Datebook

OUR TOWN

In-person theater, a film festival, garden days, and more — here’s what to put on your radar this month.

by ADDIE LADNER

DINE OUT DOWNTOWN Saturdays | 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Throughout May and June, enjoy an evening meal outside at some of your favorite restaurants in the heart of the city. As an initiative of Downtown Raleigh Alliance, each Saturday a different portion of various districts (City Market, Glenwood South, Fayetteville, etc) will be blocked off to offer more dining space, along with live music and free parking. Extra space to dine safely and NOTED

comfortably at downtown favorites like Sono, City Market Sushi, Raleigh Times, and Capital Club 16? We’ll tip a glass to that! Various locations; see downtownraleigh.org for map and parking information.

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YOGA & MIMOSAS Saturdays | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

You may be used to hitting up the Dogwood Bar & Eatery for food, but on Saturdays in May, find rejuvenating yoga — and bubbly, too. They’ve paired with Oak City Yoga for a outdoor series of spring yoga classes with a round of mimosas for class participants. All skill levels are welcome. On the chance you do work up an appetite, stick around for Dogwood’s specialty flatbreads, like the Sticky Goat piled with figs, arugula, honey, and herbed goat cheese. $13 (includes one mimosa); 610 Glenwood Avenue; oakcityyogaraleigh.com

PETER & THE WOLF May 1 | 3 p.m.

The symphony isn’t just for adults; At the start of the month, kids can experience the imaginative tale of Peter, a fearless boy living with his grandfather in the woods, and the Wolf, whom Peter bravely captures. Sponsored by Wake Med Children’s Hospital, don’t miss this delightful matinée from the North Carolina Symphony, conducted by Michelle Di Russo and streamed from Meymandi Concert Hall. The concert will be available for streaming for 20 days following the initial air date. Packages including all three Young People’s Concerts this spring are also available Virtual; $21; ncsymphony.org

POP-UP MARKET May 1 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Head to Transfer Co. Food Hall’s spacious patio to shop hundreds of artisan items like handmade soap, candles, clothing, jewelry, and plants at Triangle Pop-Up’s lively May market. Beyond the shopping, there’s music, food, beverages, and safe, outdoor fun for all (even pets). A few vendors to look forward to are Bumble + Hound, Wind Blown Jewelry, and The Terracotta Gal. Spearheaded by sisters Abby and Sarah Moody, look for more pop-ups at other locations this summer, including Boxyard RTP and Lafayette Village. Free admission; 500 East Davie Street; trianglepopup.com

OPEN GARDEN DAYS May 1 - 2 & 7 - 9 | See website for times

For only eight weekends each year, the renowned Juniper Level Botanic Gardens, founded in 1988 by local plant legend Tony Avent, are open to the public. Two of those weekends are this month. Set on 28 acres, with thousands of both native and rare plant varieties — from wild ginger to Lenten Roses to ferns to herbs — the sale offers an opportunity to add something new and interesting to your landscape, and wander the grounds of the unique nursery. The hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Friday and Saturday dates and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Free admission; 9241 Sauls Road; plantdelights.com

THE SPARK May 6 | 6:30 p.m.

Watch conversations between nationally and locally known creatives with The Spark, a project from Grammy-nominated country musician Tift Merritt. In this hour-long show, Merritt, a Raleigh native and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumna, candidly interviews artists of all stripes, from musicians to visual artists. It’s a series of 45-minute livestreamed conversations between Merritt and her guests, followed by a 15-minute audience Q&A. The Spark was originally produced by the acclaimed Marfa, Texas, public radio, and has now come to Carolina Performing Arts. This month Merritt will host award-winning puppet designer and director Robin Frohardt. Virtual; registration required; free but $15 donation suggested; carolinaperformingarts.org

MOVIES BY MOONLIGHT Fridays | 8:15 p.m.

One of our area’s most-loved outdoor venues, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, has reopened just in time for outdoor film (and concert!) season. Grab your blanket, chair, and, picnic fare (bring your own or buy it there) to sprawl out among the pines for their Movies by Moonlight series. May’s lineup includes Trolls World Tour, Aquaman, Little, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. “Although we’re taking a ‘dimmer switch’ approach to our programming — starting small and building up — the spotlight on in-person movies and music has never been brighter,” says Cary cultural arts manager William Lewis. “The more than 400-day hiatus gave us plenty of time to reflect on just how special and rejuvenating things like this are.” This year the venue has adapted to a pod seating-style ticketing system, with tickets sold per group. Starting at $20 per table or four-person pod; 8003 Regency Parkway, Cary; boothamphitheatre.com

VINTAGE MARKET DAYS May 7 - 9 | See website for times

Distressed furniture, galvanized buckets, bits of lace: have your pick of all things antique and retro at the State Fairgrounds for Vintage Market Days. If the pandemic hasn’t made you a homebody, this event might. Starting at $5 for a Sunday pass, with all-weekend and VIP price options; Jim Graham Building, 1025 Blue Ridge Road; vintagemarketdays.com/ market/nc-triangle

CONCERTS AT THE SPEEDWAY May 13 & 21 | 7 p.m.

Gather some buds and head to Rougemont for some of the first (of hopefully many more) in-person concerts in time for the start of summer. At the Orange County Speedway, indie-rock band Mt. Joy will bring a new concert experience to the Triangle with a drive-in style showing (picnic blankets and chairs welcome too) on the 13th, and Nashvillebased Moon Taxi will bring the tunes on the 21st. Doors open at 6 p.m.; check website for ticketing logistics. Starting at $22 for one car pass for 4; 9740 NC Highway 57, Rougemont; maxxmusic.com

DIVAS! UNDER THE STARS May 15 | 8 p.m.

Performed in Raleigh Little Theatre’s lovely Stephenson Amphitheatre, watch a live, in-person performance of Divas! This annual show is filled with glamour and sparkle as 11 artists show off their The Longleaf Film Festival, held virtually again this year, is an annual juried independent film festival hosted by the North Carolina Museum of History that shares unique stories of North Carolina. “The historic art and culture of filmmaking continues to provide much-needed connections in challenging times,” says festival co-director Sally Bloom. There’s something for all audiences at this free event, which includes everything from animated films to music videos to documentaries. A few highlights: Theirs is the Kingdom, a documentary that examines the intersection of poverty and portraiture as it follows the creation of a fresco mural in Asheville, and Jon Lance Bacon’s Oh Crappy Day, which follows an aspiring young filmmaker's quest to find love through online dating as he struggles with OCD. Virtual; free; longleaffilmfestival.com

LONGLEAF FILM FESTIVAL May 14 & 15 | See website for showtimes

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talents. Pack your lawn chairs or picnic blankets to see who will take home the 2021 crown — and to raise money for the theater’s future programming. $25; 301 Pogue Street; raleighlittletheatre.org

CINDERELLA May 19 & 20 | 7:30 p.m.

Don’t miss the last program of Carolina Ballet’s 2021 spring season. They’ll present Robert Weiss’ production of a family classic, Cinderella, featuring an original piano score by composer and Triangle-based musician Karl Moraski. “We are very proud to continue presenting this performance 16 years after its creation,” says Courtney Hilliard with Carolina Ballet. “It excites us to bring new dancers into these original works, as well as new audience members. Cinderella is as much a piece of Carolina Ballet’s history as it is Raleigh’s history, and we can’t wait for everyone to see it!” The program will be live-streamed for

Presented by two evenings: Wednesday, May 19, and Thursday, May 20, each at 7:30 p.m. The performance will remain accessible to patrons until midnight on Sunday, May 23. Virtual; call box office at 919-719-0900 for streaming information; carolinaballet. com

SPRINGTIME STROLL & ROLL May 21 - 23 | See website for times

Spend a day looking at public art installations, participating in creative scavenger hunts, and stopping in artistic shops through Artspace’s fundraiser, Springtime Stroll & Roll. The event offers two routes: a 1-mile stroller- and wheelchair-accessible downtown trek that passes by Cathy Foreman’s Black Roses mural, 311 Gallery on Martin Street, and CAM; and a 10-mile bike route past spots like Rebus Works, the Eudora Welty mural at Transder Co. Food Hall, and the Gregg Museum. The event takes place over three days, and Artspace encourages participants to raise money to support local arts. “Ask your colleagues, friends, and family to sponsor you through donations to your personal Artspace fundraising page,” says Mary Kay Kennedy with Artspace, who notes that both routes start and end at Artspace, where they’ll have free make-and-take art activities, interactive art projects, and opportunities to visit with studio artists. Free but donations encouraged; 201 East Davie Street.; artspacenc.org/events/stroll-roll