But starting in the early 20th century, beachgoers gradually began to surf. Surfing originated in Polynesia centuries ago as a recreational activity with religious components.
It began to cross into American culture in the 19th century after American contact with Hawaiians. After several decades, the slow process of surfing’s cultural drift reached North Carolina. Surfboards could be found on state beaches as early as 1907, and a famous demonstration of surfing occurred in 1928. This activity was for many years purely recreational, using surfboards made of local woods. The first regular professional surfing competitions did not occur in North Carolina until the 1960s.
Coastal visitors could participate in a number of other activities besides swimming and surfing. Many visited boardwalks and early amusement parks in beach towns. But some chose a more isolated coastal hobby: bird hunting. North Carolina’s Outer Banks were home to some of the most popular shooting clubs on the East Coast. The early- and mid-20th century was the heyday of destinations like the Flyway Club on Knotts Island and the Whalehead Club in Corolla, first built as a private mansion beside the town’s lighthouse in the early 1920s.
CLOCKWISE FR OM TOP LEF T:
Detail of an 1889 map showing the railroads that connected Raleigh to state beaches. Source: NC Maps, dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/singleitem/ collection/ncmaps/id/620/rec/24.
The Morehead City Train Depot. Morehead City was a travel hub for beach travelers in the early 20th century. Photo courtesy of Eric Medlin. The Whalehead Club, a popular shooting club in Corolla, North Carolina during the first half of the 20th century. Photo courtesy of Eric Medlin.
Hunting duck and geese was particularly popular with wealthy industrialists from up north. Famous names like the DuPonts and Joseph P. Knapp, publisher of Collier’s and the New York Herald Tribune’s Sunday edition, built lodges on the North Carolina coast and invited their wealthy friends on hunting trips. While these outings were decidedly upper-class, all classes hunted throughout the coast—notably in Dare County and the Core Sound area. Core Sound is famous for its myriad of duck decoys and calls, many of which can be seen at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum in Harkers Island. Hunting remains a popular attraction on North Carolina beaches today.
Everyone knows that conferences are much better attended when they are at scenic or entertaining locales. Last year, vacation centers Orlando and Las Vegas were two of the top four conference destinations in the country. It turns out that modern companies didn’t invent the idea of holding work conferences in destination towns. In North Carolina, the practice dates back over a century. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, The Atlantic Hotel in Morehead City was a popular center for business meetings. The North Carolina Bankers Association and one
of the groups that eventually became the North Carolina Association of Educators both held formative meetings at The Atlantic. These groups eventually adjourned for the day to go fishing, sailing or lounging on Bogue Banks. Like many of today’s visitors, they combined their business trips with the pleasure of a beach vacation, enjoying the same river and beach areas that attract millions of visitors today.
Like every other aspect of Southern society in the early 1900s, North Carolina beaches were segregated by race. One of today’s state parks, Hammocks Beach, originated in a state-run effort to provide Black families with their own dedicated beach: Bear Island.
Long before Hammocks Beach became a state park, several other Black beaches during segregation were located just beside white beaches. A famous example was the Seabreeze resort on Freeman Beach at the northern tip of Pleasure Island, which was established in the 1920s and became known in the 1950s for its boogie and swing bands.
A contemporary of Seabreeze, Shell Island Resort (near Wrightsville Beach) only lasted three years, but attracted thousands of Black visitors during its years of operation.
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Vintage postcard of the boardwalk at Carolina Beach, circa 1930–1945. Source: Boston Public Library.
A vintage postcard showing boat racing at Wrightsville Beach, circa 1930–1945. Source: Boston Public Library. The Atlantic Hotel. Source: PICRYL/public domain.
Some aspects of the North Carolina beach trip have changed in the past century. The most striking change was the integration of beaches in the 1960s. Many physical institutions of early 20th century beach life have also changed. The Atlantic Hotel burned down in 1933 and the Whalehead Club closed in the 1950s. The clubs, restaurants and nightlife that defined Freeman Beach and the Seabreeze resort have disappeared as well. Greater development of the coast has led to both loss of habitat and a subsequent increase in environmental awareness.
But much has stayed the same. Despite the loss of old clubs, hunting opportunities remain popular on the coast. Currituck County remains popular for hunters as well as the Down East region of Carteret County. Professional groups still hold conferences at beach hotels. And while most visitors take cars instead of trains, the sand and surf still welcome millions to come and relax on the shores of— arguably—North Carolina’s most famous asset.
For more images of vintage summer fun on North Carolina beaches, click this QR code for an online photo series.
ABOVE: Visitors examine evidence paleontologists are using to determine how the exhibit’s two dinosaurs met their demise.
RIGHT: The Dueling Dinosaurs fossils include preserved skeletons of a tyrannosaur and a Triceratops.
BY ELIZABETH BRIGNAC | P HOTOS BY JE NN McKINNEY PHOTOGRAPHY
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ new Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit puts Raleigh on paleontology’s global map—and breaks down barriers between science and the public.
Raleigh’s North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) recently acquired two of the world’s most complete dinosaur skeletons for its Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit and opened one of the best-equipped paleontology labs in the world to study them. When the paleontologists are finished examining these fossils, the lab will acquire new ones. “Our lab here is really one of the world’s top paleontology labs. People want to come here to Raleigh to be associated with this lab,” says Kerry Irish, NCMNS’s director of communications.
If this lab were all the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit brought to Raleigh, it would confer prestige. But what makes this exhibit globally unique is the unprecedented live-science access offered to museum visitors. Its goals are both to study fossils and show science in action. “We are the only fossil prep space in the entire world that allows visitors to come inside the lab with us on a regular basis … Visitors get to come inside the lab every single day the museum is open and talk with folks like myself or other staff members here in the lab,” says Eric Lund, NCMNS’s paleontology lab manager.
BELOW: The Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit includes a paleo art interactive station that allows visitors to envision what aTriceratops might look like—and what qualities might help it thrive in its environment.
OPPOSITE PAGE: Children look up at a Nothronychus skeleton —a clawed, Late Cretaceous contemporary of the exhibit’s tyrannosaur and Triceratops .
Scientists in the Dueling Dinosaurs lab do their work in view of both in-person visitors and virtual visitors via a live webcam that broadcasts lab activities. The scientists welcome guests’ questions, with each person on the team taking questionanswering shifts.
The goal in opening up the lab as an exhibit: to demystify science. People tend to think of scientific research as a mysterious process that goes on behind closed doors, but this sophisticated lab is producing research at the top of its field in front of anyone who cares to watch. “We are pushing the envelope of science communication and engagement with our visitors, and showing them that we are real people inside the labs … We are on the cutting edge of paleontology as a science [trying to] connect with [the public], and educate them and inspire the next generation of scientists,” says Lund.
The Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit began to take shape eight years ago. Or, if you want to be technical about it, 67 million years ago.
During the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Montana, a tyrannosaur and a Triceratops were engaged in an interaction— probably “dueling or dining” as the exhibit describes it (they were either fighting, or the tyrannosaur was eating the Triceratops)— when they were buried in some kind of environmental event. Because they were buried quickly and completely, their fossils were well-preserved.
In 2006, the fossils were discovered on private land—the most complete tyrannosaur skeleton ever found in North America and what may be one of the most complete Triceratops skeletons in the world. The fossils were priced out of range for most research facilities, and for a while, they were in danger of being relegated to obscurity in a Long Island storage facility.
In 2015, NCMNS’s head of paleontology, Dr. Lindsay Zanno, “had the idea of tearing down the veil between scientists and the general public and using paleontology and these fossils to do that,” says Lund—an approach that inspired widespread support. The nonprofit Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences raised contributions from donors, companies and the state of North Carolina, enabling the museum to purchase the fossils and build and equip the lab. “Many, many folks were involved in bringing together the funding for this project,” says Lund.
The process took years. There were many difficulties to overcome, even before the COVID-19 pandemic created inevitable delays and complications. But the exhibit finally opened on April 27, 2024.
The Dueling Dinosaurs’ commitment to removing barriers between scientists and the public is part of a long-standing practice at NCMNS. One obvious hurdle the museum has overcome is financial. Permanent exhibits at NCMNS, including the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit, are free to anyone who wants to explore them.
Another barrier is the common notion that scientific discovery is inaccessible to normal people. The idea of science as an esoteric, closed-door process bars people who might otherwise be interested from pursuing scientific inquiry and fosters public distrust in science and scientists. The museum, therefore, has been tackling that sense of mystique head-on. It utilizes glass walls for labs in the Nature Research Center, for example, so visitors can watch scientists work.
Dueling Dinosaurs is a huge step forward in the demystification process. This exhibit introduces scientists to the public as regular human beings doing a job just like anyone else. “For a million people a year who come to the museum to have an opportunity to engage with a researcher—[that can] get us over or past that hump, that most people think they don’t know a scientist or a science professional,” says Dr. Denise Young, director of NCMNS.
When they realize they’ve been talking with a team scientist, many visitors are surprised and impressed. Making science and researchers accessible inspires people to engage in scientific inquiry and encourages them to believe in its results. “Really, trying to build trust in science and the scientific process is at the core of this entire project,” says Young.
The Dueling Dinosaurs research team is demographically diverse—a deliberate choice that improves their work. “We really believe that diversity is good for science,” says Dr. Denise Young, director
of NCMNS. “Different ways of thinking, different ways of knowing, different life experiences that people bring to the questions they have, the ways they approach solving them—it makes science better.”
The team’s diversity also breaks down yet another barrier between the public and science—this time, one of demographics. “That’s a comforting thing, when you walk into a place and you see people that look like you. And you’re like, ‘Oh, wow, that’s great!’ once [people] are inside, immediately breaking down those barriers that they put up to see that they belong and can fit in,” says Lund.
Not only does this exhibit inspire people to believe they can understand science or become scientists—it gives kids across North Carolina the opportunity to be scientists. Cretaceous Creatures, a public science and educational arm of the Dueling Dinosaurs experience, brings millions of fossils from the layer of sediment in which the Dueling Dinosaurs were found into eighth-grade classrooms across North Carolina. Kids are taught how to examine the fossils and use NCMNS software to identify their samples.
The results: over 14,000 North Carolina
kids (and counting) who are better-educated about how to think like scientists—and a broad base of data about the Dueling Dinosaurs’ environment available to researchers. A team member checks the student scientists’ findings, and then it is made available to the world. Cretaceous Creatures is one of many citizen science opportunities available at NCMNS. To learn about more citizen science opportunities for both children and adults and about the role citizen science plays at NCMNS, scan the QR code at the end of this piece.
This scientific team is committed to sharing its results. “We have a truly world-class group of scientists at work here, and the work that they do makes waves around the world,” says Irish. “In order for science to move forward, you’ve got to share your data—so write your paper and then share [it]!” agrees Lund.
The lab’s technology makes both the research and the sharing of data more efficient than ever before. For example, CT technology allows scientists to scan fossils—from tiny teeth to specimens the
size of houses—and create 3D surface scans that can be viewed as exact digital models of the fossils. Sometimes fossils are too fragile to ship, or even to cast and mold for models, but they can all be scanned. Used this way, CT technology facilitates research, preserves fragile fossils in the long term and allows researchers to share their work simply by sharing files. “We can be on opposite ends of the globe and collaborate on these things,” says Lund.
The lab also utilizes laser-based X-ray fluorescence (XRF) in exciting ways. “We know that these animals were buried as carcasses. They were buried with all their soft tissue and their skin and everything in place, so there’s potential for all that information to be preserved,” says Lund. XRF technology gives researchers information about the layers of tissue that once covered the bones, where cartilage once grew, and other information about the organic matter that once covered these bones—including (potentially) the cells that give animals their coloration.
The museum could open its doors to the public on any number of large-scale scientific investigations. Why Dueling Dinosaurs?
To some extent, it’s because dinosaurs are cool. People want to come in and learn about them. To encourage people to observe scientific inquiry in process, the research being done must capture their attention. The public will learn what the scientists learn, and the exhibit will be updated as discoveries unfold. And no matter how old we get, dinosaurs continue to spark people’s interest. “This is a scientific mystery of incredible interest,” says Lund “[stimulating] incredible imagination … The questions we are asking inspire people’s curiosity and wonder about these creatures.” This opinion appears to be one people share all the way up to the top. “North Carolina is the best in so many things,” Gov. Roy Cooper said happily at the opening of the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit. “And now we’re the best in dinosaurs.”
LEFT: The interactive features at the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit allow visitors to explore the ways paleontologists solve riddles about the past. OPPOSITE PAGE: Families watch a team of paleontologists, who will study dinosaur specimens for years to come, working at the SECU DinoLab
Long before its transformation into an urban park, Dorothea Dix Park was historically significant. It initially served as vital land for Indigenous peoples, including the Coharie, Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi, Sappony and Waccamaw Siouan. The land later became part of the Spring Hill plantation, where enslaved African Americans toiled for 150 years. Subsequently, the site became North Carolina’s first mental health facility, Dorothea Dix Hospital, which operated for over a century and briefly housed the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
This rich and complex tapestry of human experiences led to the City of Raleigh’s decision to have Dix Park recognized as a member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. This global network comprises historic sites and museums dedicated to making the past a dynamic part of the future, using history to inspire and foster social justice and human rights.
“The history of this site is vast,” explains Anna Torres, senior communications and marketing manager at Dix Park Conservancy, “Dix has been historically significant for a long time, and we want to honor that.”
By 2015, Raleigh acquired the park, intending to balance its historical significance with new urban park developments. Dix Park Conservancy then appointed a Legacy Committee to ensure respectful homage to the site through a cultural interpretation plan, educating visitors and linking historical insights to contemporary local relevance.
“Part of our role is to educate future generations about what was here,” explains Torres, reflecting the Conservancy’s belief that understanding community priorities can guide structured recommendations for sharing the site’s history with visitors, linking the past to what matters to locals today.
Central to this mission are the park’s historic stone buildings—originally staff residences—now under renovation to preserve the park’s legacy while supporting its transformation.
The rehabilitation of the stone houses at Dorothea Dix Park blends historical preservation with modern functionality to reimagine these storied structures for public enjoyment and use.
THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A wall of images at the new visitor’s center depicts activites in the park. The new visitor’s center welcome room includes a display cabinet built by Raleigh Reclaimed from a fallen oak on the Dix Park property. A third room in the visitor’s center takes visitors through the history of the park land, from the time when indigenous tribes lived on it through its transition to a park in 2012.
OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: The ribbon-cutting for the newly renovated stone houses took place May 31.
OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM: The Superintendent’s House, built in 1923, will serve as office space for Dix Park Conservancy.
“We are excited that these buildings have a new future for the park,” declares Nick Smith, chief of staff for Dix Park Conservancy. “They are very special buildings that deserve to be honored in special ways.”
During renovation, architects and planners were asked to keep the original aesthetic and structural components of these houses, which were originally built in the 1920s for Dorothea Dix Hospital. The renovations preserve the original windows, locally quarried stone and authentic layouts while making updates that will meet accessibility and sustainability requirements.
The Superintendent’s House, which remains on its original foundation, was once the hospital superintendent’s office space and the residence for the superintendent’s family. This building is now designated to become offices for Dix Park Conservancy, while an extended porch will offer panoramic views of downtown Raleigh. A new basement addition is planned to include public restrooms, enhancing visitor accessibility and convenience.
Originally the residence of the lead physician, the Physician’s House is being transformed into a vibrant community space. This house will accommodate various functions, including city staff volunteer services
for the park, a conference room, an educational classroom, programs run by the Conservation Corps, and an innovative artisan residency program that the Conservancy hopes to introduce later on in the summer.
Lastly, the Gatekeeper’s Cottage, once situated at the park’s original entrance, is set to become Dorothea Dix’s first visitor center. It will provide a welcoming space for guests, complete with essential information such as visitor maps, an overview of ongoing projects in Dix Park and an exhibit dedicated to the history and legacy of the property.
The initiation of these renovations was a key priority in Phase 1 of the park’s Master Plan, made possible through a significant contribution from the SECU Foundation. This gift of $5 million was particularly poignant given the site’s history as a mental hospital where generations of state employees—including State Employees Credit Union staff—were supported by the hospital’s services.
“The foundation believed this renovation struck the perfect balance between honoring the past and bringing the park into the next generation of users,” Smith explains, highlighting the deep connection between the park’s past and its future.
THIS PAGE: The renovation of the stone houses included creating pleasant office and community spaces for Dix Park Conservancy workers, volunteers and others.
OPPOSITE PAGE: Photo of painted bunting courtesy of Bob Karp and Dix Park / Dix Park Conservancy
Biltmore Estate’s farm operations garnish Asheville’s foodie reputation
BY NAN K. CHASE
If meals at the fabled Biltmore Estate taste especially fresh and flavorful, it’s because they are fresher and more flavorful than typical fare. In Asheville, a city obsessed with its reputation for farm-to-table culinary excellence—locally grown and sustainable—the most remarkable food story of all is hiding in plain sight.
Nurturing a self-sustaining food production system, Biltmore Estate today has returned to the intent of its creator, George Washington Vanderbilt. As Vanderbilt set out to build an advanced agricultural operation in the late 1800s, he restored more than 100,000 acres of ravaged mountainsides to productive farmland and forest.
Nowadays, the estate is known primarily as a top North Carolina tourist destination, where more than a million visitors per year flock to Vanderbilt’s Gilded Age mansion, recognized as one of the largest private homes in the country. Step away from the house, however, and the full scope of the estate’s agricultural production comes into focus.
rye for the animals’ custom feed mixes, and you have a booming farm within shouting distance of Asheville’s shopping malls and suburban housing developments.
Kyle Mayberry, the estate’s director of agriculture and a North Carolina State University graduate, is proud of the humane farming methods that are meant to keep animals content and productive until the moment they are harvested for food.
Swine—kept together in their original litters—root for acorns in wooded paddocks for six months at a time.
Cattle graze with their young in open fields. Sheep wander beneath the estate’s 13-acre solar collector array under the watchful eyes of five shaggy white guard dogs. The farm also houses its own beehives. “We are keeping George Vanderbilt’s dream alive,” says Mayberry. “We want to show it to people.”
The back half of the estate, on the far side of the French Broad River from the mansion and its ornamental landscaping, is the site of livestock operations that help supply various dining establishments for visitors: 300 Black Angus cows, a dozen breeding bulls and their offspring; a dozen breeding Berkshire sows and two boars, plus their young; and 120 ewes, three rams and their twice-a-year production of lambs. Add thousands of acres of sunny pastureland, along with the row crops that produce hay, corn, barley, soybeans, wheat and
The estate produces more than just livestock. Thanks to its managed forest plan—which began with the nation’s first large-scale forestry management system, established in the late 19th century—some 6,000 acres of carefully tended, mixed woodland now produce oak timber that’s fashioned into barrels for aging the estate’s own wines. Seeds from the sunflowers grown on-site are now pressed and used for food-grade finishing oils and vinaigrettes.
Then there’s the produce. A complex of greenhouses—8,000 square feet in all—yields a steady supply of salad greens, tomatoes, live microgreens and herbs for the estate’s salads. That adds up to 1,000 heads of lettuce a week, while the greenhouses produce crops
of baby bok choy and other delicacies. Biltmore-grown basil is harvested twice a week for “export” to a local company that makes blueberry-basil soda. Pest control inside the greenhouses comes from flats full of a pungent mix of watercress and garlic. Outside, critter-proof crops like edible flowers and horseradish don’t need pampering.
Field-to-table manager Sarah Woodby proudly oversees this bountiful year-round cycle of intensive growing, which she describes as “40% less water, 40% faster and 40% larger” than plants grown outdoors in soil. Hydroponic techniques use sterile growing media to hold seedlings gently in place as water-soluble nutrients cycle around their roots. “It’s like baby formula,” she says. “For each plant we calculate their individual needs, and there’s no field runoff.”
As a child on a North Carolina tobacco farm, Woodby grew up handling seeds and plants. Now she applies that knowledge with an artist’s touch. “We could streamline and mechanize with things like vacuum seeders, to plant individual seeds. But that’s not the human touch. We’re all about quality. We’re not about quantity. It’s not how fast, but how good. So, for instance, we use tweezers for placing seeds by hand,” she says.
Woodby meets with the Biltmore chefs several times a year to coordinate the crops she needs to grow for the menus they want to create. The chefs like Cherokee purple tomatoes, so that’s what she grows, even though
that variety is not typically raised hydroponically. Her staff can even grow crops timed for specific event menus.
Overseeing menu development for the estate’s dining facilities, from casual burger and snack outlets to pub fare and banqueting, the estate’s executive chef, Mark DeMarco, draws on the fresh fare around him to offer well-crafted dishes with superb flavor. Savory soup stocks, for example, come from the bones of the livestock raised and butchered at the estate. The salads are almost sweet, and the lamb-rich shepherd’s pie is tender. “A hundred percent of the ground beef served on the estate is from our beef,” he says. “Our biggest struggle is producing out-of-season fruits and vegetables.”
The supply chain challenges of COVID-19 forced DeMarco and his staff to become creative, making the most of nearby food sources. “It made the chef team a lot more resourceful,” he says. Another new development is a major effort to compost not only all of the estate’s agricultural and landscaping byproducts, but more and more discarded foodstuffs. The estate’s onsite composting facility produces 1,200 tons of finished compost a year, which in turn gets spread onto crop fields, pastures and landscape beds—an efficient closed loop that George Vanderbilt would have lauded.
Once upon a time, over a century ago, Biltmore Estate wagons trundled through the streets of Asheville with
produce for sale to the public and deliveries of rich dairy products from Vanderbilt’s prize-winning, 2,000-strong dairy herd. Meanwhile, as Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt sat down for meals, they could enjoy the satisfaction of delicious homegrown food from their own backyard, including poultry and game. An 1897 newspaper article heaped on the praise: “It is Vanderbilt the farmer, not Vanderbilt of the Chateau, who has proven to be the great benefactor of western North Carolina … Today he is the best farmer in the South.”
Today’s estate does more than preserve the home and grounds for tourism purposes—it preserves Vanderbilt’s legacy in farming and forestry for future generations.
PAGE 54 : Biltmore’s Village Social restaurant offers a colorful array of dishes, ingredients for which are sourced from the estate’s farms.
PAGE 55: Exterior of the Biltmore mansion.
OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: Historic photograph of harvest time on the Biltmore farm.
OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM: Edith Vanderbilt Gerry (sitting on the tractor) and her daughter Cornelia.
BELOW: Biltmore cows graze in a pasture on the estate.
ON R IGHT: Visitors can experience Biltmore’s agricultural history in a unique way by staying in cottages originally inhabited by people who ran the farm.
The Biltmore Farm to Table Tour & Taste experience lets visitors see the cattle and hog farming operations, hydroponic greenhouses and estate vineyards. Stay in the country by booking any of four recently restored agricultural cottages on the estate and enjoy a tour and a sip and taste! Visit biltmore.com/activity/farm-totable-tour-taste and biltmore.com/stay/cottage to learn more.
Nan K. Chase is the author of Asheville: A History and Lost Restaurants of Asheville .
BY ELIZABETH BRIGNAC
New to Raleigh? Or perhaps you’ve lived here for a while, but you’d like to rediscover the city? Here are some adventures that can help you get to know the City of Oaks. Each of these activities reveals something special about this unique city you now call home, and participating can help you understand this area’s unique character
In 2022, North Carolina ranked eighth in the nation for the value of its agricultural products, and the Piedmont is where farmers grow a lot of those products. The Triangle area is surrounded by farmland, and agriculture is an important influence on life in Raleigh. North Carolina State University contributes greatly to the state’s agricultural research, and the university reaches out to the public with education, exhibitions and products (try Howling Cow ice cream, which is made on campus as part of N.C. State’s Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences. It’s delicious!) Also, each fall, farmers across the state bring their prize-winning animals and produce into the city for the North Carolina State Fair, which attracted over 926,000 people in 2023. Come see just how big pumpkins can get in 2024! Raleigh is also home to the State Farmers Market, where you can buy local produce—as well as pork products, fresh seafood from the North Carolina coast, and a variety of goods made by local artisans—all day, seven days a week. Plenty of smaller farmers markets also pop up on the weekends across Raleigh and in nearby towns. Agricultural opportunities abound in our restaurants as well. Visit the Angus Barn steakhouse and Big Ed’s Restaurant, for example—two beloved Raleigh dining venues that lean heavily into North Carolina farm life in both their menus and decor.
Freedom Park commemorates Black Americans’ struggle for freedom and equality. Quotes from famous Black North Carolinians are etched on the stone wallways, and the Beacon of Freedom sculpture rises into the air at the park’s center. Phil Freelon, the architect best known for designing the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C. designed Freedom Park.
Photo courtesy of Keenan Hairston/visitRaleigh.com
The rapid growth of Wake County’s population has meant that farms that once required a drive into the country are now just a few minutes outside town, and some farms have responded by becoming creative with agritourism opportunities. In spring and summer, go to one of the many pick-your-own farms in the area for berries, flowers and other treats. In the fall, explore pumpkin farms, corn mazes, hayrides—there’s even a place in Cary where you can shoot pumpkins from a pumpkin launcher into a lake. Bonus points if you hit the target for your preferred college sports team.
Raleigh is unique for a city of this size in its number of high-quality, free museums—so many that it has earned the moniker the “Smithsonian of the South.” Enjoy free exhibits at the North Carolina Museum of Art and then wander its extensive museum park, which is filled with sculptures, flowers and interactive exhibits. Check out the new Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit (see our story on page 38) at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, (NCMNS) which includes the Nature Exploration Center and the Nature Research Center in its downtown location. Each building offers several floors full of exhibits, dioramas and interactive opportunities.
The North Carolina Museum of History is currently closed for renovations, but make sure to visit once it reopens, as it will offer a new, updated series of excellent regional history exhibits.
Many smaller free museums are also available to the public, like the one at Historic Yates Mill County Park, which runs a still-functioning, water-powered gristmill, the likes of which powered North Carolina’s economy for many decades along local creeks and rivers. You can also visit the Pope House Museum, which illuminates the life of a prominent Black family in Raleigh in the early 20th century. These and many other museums and historical opportunities are offered for free to anyone who cares to visit.
Raleigh’s free museums result from a deliberate decision by North Carolina state officials to make cultural resources available to as many people as possible and encourage both citizens and visitors to explore them. “There’s a concept in the museum world called the Threshold Effect,” says Dr. Denise Young, Director of NCMNS. “It takes a lot of effort to get someone to literally walk over the threshold of the museum door and come in. There are lots of reasons for that, and one is financial.” Removing the financial barrier is an important way to encourage people to explore science, art, history and
other cultural opportunities in their communities. “It’s a big deal that North Carolina invests in its cultural institutions and maintains [a commitment to] their being freely available,” says Young.
Raleigh is home to over 200 free local parks that are open to the public. William B. Umstead State Park is the largest park in the Triangle area. With over 5,500 acres of densely forested land, this park, though located at the busy center of the Triangle, creates the impression of bringing visitors far into nature and away from the hustle and bustle of urban and suburban life. It also contains intriguing ruins—remnants of local history.
Other local parks are small but beautiful, like the Raleigh Little Theatre Rose Garden and the WRAL Azalea Garden, which bloom into magnificence in April and May. Some focus on history, like the North Carolina Freedom Park in downtown Raleigh, which commemorates the African American struggle for equality. Some are educational as well as beautiful, like the extensive JC Raulston Arboretum at N.C. State University. Bring your kids to Pullen Park, one of the oldest still-functioning amusement parks in the country, offering historic train, carousel and boat rides as well as an extensive playground and beautiful grounds to explore. Buy an ice pop while you’re there (or hot chocolate when it’s chilly) and enjoy watching the ducks on the pond. Or enjoy the sunflowers and swing on the hammocks at Raleigh’s largest city park, Dorothea Dix Park.
The spirit of Raleigh—its reverence for history, love of green space and emphasis on family- and communityoriented activities—is encapsulated in its parks.
Raleigh is a city of sports enthusiasts, particularly when it comes to college sports. N.C. State University is right here in Raleigh, so many locals are Wolfpack fans, but we have a lot of UNC Tar Heel and Duke Blue Devil fans living here too. Basketball is the big-ticket item, of course (both the men’s and women’s Wolfpack teams played in the Final
LEFT: Fireworks in Downtown Raleigh in 2023 celebrate 25 years of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Photo courtesy of Garrett Poulos /visit R aleigh.com
RIGHT: The JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University houses plants from over 50 countries. Many are varieties adapted for use in Piedmont landscapes. The public is welcome to explore the arboretum’s 10 acres daily, free of charge.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Todd Glenn /visit R aleigh.com
Four this year, and the entire city was cheering them on), but Raleigh celebrates other college sports as well, and many cultural events are built around them. Most bars and many restaurants show college games on screens at all times, and tailgating at N.C. State football games is a beloved tradition here. Pick a team to root for and have fun with it!
Raleigh also celebrates the Carolina Hurricanes, our only major league professional sports team, with great enthusiasm. The team, coached by former star player Rod Brind’Amour, consistently makes the playoffs, and no matter what your college affiliation may be, everyone in the area roots for the Canes. The team brings the city together. Don some Canes gear and enjoy the games with others in the community!
Raleigh is one of the best-educated cities in the U.S.— Forbes has us at number six—which is hardly surprising, given our proximity to three major research universities (N.C. State University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Duke University) and Research Triangle Park. The city is home to ten traditional colleges and universities, with over 20 in the metropolitan area, as well as Wake Technical Community College, the largest community college system in North Carolina. Between the research universities and the research companies, we have some very smart people living here—and many of them enjoy sharing what they know.
Enjoy public lectures at local colleges and universities. Take a continuing education class through a college or university or through Wake Tech. Take one of the many educational programs available to the public through the City of Raleigh. Go to one of Quail Ridge Books’ many local and national author events. Attend one of hundreds of conferences in the area—from professional development events to hobbyist conferences and selfempowerment weekends. Many local businesses get in on the act, too, hosting educational events related to their fields. You’ll find dozens of ways to expand your understanding. From poetry and public speaking to learning Python, you can learn a lot in Raleigh!
These suggestions have focused on Raleigh specifically, but keep in mind that the Triangle area is full of learning opportunities. You’ve hit a cultural treasure trove. Expand your horizons both into and beyond Raleigh, and who knows what you might find?
Enjoy exploring!
Welcome to Raleigh! Here is some basic information along with links to help you get started here.
North Carolina is divided into three regions: the mountains to the west, the Piedmont in the middle, and the coast to the east. The largest cities in North Carolina, including Raleigh and Charlotte, are located in the Piedmont.
Raleigh is the state capital of North Carolina. With an estimated 2024 population of 1,628,789, Raleigh is the second-largest city in the state, and it is growing rapidly. Raleigh was chartered in 1794, the site having been deliberately selected to be the state capital due to its central location. The city is named after Sir Walter Raleigh, an early English explorer who established the first European colony in North Carolina.
The Research Triangle refers to the area delineated by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, each of which is home to a major university (North Carolina State University, Duke University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, respectively).
In 1959 North Carolina established the area making up the center of this triangle as Research Triangle Park, with the goal of building the economy on the skills of our area’s university graduates rather than losing them to jobs in other states. Today, RTP is home to hundreds of companies on the cutting edge of technological research and development in many different fields. It sits on 7,000 acres of unincorporated space owned and run by the Research Triangle Foundation, a nonprofit organization.
• Raleighnc.gov is the City of Raleigh website where you can pay utility bills, find out about community programs and resources, and contact government agencies.
• Duke Energy: duke-energy.com
• The North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles: ncdot.gov/dmv
• Raleigh Police Department: raleighnc.gov/police
• Raleigh Fire Department: raleighnc.gov/fire
• Map of Raleigh: maps.raleighnc.gov/iMAPS
• Wake County: wake.gov
• Wake County Public Schools: wcpss.net
North Carolina has four seasons and a mostly mild climate—though our summers are on the hot side.
Spring weather lasts from late February/early March through May. Spring is absolutely beautiful here, with flowers blooming everywhere. The only downside: pollen. Pine pollen covers everything in thick layers of yellow in late March/early April. Other tree pollens emerge in early- to mid-spring, while grass pollens are prevalent later on. If you are prone to allergies, stock up on your preferred medications, and maybe find a good allergist. Then go back outside and enjoy the flowers!
We have a long summer here. The hot weather usually starts in May and lasts through late September. On the upside: The Triangle is only three hours from the Outer Banks, which offer some of the best beaches in the U.S. To our west, the mountains offer opportunities for whitewater rafting, swimming, camping, hiking and other fun summer activities. So you are now located a convenient distance to some of the best areas for summer fun in the country. And if you want to stay local, there are plenty of ways to beat the heat. From municipal pools to public splashgrounds, ice cream stands, and several lakes and rivers clean enough to swim in, the Triangle offers plenty of ways to cool off.
There is no denying, however, that summers here become very hot—especially in July and August. We also get a lot of mosquitoes in warm weather, so stock up on bug spray and citronella candles. Finally, we don’t tend to get much severe weather, but if we do, it’s often over the summer—hurricanes can sometimes be a problem, though they are not as severe here as on the coast.
Fall weather in the Triangle lasts from late September to late November, and it is lovely here. Perhaps it’s not
quite the fireworks display of the northeastern U.S., but the leaves do turn beautiful colors, and the temperate weather beckons people outside. We have a lot of fun fall activities on farms throughout Wake County—pumpkin picking, corn mazes, hayrides and similar activities. Drive west into the mountains and you’ll find fresh apples, crisp weather and beautiful leaves.
Winter here is comparatively short. It starts in December, and by mid-February warmer weather begins to creep in. It used to snow a few times every winter here, but due to the effects of climate change, snow has become a little more rare—we might get one or two snows a year now. And we make the most of them!
Because freezing conditions don’t happen as often or as severely here as they do further north, we don’t have as much of an infrastructure to ease road and sidewalk hazards and other effects of cold weather. So if you are from a northern or midwestern state, you may be bemused at how we react when the temperature dips into the 20s. Alerts! Freeze warnings! School delays! And if it snows or there is an ice storm, prepare for everything to shut down entirely.
Most communities divide—genially, but also passionately— on certain local issues. The Triangle is no different. As you acclimate here, find opinions on these subjects so you can hold your own in these conversations.
The three big university teams in the Triangle are The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels, the Duke University Blue Devils and the North Carolina State University Wolfpack. If you’ve moved here from out of state, you may have followed UNC–Chapel Hill and Duke sports more closely since they both have wider national followings. But in Raleigh and Western Wake, you’re likely to find more Wolfpack fans than fans of either of the other teams, because N.C. State is based in Raleigh. The merits and records of each team and its players come up a lot in local conversation. Pick a team and don some Wolfpack red or a specific shade of blue—light blue for the Tar Heels or a darker blue for the Blue Devils—during sports seasons. Even if you’re not a sports fan, you might find it helpful to remain at least peripherally aware of what’s going on with these teams, especially in basketball.
North Carolinians love our barbecue, and we have strong opinions about it. Many restaurants around here serve barbecue, so it’s a good idea to go to a few well-regarded places and see what kinds you like.
A major debate topic is eastern- vs. western-style North Carolina barbecue. All North Carolina barbecue is pulled pork barbecue with a vinegar-based sauce, and both the western and eastern types of sauce usually incorporate some pepper. The main difference is that western-style barbecue (also called Lexington-style because Lexington, North Carolina is famous for this type of barbecue) bases its sauce in ketchup or tomato sauce as well as vinegar, and has a slightly sweeter flavor than eastern-style. Western-style North Carolina barbecue often uses only the pork shoulder. Eastern-style North Carolina barbecue, on the other hand, is sometimes called “whole hog” barbecue because it uses most parts of the pig. It emphasizes vinegar and spices, but uses no tomato in its sauce.
Because of Wake County’s central location, many of our barbecue restaurants are influenced by both styles of barbecue, and many also offer both types of sauce— though some focus on one type only.
One of the most-loved and best-used resources in the Raleigh area is our extensive greenway system. Raleigh has over 100 miles of interconnected greenways, and our system connects to other greenways throughout the Triangle. Bikers and hikers can use this system to travel from one end of the Triangle to the other.
Raleigh’s greenway system consists of 28 trails, many of which pass near rivers, lakes and other scenic natural features. The longest of these include:
THE CRABTREE CREEK TRAIL, which begins at Anderson Point Park near exit 15 off I-440 and follows Crabtree Creek northwest for 15.9 miles.
THE NEUSE RIVER TRAIL, which starts at Falls Lake Dam and follows the Neuse River south for 27.5 miles, ending at the Wake/Johnston county line. (This trail is part of the North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail, which takes hikers from one end of the state to the other.)
THE WALNUT CREEK TRAIL, which starts at Lake Johnson Park and extends for 15 miles across southern Raleigh to connect with the Neuse River Trail.
You can find a full greenway system map and descriptions of individual trails here: raleighnc.gov/find-a-trail.
Gardening is a favorite pastime of many Triangle residents. Raleigh is in a USDA Plant Hardiness zone of 8a. (It used to be 7b, but it was changed to 8a in 2023.) This matters because it affects which plants can survive the winter cold, which goes down to an average low of 10–15 degrees Fahrenheit.
A FEW RESOURCES YOU MIGHT FIND HELPFUL AS YOU GET STARTED:
• NC State Extension: A resource that seeks to extend university research to benefit state residents. The organization offers invaluable gardening expertise— all kinds of information about when to plant, what to plant, which plants are native to this area, common local pests, how to encourage pollinators and almost anything else you can think to ask. They will even test your soil! Go to gardening.ces.ncsu.edu to learn more.
• The North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill offers research resources and classes for Triangle gardeners. Go to ncbg.unc.edu to learn more.
• Keep an eye on Talk of the Triangle, our online-only content page. We offer bimonthly posts from our gardening expert on how to care for your garden during each season. midtownmag.com/talk-of-the-triangle.
• Here is a good vegetable garden planting calendar: content.ces.ncsu.edu/central-north-carolinaplanting-calendar-for-annual-vegetables-fruitsand-herbs.
• For people with limited space, here is a good calendar for planting container vegetable gardens: content.ces. ncsu.edu/container-garden-planting-calendar-foredibles-in-the-piedmont.
We have some amazing wildlife here—everything from racoons to rat snakes—and most of it is fascinating to watch and not a threat. But like all wildlife, some of it presents dangers. Here are some animals you want to enjoy from a distance (or not at all) in our area.
Most spiders in the Triangle are nonvenomous, but the following two are poisonous. Neither is aggressive—they only bite defensively. If you suspect you have been bitten by either of these spiders, contact a doctor or poison control center immediately.
FEMALE BLACK WIDOW: A medium-sized spider with a large, round abdomen. It is shiny and black with a red, hourglass-shaped mark on its underside. Its venom is potent. (Male black widows are not considered dangerous to humans.) Black widows tend to be active at night, and prefer hidden corners and crevices.
BROWN RECLUSE: A small spider—about half an inch in size—that can be found in attics, basements, garages, under houses, and in similarly hidden spaces. Bites can sometimes cause the skin around the bite to form necrotic lesions.
We get a lot of copperheads around here. Copperhead season lasts from spring through fall. Because of their coloring, copperheads can be very hard to spot. If you’re in the woods, or even just in your yard, it’s a good idea to wear shoes and keep an eye out for them—especially in areas with trees, weeds or undergrowth.
Copperheads are medium-sized snakes with copperbrown bodies; dark, hourglass-shaped markings; and distinctive, triangular-shaped heads. If you see a copperhead, don’t attack it—just avoid it. Copperheads usually won’t bother you if you don’t bother them. Even if the snake is just a baby, stay away. Baby copperheads are dangerous, despite their size, because they cannot control how much venom they release.
If you are bitten, contact a doctor immediately. Copperhead bites are seldom fatal if treated properly.
Most places have ticks, but North Carolina has the dubious distinction of routinely reporting the world’s highest rates of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF, a potentially deadly tick-borne disease). Twenty percent of all RMSF cases have been contracted in North Carolina. Lyme disease is common here as well.
You can prevent these diseases by using permethrin on your clothes before camping or hiking, using an insect repellent with at least 20% of an active ingredient like DEET on your body and clothes, and most importantly, checking your body and removing ticks after spending time outdoors. The sooner you remove a tick, the less likely you are to contract a disease from it.
Educational options here are plentiful—and complex. Check out our EDUCATION GUIDE (located on page 80 of this issue) to help guide you through the education landscape here.
If you need furniture or supplies for your new home— or just want a break from unpacking— here are some shopping areas you might want to investigate.
NORTH HILLS: This walkable shopping area combines recreational boutique shopping and the area’s largest independent bookstore with the practicality of Target and the adventurous spirit of REI. There’s something for everyone.
VILLAGE DISTRICT: Formerly called Cameron Village, this area has a vintage feel, having been open since 1949. It combines fun dining spots with local galleries, furniture stores, and Tin Roof Teas, Raleigh’s well-loved local tea store.
TRIANGLE TOWN CENTER: This drivable, outdoor shopping area contains both practical stores and upscale shopping opportunities. The only Saks Fifth Avenue store in North Carolina is located here.
CRABTREE: This thriving shopping area has everything from an Apple store to mall necessities like Bath & Body Works and department stores, along with some fun local
businesses like Sweet Tea and Cornbread NC. It has some good restaurants, too—and don’t forget the Lego Store!
BRIER CREEK COMMONS: Located where Durham, Research Triangle Park and Raleigh meet, this sprawling, drivable shopping area has many practical stores. This is where you go to pick up kids’ outfits for school, a throw rug for the hall, craft supplies, drill bits and drywall screws, and maybe some lunch.
LAFAYETTE VILLAGE: This shopping district in North Raleigh offers high-end boutique shopping with many restaurants and local stores. Community events are often held in the central lawn area.
You will find that, while drivers here are not generally aggressive, the constant road construction that comes with Raleigh’s rapid growth can create headaches. Unlike in many cities, rush hour here gets crowded in the morning with people leaving the city (driving west to their jobs in Research Triangle Park) and becomes crowded with people returning to the city in the afternoons.
INTERSTATE 40 is a major interstate that runs east-west through the southern part of Raleigh.
INTERSTATE 440, also called the beltline, is a crescentshaped, 16-mile road that hooks up at both ends with I-40. Originally, the two roads formed a circle around the city, but Raleigh has since grown out far past the beltline. The area north of the beltline is generally referred to as North Raleigh (an informal designation—North Raleigh is not a separate city). Raleigh’s older neighborhoods mostly lie south of the beltline.
INTERSTATE 540/N.C, HIGHWAY 540 has been in development since 1992 with the ultimate goal of creating a 70-mile outer beltline to encircle the expanded city of Raleigh. Currently, 540 forms a crescent around the city, starting in Cary, southwest of Raleigh, and extending north, east and southeast of Raleigh, where it ends in Knightdale. The Complete 540 project is currently under construction to finish the southern section of 540 and complete the circle, and is projected to be completed in 2028. Portions of 540 require tolls.
FAYETTEVILLE STREET runs through downtown Raleigh from the convention center to the state capitol. Many of Raleigh’s oldest public and municipal buildings are on or near Fayetteville Street.
WADE AVENUE is a major road running through the western part of Raleigh. It passes near the North Carolina Museum of Art and the Village District, a popular outdoor shopping area.
GLENWOOD AVENUE extends from downtown Raleigh northwest into Durham. The portion of the road near downtown Raleigh is home to much of Raleigh’s nightlife.
CAPITAL BOULEVARD is a major road running from downtown Raleigh through North Raleigh. South of the beltline, Capital Boulevard runs through a warehouse district. North of the beltline, many practical, day-to-day businesses line Capital Boulevard.
NEW BERN AVENUE is a major road running from downtown Raleigh through eastern Raleigh.
• Please check out the article Discovering Raleigh on page 60 in this issue on the first things to do after moving to Raleigh. This article will introduce you to some of the best activities your new home has to offer.
• We North Carolinians love our festivals. Here is a link to some of our most popular local and regional festivals: midtownmag.com/north-carolina-festivals
Explore this guide to learn more about the education resources available here in Wake County.
BY ELIZABETH BRIGNAC
Welcome to Wake County’s school system. This area offers families excellent schools and plenty of options, but because the school system is so large and complex, it can be difficult to navigate. Here, we offer some starter information as you begin looking for a school that’s a good fit for your child.
Please note that this guide offers an overview only. We offer links to more information on various topics throughout this guide.
Students can attend the following types of school in Wake County:
Traditional schools: These schools run traditionally, without any nonstandard programs, according to the North Carolina learning curriculum. They may run according to several different calendar schedules (described below).
Magnet schools: These schools are part of the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) and abide by the standard North Carolina learning curriculum, but they offer additional, specialized programs within the school (described below). Any resident of Wake County may enroll and apply for these schools. Applicants are selected using a prioritized lottery. These schools also may run according to the calendar schedules described below.
Charter schools: These schools are not a part of WCPSS. Instead, they are approved by the North Carolina State Board of Education. Tuition-free and nonreligious, they are run by independent, nonprofit boards and in many ways function more like private schools than public schools. They are not required to utilize the standard North Carolina learning curriculum, but they are required to demonstrate that students hit state accountability standards. Because they function independently of WCPSS, each runs according to its own calendar.
Private schools are schools that are privately owned and run. They are not required to teach according to the North Carolina
learning curriculum, do not require state accreditation and are not required to meet state accountability standards unless they are receiving state money. As long as the school operates on a regular schedule and students attend regularly, private schools satisfy the state’s requirement that children attend school. Unlike public schools, private schools may be religiously affiliated and may charge tuition. There are 111 private schools operating in Wake County in 2024.
Families that prefer to educate their children at home or have them tutored may choose to homeschool them. You can find North Carolina’s requirements for homeschooling students here: doa.nc.gov/divisions/non-public-education/homeschools/requirements-recommendations.
There are three WCPSS calendar systems on which most schools operate. (Early colleges are the exception—they follow calendars that align with their college/university partner.) You can learn more about the calendar systems at wcpss.net/ calendars.
Traditional Calendar: These schools have long summer
breaks with monthly teacher workdays and shorter, seasonal breaks during the school year.
Modified Traditional Calendar: These schools have a seven-week summer break. They also have a two-week break at the end of each quarter. The school year runs from the end of July to the end of May.
Year-round Calendar: These schools offer three-week breaks throughout the school year rather than one extended summer break. Year-round schools run on four distinct schedules called tracks. You can learn what each track looks like at wcpss.net/calendars.
Students in WCPSS are automatically assigned to base schools, usually located near their homes. If the family makes no changes, the base school is the one the school system assumes that student will attend. If the family prefers a different calendar option from the base school, they may apply to change to a preassigned alternative school that runs according to the family’s preferred calendar option. (WCPSS tries to work with families, but the preferred calendar option is not available for every address and is not guaranteed to be approved.)
Students must apply if they want to attend magnet schools. All WCPSS students have access to at least one school from each magnet program. Students are selected for magnet schools by a weighted lottery system. The lottery is partially influenced by socioeconomic factors related to the student’s base school and area of residence. Students who are already attending an elementary or middle school with a particular magnet theme have first priority in being selected for a middle or high school that incorporates the same theme. Learn more about magnet pathways at wcpss.net/pathways.
Students must apply if they want to attend charter schools as well. The application process is slightly different from the WCPSS school applications because charter schools are not part of WCPSS, but instead run by the North Carolina Department of Education. Any North Carolina student may apply to attend any North Carolina charter school. Students are selected by lottery.
Wake County’s magnet programs have won over 400 Magnet Schools of America National Merit Awards since 1996 and recently won a $14.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Wake County students in grades K–12 may apply to attend magnet schools. They run according to themes, with different categories of learning approaches (described below). Each school takes its own unique approach to its theme. Go to wcpss.net/Page/173 to learn more about these schools, and the themes and approaches they take. Go to wcpss.net/domain/90
to learn more about the magnet program.
Arts Plus: Arts Plus magnet programs integrate art education into their curricula. Some teach students how to incorporate creative and design thinking into their work, and others partner with local museums.
Gifted and Talented: Though the name sometimes confuses people, this is not a magnet program limited to students who have been designated as academically advanced students. (There is a program for students who work at an accelerated rate—it’s called AIG, which stands for Academically and Intellectually Gifted—but that program is distinct from this one and is incorporated into both magnet and traditional schools.) Gifted and talented magnet schools offer students opportunities to explore their gifts and talents through access to a wide variety of elective classes.
International Baccalaureate (I.B.): The I.B. program trains and evaluates students according to standards set by an international program of study. It focuses on teaching problem-solving from an international perspective and emphasizes understanding across cultures. I.B. students who complete the high school program successfully earn both a North Carolina high school diploma and an internationally recognized I.B. diploma
Language Immersion/Global Studies: These schools emphasize language as part of the curriculum, offering daily classes in world languages and cross-cultural education.
STEM: Many WCPSS schools incorporate STEM magnet programs into their curricula. Each program offers a different area of emphasis. Some take a medical science approach; some, an engineering and design approach. Some focus on computers and digital technology, and others on environmental science. Some schools also focus on leadership and innovative thinking.
Early College Schools: Early college schools partner with either Wake Technical Community College or North Carolina State University (depending on the school) to offer students access to college classes that they can take during the instructional day. Students receive both high school and college credit by taking courses at these colleges, and can enter college two years ahead of the game, having earned many of the credits they need for free (with both free tuition and textbooks) in high school.
Many thanks to Tamani Powell, WCPSS Director of Marketing, for fact-checking this education guide.
Ravens soar together in a learning environment that values community, collaboration and strong social bonds. By sharing their diverse individual experiences and then rising together, Ravenscroft students become creative thinkers, capable doers and thoughtful leaders—ready for the real world and eager to make it better.
There are no limits for learners at Ravenscroft. We combine rigorous academic programming with citizen leadership learning to cultivate leadership skills that allow our students to soar. Our “Lead From Here” curriculum—a pioneering Pre-K–12 program developed in partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership—prepares students to thrive in a complex, interdependent world.
We'd love for you to experience our campus in person and invite you to join us for an on-campus tour. Or, if you prefer, you can enjoy a virtual tour from the comfort of your home by visiting our website. To learn more, contact us at 919.848.6470 or email us at admissions@ravenscroft.org.
• Pre-K-grade 12 (coed enrollment 2022–23 school year: 1,245)
• Over $3.4 million in tuition assistance awarded yearly
• Eight areas in the greater Triangle area served by Ravenscroft busses
• Average class size: 15 students
• Tuition range: $15,070–$32,150 (2024–25)
• 100% acceptance to colleges and universities
At St. Timothy’s School, we believe the foundation for a life of integrity, service and purpose begins with smaller, everyday moments. We educate intentionally in each moment—a thought-provoking conversation in language arts, a first try at a new technique in art class or a hard-fought game on the athletic field. We cherish every opportunity for our students to demonstrate compassion, to solve problems with diligence and creativity, to learn through a lens of both faith and reason, and to build the confidence and skills that will prepare students for life ’ s journey. Our St. Timothy’s community knows that every moment matters, because it all starts here.
“Since coming to St. Timothy’s School, my children have blossomed in their educational journey. The teachers keep learning fun, exciting and hands-on, so my children are intrigued and interested in what they learn. St. Timothy’s emphasizes being polite, courteous and respectful to others as well as being a kind, caring person. My children thrive in this environment, and we are so grateful for St. Timothy’s and all it offers.”
— Casey Hale, parent | ’ 25, ’ 24 and ’ 21
At Trinity Academy, we seek to glorify God through Christ-centered classical education. Knowing Christ as the One in whom “all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17) emboldens us to investigate history, literature, philosophy, science, theology and mathematics as potential expressions of worship that are as varied as they are unified. We joyfully pursue our mission to equip students to live with wisdom, excellence and purpose in the modern world by offering an education grounded in the Christian faith and the classical tradition.
Trinity Academy is a training ground where future researchers, government officials and business leaders are learning to integrate their thoughtful Christian
worldview with their aspirations. Our community is unified as we prepare young people to be lifelong learners who can evaluate life with precision because they live with conviction. In partnership with parents, students, faculty and churches, we will deliver the very best education possible: a classical, Christ-centered education that highlights the true, the good and the beautiful.
The Montessori School of Raleigh (MSR) practices the Montessori method, established by renowned educator Dr. Maria Montessori, and the globally recognized International Baccalaureate (IB) Program.
We serve children from six weeks in age through grade 12. Students begin by building foundational skills through a rich, hands-on curriculum. In elementary grades, students build on that foundation and grow as independent, confident learners. A project-based approach has middle school students working collaboratively to explore more advanced subject matter, which prepares them for the transition to the IB program—a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum—in high school.
MSR inspires curiosity and discovery through both guided and self-directed learning, providing children of all ages with the skills they need for every step in their journeys.
Chesterbrook Academy Preschool in Raleigh provides the perfect balance of learning and play. Our proprietary curriculum, Links to Learning, prepares children for kindergarten and beyond by developing important academic, social and emotional skills. Call or schedule a private tour to learn more at raleigh.chesterbrookacademy.com.
Sassool’s sisters make their Mediterranean restaurant a labor of love
When Noelle Saleh and Simone Lawson swap stories from their childhood, they touch on all the same themes: love, language barriers and food.
Especially food.
Noelle and Simone’s father, Mounir Saleh, immigrated to Raleigh from Lebanon in 1976, along with his brothers and their mother, Cecilia, a talented cook. The granddaughters’ early memories of her, living in the duplex next door, feel like details from a Hallmark Channel movie.
“I was able to go next door to ‘Taita’s’ house,” Noelle says. “She would always give me some food or whatever she was cooking. She didn’t speak English very well, and we don’t speak Arabic very well, so it was a relationship with lots of hugs and lots of food.”
Simone nods and smiles, before adding, “That was definitely her love language. She had an herb garden on her porch, and she would pick the herbs, bring them into her kitchen and make a salad, or pita sandwiches or wraps. As soon as you walked in, she was putting the platter on the table. But that’s how she lived. She would not have you in her house without eating and enjoying.”
The family has been in the restaurant business since Mounir and his brothers opened Neomonde Baking Company in 1977. After Noelle and Simone graduated from North Carolina State University, Mounir branched off to create Sassool (the restaurant’s name is an Arabic nickname for Cecilia).
A decade later, Sasso ol has locations in Raleigh and Cary. Simone is the catering director and brand manager, and Noelle is the operations manager.
BY KURT DUSTERBERG
The menu is a collection of the Mediterranean and Lebanese dishes that Cecilia carefully cultivated over a lifetime. Mediterranean favorites like tabouli, falafel and hummus come straight from Cecilia’s recipe books, along with Lebanese items like pita bread and shawarma. “In order for it to be Mediterranean cuisine, you’re
going to see a lot of oil as the base of your salad dressings and a whole lot of produce in your cold and hot items,” Simone says. “Legumes are huge. Any recipe you have, they’re going to throw in chickpeas or fava beans. All of the meats are grilled. That kind of defines the [Mediterranean] style of cooking.”
All the food is served from a walkup deli case, which seems to work a certain magic among the customers. The grape leaves, sweet potato salad and mujadara glisten in the lighted cases, while the kale salad and autumn root salad introduce bright colors.
“It’s eating with your eyes,” Simone says. “It puts a lot more [pressure] on the kitchen to make sure the salads look correct, as well as on the front of the house to make sure things look clean. If it doesn’t look good, or it’s different from when the person came last time, it’s not going to sell.”
Sassool serves 400 guests per day at each location, with 30 percent of the customers ordering takeout. The “Pick4 Sampler,” which includes any of the sides and salads, is the most popular menu item. The restaurant is an excellent family dinner option, since it is open until 9 p.m. “Our customer is usually a busy individual,” Simone says. “It’s trendy to be conscious about the ingredients in your food, and with the plant-based diet becoming very popular, it’s all contributed to our gaining different markets of people.”
I ngredients
4 cups chickpeas, boiled
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons falafel seasoning
6 bunches of parsley
1 yellow onion
1 cup of fresh garlic cloves
½ jalapeño pepper
1 bunch of cilantro
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
Canola oil, for frying
½ cup toasted sesame seeds
Directions
1. Boil the chickpeas for about 1 hour until they are soft enough to make the falafel mix. Drain any water remaining after the chickpeas have boiled.
2. Wash, clean and dry your vegetables before proceeding with the recipe.
3. Remove 2 inches of stems from the parsley and cilantro. Remove the skin from the yellow onion and the garlic cloves, and remove the seeds from the jalapeño.
4. Add the chickpeas, vegetables, and all the spices
The emphasis on healthy ingredients plays a big role in attracting customers.
“ We get our produce from the farmers market on a daily basis,” Noelle says. “With our business model of fresh food at a price anybody can afford, people can make it part of their lifestyle and part of their routine. It’s not a special occasion to come to Sassool. You can come here daily, and a lot of people do.”
Grandma Cecilia passed away in 2023 at the age of 96, and Mounir is shifting his attention to new restaurant
to a food processor or blender. Blend until the mix is very smooth and is like a dough.
5. Warm the canola oil to 350° F in a frying pan on the stove (or in a deep fryer). Dip a falafel mold into the toasted sesame seeds, then use a spoon to scoop the falafel mix into the mold. Remove excess and lay a mounded and packed ball of falafel dough into the hot oil. It will take about 2.5 minutes to fry the falafel. It should turn medium-brown in color. The inside will be soft, but no longer dough. It will be cooked through.
6. Enjoy your falafel with sesame tahini dressing or stuffed in a pita pocket with cabbage salad and pickles!
projects as he nears retirement. The sisters now feel fully invested in the family business. “It feels a lot like a partnership now. It felt like a mentorship before,” Simone says. “And before that, it felt like he was our boss and our dad.”
Just like that, the sisters are back to telling tales from their childhood. Simone recalls watching her grandmother overseeing the cooks while she and Noelle packed market items in a back room. Sometimes Mounir would call Simone out front during the lunch rush at Neomonde to work the cash register. “I was seven years old,” she recalls “He would have this stool for me to stand on. I was one of the fastest people on the register because I practiced so much. I wanted to show my dad how good I was at it. It was the coolest thing.”
Noelle is smiling all the while before she adds, “We would spend 10 hours with our dad. I would get $10 a day.”
“Better than me!” Simone blurts out. “I remember my raise, when I went from $5 to $7. I was so excited.”
Pittsboro's Chatham Beverage District at The Plant offers ways to do it all
BY DATHAN KAZSUK
Embark on a 40-minute drive down Highway 64 and discover a captivating world of beverage producers and local business owners, all living by the invigorating motto of “Eat. Drink. Play.” This is the Chatham Beverage District, housed in “The Plant”—a one-of-a-kind adult playground with a myriad of attractions including hemp clothing producers, food, ax-throwing and a plethora of libations.
L ocated on Pittsboro’s east side, the 17-acre eco-industrial park houses the unique Chatham Beverage District. Here, you can start your journey through the world of mead at Starrlight Mead, the first stop on your adventure. There you’ll find owners Ben and Becky Starr, who took their hobby of mead-making to the next level by establishing Starrlight Mead in 2010. In their original location,
they converted a historic train depot in downtown Pittsboro into their meadery and tasting room, creating a space for mead enthusiasts to gather and savor their creations.
O ver the years, the duo has garnered numerous awards and accolades for their meads, earning them a loyal following of local mead aficionados and recognition as one of the top meaderies in the United States. With success, the business needed expansion, and Starrlight Mead built its current meadery and tasting room from the ground up at the entrance of the Chatham Beverage District—and became a pillar for the District’s business community.
“Chatham Beverage District is a vibrant community of beverage producers,” says Becky Starr. “From beer and mead to coffee, ciders and mixed drinks, we offer a diverse range
of libations in one place. What sets us apart is our spirit of collaboration. We love working together, and that’s what makes this group so special.” In the past, Starrlight Mead has joined forces with Vortex Roasters for a coffee mead and partnered with Bite My Cookies (BMC) Brewing for a braggot, which is a hybrid mead-beer beverage.
Even though Starrlight has been around for a lot longer than places such as BMC Brewing or Fair Game Beverage Co., the Starrs admit that, for the most part, people come into The Plant for beer and spirits—but some are eventually led to try mead as well. “More [locals] know about BMC or Fair Game, so those people are brought to our meadery,” Starr says. “[But we also] have a customer base that’s a little more statewide. And we tell them about the other local beverages being made here [as well].”
B MC Brewing offers some of those beverages. Brewmaster Carmen Rice and her husband, John Rice, are co-owners of the brewery, and their arrival in 2021 made them the newest libation buddies to pull up into The Plant. Located near Starrlight Mead, BMC’s slogan is “Serving Chatham County One Pint at a Time,” and you can visit BMC Brewing for anything from a light pilsner to a heavy stout. The brewery has 16 beers on draft at any given time and also features beer cocktails, cider, wine, and “bloodies,” like the Cubinata and Micheladas.
John Rice continues with other collaborative projects beyond the braggot with Starrlight Mead. “We collaborated with Mark Stover of Vortex Roasters to choose the perfect blend of coffee we used in our Mug Shot Coffee Cream Ale,” he offers as one example. (Mug Shot, by the way, is a must-try.)
Rice and Starr affirm that The Plant is a destination for everyone—adults and families alike. “With 17 acres of land away from traffic, The Plant offers expansive spaces to relax and enjoy quality time with your loved ones. You can savor cider, beer and mead made in small batches right on site,” Rice says. “Whether you’re seeking a peaceful spot to work with a beer, enjoy live music with friends, or celebrate the end of a long week, Chatham Beverage District is your haven.”
A fter you enjoy a glass of mead or a pint of beer, you’ll find other enticing options inside The Plant. You can peruse Hempsmith Clothing Co., where you’ll find stylish clothing made from hemp—T-shirts, socks, beanies, lounge pants, shorts and much more. Founder Zafer Estill created the Hempsmith brand in 2015 at the age of 18 and tragically lost his life just a year later. His younger brother Arlo has been carrying on Zafer’s mission to bring comfortable, stylish clothing to the world. Hempsmith features events such as The Hemparoo, which features live music, hemp vendors, guest
speakers and a panel discussion. You can also visit Oak City Hemp, where you can find quality hemp tinctures, smokeables and topicals.
Cross the “midway” and make your next stop at Fair Game Beverage Co , where Fair Game’s “ringmaster,” Lyle Estill, has made his little niche inside The Plant well worth visiting. The beverage company’s small-batch malt whiskeys, apple brandy, Balancing Act Gin and popular Flying Pepper Vodka are all good on their own, but they’re even better when the bartenders mix them into drinks like the Bloody Local, Flaming Flying Pineapple or Macie’s Marg (a take on a margarita using apple brandy instead of tequila). Enjoy a cocktail or tasting flight while you peruse the beverage company’s stock of fine North Carolina specialty food products. Fair Game also offers an assortment of local North Carolina wines available for purchase, to save you a trip to Yadkin County’s wine region. By now, you might be ready for some food. It’s available inside The Plant with Lilly Den Farm and Kingston 99 Kitchen. Lilly Den Farm is a farm-to-fork food
truck location near the rear of the main strip. With a focus on smoked meats and the smell of barbecue in the air, Lilly Den has become a popular place to grab a sandwich or loaded mac-n-cheese and pull up a seat on the communal park benches outside. At Kingston 99 Kitchen, meanwhile, you’ll find authentic Jamaican food like jerk chicken, Jamaican coco bread, braised oxtail and butter beans—all perfect for accompanying a cocktail, pint of beer or glass of wine.
W ith The Plant’s plethora of experiences, there’s something for everyone. Vortex Roasters is a coffee lover’s dream. For those who appreciate the art of candle-making, there’s Essence Candle Boutique, and for plant enthusiasts, there’s Rachel’s Native Plants. If you are seeking a unique thrill, check out Chatham Axes, where you can test your axthrowing skills.
W hether you come for the spirits or The Plant’s other diverse offerings, a visit to Chatham Beverage District will not disappoint.
HAS SEEN IT ALL!
BY DATHAN KAZSUK
IIn his 15 years with the Durham Performing Arts Center, its director of production has worked with some of the nation’s biggest shows.
n his 23 years in the entertainment industry, the Durham Performing Arts Center’s (DPAC) director of production, Josh Anderson, has seen many performances come through, including Broadway shows, rock concerts and big-name comedians. DPAC is midway through its 15th season of entertaining guests from around the Triangle, and Anderson has been with the performance center since day one.
Standing backstage with Anderson and DPAC’s director of marketing and sales, Josette Roten, outside the Green Room where many musicians and actors have lounged before taking center stage, I look at the thousands of names of performers who have signed their names along the backstage hallways and listen to Anderson share
the remarkable journey of his career in theater production.
His journey began with a simple response to an ad in The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s student newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, and led him to his current role as the director of production at DPAC. After Anderson’s time at the university he spent six years as a stage coordinator at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts in Columbus, Georgia before returning home and applying for a job at the newly constructed DPAC in 2008.
“We did our first show on November 30, 2008, with B.B. King, and then it was Lewis Black and Theatre in the Park’s ‘A Christmas Carol,’” he reflects.
DPAC will soon be old enough to drive, turning 16 this November. So, do you have a favorite Broadway musical?
Anderson: “Phantom of the Opera”— hands down. I could sit and watch that show every day for a year. We’ve been fortunate that we were able to have one of the biggest tours of Phantom come through in 2009, and then again with the other two versions.
Keeping it local, DPAC brought Ira David Wood’s “A Christmas Carol” to Durham. Anderson: We love Theatre in the Park. We do six performances here in Durham every December now. They’re just the best. They put on a great production. When they pull their truck in on Monday to load in, if you aren’t in the holiday spirit by then, you will be.
People might not know this—how many trucks are needed to bring in the props, equipment and gear used in a
Broadway performance?
Anderson: Our largest show is “Frozen,” with 22 semi trailers. The Radio City Rockettes’ “Christmas Spectacular” was technically about 21 trailers. “The Lion King” was around 20, and “Phantom of the Opera,” “Wicked” and “Hamilton” are in the 10–14 range. Other ones playing for just a week can be anywhere from four to eight trailers.
Where do you park 22 trucks after they’re done unloading?
Anderson: Two trucks will always stay in our loading dock, but other than that we don’t have a place for them. But these are professional truck drivers. They know where all the truck stops are. They figure out where to drop the trailers and take on another gig. And then they’re back in two weeks when it’s time to return.
Is there a ‘hidden gem’ show many people might not know much about?
Anderson: “Young Frankenstein” and “The Addams Family” are just fun—you don’t have to think too hard about them, especially if you are someone like me who grew up watching “The Addams Family” on TV.
What about rock shows or musicians? Who has been one of your personal favorites coming through town?
Anderson: Bar none, the best rock ‘n’ roll show we’ve ever had was Godsmack in March. Then we’ve had Brandi Carlile twice in four months—just her on stage, which was incredible. But I’m a rock ‘n’ roll guy, so besides Godsmack in March, we had Tesla, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and the Tedeschi Trucks Band. There are a lot of different styles, which is great.
Walking backstage, you see hundreds of murals with thousands of signatures. What’s the story behind the walls here at DPAC?
Anderson: Every show has someone in its company—an actor, crew member or stage manager—who does the painting.
It’s mostly done by hand, but sometimes they use stencils. When I started, I took it on because there are several venues across the country that are known for this, and I decided [we needed to do it], too.
Once the mural is on the wall, all the cast and crew sign their names around it. You can spend hours just checking these out. Do other acts—like musicians and comedians— sign the walls?
Anderson: I try to keep a log, but we have 65 Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who have signed the walls. That number should jump by two in November, when Peter Frampton and Mary J. Blige come in.
Standing here on center stage, looking out at 2,700 empty seats, is intimidating—I can’t imagine my reaction if all the seats were full. Has anyone ever taken the stage and just gotten overwhelmed?
Anderson: I won’t name names, but this past September we had a musician who was part of a band. When he walked out on stage at the end of the show, he FaceTimed someone important to him, showed off our theater, and said, “Look
at this place. Who knew this was here?” He thought it was amazing, so that was pretty cool.
Has anything wonky ever happened on stage that made you go, “Oh no!”
Anderson: It doesn’t happen often, but there have been the occasional times when something is not working quite right, or we have to delay the show start or delay in the middle of a show. But thankfully, those are few and far between. And honestly, if something else goes wonky, we don’t know about it because their crew takes care of those needs.
The
Community Music School of Raleigh welcomes all students into the world of music
BY CAITLIN WHEELER
“
Amazing,” says jazz artist Marcus Anderson, a Grammynominated saxophonist with 13 albums and shows across the world. Anderson isn’t referring to his performances with Stevie Wonder, CeeLo Green, or even his four-year stint with Prince. His “amazing” refers to performing with the Community Music School of Raleigh’s (CMS’s) Pop Band at Raleigh’s A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater.
If you haven’t heard of CMS, you’ve been missing out. The school’s headturning young performers have wowed crowds at the Friends of the City of Raleigh Museum’s 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop Celebration and in performances at the North Carolina Museum of Art as well as the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater. Across Wake County, CMS offers kids ages eight through 18 high-quality private music lessons for only one dollar an hour.
“Studies show that incorporating music lessons into a child’s education boosts confidence, improves study skills and encourages creativity and self-expression,” says CMS Director Melanie Doerner. Now, with public schools having to cut their arts budgets and a single private music lesson costing anywhere from 40 to 80 dollars per hour, many students never get the chance to try.
This is where CMS comes in. Celebrating its thirtieth anniversary,
THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: CMS student Arturo Cerro Lopez plays the saxophone. Janet Imoh plays the acoustic guitar. Yena Kim plays the violin. All photos courtesy of Lanny Ealey.
CMS offers lessons in everything from drums and electric guitar to oboe, harp and violin. If a student chooses trumpet, they will be given a trumpet to take home for practice. Piano? They take home a keyboard. There are no tryouts and no prerequisites, and CMS welcomes all levels and learning styles, though applicants must meet the income requirements of Wake County’s free and reduced price lunch program—and given the program’s popularity, there is often a waitlist. CMS also offers a weeklong summer camp at Longleaf School of the Arts.
“Music is definitely where the cool kids are,” says Doerner with infectious enthusiasm. “And our faculty! We’ve got a Fulbright-winning classical pianist, a post-folk jazz musician, a percussionist trained in Venezuela’s El Sistema, adjuncts from local colleges, a gospel music maestro and more—all of them incredibly awe-inspiring and all beloved by our students.”
The faculty’s great talent allows CMS to offer conservatory-level training. The school has championed some amazing young musicians—kids who have gone on to study at Berklee College of Music or who have become professional musicians and teachers.
Sixteen-year-old Alondra Azcona is a CMS student.“Music is absolutely the biggest part of my life,” says Azcona, who has been accepted into the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts in Greensboro for her senior year of high school. “CMS has been really key for me. I’ve been supported and encouraged by all of my teachers through all of my years of crazy music explorations.”
Azcona has tried nearly every instrument CMS offers, starting with saxophone and moving through ukulele, guitar, electric guitar, bass and drums. “They were all just amazing,” she says. Also a talented singer, she has been the vocalist for the CMS Pop Band since it started two years ago.“The Pop Band has been the highlight of my CMS experience,” she says. “We are all different ages. I’m the oldest, but I never think about that since we’re all at the same level musically. We’ve made our own little pack. We really listen to each other and have a terrific vibe when we’re playing together. Performing with this group is the best feeling ever.”
Among Azcona’s many CMS teachers, jazz guitarist Mike Buckley (of River Otters and ¡Tumbao! fame) epitomizes the open-minded teaching style CMS promotes. Buckley started guitar lessons in fourth grade but didn’t connect with the strict teacher who insisted he start with “all the typical” classical pieces. It was a couple of years later, when a friend taught him to play a basic blues rhythm so the two could jam together, that he got hooked. “After that, I never thought about having to practice,” says Buckley. “I played every night because
I was obsessed with it. I just wanted to make music.”
Now, Buckley encourages his students to develop their own connections with music. “My goal,” he explains, “and the goal at CMS is [having] these kids enjoy learning about music and their instruments.”
That’s why CMS encourages students to pick instruments that interest them and to choose music they really want to play. Recently, Buckley arranged a collection of lullabies for one student and a version of ‘Black Magic Woman’ for another.
Buckley loves working with all of his students, but notes that some have passion and talent that sets them apart.
“You know it when you see it,” he says. “Music just lights them up.” He mentions several, including both Azcona and Caleb Wilkins, the youngest member of the pop band. “He’s got the natural talent, and the work ethic of a musician,” says Buckley. “But what really sets him apart is that even at his young age, everything he plays is intertwined with his very distinctive personality.”
Zane Souvanlasy, a one-time student at CMS and now a piano teacher and member of the board of directors, admires CMS’s emphasis on music appreciation. “It’s unique that CMS
provides students with access to musical performances outside of their own playing,” he says. “Lessons are short, so the majority of student development needs to happen outside that time. CMS hosts events and provides students with tickets to symphony performances or other shows so they get the opportunities to hear some great professional music. It’s important to be inspired.”
CMS certainly seems to be inspiring its students. Lucas Posada has been taking drum lessons at CMS for two years and is loving every moment of it. “Percussion was an amazing choice,” says the 12-year-old, “I’m not giving up any time soon.”
Posada’s younger sister Leia chose the violin. “I didn’t want anything loud,” she says, with quiet confidence. “I like things really soft. Plus, the violin sounds good with a lot of different kinds of songs.”
Anderson recognizes these students’ passion. “I remember the way I felt when I first saw a saxophone,” he says. “I just fell in love. With the look of it. With the sound of it. And now, seeing how enthusiastic these CMS students are about music, it’s just a thrill. They just need access, and CMS provides exactly that.”
RICHARD PETTY CAREER, 2023
ACRYLIC, 36” X 36”
“I love being social and active as well as painting, so if you put it all together, live painting fulfills all of that. I get an adrenaline rush at the events, and I love watching my art auction for thousands—that adrenaline taps into a little bit of my athletic background, too.”
— Laura Ashley
Entertainment and fundraising are integral to Asheboro-based artist Laura Ashley’s art practice. Traveling from Tennessee to Florida, she is a speed and performance painter who paints live to raise funds for charities and entertain audiences. Ashley has raised over $100,000 through her performative practice for various charities and organizations.
She frequently works with clients like Richard Petty, the “King of NASCAR”—one of her favorite subjects to paint. The work pictured above, “Richard Petty Career,” is a composition of highlighted scenes from Petty’s racing career painted in bold and textured brush strokes, implied lines and saturated colors.
In addition to the Petty Family Foundation, Ashley has worked with various other foundations, including The NASCAR Foundation, Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, Gary Sinise Foundation, Ricky Proehl P.O.W.E.R. of Play Foundation, JeepBeach, Victory Junction and more.
View Laura Ashley’s work and live painting services on her website, lauraashleyliveart.com and Instagram @lauraashelyliveart.
BY KYLE MARIE M c MAHON PHOTOS COURTESY OF NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
Women’s basketball has seen a surge in popularity the past two seasons, and the North Carolina State University Wolfpack team has played a major part in its growth. The talent has always been there, but women’s sports are finally getting the exposure they deserve.
I n the 11 seasons since Wes Moore became their head coach, the Wolfpack women have played in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament eight times, missing out only twice (and the tournament was not held in 2020). Of those appearances, they went to the Sweet Sixteen three times, and in 2022 made it to the Elite Eight, losing to the
University of Connecticut in double overtime. But after a disappointing loss in the first round of the tournament in 2023, the women started this past season unranked and predicted to finish eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
S tarting as the underdogs lit a fire under the team. With just five students returning, Coach Moore recruited heavily, bringing in wellrounded, skilled players with an emphasis on teamwork. He says, “You can have great players, but at the end, you are still a team. Our strength was in our balance.”
T he Wolfpack went 14 - 0 to start the season, including an early win
over UConn where returning guard Saniya Rivers had a 33-point game. She says that was when she knew this team was going to be special. And she would know, having won the national championship at the University of South Carolina during her freshman year. She’s grateful for that experience, but Rivers, a native of Wilmington, says she’s happier playing at N.C. State. “I feel like more of a contributor. It’s so much fun here. The fans are a major part of our success, filling our stands, supporting us. We always see red in the gym, no matter where we go.”
A ssistant Coach Houston Fancher agrees with this assessment. “We
have a rabid, passionate fan base. It’s a big reason for our success. It’s like starting 10 points ahead,” he say s . And that successful season got the team an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament this year.
C alling themselves the “party crashers”—seemingly always the underestimated underdogs—the Wolfpack beat higher-ranked Stanford University and the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight, respectively. It was the first Final Four appearance for everyone involved with the team. “It only took me 35 years to get here. I had to pinch myself when the game [against Texas] was over,” Coach Moore says. Despite losing in the semifinals to South Carolina, the eventual winner of the tournament, Coach Moore says it was an unbelievable experience to make it so far—an achievement he spent his career striving for. “I am really proud of our group. It was everything it could be and more.”
R ivers credits the amazing experience to the way the women
gelled as a team. “Coach Moore recruits great people. Not just skilled players, but good, kind people. We are building a sisterhood,” she says.
A nd they are extending that sisterhood into the community. Every summer, N.C. State hosts girls ages 8–14 for a basketball camp held on campus. Three years ago, the camp averaged 150 participants. The past two years, the camp had to be capped at 280. Coach Fancher says they don’t like turning girls away, but the smaller group allows for more personalized attention. The Wolfpack women are given the option to work the camp, and many lov e to be counselor s . In addition to teaching individual sessions on skills such as defense or ball handling, each counselor is given a team of 10 girls to coach for games.
Rivers says, “I love giving back, because I [went to] a camp like this. My favorite part is near the end as the kids see their hard work isn’t for nothing. Some kids come in timid, afraid to display what they can do on the court, but they start to gain confidence in themselves.”
The campers get the full experience of student athletes: sleeping in the dorms, eating in the cafeteria and playing basketball on the court in Reynolds Coliseum, shoulder to shoulder with some of the best players in college basketball. The counselors teach skills beyond the game, such as balancing academics and sports, being part of a team, time management and celebrating others’ success. And while it’s hard work, they make time for fun contests— swimming, TikTok reels, dancing and singing. Most importantly, the girls are building relationships—making longlasting friendships beyond camp, not just with girls their age, but also the Wolfpack women they see on screen.
R ivers says, “We’re not trying to make basketball players; we’re trying to make good people. And after they come to camp, they know they have a big sister at N.C. State.”
T he Wolfpack women will start the 2024 season with a rematch versus South Carolina in the Ally Tipoff event at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte on November 10.
BY MARILYN JONES
Less than an hour east of Raleigh, rural Johnston County offers excellent sites for North Carolina history lovers. Johnston County is the birthplace of Hollywood legend Ava Gardner, the site of a significant Civil War battlefield and home to a rich agricultural heritage celebrated through local museums.
The Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield is a great place to start exploring. The community of just over 11,000 residents offers a museum chronicling the star’s movies, marriages and awards. Paintings, portraits, photos, clothing, jewelry and film posters help tell the story of her success in film and later in television.
Gardner was a leading lady during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Born on December 24, 1922 in Grabtown, North Carolina—about an hour from Smithfield—the actress and singer first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1941. She appeared mainly in minor roles until 1946,
when she performed in Robert Siodmak’s film noir “The Killers.” She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in John Ford’s “Mogambo” in 1953 and Best Actress for both a Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award for her performance in John Huston’s “The Night of the Iguana” in 1964. Her personal life, meanwhile, drew national attention, including widely publicized marriages to screen idol Mickey Rooney, jazz musician Artie Shaw, and screen star and singer Frank Sinatra, all of which ended in divorce.
In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Gardner No. 25 on their list of greatest female screen legends of classic American cinema. She continued to act regularly until 1986, four years before she died in 1990.
The Ava Gardner museum offers rich insight into Gardner’s life. Viewing her jewelry, clothing and other personal items, visitors get an idea of both the woman and her era.
Bentonville Battlefield, near Four Oaks, saw the last full-scale Civil War action and the largest battle fought in North Carolina.
A welcome center offers excellent exhibits that help explain the battle and showcase relics from the war. Tours are available throughout the day at the Harper House, which was used as a hospital for both Union and Confederate soldiers.
The site includes a Confederate mass grave, the Harper family cemetery and Union earthworks. In addition, visitors can pick up an informational map marking all the sites, including highway historical markers and waysides highlighting the battles that took place in the area.
Other museums in Johnston County teach about the agricultural history of the area. At the Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly, visitors can learn the history of tobacco farming in North Carolina and what life was like on historic tobacco farms.
For many years, Johnston County’s economy, like much of the rest of North Carolina’s, depended heavily on tobacco. In the late 1800s, plummeting cotton prices forced farmers to find a new cash crop in bright leaf tobacco. Farmers established a tobacco market in 1898, and the crop salvaged rural North Carolina’s economy.
The ensuing prosperity brought telephone lines to practically every town in Johnston County. Townsfolk soon found themselves with electric lights and running water. Families of wealth built stately homes in town and in the country, and new schools and churches were erected. Many farmers would have lost their land without the money tobacco brought to North Carolina farm families.
The Tobacco Farm Life museum began as an educational project to show people how important tobacco farming was in the life of rural North Carolina. Soon, farm families started donating equipment and other items that were used by residents for decades to plant tobacco. From the clothes they wore to the tools they used, these items offer a unique perspective into the life of a North Carolina tobacco farmer.
Today, the 6,000-square-foot museum looks at farming, business and farm life during the 1930s. Exhibits range from early harvesting techniques and tobacco auctioning to soil conservation and tobacco advertising. Visitors can also tour an entire farmstead on the museum site, from an authentic log tobacco barn and farmhouse to a kitchen and smokehouse.
The Benson Museum of Local History offers exhibits dating back to the 18th century, when the Tuscarora Native
American tribe members were forced off their land. The museum features an expansive exhibit floor including displays on agricultural heritage, arts and crafts, local businesses, railroad history, fashion and heroes.
The Johnston County Heritage Center also answers visitor questions about life in this area. The museum preserves the history and material culture of the county for the educational benefit of its citizens and visitors.
If you have limited time to spend, go to Smithfield. The Ava Gardner Museum and the Johnston County Heritage Center are within two city blocks of one another. For more information about Johnston County or to receive a travel brochure, go to johnstoncountync.org.
This summer's looks embrace a vibrant fusion of retro aesthetics
B reathable fabrics like linen offer cool comfort, while an emphasis on sustainable materials soothes the conscience. B old, eye-catching patterns—reminiscent of the '60s and '70s—add a playful twist to classic silhouettes.
A ccessory trends lean towards oversized sunglasses, statement earrings and colorful sandals.
Hea d to the beach, the pool or a backyard barbecue in vivid, living colors!
All items available at The Gatorbug in Raleigh at Midtown East and The Gatorbug in Cary at Fenton. You can also buy them at t hegatorbug.com unless otherwise noted.
• O versized Yellow Sunglasses
• R ose Gold Hoops
R ue Button -d own in Fuch s ia/Multi
• Eva Swimsuit Top in Ne o n Sunset Color Block
• R ue Satin Pant in Fuch s ia /Multi
N ude Sandals (Stylist-owned)
• E legant Mirror Sunglasses
• S ilver Beaded Earrings
• Kavela Color Block Sheath Maxi D ress in Blue/Green
• N ude Sandals (Stylist-owned)
• Pearl Earrings
• B eaded Multicolor Necklace Used as Scarf
E legant Mirror Sunglasses
• W hite Vest
• L ong - length Short in White
• F laxen Square Toe Sandal in Light Blue
THANK YOU to The Allison at Fenton ( allisonatfenton.com ) for use of their beautiful pool and to Superica ( superica.com/cary ) for the delicious margaritas!
News for Raleigh foodies compiled by the Midtown staff, with contributions from Triangle Food Guy Sean Lennard, who blogs at trianglefoodblog.com
of Jessica Crawford.
Scott Crawford’s Sous Terre cocktail bar is now open at 620 N. Person Street in downtown Raleigh. Located below French bistro Jolie, the intimate 1,000-square-foot bar has banquette and bar seating for 35. The program is headed by Crawford Hospitality mixologist Jordan Joseph, who is implementing a classic cocktail program.
La Mala, which has a location in downtown Durham, will open soon in the former Clouds Brewing spot at 126 N. West Street in Raleigh near the intersection with Jones Street. The people in charge of La Mala are the same group behind La Santa, located at 222 Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. La Mala bills itself as a modern Mexican cocktail bar.
Jaguar Bolera is open in Raleigh Iron Works at 2221 Iron Works Drive. The “eatertainment” concept mixes Mexican flavor with the soul of Southern cuisine, bringing both worlds together in a wood-fired oven. The restaurant features a
large playground with duckpin bowling, pickleball, cornhole and other games. Jaguar Bolera’s original location is in Atlanta. The menu features shareables, tacos, handhelds, entrees and more.
European-inspired coffee house Press Coffee, Crepes & Cocktails has opened in the 400H mixed-use tower in downtown Raleigh (400 Hillsborough Street at the corner with West Street). With current locations in Durham and Graham, Press serves high-quality coffee and cocktail beverages, along with a rotating menu of food offerings that change with seasonally available ingredients.
Bistro 401 is now open at 401 Fayetteville Street in Raleigh. The new cafe is serving breakfast and brunch, including sandwiches, wraps, salads, sweet or savory crepes and a variety of cafe drinks. Business hours are 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Bistro 401 also offers catering.
the restaurant/brewery.
Italian small-plate concept Flour & Barrel Kitchen + Bar is coming to 400 N. West Street in Raleigh in the former Little City Brewing & Provisions spot. Chef Katsuji Tanabe is expected to serve as executive chef at Flour & Barrel, which will also serve artisan cocktails and craft beers.
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Burnsville and Calabash uniquely captivate the senses
Nestled below the 6,684-foot pinnacle of Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi, lies Burnsville, which welcomes thousands of visitors each season to take in its majestic views and fresh mountain air. Art is at the forefront of this lofty hub, where crafters and artists display their works in quaint galleries, and vibrant street murals enhance the beauty of this alpine setting. Charming boutiques, cozy coffee shops and Southern comfort food add to its allure.
Held annually the first Friday and Saturday in August, the Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair attracts large crowds in the town square to gaze at nearly every kind of handicraft imaginable and enjoy toe-tapping bluegrass and acoustic music. Peruse the Penland Gallery to admire works by resident artists and instructors from the renowned Penland School of Craft. Venture into the countryside to discover 150 colorful blocks patterned after quilt squares that adorn barns, buildings and churches on the nine Burnsville quilt block trails.
Reach for the stars at the Bare Dark Sky Observatory through its advanced telescopes, one of which is the largest in the Southeast dedicated to public use. Guests can observe 360-degree views of the spectacular night sky from an elevation of 2,736 feet, feeling ever closer to the constellations and planets above. Learn more at exploreburnsville.com.
This small fishing town in North Carolina’s Brunswick Islands claims the catchphrase, “The Seafood Capital of the World,” and rightfully so. The mouthwatering flavor of shrimp, clams, fish and oysters coated in a light batter and quickly fried to lock in their freshness has made Calabash famous. Restaurants, including Dockside Seafood House, Calabash Waterfront Seafood Shack and Captain Nance’s Seafood Restaurant, offer stunning views of the Calabash River, where shrimp boats set out for the day’s fresh catch, and trout and flounder swim along its shores.
Spend an afternoon aboard a chartered fishing boat on the waters around Calabash in search of mahi mahi, black sea bass and mackerel. Landlubbers can perfect their game at any of Calabash’s five championship golf courses or engage in retail therapy at the dozens of boutiques, art galleries and surf shops that line Beach Drive.
Bird Island Coastal Reserve in nearby Sunset Beach is one of the few protected natural island areas in the mid-Atlantic region where plants and animals find sanctuary in its marshes and dunes. Bird Island is accessible by foot along the beach strand or by boat from the Intracoastal Waterway, and is open year-round to nature lovers. Learn more at townofcalabash.net
