OUR TOWN Celebrate the warmer weather with berry picking, music of all genres, film and food festivals, and some distinctly North Carolina cultural events.
Liz Condo (STRAWBERRIES); courtesy Shirley Caesar (CAESAR)
by ADDIE LADNER and KARA ADAMS
NATIONAL BIKE MONTH All month | See website Gear up for National Bike Month with Oaks & Spokes, a nonprofit dedicated to making Raleigh more bike-friendly. In addition to their ongoing rides, such as the Wednesday night Crank Arm Cruiser and Team on Draft Ride on Tuesdays, they host a Community Kickstand bicycle repair day on the second Saturday of every month, where volunteers help repair bicycles and teach skills and maintenance to those in need of a safe form of transportation. If you’re in commuting distance, try Bike-to-Work Day on May 20. Free but registration required; locations vary; oaksandspokes.com
SHIRLEY CAESAR & THE CAESAR SINGERS
NOTED
IT’S STRAWBERRY SEASON! All month | See website The beloved berries are at their peak this month, and the Triangle abounds with “U-Pick” fields where you can fill a bucket with these juicy jewels, plucked fresh off the stem. Check out DJ’s Berry Patch (1223 Salem Church Road, Apex), which offers an open-air stand full of homemade products to take home, too, including strawberry preserves and strawberry vinaigrette. Porter Farms and Nursery (3504 NC Highway 42) is great for those with little ones with its giant sandbox, play area, and rich ice cream. Or keep an eye out for the homemade strawberry pound cake at Phillips Farms (6701 Good Hope Church Road, Cary) and cut your own spring flowers at Page Farms (6100 Mt Herman Road). For more farm stands and U-Pick spots around the Triangle, visit waltermagazine.com
May 5 | 7:30 p.m. See Grammy Award-winning gospel legend and Mount Calvary Word of Faith Church Pastor Shirley Caesar host an evening of fellowship and worship alongside The Caesar Singers at Meymandi Concert Hall. The North Carolina native, known as the “Queen of Gospel,” has shared the stage with musical greats including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle, and Kirk Franklin, and she’s TikTok famous for a line in her hit song “Hold My Mule” (search the #UNameItChallenge). Hear this iconic song in person, along with favorites from this Gospel Hall of Fame and North Carolina Music Hall of Fame member. From $15; 2 E. South Street; pinecone.org
All information is accurate as of press time, but please check waltermagazine.com and the event websites for the latest updates. The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 23
