Datebook

OUR TOWN

Check a few items off your summer bucket list with these sporting events, street festivals, and outdoor performances

by KARA ADAMS and ADDIE LADNER

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ARE WE THERE YET? All month long | See website for times

Experience the joy of a North Carolina vacation between the 1930s and the 1970s at the North Carolina Museum of History’s photography exhibit, Are We There Yet? North Carolina’s Variety Vacationland. During these decades, tourism boomed thanks to the success of the “Variety Vacationland” campaign, which showcased our state’s rich history, beaches like the Outer Banks, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The exhibit also touches on the era’s racial divide — many attractions were only advertised and available to white residents of the state. “I tried to highlight the nuances of the Variety Vacationland campaign,” says curator of popular culture Katie Edwards, who put together the exhibit. “It was an effective campaign that brought tourism to the state, but it was also a campaign that neglected to include all North Carolina’s citizens and tourists.” In-person; free; 5 E. Edenton Street; ncmuseumofhistory.org

DATEBOOK

FREE YOGA AT MOORE SQUARE Sundays | 10 - 11 a.m.

Stretch out prior to shopping for local goods at Moore Square Market with Current Wellness’s flow classes, which take place Sunday mornings before the market opens. These free community classes teach intuitive movement through either a beginner or fast-paced instruction, and foster body positivity and appreciation. In-person; free; 200 S. Blount Street; downtownraleigh.org

THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS August 1 | 3 p.m.

See the Harlem Globetrotters on their Spread Game Tour at the PNC Arena, where the captivating basketball team will showcase feats of athleticism and talent. Expect their signature moves, like impressive slam dunks and trick shots, plus entertaining characters like Torch George, Hot Shot Swanson, and Wham Middleton. This show was postponed last year due to the pandemic. In-person; tickets starting at $17; 1400 Edwards Mill Road; pncarena.com

JJ GREY & MOFRO August 1 | 7 p.m.

JJ Grey — “the north Florida sage and soul-bent swamp rocker” — and his band Mofro will return to the outdoor stage at Lincoln Theatre with special guest LORE as part of the venue’s Outdoor Concert Series. The Southern soul-rock band will perform its set rain or shine, including songs from albums Ol’ Glory and Brighter Days. In-person; $32.50; 126 E. Cabarrus Street; lincolntheatre.com

INTO THE BREECHES August 1 - 8 | See website for times

Set in Raleigh during World War II, Into The Breeches is a play that centers around a director’s wife on the home front who attempts to put on an all-female production of Shakespeare’s Henry IV and Henry V. This comedy, based on the book by George Brant, is all about the transformative power of art and community. In-person; from $30; 6638 Old Wake Forest Road; theatreraleigh.com

VIDEO CHAT FROM A DINOSAUR DIG August 4 | 12 - 1 p.m.

Join paleontologist Dr. Lindsay Zanno and her team of scientists live from an expedition in Utah, where they’re spending the summer searching for undiscovered fossils of orodromine dinosaurs, dinosaur egg sites, new meat-eating dinosaurs, and more. Zanno, a professor at North Carolina State University and the head of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences paleontology department, recently discovered a new species of tyrannosaurus. The video call, part of the museum’s Lunchtime Discovery Series, will give you the rare opportunity to experience a day on a dinosaur dig, ask questions, and meet paleontologists in the field. Virtual; free; naturalsciences.org

DOWNTOWN RALEIGH WALKING TOUR Saturdays | 10 a.m.

Join the City of Raleigh Museum for a historic Fayetteville Street walking tour. The tour happens every Saturday in August and covers everything from the city’s origins to modern-day facts. Tours will begin at the City of Raleigh Museum inside the historic Briggs Hardware building and last roughly 30 minutes. In-person; $6 for adult, $4 for youth, free for children; 220 Fayetteville Street; cityofraleighmuseum.org

LOCAL BAND LOCAL BEER Sundays | 2 - 8 p.m.

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d The Pour House Music Hall & Record Shop will host six North Carolina musical acts, including Blue Cactus and Libby Rodenbough, every Sunday this month for folks to enjoy for free as part of its Local Band Local Beer series to support our area musicians and breweries. Three acts will perform in the record shop upstairs to kick off each afternoon, then three on the main stage downstairs afterward for a Sunday full of good tunes. The event itself is open to all ages, and you can also expect some stellar beer specials as well as Bloody Marys and mimosas. In-person; free; 224 S. Blount Street; thepourhousemusichall.com

THE MIGHTY DUCKS August 7 | 7 - 10 p.m

Come dressed in your favorite sports gear for a trip to Dix Park to cheer on the underdog hockey team in the 1992 Stephen Herek classic film The Mighty Ducks. Bring your own blanket, low lawn chairs, and a cooler full of your favorite beverages and appetizers to settle in and enjoy the show. Free but reservations required; Flowers Field, 2105 Umstead Drive; dixpark.org

KINGS OF LEON August 8 | 7:30 p.m.

Jam out to rock band Kings of Leon live at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, with an opening performance by indie rock band Cold War Kids. The concert is part of the tour for Kings of Leon’s latest record, When You See Yourself, so expect all-new songs played alongside past chart-toppers like “Use Somebody,” “Sex on Fire,” and, we hope, “Back Down South” — we’re in North Carolina, after all. In-person; general admission starting at $36; 3801 Rock Quarry Road; livenation.com

BEEHIVE: THE 60’S MUSICAL August 12 - 28 | 8 p.m.

Celebrating the musicians that paved the way for women in the industry, like Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, The Supremes, and Tina Turner, this musical follows a group of women from their first high school dance through the tumultuous changes in America during the 1960s. Featuring hit songs like “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Be My Baby,” it’s a chance to “turn back the clock and sing and dance along to songs that shaped a generation,” says Megan Farrell with Raleigh Little Theatre. In-person; $27 for an adult, $23 for a senior or student; 301 Pogue Street; raleighlittletheatre.org

FRIDAY NIGHT FIREWORKS August 6 & 20 | 6:35 p.m.

Take a field trip to our nearest minor league to root, root, root for the Durham Bulls as they take on the Memphis Redbirds and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. While each of the seven evening games of the series offer enticing special events — not just the usual antics with Wool E. Bull, but tunes, specialty brews, and Kids Run the Bases days — the Friday Night Fireworks are especially thrilling, a full Fourth of July-worthy display that kids and adults alike enjoy. NOTED

In-person; tickets starting at $11; 409 Blackwell Street, Durham; milb.com/ durham/schedule/2021-08

IMAGINATION BALL August 14 | 6 - 9:30 p.m.

Every child should experience the magic of play and curiosity — and thanks to Marbles Kids Museum, many children in Raleigh do. This month the beloved kids museum is hosting their “signature grown-up gala,” the Imagination Ball, both virtually and inperson. Take part in the soiree at your place or theirs with an online auction and streaming program full of games and a sweet dance party soundtrack. In-person and virtual; free to stream or starting at $100 for in-person; 201 E. Hargett Street; marbleskidsmuseum.org

NORTH RALEIGH BACK TO SCHOOL MARKET August 14 | 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Show some school spirit at the North Raleigh Back to School Market, featuring local artists, live music, food trucks, bouncy houses, and vendors selling local produce. Free kids meal tokens will be given to all children who wear their school t-shirts, and there will be an on-site donation center accepting supplies for Abbott’s Creek and Durant Road Elementary Schools. In-person; free; 9500 Durant Road; Search North Raleigh Back to School Market on Facebook

NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE SOCCER MATCHES Aug 15 & 21 | 6 & 7 p.m.

If watching the Tokyo Olympics got you fired up, head out to Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park to support the North Carolina Courage and their Olympian-filled roster for in-person games in the National Women’s Soccer League. The defending NWSL Champions are led by captain and four-time New Zealand Olympian Abby Erceg, as well as Team Brazil’s Debinha, and two of Team USA’s own, Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams. In-person; tickets starting at $12; WakeMed Soccer Park, 101 Soccer Park Drive, Cary; nccourage.com/2021season

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RALEIGH’S INTERNATIONAL FOOD FESTIVAL August 28 | 12 - 10 p.m.

Taste your way through the likes of Turkey, Spain, Korea, and Greece at Raleigh’s International Food Festival. The event, which features cuisine from more than a dozen countries, will also include entertainment in all forms, from hip-hop to belly dancing to Zumba. “This festival is wonderful because we provide a platform to promote diversity, understanding, cross-cultural exchange, and respect by sharing food, traditions, and art,” says festival founder Bearta Alchacar. While they are hoping for a full crowd this year (past festivals have garnered more than 20,000 guests), social distancing will be encouraged. In-person; free; 100-200 block of Fayetteville Street; visitraleigh.com

PINECONE BLUEGRASS JAM August 23 | 7 p.m.

Calling musicians of any skill level or instrument: gather ‘round at Transfer Co. Food Hall for a jam session with PineCone. Whether you want to play, sing, or listen, it’s guaranteed to be a special evening. “The community feeling is one thing that makes bluegrass unique,” says Russell Johnson, leader of local bluegrass band Diamond Creek and director of the Carolina Bluegrass Band at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “There are young student musicians from the PineCone Bluegrass Camps, some of my students from the Carolina Bluegrass program, hobbyists, and professionals — a whole lot of folks from a lot of different backgrounds and skill levels, all gathered to make music together.” The monthly jam tradition, which has been around since 2006, restarted in June after a break for the pandemic. “The first night back at the PineCone Bluegrass Jam was special,” says Johnson. “It had been over a year since a lot of these folks got to play music together.” In-person; free; 500 E. Davie Street; pinecone.org NOTED

Prepare to Soar

Ravenscroft’s rigorous approach to education and one-of-a-kind citizen leadership curriculum ignite curiosity and foster a lifelong love of learning in our students. Ravens of all ages explore their passions in a dynamic classroom environment that encourages strategic thinking, communication and collaboration — critical 21st-century skills that will prepare them to lead and thrive.