DATEBOOK

Winter Market

All month | 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Sweet potatoes, winter berries and collards, oh my! Believe it or not, the cold winter months of North Carolina have quite a lot to offer, produce-wise. Spend your Saturday scouring the Midtown Farmers Market for fixings for cozy February meals. Fairport Farms will be selling broccoli and radishes, meat purveyor WILDERS will have its signature Wagyu beef and Apex Seafood & Market will have an assortment of North Carolina seafood like amberjack, halibut and shrimp. “It’s the true local farmer and local artisans’ winter market. We are a producers-only market, and everything is produced within a 100-mile radius of Raleigh,” says Jeff Newsome of Peggy Rose’s Jellies, a regular vendor and manager of the Winter Market. Longtime vendor Linda Maggio of S&L Farms, which sells eggs, chicken and soups, loves being able to connect with customers this time of year. “It’s more intimate, you have more time talking with people and you get to know people very well,” Maggio says. “We have a great community of people here who are dedicated to having high-quality sustainable food.” Free; 4191 Main at North Hills Street; midtownfarmers.com

Yeti Scavenger Hunt

Feb. 1 - 6 | Various times

Warning: a Yeti is hiding in the J.C. Raulston Arboretum. Bring your kids on a self-guided scavenger hunt to find the 4-foot tall monster (don’t worry, he’s made of plywood) while observing all winter has to show off in the garden, including camellias, flowering quince, fragrant wintersweet, crocus and viburnum. Children’s program coordinator Elizabeth Overcash says this is a great way to get kids outside in nature this time of year, when there’s still plenty of plant life to be seen. “It’s good silly fun. It’s intended to be a way to explore the Arboretum without having to follow a map or solve a clue,” says Overcash. “We hope that it gets you to explore

MLIMA’S TALE

Feb. 2 -12 | Various times NOTED

This month at Burning Coal Theatre, see a thought-provoking drama (and a New York Times critic pick) that follows the tusks of a poached elephant, Mlima, as they travel the Ivory Highway, a road in Cameroon infamously used by traffickers, onto a cargo ship and eventually to China. In this story written by Lynn Nottage, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, the soul of Mlima travels with its tusks, prompting the question of why they are worth more than its life. “It is both beautiful and sad and often very funny, but in the end, we are left with no doubt about what we need to do to stop this violence against elephants, and by extension, against all of the world’s natural resources,” says Burning Coal Theatre artistic director Jerome Davis. “Mlima wants us to know we have only one home. And if we destroy it, we will all be left to travel Mlima’s path.” From $20; 224 Polk Street; burningcoal.org a new spot in the gardens and maybe see something you haven’t discovered before!” Come rain, snow or sun during the arboretum’s open hours, because the Yeti enjoys all sorts of winter weather, she says. Free; 4415 Beryl Road; jcra.ncsu.edu

HEAR & THERE

Wednesdays | 12 - 2 p.m.

Want to liven up your weekday lunch break? Take it to RTP. Boxyard is hosting Hear & There, a lunch series on Wednesdays with global musicians on its BeatBox stage. First up is Também, a group including pianist Ingrid Knight and Uruguayan drummer Gastón Reggio, which is known for performing Brazilian music infused with elements of jazz and classical stylings. Might we suggest Lawrence BBQ for lunch? Its menu is ever-rotating, but you can always count on some solid mac and cheese, fried Brussels sprouts and a juicy brisket sandwich. Free to listen; 900 Park Offices Drive, Research Triangle Park; boxyard.rtp.org

Plein Air Drawing And Painting

Feb. 2 | 9 a.m.

Paint or draw in the open air at Raleigh’s Historic Oakwood Cemetery with a class led by the cemetery’s program coordinator — an artist herself — Brianna McCormick. Though it may surprise some, McCormick says, the cemetery is a wonderful place to paint. “Oakwood Cemetery is full of life,” McCormick says. “More than a burial ground, it’s like a sculpture garden, arboretum, urban wildlife sanctuary and park in one.” The classes are held the first Thursday of each month, rain or shine, and are open to artists of all ages and skill levels. Participants meet at the cemetery office at 9 a.m. and then walk together to a chosen location. Bring your preferred art supplies, water and a chair or blanket. During the class, McCormick will lead discussions on various vantage points in Raleigh, the diverse plant life of the cemetery, history and art. “I love that we traipse across the grounds, art supplies in hand, to the cemetery’s myriad vistas and protected locations,” says McCormick. No experience is necessary, she says: “We have people who are just starting their painting journey making work alongside experienced painters.” Free; 701 Oakwood Avenue; historicoakwoodcemetery.org

Road Trip To Raleigh

Feb. 2 - 4 | 8 p.m.

Local country rock band American Aquarium is back in Raleigh for its annual three-show “Road Trip to Raleigh” at downtown’s Lincoln Theatre. It’s the band’s last United States gig before heading overseas to start their European tour. Expect to hear tunes from their latest album, Chicamacomico, frontman B.J. Barham’s tribute to family life during the pandemic. Nashville-based rock musician Katie Pruitt and countrymeets-punk group Lucero will also join them on stage. 126 E. Cabarrus Street; lincolntheatre.com

First Saturday Birding

Feb. 4 | 8:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Did you know that in Raleigh there are more than 100 species of birds? Search for goldfinches, wrens, sparrows and woodpeckers at Brumley North Nature

Preserve for a First Saturday Bird Watch led by the Wake Audubon Society and the Triangle Land Conservancy. Named one of the best places for birding in North Carolina by the TLC, Brumley offers an easy trail with lots of spots to stop. Don’t want to rise early for this one? Take note of the birds near your own home from Feb. 17 to 20 as part of the global Great Backyard Bird Count (birdcount.org), an annual tradition in February where engaged citizens can help contribute to the research and protection of our feathered friends. Free but registration required; Brumley North Parking Lot, 3620 Old State Highway 10, Durham; triangleland.org

Lafayette Village Sidewalk Sale

Feb. 2 - 5 | Various times

Shop the end-of-season sales from the