From traditional to modern and everything in between, discover tailor-made furnishings, hand-knotted rugs, and home décor. Come uncover what Green Front has in store and begin your home’s unique story with us.
UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY AT GREEN FRONT
Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony
FRI/SAT, APR 25-26 | 8PM
Marie Jacquot, conductor
Marie-Ange Nguci, piano
Wagner: Tannhäuser Overture
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2
Saint-Saëns: Symphony 3, “Organ”
Stravinsky: The Firebird
FRI/SAT, MAY 9-10 | 8PM
Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor
Alessio Bax, piano
Ravel: La valse
Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Albéniz: Selections from Suite Española
Stravinsky: The Firebird
EDITOR’S LETTER
Before I sat down to write this letter, I sat at my kitchen counter to write out a reminder list for an upcoming trip (run the dishwasher, feed the fish, “PLUG IN IPADS!,” etc). Then I opened my computer to make packing lists for each of my girls. I type these because I was doing them often enough that I wanted to be able to copy/paste them — plus, I always need two identical lists for my two daughters! So now I have a folder on my Google Drive just called Packing Lists, with currently 10 lists in it. That’s fewer than I thought — but that’s only since 2023, when my kids were truly old enough to pack independently.
They’re used to it. When I sit down on Saturday mornings to make my weekend to-do list, they get one, too. The grocery list lives on the fridge, and they know the only way to get Chips Ahoy! into a shopping cart is to… “put it on the list!” I come by it honestly; my mom is a big list-maker. Even now, when my parents come to visit, one of the first things they do is write a list of the house projects they want to tackle while they’re here.
I’ve noticed that my daughters have become little list-makers, too. Their birthday and Christmas wish lists come as Google Docs, with links to products and stars next to the things they really, really want. (Unfortunately, they’re still not getting a kid-sized motorcycle or puppy.) We start
the summers with a big list of all the things we want to do and get to about half of them.
Next to my computer, I have a navyblue Moleskine notebook with my work to-do list. I have dozens of these from over the course of my career — I’m on my fifth one at WALTER! There’s the big weekly to-do list, and then, if we’re really busy, daily sub-to-do lists to stay on task. Sometimes I add something to the list after I’ve done it, just to cross it off.
I’m not the only list-lover in the office: Julie’s family calls hers “love lists,” the notes she leaves in the summer camp trunk about what to pack for next year or in the Christmas bin to remember to buy. Laura keeps hers on white ruled notepads. She writes the to-dos in pen, but crosses them out with a Sharpie. She has stacks and stacks of these pads.
I do, occasionally, open up an old notebook or find a very old to-do list tucked into a drawer. When I read those lists, I’m instantly transported to that exact moment in time. Some people journal; I guess I just make lists.
Ayn-Monique Klahre Editor
Left: Laura’s to-do list. Right: Writer David Menconi (fourth from left) with Fancy Gap’s Charles Crossingham and Stuart McLamb, Blue Cactus’ Steph Stewart and Mario Arnez, and George Hage.
APRIL 2025
EDITORIAL
Editor
AYN-MONIQUE KLAHRE ayn-monique@waltermagazine.com
Creative Director LAURA PETRIDES WALL laura@waltermagazine.com
Tyler Cunningham, Jim Dodson, Mike Dunn, Susanna Klingenberg, Matt Lail, Al Maginnes, David Menconi, Rachel Simon, Katherine Snow Smith, Lori D.R. Wiggins, Helen Yoest
Inquiries WALTER OFFICE 984-286-0928 info@waltermagazine.com
Address all correspondence to: WALTER magazine, 421 Fayetteville Street, Suite 104 Raleigh, N.C. 27601
WALTER is available by paid subscriptions for $36 a year in the United States, as well as select rack and advertiser locations throughout the Triangle. Subscribe online at waltermagazine.com/subscribe
For customer service inquiries, please email us at customerservice@waltermagazine.com or call 984-286-0928. WALTER does not accept unsolicited manuscripts.
Please contact Ayn-Monique Klahre at ayn-monique@waltermagazine.com for freelance guidelines.
Owners
JACK ANDREWS, FRANK DANIELS III, DAVID WORONOFF In memoriam FRANK DANIELS JR.
Helen Yoest is a writer, gardening expert and conservationist in Raleigh. Her most recent book, Beginner’s Guide to Garden Planning and Design, was published in 2024. “It was an honor to write the piece on Juniper Level Botanic Garden. I’ve known Tony Avent for decades and thought I was wellacquainted with his accomplishments — I wasn’t. The depth and, frankly, the genius behind the creation of JLBG is incredible. I only touched on the surface of the garden, but Tony is working on a book about it which will reveal everything in the future.”
AL MAGINNES / POET
Al Maginnes is the author of fourteen collections of poetry, most recently Fellow Survivors: New and Selected Poems (Redhawk Publications, 2023). He is retired from teaching at Wake Technical Community College and lives in Raleigh. “I’ve been fascinated by the sonnet form since I began writing poems, and ‘Literature’ was one of a series of sonnet stanzas I wrote as part of what I hope will be a group of poems that discuss the writing life in a loving and sometimes humorous way.”
REBECCA NECESSARY / PHOTOGRAPHER
Rebecca Necessary has been a designer and creator since childhood. Days raking leaves in her front yard into imaginary house plans turned into a career, and she moved to Raleigh in 2004 to obtain her master’s in Architecture from North Carolina State Univeristy’s College of Design. After nearly a decade working for local architecture firms, she opened her own practice, Necessary Design. While architecture is her main creative outlet, she always has a camera close by. “Photographing Patrizia Ferreira in her studio was a joyful experience. Her ability to weave a narrative through textiles and found objects inspires me to consider life’s details with a sense of wonder.”
JACLYN MORGAN / PHOTOGRAPHER
Jaclyn Morgan is a Greenvillebased photographer who learned her way around the darkroom at NC State almost 20 years ago and has been chasing shadows and light ever since. Photographing families at home is her passion, but her portfolio also includes weddings and branding work for businesses. This is her sixth assignment for WALTER and her first visit to Juniper Level Botanic Garden. “It was a joy to walk and talk with Tony through the grounds of Juniper Level. I had no idea this gem of a place existed.”
FEEDBACK
Several folks wrote in about Jesma Reynolds’ telling of her trip to Kyrgyzstan.
“A beautifully written piece about a once-in-a-lifetime trek. [Applause] to my intrepid friend.”
P. Gaye Tapp
“Loved the article! What a fabulous excursion! I didn’t want it to end. The photographs were breathtaking.”
Sue Jett Russler Taylor
Some March cover love from the folks at The Fort.
“This artist is FABULOUS! ” — Eric Gaard, about artist Aliyah Bonnette
“I’ve been seeing [Scott Sharpe’s] All But Forgotten NC pics on Instgram. He’s an amazing photographer.”
— Laura Collins
“Love these so much! I met him a few years ago and love his work!“
—Mallory Cash, about artist Matt Byrd
OUR TOWN
Welcome the first full month of spring with plant sales, outdoor music and plenty of sports to watch.
CAPTURE APRIL SHOWERS Within the City of Oaks, 36 watersheds connect to lakes and streams that feed into North Carolina’s largest river, the Neuse, and then on to the Atlantic Ocean. Crabtree and Walnut Creeks are the two biggest creeks in our area, offering spots to search for salamanders, cast a line or walk the greenways along their banks. You can help keep these creeks flowing by capturing rainwater on your own property using incentives from our city’s Raleigh Rainwater Rewards Program (raleighnc.gov/rainwaterrewards). Businesses and homeowners that install a rain garden, cistern or man-made wetland, along with other projects, may be reimbursed for up to 90% of the costs. According to Justin Harcum, the program’s project manager, more than 1 million gallons of rainwater have been captured since February of last year and the city has completed more than 260 of these projects since it launched. Harcum has also noticed increased awareness about the need to keep our creeks clean. “People are more proactive and protective now and that’s an important first step,” he says. — Addie Ladner
DATEBOOK
WALTER’s list of things to see, do and experience this month.
by ADDIE LADNER
ROOTS FOR REECE
April 27 | 12 - 6 p.m.
At the 7th Annual Roots for Reece Chef’s Picnic Fundraiser, enjoy creative bites and sips from local chefs and mixologists at Landon Estate, a historic manor on a sprawling property of pecan groves, wildflowers and oaks. Hosted by Under the Oak Catering, the festive meal raises funds for the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition in honor of the late Reece Byrd, a chef and friend of event organizer Blake Gotliffe. From $109; 2035 Indian Camp Road, Clayton; rootsforreece.org
NC STATE VS. UNC GREENSBORO
April 1 | 6 p.m.
Hey, batter batter! At North Carolina State University’s Doak Field, cheer on the men’s baseball team as they take on the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Spartans. For a complete Wolfpack experience, head to Talley Market afterwards for some Howling Cow ice cream inside the student union building. From $10; 1081 Varsity Drive; gopack.com
THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO
April 4 & 6 | Various times Premiered in Vienna in the 1700s, The Marriage of Figaro is a comical drama following a series of love entanglements and miscommunications between a count, countess, doctor and servant, all of which unfold in a single day. This
three-hour production is performed in Italian with English subtitles. With Mozart’s music and a libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte, don’t miss the chance to see this global masterpiece. From $50; 2 E. South Street; ncopera.org
LIVE@LAKE RALEIGH
April 10 & 24 | 5 p.m.
One of Raleigh’s best-kept spring secrets is this family-friendly concert series on the banks of Lake Raleigh at
NC State’s Centennial Campus. On select Thursdays in April and May, enjoy food trucks and musicians of various genres performing outside. The shows kick off on April 10 with the band Ricardo Diquez & The Tropic Orchestra, which is known for its danceable, Caribbean-influenced music. Then on April 24, bluegrass group The Tray Wellington Band, helmed by awardwinning banjo player Tray Wellington, will take the stage. Food trucks are open for business at 5 p.m., music starts at 6 p.m. and parking is free! Free; corner of Main Campus Drive & Campus Shore Drive; live.arts.ncsu.edu
STOP KISS
April 10 - 19 | Various times Originally written in the late 1990s by playwright Diana Son, this touching
All information is accurate as of press time, but please check waltermagazine.com and the event websites for the latest updates.
Now Open
play explores love, hatred and selffulfillment. Two women turn from friends to lovers in New York City — then become the target of a brutal hate crime. Stop Kiss follows their story, toggling between the sweet beginnings of their relationship, the investigation and the media response to the attack. The Justice Theater Project will bring this show to life at the Umstead Park United Christ Church. $25; 8208 Brownleigh Drive; thejusticetheaterproject.org
OAKWOOD GARDEN CLUB TOUR AND TEA
April 12 & 13 | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
BE AMONG THE FIRST to
Enjoy a leisurely stroll through Historic Oakwood for its annual garden tour, hosted by the Oakwood Garden Club. This self-guided tour visits six landscapes on about a 1.5-mile route, where you can expect to see whimsical water features, native plants and outdoor sculptures, in addition to your favorite April flowers, plus enjoy assorted iced tea and treats. For an extra $20, enjoy the hourlong Fascinator/Boutonniere workshop beforehand, which includes a mocktail and all the necessary supplies to enjoy the tour in DIY style. From $25; 418 N. Person Street; historicoakwood.org
HURRICANES VS. MAPLE LEAFS
April 13 | 5 p.m.
Cheer on our very own Carolina Hurricanes as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. This last game of the regular season is themed Fan Appreciation Night, so you can expect to get in the spirit of the night with plenty of chances to score team merchandise, play games, be seen on the jumbotron and capture unique photos during the game. From $43; 1400 Edwards Mill Road; nhl.com/hurricanes
THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL
Now - April 6 | Various times
In this award-winning play at Theatre Raleigh, an elderly Carrie Watts, who lives in Houston with her family, longs for the slowerpaced life of her childhood in rural Texas. She sets out to return to her hometown, causing her family to panic and go searching for her. Meanwhile, Carrie’s experiencing a journey of her lifetime. Eric Woodall, Theatre Raleigh’s artistic director, is looking forward to hosting Emmy-winning actress Kim Zimmer as the lead. “Kim’s ability to bring emotional resonance to her work has captivated daytime audiences for many years,” Woodall says. “We can’t wait for our guests to experience her power in this unforgettable performance.” From $33; 6638 Old Wake Forest Road; theatreraleigh.com
‘CUEGRASS FESTIVAL
April 19 | 12 - 6 p.m.
‘Cuegrass, hosted by The Pit BBQ, is a fun family festival that brings together two of North Carolina’s favorite things: roots music and whole-hog barbecue. Enjoy the food, sip on local craft beer and enjoy live performances from the likes of Duck, a high-energy band that mixes blues, soul and rock; Holler Choir, known for its Appalachian harmonies; and folk musician Alexa Rose. Funds raised from the festival go toward a number of worthy initiatives,
Take a Mulligan
DREAMVILLE FESTIVAL
April 5 & 6 | Various times
Celebrating its fifth and final year, our state’s largest R&B and hip-hop festival returns to the City of Oaks! The two-day festival, founded by rap artist and North Carolina native J. Cole, has increased in size and community impact each year — in 2024 alone, more than 100,000 guests attended from all over the world. Festivalgoers can expect dozens of performers on two different stages, on-site art installations by local creators, VIP experience options, a ferris wheel and a broad range of food vendors. From $300; 1030 Richardson Drive; dreamvillefest.com
Don’t miss out on the famous Courage fan experience! Get there early to take advantage of entertainment, food trucks and giveaways before the game. From $27; 101 Soccer Park Drive, Cary; nccourage.com
BREWGALOO
April 25 & 26 | Various times
Each year, more than 50,000 people from across the United States convene downtown for a celebration of all things craft beer, food and music. At Brewgaloo, which takes place primarily on Fayetteville Street, you can sample pours from more than 100 breweries — from thick, creamy stouts to hoppy IPAs — and enjoy music on two different stages. The fun starts on Friday at an
West, “I love the inflatable costume dash and teams like the Fairy Godmothers, who are all decked out.” There are many options to take part in this tradition: gather a team, participate virtually, run or walk (strollers and pets welcome) or simply spectate. The route begins and ends at Note in the Pocket’s Volunteer & Donation Center behind the Crossroads Fellowship Raleigh Campus. From $35; 4730 Hargrove Road; noteinthepocket.org
RAULSTON BLOOMS!
April 26 | 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Raulston Blooms! returns to NC State’s JC Raulston Arboretum. A celebration of all things nature, this family-friendly event is set on the beautiful grounds of the public garden. Enjoy the impressive birdhouse competition, hands-on crafts, gardening talks and plenty of scrumptious food truck options! You can also take advantage of the arboretum’s plant sale, which offers a rare opportunity to score unique native and exotic saplings. From $5; 4415 Beryl Road; jcra.ncsu.edu
APRIL 12, 2025
SATURDAY 2-5PM
Roanoke Island, NC on the grounds of The Lost Colony
NATIVE PLANT SALE
April 26 | 12 - 3 p.m.
The Umstead Coalition, the group dedicated to protecting and enhancing our area’s most popular state park, is hosting its annual sale of native flowers, shrubs and herbs with all proceeds going straight back to its mission. Afterwards, consider hiking one of Umstead State Park’s 15 trail options. Registration is encouraged but not required; you can also visit the Umstead Coalition’s website ahead of time to get an idea of the available plant varieties and pricing. Free admission; 2100 N. Harrison Avenue, Cary; umsteadcoalition. org
SIROCCO AND THE KINGDOM OF WINDS
April 12 | 6 - 8:30 p.m.
Take the kids to the North Carolina Museum of Art for the April edition of its Family Movie Night series. In the animated fantasy film Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds (in French with subtitles), two sisters find themselves turned into cats and transported into the plot of an enchanting book — but then are separated. The sisters must find their way back to one another and to their reality. The film starts at 7 p.m. in the SECU Auditorium in the East Building, but get there early to make film-inspired crafts and enjoy treats from Captain Cookie & the Milkman. From $10, free for children under 6; 2110 Blue Ridge Road; ncartmuseum.org
Fore the Love of the Game
by MATT LAIL
Raleigh has a rich golf history. The legendary Donald Ross created his last course here in 1948 with Raleigh Country Club, and the area has produced pros like Webb Simpson, Scott Hoch and the late Grayson Murray. Arnold Palmer spent his collegeplaying days at then-Wake Forest College — back when the school was in Wake Forest. And later in life, Palmer designed North Carolina State University’s Lonnie Poole Golf Course, which opened in 2008.
In short, Raleigh loves golf. And as the city has changed, so too have the game’s offerings. These recent endeavors speak to the everlasting allure of what Palmer once called “the greatest game mankind ever invented.”
PLAY PLAY PLAY
These days, you don’t have to be outside to enjoy a round of golf: simply head to one of the many local indoor simulator facilities. Dogwood Country Club opened in 2018 on W. Cabarrus Street but recently moved to a larger spot at Gateway Plaza off Crabtree Boulevard. Golf Golf Golf opened its 1,500-square-foot club and lounge on New Bern Avenue in December 2024. It features two Trackman simulator bays, indoor putting greens and even a bar. The immersive simulators mimic some of the world’s great courses while the bar offers beer, wines, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages.
Owner Sam Ratto’s grandmother once took him to play on a municipal course in California when he was young. After a bad shot, his emotions got the best of him:. “My grandmother said, Sam, it’s not about the shot you just hit — it’s about the shot you’re about to hit.” For Ratto, who also owns Videri Chocolate Factory, golf should be open to anyone who finds joy in it: a serious golfer who wants to work on technique, a newcomer curious about getting started, or even someone who just appreciates a good Riesling.
It’s working. Ratto — the sort of guy who seems to know just about everybody — recalls a “metalhead dressed in black” recently knocking a ball around in one of the simulator bays while on the other side of the room two traditional-looking golfers analyzed their swings and compared yardage. “One of my friends said to me, How did your personality show up so perfectly in this place?” Ratto says. He hopes to open more locations in the next few years.
TASTE TASTE TASTE
One of golf’s great other pastimes is enjoying drinks with friends. The TK Mulligan crafted vodka cocktail was not only created with golfers in mind, but also with Raleigh in mind. “We thought, Why can’t Raleigh have a cool beverage?” says
Giordano is something of a “touring pro” of the adult beverage industry, with 27 years in sales and leadership capacities. “It’s the only thing I know,” he says. Using that knowledge, he and his wife and co-creator Jenn sought to create an alternative to other vodka cocktails that they believed were “way too sweet” or tasted synthetic. Hosting tastings in their Drewry Hills kitchen, the Giordanos and friends had the enviable task of discovering the right flavors; the first two TK Mulligan flavors, Crush (refreshing citrus) and The Transfusion (grape), officially launched just over a year ago, with two new flavors on the way.
Of course, golfers appreciate the name of TK Mulligan (“Take a mulligan”). The Giordanos incorporated a little “historical fiction” to create the character of Thomas Kane Mulligan, a man of early 1900s Ireland, who — as their tale goes — inadvertently coined the term “Mulligan.” “It’s the spirit of second chances,” says Jenn. Adds Mark: “TK catches a lot of lucky breaks.”
The Giordanos themselves caught a break when The Transfusion was selected to be the official canned cocktail for the 2024 U.S. Open in Pinehurst. The drink was the top-selling cocktail that weekend. Fans of the drink are drawn to its flavors, but also its low-ish alcohol content (5% alc/vol) and calories (139). TK Mulligan can be found in Wake County
ABC stores as well as select retailers across North Carolina and the Southeast with plans to be in all 50 states by early 2027.
STYLE STYLE STYLE
Since its founding, Peter Millar has held fast to its Raleigh roots. What began with just a single cashmere sweater in 2001 has evolved into a global brand. Yet even after being sold in 2012 to a Swiss luxury goods holding company, Peter Millar has remained true to the City of Oaks. Peter Millar recently launched a design studio at its headquarters at The Junction in Raleigh, where roughly 80 percent of its design team graduated from NC State. “We’re not a New York brand and we’re not an LA brand,” says Jason Cater, the company’s chief creative officer. “We are so proud that our brand is from this area.”
In response to a surge in female participation in golf over the last few years, Peter Millar has put a significant focus into its new, full women’s line, which launched in retail stores in October 2024 and includes both performance and lifestyle clothing. The expanded Fall ’25 women’s line, which will be available this July, will include items such as a cashmere hoodie, a cashmere topcoat and quilted outerwear.
“What we’re seeing is blurring of the lines between the world of golf and performance clothing,” says Cater. “Folks want to wear the same thing to play 18 holes, go out to dinner or run errands on the weekends.”
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Blue Beauties
Bluebirds are creatures that everyone seems to love. They’ve had songs written about them (“Bluebird” by Paul McCartney & Wings), famous poems (“The Bluebird” by Emily Dickinson), and even sayings about them that have been in our culture for generations (“The Bluebird of Happiness” from a 1934 song by Edward Heyman). My favorite quote about these beautiful birds is from Henry David Thoreau, the famous naturalist and essayist of the 1800s: “The bluebird carries the sky on its back.” Indeed, the sky-blue color of the male Eastern bluebird helps make this species one of our most beautiful and beloved.
My real interest in bluebirds started when I began creating teacher workshops as part of a program with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. We traveled to schools helping educators learn about their environment and feel comfortable taking their students outside on their school grounds to teach all sorts of subjects, from science to art. With grant support from the National Science Foundation, we also helped schools create mini-habitats as a readily accessible learning resource. An important part of a bird habitat was providing a nest box for bluebirds. This might be another reason bluebirds are so loved: they have an affinity for bird boxes that we make for them. They often nest in hollow trees and old fence posts, but have learned to seek out nest boxes.
My go-to source for bluebird boxes for schools was a fascinating man named Jack Finch, who lived in Bailey, North Carolina. Mr. Jack, as he was often called, was a farmer, pragmatic naturalist and a dedicated lover of bluebirds. Concerned about the decline of his favorite bird, Mr. Jack started the nonprofit Homes For Bluebirds in 1973, which built and sold tens of thousands of boxes stamped with the company name. His design included a 1.5-inch diameter entrance hole
It’s easy to attract these cheerful native birds to your yard
words and photography by MIKE DUNN
Male Eastern bluebird
(small enough to keep out competitors like European Starlings), a metal guard around the hole (to prevent woodpeckers, squirrels and starlings from enlarging the entrance), and a sturdy roof with an overhang and ventilation holes. Mr. Jack claimed that he didn’t really design the box, the bluebirds did; he tried many different designs and settled on the one that the bluebirds preferred. A powerful memory from my early museum career was putting up one of his boxes with a group of teachers one spring. As we walked back toward the building, one of the teachers exclaimed, “Look, there’s a bluebird on the box already!” That is often the case. If you put up a box at the right time of year, generally around February or March, bluebirds in the area will soon check it out. Mr. Jack passed away in 2006, but my durable Homes for Bluebirds nest boxes still have bluebirds nesting in them every year.
As I was writing this in February, the bluebirds were already visiting the box in our side yard. They typically begin nesting sometime in March or April, bringing in pine needles or dried grass as nest material. Both parents help build the nest, and once it has been constructed, the female lays one light blue (occasionally white) egg each day until there are four to six eggs. After the last egg is laid, she begins to incubate them. They hatch in about 13 to 14 days within a few hours of each other. Both parents feed the young, bringing in a variety of insects and spiders and the occasional small lizard. Waste from the baby birds is contained in a gelatinous fecal sac that is carried away by the parents and dropped far away from the nest so as to not attract predators. Young leave the nest 17 to 20 days after hatching. On the day they fledge, the parents may sit nearby with some food item, gently calling to encourage their young to leap out into the world. The speckled young are hesitant, some taking many minutes to make that first flight. Parents continue to feed the young birds for two to three weeks after fledging. The male may take on more of this responsibility as the female starts another nest. Bluebirds often have two or
three broods each nesting season. Eastern bluebirds feed on a variety of insects, spiders and fruit. I’ve watched our bluebirds bring in earthworms, beetle grubs, caterpillars and spiders to feed their ravenous young. In colder weather, they feed on berries from various native trees and shrubs. They seem especially fond of Red cedar, American holly and Flowering dogwood berries. In fact, Mr. Jack sought out certain dogwood trees from yards in the region that produced abundant berries and cultivated them on his farm to sell. He is the only person I ever met that collected dogwood berries, packaged them in sawdust to prevent fungal growth, and refrigerated them to sell as bluebird food. And it worked! In winter, I would pull a few berries out of the container, place them on my deck rail and have several bluebirds show up every morning. The most I ever saw on my deck was 14, during a January snow. Other foods you can
provide for bluebirds include suet, peanut butter (in winter and mixed with seed), mealworms (fresh or dried) and seed packages that contain specialty ingredients like sunflower chips, suet chips and dried fruits such as cranberries and cherries. Of course, the easiest way to attract a diversity of birds is to provide a yard with many native plant species, a water source and suitable sites for shelter and nesting. If you want to attract bluebirds, there are many great nest-box designs on the market or you can easily build your own. The North American Bluebird Society (nabluebirdsociety.org) has a nice fact sheet with lots of nest-box recommendations. You will be rewarded with the joy of seeing and hearing one of our most beautiful songbirds. I’ll leave you with something Mr. Jack told me on one of my visits: “What really makes my day is to get up early in the morning, just as the sun comes up, and hear bluebirds.”
Clockwise from top left: Eastern bluebird nest and eggs; baby Eastern bluebirds; female Eastern bluebird on broken branch; fledgling bluebird looking out of its nest box.
GRACE HARTIGAN
CRASH LANDING
by Annie McQuaid
This month, Raleigh writer Annie McQuaid will release her debut novel, Crash Landing. Set on a deserted island, it’s an exciting and humorous romance about two ex-lovers, Piper and Wyatt, who find themselves stranded alone after a plane crash. Can they overcome their hard feelings and work together to survive?
McQuaid, an alumna of Elon University who works as a marketing director for an education technology company, never thought she would publish a book. But during the pandemic, she joined the National Novel Writing Month. “I started writing because I needed something to do so I wouldn’t go crazy,” she laughs. “But then I decided to keep working on this tropical, summery book — I just really needed an escape.” Eventually, McQuaid realized that what she was writing had potential and submitted it to the team at HarperCollins.
Originally intended to be a much darker story focused on the struggle for survival in the traumatic aftermath of a plane crash, McQuaid decided that she couldn’t “kill people off in a story about romance,” she says. Faced with crises like salvaging food and water, finding a way to be rescued and their own romantic feelings, the characters keep up a funny, sometimes playful banter that explores their evolving relationship. Piper and Wyatt are relatable and complex, McQuaid says: “I wanted to portray those kinds of relationships when you’re really close to your friends” — or, in this case, your ex-boyfriend. (And keep an eye out for some hidden Taylor Swift references.)
McQuaid hopes that readers will find comfort in the book: “I really hope it acts as an escape to a tropical island, whether you’re dealing with anything heavy or just want to take a break from the world for a little bit.”
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Experience beautifully designed residences, world-class amenities, and exceptional clublevel service in Raleigh’s most sought-after neighborhood. With premium wellness and health offerings just steps away, you can live vibrantly knowing your future is secure – right here at home among The Oaks.
MUSIC Mr. North Carolina
Longtime performer Jim Lauderdale is a de facto ambassador for his home state’s music
by DAVID MENCONI
Several months in advance of MerleFest, Jim Lauderdale’s dance card was already packed with scheduled performance slots on three out of the festival’s four days. And yet that will probably represent just a fraction of the time he’ll spend onstage in Wilkesboro the last weekend of April. If this year goes the way the past quarter-century has, he’ll most likely be called on to sit in with numerous other artists — and those cameo appearances just about always lead to other things.
After playing with Ralph Stanley in the late 1990s, Lauderdale teamed up with the bluegrass patriarch to record 1999’s “I Feel Like Singing Today.” Backing up Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Elvis Costello a few years later landed Lauderdale on Costello’s 2009 album Secret, Profane & Sugarcane. And Lauderdale’s own 2020 LP When Carolina Comes Home Again featured an all-North Carolina cast of pickers and singers he’s connected with at different MerleFests over the years.
All of which keeps Lauderdale coming back. This will be his 26th year at MerleFest, which iconic guitarist Doc Watson started in 1988 in memory of his late son and playing partner Merle Watson. Doc’s been gone for more than a decade now, but MerleFest remains one of the most unique music festivals in the country.
“MerleFest has been really important to me as far as good fortune and life-changing situations,” says Lauderdale. “There’s this level of excitement as soon as you come in. You really have to bring your A-game. There are all these world-class players, and you want to keep up.”
Lauderdale is a pro’s pro, a multipleGrammy winner who has written songs for George Strait, The Chicks, George Jones and many others. Country, folk, rock, bluegrass and other flavors of Americana run through his own 37-album discography, and he sings in a personable drawl that makes you feel like you know him, even if you’ve never actually met.
MUSIC
LET’S GET SOCIAL!
In person, Lauderdale’s graying mane and immaculately turned-out wardrobe of western pearl-snap shirts make him hard to miss. He’s a perennial favorite at festivals beyond MerleFest, and his frequent awards-show-host star turns have turned Lauderdale into a mascot for Americana. During the 15 years he spent as recurrent Americana Music Association Awards show host in Nashville, Lauderdale used to deadpan after every act’s performance, “Now that’s Americana!”
No wonder Steve Eisenstadt, bassist in the local Johnny Cash tribute act Johnny Folsom 4, says of Lauderdale: “He is the most interesting man at MerleFest.”
While he’s lived in Nashville for more than three decades, Lauderdale’s native state of North Carolina remains the place he thinks of as home. Born in the small Iredell County town of Troutman, he grew up in different towns across both Carolinas before going off to University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem and his Nashville career.
“I still can’t quite put my finger on what it is about the atmosphere there, but North Carolina is just home,” Lauderdale says. “When I’m here, I feel like this is my place. Not to make it into any sort of unreal fantasy thing, but there’s a vibe of ingrained sweetness about the people I know from North Carolina —
a goodness and decency I really appreciate as I travel the world.”
Lauderdale is enough of an ambassador for The Old North State’s music for the North Carolina Museum of History to tap him in recent years as its musical host. He’s served as master of ceremonies for several of their live-music series including Southern Songbirds, Moonshine and Motorsports and Tar Heel Troubadours.
“He’s been instrumental in every step of putting these concerts together,” says Kara Leinfelder, director of business development for the newly formed North Carolina Music Office. “He was out there talking to musicians and getting people excited the way he does. Jim’s always been a great cheerleader for North Carolina music, championing emerging as well as seasoned artists. His eagerness and enthusiasm is huge.”
Lauderdale will turn 68 two weeks before MerleFest 2025, and he shows no sign of slowing down. But if he were to ever retire, it would be to North Carolina. Years ago he bought a place in Flat Rock, near Asheville, as a family estate.
“Flat Rock was where we were going every summer since I was a baby, to a church assembly place,” says Lauderdale. “I plan to keep the place forever — even though it was, unfortunately, damaged in the flood. But I’m getting it fixed.”
A New Era of Five-Star Dining
An elevated dining experience, reimagined. At Herons, guests now have the freedom to curate their own culinary journey with a seasonally inspired à la carte menu or indulge in a thoughtfully crafted tasting experience. Under the direction of Executive Chef Steven Greene, each dish reflects the artistry of nature, with ingredients sourced from our own One Oak Farm. Whether savoring a refined two-course meal or a multi-course indulgence, every moment at Herons is a celebration of innovation, elegance, and impeccable service.
Cafeteria Culture
Long before rooftop dining was chic, dining rooms at retailers were popular in Raleigh
by KATHERINE SNOW SMITH
While enjoying a whole grilled branzino at the glass-enclosed RH Rooftop Restaurant in the furniture retailer’s new, three-story store in North Hills, longtime Raleigh resident Sherry Owens thinks back to another era of shopping and dining.
“Oh, I miss the Capital Room at Belk’s. You’d go through the line and see all the food, then decide what you wanted,” she says. “The restaurant was the reason we went, but then I’d say, Maybe I’ll go look at some shoes.”
Memories of the cafeterias at the Hudson Belk downtown (which most folks called just “Belk’s”) and in Crabtree Valley Mall remind Owens of Balentines,
another favorite Raleigh cafeteria that was a respite for hungry shoppers, power lunches and busy families.
“I was in the mortgage business and my husband Jerry was in real estate, and we both had business meetings at Balentines as well,” Owens says.
Decades before our capital city boasted multiple James Beard Award winners, cafeterias suited Raleighites just fine.
EVERYDAY ELEGANCE, ALMOST
Dining facilities in shopping venues and districts were born out of necessity in the late 1800s.
“More than 150 years ago or so, women couldn’t eat unaccompanied by men.
Department stores developed restaurants so their shoppers had a place to eat and it wasn’t an impropriety to be there without their husbands,” says Laura Reiley, who writes about the business of food out of Ithaca, New York, and formerly covered the topic at The Washington Post.
“Every U.S. city had at least one department store with a fancy tea room.” She points to Manhattan’s “Ladies’ Mile,” a row of fashionable department stores in the Gilded Age, each with some kind of food offering.
Retailer Karl Hudson opened his own branch of Belk in downtown Raleigh in 1915. It’s unclear when the venerable Capital Room Cafeteria with “HB” engraved
in the flatware started serving on the fourth floor, but it closed in 1995 when the store shuttered. The Crabtree Capital Room opened in 1972 with the mall and lasted until 2004. Balentines operated six cafeterias around the state, with its flagship Oberlin Road restaurant serving from 1960 to 1999.
These cafeterias, where customers could pick out a meat, two vegetables, rolls and a drink for around $5 to $8, were staples across the Triangle. Along with Belk and Balentines, the lineup of food you, well, stood in line for included K&W, S&W and the Piccadilly. Some shopping centers boasted two or three cafeterias. Most are extinct now, though K&W Cafeterias still operate near Garner and in Chapel Hill.
Of all the cafeterias in Raleigh, Belk’s Capital Room and Balentines were known for offering a more formal dining experience as well as a local, familiar feel. Men wore suits and women brought out their pearls and heels. Owners and managers circulated the dining rooms, topping off coffee or offering a dessert on the house. Diners and employees, from the ones dishing out the corn pudding to the busboys, knew each other by name. Neither restaurant was open on Sundays.
“It was almost like a family dinner. You’d see people you knew and everyone would visit around the tables,” says Smedes York, whose father, J.W. York, developed the Cameron Village shopping center (now The Village District). “You’d go in and Red [Balentine] and later Johnny [Red’s son] would greet you,” York says. “It was very comfortable.”
The Capital Room served up the same recipe of service and camaraderie. “I can remember huffing and puffing and rushing up the escalator at Belk’s in Crabtree,” says Joe Preston. “You’d turn the corner and see the line was all the way out to the lobby and know it was going to be a long night.” Preston grew up eating at both Belk locations with his parents, Superior Court judge Edwin Preston and Dot Preston, a Meredith College professor. “We’d always see lots of people they knew, and my father
would instruct me to go get the coffee pot and go around and refill their friends’ cups,” he says.
THE BUSINESS OF FOOD — AND PEOPLE
Other Capital Room trademarks included elegant models strolling past tables wearing the latest fashions and self-serve relish stations with their signature watermelon-rind pickles. The downtown location was a de facto corporate dining room for Raleigh businesses and the legislature.
“If school was out, I had to go to court with Dad and stay in the judge’s chambers all day. Finally, we’d get to go eat at Belk’s, but it was like being back in court — judges and lawyers everywhere,” Preston says.
“I’m sure a lot of deals got done there. It wasn’t a spot for a two-martini lunch, but business was being conducted,” says Linda Peterson, whose late husband, Skip Peterson, managed the downtown
restaurant from 1970 to 1975, before 11 more years at the Crabtree location. “He loved seeing all the judges, lawyers, lawmakers and newspaper people come in,” she says. “Skip would joke: If I ever find myself in any kind of trouble, nobody will take me to trial because I feed all of them.”
But the clientele wasn’t limited to powerbrokers. Office workers, families and even unhoused people were regulars. Skip Peterson set aside “quite a few” to-go boxes every day for people who were down on their luck, his wife recalls. She commends the late Karl Hudson Jr. for always wanting to do right by the employees and customers.
Both downtown and Crabtree cafeterias hired prisoners on work release. “They were always on time,” Peterson says, adding that one of her husband’s best cooks was on work release.
Balentines customers and staff knew each other personally as well. “I always liked seeing the same people working
Howard and his dog Belle in his home office.
Clockwise from top left: Balentines cafeteria; S&W Cafeteria interior; S&W Cafeteria exterior.
Running from Monday, May 12, to Sunday, May 18, this weeklong celebration brings together some of the world’s most renowned plein air artists.
A total of 37 artists will capture New Bern’s beauty in real time, giving you the chance to witness art in action, connect with creators, and take home a gallery-quality painting to cherish for a lifetime.
HISTORY
behind the counter,” says frequent diner Larry Maddison. The cafeteria was also one of the first businesses in the area to make a point of hiring people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “I always appreciated that,” Larry adds.
His wife Clare recalls Balentines lunches as a family ritual. “Any time Larry’s mother, grandmother and aunt would come up from Scotland Neck to shop or visit family, we’d go to Balentines for a nice lunch. You could have a good meal with a white table cloth. It was quiet enough to talk and you could get a big table,” she says. (Without a reservation, no less.)
Owner Red Balentine was also a big draw, known for pacing around tables to chat with guests and share his sense of humor.
“Red told me once that sometimes people called asking what the fresh fish was going to be that night. He’d say, Hold on, let me contact my people down on the coast. Then he’d act like he was calling on another line and say, Hey, what are y’all hauling in today?” says York.
There was not, indeed, a fleet of fishing boats, but Balentines was known for offering good seafood. “From time to time they would have white shad and shad roe. It was interesting you’d have a delicacy like that in a cafeteria,” Larry says.
One of the most popular Balentines features was the “early eater’s specials.” Lunch diners got a discount if they came before noon and dinner patrons could eat a full meal for $4.50 before 5 p.m.
CHANGING TIMES
Over time, malls gave birth to the food court and retailers repurposed those elegant dining facilities — floor space could bring more money with clothes and jewelry than reasonably priced food, Reiley says.
The downtown Belk store and cafeteria closed in 1995, when shoppers finally became too scarce, though diners were still steady. The News & Observer columnist A.C. Snow headlined a column in the final days: “Like a death in the family.” The complete state Supreme Court
gathered there for the last lunch along with many other somber downtown employees.
Balentines had to close its Oberlin Road location in 1999 because the building was up for sale and the kitchen needed extensive renovations. An N&O editorial thanked the Balentines legacy for maintaining its $5 specials, which were the “heartiest fare of the day” for people on a fixed income. It also praised proprietors and employees for delivering meals to patrons who were home sick.
In 2004, Belk executives announced the closing of Crabtree’s Capital Room, saying the company needed to fill those 10,000 square feet with more clothing and accessories to compete with newer malls and retailers. Patrons signed a petition to keep it open and the N&O published anguished letters to the editor. The paper paid homage to the cafeteria in its final weeks, sharing some of the restaurant’s most beloved recipes, including meatloaf with creole sauce and seven-layer casserole.
Shopping and dining habits would continually change over the next decades, and now retailers are starting to look for new ways to entice customers off their computers or phones and back into the actual stores. RH Raleigh, The Gallery at North Hills is evidence of that.
“We believe in creating immersive spaces that activate all of the senses: sight, smell, taste, touch and sound,” says Gary Friedman, chairman and chief executive officer of California-based RH. “These new galleries and the integrated hospitality experience position our brand for the RH of the future.”
The whole branzino, with an eye spying up at diners, was certainly part of a meal to be remembered by Owens, her husband and their niece. So were the RH restaurant’s six-tier chandeliers hanging over indoor olive trees and a cascading cast-stone fountain.
“This was really good. It’s certainly not Belk’s,” Owens says with a chuckle. “It’s going to take some getting used to.”
The 5th Annual North Carolina Plein Air Art Festival in New Bern is an event you won’t want to miss!
Peace & Connection
A group of friends builds a community of prayer that’s grown beyond their expectations
words and photography by TYLER CUNNINGHAM
In March of 2020, the coronavirus had been in the United States for at least a month, yet there was still much uncertainty surrounding it. The World Health Organization declared a pandemic and the governors of our most populated states began issuing stayat-home orders, launching us into an increasingly isolated new normal.
In the predawn hours of March 20, Raleigh resident Lekita Essa sat in prayer. “The major concern I had for people was isolation. I just felt like there was so much fear,” says Essa. The founder and owner of Lekita Care, a caregiving business for families in health crises, Essa was acutely aware of how detrimental it could be for people to lack a support system in a time of crisis. “I just
remember thinking it would be wonderful to be a part of a group that could pray together every day, to give people a sense of being connected,” Essa says.
Willa Kane was also having trouble sleeping when her phone rang. “It was 5 in the morning and she answered the phone!” Essa recalls in astonishment. She shared her idea and they made a plan to ask friends to pray for eight minutes at 8 p.m. each night. “I knew I could pass the baton to Willa and, like an Olympic sprinter, she would keep the baton going,” Essa says.
A trustee of the American Anglican Council and founding member of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Raleigh, Kane had a deep well of faithful friends to engage, and she wasted no time. She
Left to right: Willa Kane, Alysia Yates, Sally Breedlove, Madison Perry
immediately sent an email to a handful of contacts in different spheres of ministry, asking them to pray. “I had no idea something would grow beyond our group of friends and family,” says Kane.
Two of the friends on the receiving end of Kane’s email were Madison Perry and Sally Breedlove. Perry is the executive director of the North Carolina Study Center, a center for Christian life and thought at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “In my job, I try to equip college students and faculty to thrive, and when the world was in crisis in the early days and months of the pandemic, I wondered how I could do my job in this season,” says Perry. When Kane’s email arrived, Perry offered to build a website to house these invitations to prayer. “Zoom calls weren’t that prevalent then, and the only way to gather was online,” says Perry. “A website and email list felt like natural ways to solidify a group of people that wanted to join a common effort.”
Perry created the outline, but Breedlove colored inside the lines. “Sally came almost pre-loaded and ready to go. I think it really was the fruit of a lifetime of faithfulness and prayer and scripture,” says Perry. In response to Kane’s email, Breedlove offered her words for site content. As the author of Choosing Rest, a book focused on how scripture can lead us to cultivate an attitude of rest, Breedlove understood the practice of writing and offering tools for living through scripture passages. “God has talked to us first, again and again in so many ways,” says Breedlove. “Learning to talk back to Him doesn’t come out of a method or a certain kind of church or emotional experience — when we begin to gather words inside ourselves to respond, that’s what prayer is.”
The friends had a website live within 24 hours of that early morning call, then decided to create a Facebook group for conversation. Perry began posting the daily web scriptures and prayers to that group, and within three weeks, nearly 15,000 people around the world had joined. “It was virtually wrapping the world in prayer at a time when the world felt so dark. It felt as if pinpricks of light
of the Gospel were penetrating that darkness,” says Kane.
As the world continued to readjust and recalibrate, the community sustained itself through each new iteration of normalcy. After a couple of years, they wanted something physical to accompany their prayers. With the help of writer and editor Alysia Yates, the four began their work on what is now Eighth Day Prayers, a three-volume series offering daily scripture, reflection and prayer guiding the reader through the liturgical seasons of Advent, Lent and Ordinary Time. The first volume, Eighth Day Prayers, Daily Hope for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, was released in bookstores and online in fall 2024. Eighth Day Prayers, Daily Mercy for Lent and Eastertide was released in January of this year, and the third and final volume, Eighth Day Prayers, Daily Joy for Ordinary Time became available in February.
“Most people don’t know the meaning
of the ‘eighth day’ and I didn’t know it, either, until I got drawn into this project,” says Yates. “The eighth day is a curiously Christian term. It is a day after the Jewish Sabbath, the day Jesus rose from the grave. It is also a way of describing the time in which we live here and now. We live in the eighth day, the space between Jesus’ resurrection and His return.” Naming the book series after this concept became, Yates says, “an invitation to a new way of keeping time, one rooted in the rhythm of creation that carries us forward.”
The group has been pleased with how the book has been received at private events and signings at Quail Ridge. “One of the miracles of this project was how loosely we all held it and how joyfully we collaborated — it was like an effortless dance,” says Kane. “One of the great lessons of my life is that we only need to be great at small things and the Lord can do the really big things.”
APRIL 26-27, 2025
April 26 10am-5pm April 27, 1pm-5pm
The Kitchen & Bath Tour showcases the latest in design, technology, and innovation in kitchen and baths and will allow attendees to see new and remodeled homes.
kitchenandbathtour.com
GARDEN SHOW OF SPRING
We usually welcome our last day of frost in April, which is a celebration for many gardeners. While I enjoy my garden in every season, this is an especially beautiful time of colorful renewal in my yard. Here’s what I’m tackling this month.
WAIT OUT THE LAST FROST
Watch the weather closely for our area’s last frost, which is usually around April 15th. Until then, don’t move porch plants back outside — even if you get a sunny spring day! If you need a little color while you wait, plant early-spring bloomers like Virginia bluebells, columbine and trilliums, which will offer dainty, delightful hues of pink, white and blue all spring. Shop for them now in one-gallon pots at local garden centers. (Did you know our native columbine welcomes spring? Its bloom cycle is said to coincide with the arrival of the first migrating male Ruby-Throated hummingbirds looking for nectar after their long journey north.)
PLANT IMPATIENS
Potted impatiens are a Southern favorite for their continuous summer blooms.
The most classic of these flowers are the small, shrub-like Old-fashioned variety (impatiens walleriana), which work best in moist shade or partial sun and come in a rainbow of deep purples, reds, pinks and oranges. But newer varieties can give you more flexibility: SunPatiens, for example, are a hybrid that can thrive in hot, morning sun conditions, while New Guinea Impatiens are shade lovers with larger flowers. Try planting them in your favorite patio pots, hanging baskets or window planters after that last frost for months of color.
START YOUR VEGGIES!
Once the frost passes, it’s finally safe to sow seeds of carrots, beets, pole and bush beans, carrots, corn, kale and radishes. Other spring veggies, like broccoli and Swiss chard, perform better as transplants, so if you didn’t start them from seed indoors last month, you’ll find packs of baby plants widely available for sale. — Helen Yoest
On a Roll
Daijobu delivers exquisite hand rolls and ramen
by RACHEL SIMON
photography by FORREST MASON
From O-Ku downtown to Sushi Mon on Glenwood to Ajisai in the Village District, Raleighites are fortunate to have lots of great options when it comes to high-quality sushi in the area. And as of last fall that list includes Daijobu, a tiny but formidable E. Davie Street spot that’s already gaining a cult-like following for its unique menu.
Founded by Jin Chang, the owner of another popular Japanese restaurant, City Market Sushi, Daijobu — which roughly translates to “it’s alright” in Japanese — quietly opened in September in the space formerly occupied by Kaiju and The Darby. Now the restaurant regularly sees lines out the door for even weeknight seatings.
Taste even just one of its dishes and you’ll instantly understand why; the offerings, based mainly around a wide selection of hand rolls and ramen, are so memorably flavorful that you’ll find
yourself asking for seconds (or thirds) before you’ve even finished the first round. “Our menu is a celebration of Japanese flavors, with a focus on authenticity and craftsmanship,” says Chang.
The tone is set from the minute you walk in the door; the chef and the rest of his team from City Market Sushi meticulously designed the restaurant with the aim of creating an “intimate and inviting space” for all patrons.
Outside, simple signage announces the restaurant, its interiors barely visible behind wooden slats. Inside, the walls and ceiling are painted a moody black, the booths a lustrous black leather. Slatted wood accents around the bar, sleek pendant lights and glossy tiles all work together to create a minimalist, contemporary feel.
Along with a full-service bar stocked with sake and spirits and several small tables, Daijobu features a sizable marble-
topped community table in its center that’s ideal for both big parties and smaller groups or individuals open to mingling. The table, explains Chang, “encourages a social and interactive dining experience.”
You might be too busy enjoying your meal to make many new friends, though. While the restaurant’s menu is fairly limited and substitutions are rarely allowed, the ramens and hand rolls are of such high quality that you won’t feel like you’re missing out. (Prices are quite reasonable, too; the steepest item on the menu is the $28 set of five hand rolls, and the ramens average out to $18 for a large bowl.)
Speaking of noodles: On the ramen menu, you’ll find “both timeless classics and modern creations,” says Chang, “which allows us to cater to both those seeking a classic ramen experience and those eager to try something different.”
The chicken- and miso-based broths are solid options for ramen newbies, but experienced eaters will enjoy clearing their noses with the Spicy Tan Tan ramen or indulging in the highly-popular Tonkotsu ramen, the latter of which is made with a broth that simmers for 12-plus hours, then finished with a tender pork belly that’s cooked for a similar length of time. “This meticulous process is essential to delivering the bold and authentic taste we strive for,” explains Chang, adding that all four types of ramen offered are “crafted to deliver deep, rich flavors.”
Then there are the hand rolls, which can be ordered individually or as sets of three, four or five. Crispy and perfectly portioned, the rolls “feature premium nori, high-quality short-grain rice and fresh fish,” says Chang, with toro, salmon, yellowtail, crab and scallop as the options.
As for the small plates and side dishes, you simply can’t go wrong. The Truffle Edamame puts a fun twist on a Japanese staple, while the Sesame Spinach Tofu is a surprisingly savory vegetarian choice. The appetizer highlight, though, might be the Crispy Enoki: these delicately fried mushrooms rest in a savory shoyu dashi sauce so good you’ll be tempted to drink it on its own.
Additionally, both of Daijobu’s dessert options — Black Sesame Crème Brûlée and Yuzu Lemon Sorbet — are light and delightful, with either pick capable of ending the meal on a pitch-perfect note. Daijobu doesn’t take reservations, and even on a weeknight you’ll want to arrive not long after its 5 p.m. opening to snag a spot (it’s also open for lunch Tuesday through Friday but closed completely on Sunday and Monday). But it’s worth the wait.
A Spring Awakening
And a journey from darkness to light
by JIM DODSON illustration by GERRY O’NEILL
Icelebrate April’s return every year because it’s the month in which a divine awakening changed my life. The year was 1980. I was the senior writer of Atlanta Weekly, the Sunday magazine of the Journal-Constitution. Over the previous three years, I’d covered everything from presidential politics to murders.
One minute I was interviewing a grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama, the next riding along with the Repo King of Atlanta through the city’s most dangerous federal housing project, a shotgun on the seat of his truck.
Looking back, though I didn’t realize it then, I was in search of an answer to a question that had no answer.
Three years before I snagged that job, Kristin, my girlfriend back home in North Carolina, had been killed in a
botched holdup at the Hickory steakhouse where she worked as the weekend hostess. It had been a beautiful October day the last time Kristin and I spoke.
The low point of my Atlanta odyssey came on a hot July night in 1979. I was working on a cover story about Bob Stivers, the city’s famous medical examiner. The week before that Saturday night, I’d watched half a dozen autopsies at his elbow, equally mesmerized and horrified. When Stivers invited me to ride along with the squad that picked up murder victims, I jumped at the chance. I was told to sit tight until Stivers was dispatched to his first crime scene. By that point, I’d gotten engaged to a woman who was the nighttime weekend anchor at the local television station. We shared an old, brick house near the
east-side entrance to Piedmont Park. Our weekend routine was to have a glass of wine and watch Saturday Night Live when she got home from the studio, usually just before midnight.
On that fateful night, as I was waiting for the call from Stivers’ crew, I stood in the darkness of our backyard, waiting for my dog, Magee, to do her business. I saw a car pull up beside our neighbor’s house. We were friendly with the Emory University medical school students who lived there.
As I watched, a man emerged from the backseat of the car and calmly walked to our neighbor’s back door and knocked. A med student still in scrubs opened the door. There was a brief exchange of words, followed by two gunshots. Our neighbor collapsed on the ground and
the assailant sped away.
By the time I reached his side, a young woman from the house was screaming hysterically. I asked her to fetch me a couple towels and call 911.
At that moment, my fiancée arrived home. She took charge and phoned the police as I cradled the wounded man in my lap, attempting to keep him conscious. He died 15 minutes before police arrived. I chose not to follow the victim’s body down to the city morgue.
The next morning, as I was walking Magee, I heard a chapel bell in the distance softly chiming “Blest Be the Tie That Binds,” one of my favorite hymns since childhood. Tears filled my eyes.
I fetched a cup of coffee, sat on our front steps, taking stock of my life. I suddenly realized what was missing. I hadn’t been to church in five years.
I got dressed and went to services at the historic All Saints’ Episcopal Church downtown, a parish famous for feed-
ing the homeless and never locking its front doors. The rector, a wonderful man named Harry Pritchett, gave a powerful sermon about how God finds us in the darkness when we least expect it. It felt like he — or maybe God himself — was speaking directly to me.
I began attending All Saints’ regularly. I also made a decision to write stories that enriched life rather than reveal its dark side. I never wrote another crime story again. I even set my mind on attending seminary, until a wise old bishop from Alabama named Bill Stough, the editor of the Bishop’s Fund for World Relief, convinced me to follow a “ministry closer to your heart,” as he put it: “You can serve the Lord better by writing about life than becoming a priest.”
A few months later, while working on a story about youth baseball tryouts, I ventured over to a run-down ball field in my neighborhood, where a league director convinced me to take on the
coachless Orioles team. They were a wild bunch, but I made a deal with the players: If they played hard, I would buy them all milkshakes after winning games. They took the offer to heart. We won the Midtown League Championship in a romp that season. It only cost me 200–300 milkshakes.
Crazy as it sounds, almost a year to the day after joining the Orioles, I woke on an April night to find Kristin standing beside my bed. She looked radiant. I thought I must be dreaming, but she was so lifelike, especially when she smiled and spoke. “Pook,” she said, using her pet name for me, “it’s time for you to leave here and go north. That’s where you’ll find what you are looking for.”
Days later, I resigned from the magazine and headed for Vermont.
God, Kristin and my baseball team found me in the darkness when I least expected it.
It’s been a wonderful life ever since.
TRUNK SHOWS
LA
April 10-12
TOCCIN April 24-26
D.LACQUANITI
April 1st-5th
May 22nd-24th
CARLOS MIGUEL PRIETO | MUSIC DIRECTOR
MEYMANDI CONCERT HALL, RALEIGH
Classical Highlights
Opening Weekend!
DVOŘÁK: NEW WORLD SYMPHONY
FRI/SAT, SEP 19-20, 2025 | 8PM
Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor
BEETHOVEN “EROICA” SYMPHONY
FRI/SAT, NOV 14-15, 2025 | 8PM
Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor
CARMINA BURANA
FRI/SAT, JAN 9-10, 2026 | 8PM
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
North Carolina Master Chorale
BEETHOVEN “EMPEROR” PIANO CONCERTO
FRI/SAT, MAR 20-21, 2026 | 8PM
Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
APPALACHIAN SPRING
FRI/SAT, MAY 8-9, 2026 | 8PM
Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor
Subscriptions
ANNE-MARIE MCDERMOTT
CARLOS MIGUEL PRIETO
NORTH CAROLINA MASTER CHORALE
THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS
FRI/SAT, OCT 3-4, 2025 | 8PM
Immerse yourself in the legendary movie music of Oscar-winner John Williams including Star Wars, Harry Potter, E.T., Superman, and more.
REVOLUTION:
THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES
FRI, JAN 16, 2026 | 8PM
SAT, JAN 17, 2026 | 3PM & 8PM
“Come Together” and celebrate Revolution:
The Music of the Beatles with a stunning multimedia experience featuring symphonic arrangements transcribed from the original master recordings at Abbey Road.
JURASSIC PARK IN CONCERT
FRI/SAT, MAY 1-2, 2026 | 8PM
Experience this epic film, projected in HD with your North Carolina Symphony performing John Williams’ iconic score live.
RICK STEVES’ EUROPE: A SYMPHONIC JOURNEY
THU/FRI, NOV 6-7, 2025 | 7:30PM
Rick Steves, host
Experience Europe’s most stirring Romantic-era anthems with beautiful high-definition cinematography and Rick’s insights into European history.
DOLLY PARTON’S THREADS: MY SONGS IN SYMPHONY
FRI, NOV 21, 2025 | 7:30PM SAT, NOV 22, 2025 | 3PM
This innovative multimedia experience features Dolly on screen, leading audiences on a visual-musical journey of her songs, her life, and her stories.
Dolly Parton will not be performing in person at this concert. Co-produced by Dolly Parton together with Schirmer Theatrical and Sony Music Publishing.
Thanksgiving Weekend CIRQUE HOLIDAY POPS
WED, NOV 26, 2025 | 4PM FRI/SAT, NOV 28-29, 2025 | 3PM & 7:30PM
A CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS
with the North Carolina Symphony Holiday Brass FRI, DEC 19, 2025 | 7:30PM SAT/SUN, DEC 20-21, 2025 | 3PM TUES, DEC 23, 2025 | 3PM & 7:30PM
RICK STEVES’ EUROPE
Photo Courtesy of Dolly Parton
Literature
by AL MAGINNES
illustration by LAURA WALL
Once you lose interest in who sleeps with whom or what king waits to betray his father’s birthright or slay his queen, once human politics have their way with you and move, literature could mean less than it once did. No metaphor adds beef to a stew made mostly of water and old potatoes. Most stories never reach the hot rim of the pot. Most heroes will not accept the knife in the back with any equanimity. It takes language on the page and those creatures of eternal neglect and whimsy, writers willing to craft revenge and blood vengeance into things that are their own beauty. No word, no quarry of words will accurately say the shade of blood that comes from the body’s deep veins. Out here a war lies waiting, an endless complaining that salvation is impossible to come by, that last year was somehow, impossibly, better than this one has been. A man sees the sky, endless gray above him, wonders why his lungs won’t work. This year will turn over like a chapter. The endless typing will start again.
Raleigh was built with churches at its city center. Eight historic structures remain part of its fabric.
HOUSES OF WORSHIP
by LORI D.R. WIGGINS
photography by BRYAN REGAN
In its earliest days, Raleigh’s spiritual footprint grew along the square that housed the North Carolina State House (the precursor to today’s Capitol Building). On each corner, churches began as spaces of simple design and convenient location, but the changes brought by growth and catastrophe dictated new structures over generations of congregations.
Today, these downtown churches are nestled between office buildings and apartments and offer an eclectic mix of English Gothic, Romanesque, late Gothic Revival and traditional religious architecture. Some of them have stood for over 200 years.
“When you consider what downtown has become, with all the huge office
buildings and government buildings, it is amazing we continue to survive and have Sunday services and community ministries,” says Margaret Park, a lifelong member of the Church of the Good Shepherd. First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Salisbury and Morgan Streets, is the city’s oldest. Organized in 1816, the congregation met in the State House for two years until its church was completed in 1818, facing Union Square. The other three corners soon became home to First Baptist Church at Wilmington and Morgan Streets, Christ Church at the corner of Edenton and Wilmington Streets, and First Baptist Church - Salisbury at Edenton and Salisbury Streets. Soon, they were joined by the Church of the Good Shepherd at Salisbury and Hillsbor-
ough Streets; St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church at Edenton and West Streets; and Sacred Heart Cathedral on Hillsborough Street between N. Dawson and N. McDowell Streets.
“I’ve experienced every church,” says Carolyn Dickens, a native of Laurinburg, North Carolina, who became a member of First Baptist Church - Salisbury in 1977 at the encouragement of a cousin. At the time Dickens, a great granddaughter of Needham B. Broughton, had no idea that her family had been attending this church as far back as the 1800s. “Raleigh was nothing until it became the capital, and churches sprung from it,” says Dickens. “The churches have deep roots.”
Read on for a tour of these historical downtown churches.
CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
The Church of the Good Shepherd opened in 1874 as Raleigh’s first Episcopal church with free pews. (This was a departure from the other Episcopal church, where pews were owned by various families in the congregation and rented to others.) The present church replaced the original, wood-framed building in 1914. It features a marble cornerstone quarried near Jerusalem and laid in 1899, as well as stained-glass windows installed over a span of 60 years. Its altar depicts the Last Supper with wainscoting and paving inside an altar rail made from Italian marble typical of churches in Northern Italy and installed by masons from Italy. In 2006, to make room for a new parish life center and the Shepherd’s Table Soup Kitchen, which serves free, hot meals every weekday, the All Saints Chapel portion of the church was disassembled and transported in sections about a half mile over to East Street, where it was reassembled and restored and remains today as an event venue.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH - WILMINGTON STREET
First Baptist Church started in 1812 at the corner of Wilmington and Morgan Streets as a biracial congregation of 14 enslaved persons of African descent and nine freedmen of European descent. The church worshipped in temporary locations, including its first church, a wood-frame building on Person Street, and at the current Gothic Revival church building on Wilmington, which was also used by other congregations at the time. In 1868, Black congregants of the church peacefully requested — and were granted — permission to be dismissed from the integrated church. The two congregations remained one until another church was built on Salisbury Street. First Baptist ChurchWilmington became the permanent home to Black congregants, and white congregants headed to its sister church diagonally across Union Square.
EDENTON STREET
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
In 1811, the State House in Raleigh’s city center hosted the Methodist annual conference. Following that conference, Edenton Street United Methodist Church was erected in the same place it stands now, at the corner of Edenton and Dawson streets. The first church building was constructed of hewn logs. One of the first churches built in Raleigh, Edenton Street United Methodist Church has occupied four different buildings. Two of them were destroyed by fire. Each time, the church was rebuilt with new bricks and mortar in the same location. Its third church construction, completed in 1887, featured a 183-foot-tall central tower, which, at the time, was the tallest spire in the city. That building was destroyed by a fire in 1956, when lightning struck the steeple. The current red-brick Neo-Gothic structure was completed in 1958. It has a lightning rod atop the cross of its towering church steeple.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
First Presbyterian Church congregants began to meet inside the State House in 1816, at a time of heightened political, economic and social polarization rooted in antebellum politics. A Colonial-style brick meeting house was constructed two years later on the southwest corner of Salisbury and Morgan Streets. In 1831, when fire destroyed the original State Capitol building, the state Supreme Court met in session at First Presbyterian until the present Capitol building was completed in 1840. After 80 years in the original structure, the present sanctuary was erected in 1898 in a Romanesque Revival style. It was extensively remodeled in 1956 to its present style and expanded again in 2012. Throughout, the 1900 original building fabric was recovered and used, and three terra-cotta and brick arches were restored. It also houses old stainedglass windows and a pipe organ. The windows include several designed by New Jersey-based Payne Studios in 1928 in the style of 13th- and 14th-century European windows, depicting the scenes from Christ’s life. There are also two windows in the sanctuary that were commissioned in 1893; these are done in Art Nouveau-style Tiffany glass.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, SALISBURY STREET
The original First Baptist Church in Raleigh was founded in 1812 with a biracial congregation. In 1868, the congregation split into two churches, one predominantly white, the other predominantly Black, after a delegation of descendants of the enslaved founders expressed appreciation, then requested dismissal. A new church was built for white congregants, and in September 1859, the church held its first service in the current building on Salisbury Street.
SACRED HEART CHURCH
The Catholic community bought the site for Sacred Heart Cathedral in 1879, and construction began more than 40 years later in 1922. At its completion in 1924, it was the smallest cathedral in the country (a cathedral denotes that the church is the administrative center for the region). The building was constructed with gray granite blocks laid by the same Irish stonemasons who worked on the Capitol building. In 2017, the Catholic church of North Carolina opened Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral off of Western Boulevard to serve its growing parish, but Sacred Heart Church continues to conduct daily Mass and confessions, as well as host small weddings and funerals.
CHRIST CHURCH
Christ Church, the oldest Episcopal congregation in the Raleigh area and the largest in the state diocese, was organized with 35 members in 1821. Thanks to a bequest, the church bought the lot it sits on today in 1829 and erected a simple frame structure. The current structure, designed in 1846 and consecrated in 1854, is one of the first Gothic Revival churches in the South. It features rough-cut stone varied in color and a red-tiled roof. A large education wing was added to the church in 1970. Considered the “mother” parish of Wake County’s Episcopal churches, Christ Church has been designated a National Historic Landmark and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
ST. PAUL A.M.E. CHURCH
The congregation of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church was originally made up of the enslaved Black membership of Edenton Street United Methodist Church. In need of more space, in 1846 they had begun to worship at the Old Christ Episcopal Church at the corner of E. Edenton and S. Wilmington Streets. Two years later, they established St. Paul Church. In 1853, white Methodists bought the Old Christ building, so the following year Black members moved to a wood-framed church at the corner of Harrington and Edenton Streets, where the congregation remains today. At the time, Black congregants in the South were under the spiritual guidance of white Methodists. Soon after Emancipation, in 1865, the St. Paul's congregation severed ties with the white Methodists and joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church. An example of high Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, Black masons began the construction of the red-brick structure in 1884 and completed it in 1901. An addition to the church was completed in 1999. It is Wake County’s oldest Black church.
A vignette at the Juniper Level Botanic Garden featuring a colorful Japanese maple and a hardy palm.
The Juniper Level Botanic Garden offers a plant-filled escape within city limits
ANOTHER WORLD
by HELEN YOEST
photography by JACLYN MORGAN
Ashort trip down what feels like a country road — by today’s standards in Raleigh, anyway — leads to the Juniper Level Botanic Garden. Located in the Juniper Level community of South Raleigh, it feels like you’re in another world. And indeed you are: this is one of the world’s most renowned botanic gardens, featuring nearly 30 acres of plants from all over the world.
The Juniper Level Botanic Garden (JLBG) started from humble beginnings but had big ambitions. “Since I was a young teen, I longed to build a garden for visitor discovery,” says Tony Avent, the garden’s co-founder. In 1986, Tony and his late wife, Michelle, moved to their first home, a two-acre plot in Juniper Level. There, they started a mail-order catalog company, Plant Delights Nursery at Juniper Level Gardens, with the plants they grew. They offered native plants but also unique and rare specimens obtained through collecting, creating, propagating and sharing.
Over the next three decades, they were able to buy neighboring land, expanding to the current 28-acre footprint. Tony didn’t have a master plan for these purchases, he says: “I let the land tell me what its use would be.” Over time, that land has created plenty of space for sun and shade gardens along with more niche plantings like its Aquatic/Bog garden, the Basalt fountain garden and a collection of hardy banana trees. “Now, the land provides a place for education, propagation, research, plant sales and visitors,” says Tony.
The first 2.2 acres of land are still part of the gardens. Called the Founder’s Garden, this area is heavily planted and has meandering paths that lead from one garden collection to another. Here, visitors will find the original grotto garden, a small rock garden and a bog, with plantings tucked in all available space. “When walking through the garden, you’ll find you need to traverse the same path in both directions not to miss any plant treasures,” says Tony.
After purchasing the Yde Horse Farm next door and selling the horses, the Avents were able to find a use for
Tony Avent amidst garden beds.
Clockwise from top: A functional and pleasing design for recirculating water. Jekyll Orange Crossvine. One of a dozen hoop houses filled with plants.
The Crevice Garden. Opposite page, clockwise from top: Native packera, which benefits butterflies and bees. Linear-leaf Yucca. Plant Delights’ offerings.
everything on the property except the concrete. “Then the idea came to create a Crevice Garden,” says Tony. On-site landscape designer Jeremy Schmidt used broken pieces of the material to create its structure. “He placed the pieces like books on a shelf, with curves and just enough space in between for planting,” says Tony, who filled the crevices with agaves, baptisia hybrids, salvias and other dryland plants from his breeding programs.
Michelle’s Garden, honoring Tony’s late wife, features a plant collection with more than 9,000 taxa collected from all over the world. In the middle of this collection is a house for staff offices, Southwest-style plantings and a potted collection of variegated agave from all over the world. Here, too, is the famed Mt. Michelle waterfall, which is sustained by recycled water from the garden’s innovative rain garden.
The Souto Garden was named to honor Tony’s late neighbor, Eddy Souto, and features full-sun plants. The berm plants feature over 125 different agave selections, most hybridized at JLBG, plus hardy barrel cactus and two large Acacia species and other plants that thrive on dry land.
The garden operates at a break-even point, says Tony, with nursery sales funding the JLBG. “Every dime Plant Delights makes goes back into the gardens and research,” he says. In June 2016, Avent endowed the garden to North Carolina State University, his alma mater. Last year, JLBG also started a membership program with varying benefits to fund the endowment, but thus far, the endowment mainly relies on donations.
Tony has received many accolades for his work, including the recent and most prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Veitch Memorial Medal, of which only 27 have been awarded in the society’s 150year history, for his outstanding contribution to the advancement of the science and practice of horticulture.
JLBG hosts open garden weekends eight times per year (the next two will be the first two weekends in May). A walk through the grounds could convince just about any visitor that the award is well deserved.
“Since I was a young teen, I longed to build a garden for visitor discovery.”
— Tony Avent
The Mt. Michelle waterfall. Opposite page: A selection of hybridized pictureplants, Sarracenia spp. (top) and one of the many pathways on the Juniper Level Botanic Garden grounds.
Patrizia Ferreira lets curiosity lead the way, one stitch at a time
WONDER Wea ViNG
by SUSANNA KLINGENBERG photography by REBECCA NECESSARY
As children, we were all students of the natural world. Who among us doesn’t remember being mesmerized by a line of marching ants? Delighted by a perfectly smooth stone? Our younger selves were willing to get up close to creation, unrushed and easily awed.
Patrizia Ferreira invites us back into that state of childlike wonder. Her work — colorful, mesmeric and endlessly detailed — offers us a gentle nudge to consider, really consider, the beauty and resilience of the outdoor world.
But she doesn’t do it by painting sweeping landscapes. She works in textiles, a medium often thought of as manmade and separate from nature — we see cloth used for clothing, upholstery for furniture or bags to carry our purchases. But Ferreira challenges that limited view: “I’ll take a walk in the forest and notice the way the branches tangle themselves
together and I see ropes, I see yarn. Anything can be a textile: the bark of a tree, the moss on a rock.” And in Ferreira’s capable hands, the things we throw away serve this purpose, too.
“Patrizia’s work and process are rooted in the act of salvaging,” says Artspace creative director Annah Lee, who watched Ferreira’s work take off when she was part of their Emerging Artist Residency. Though Ferreira’s polished pieces belie their humble beginnings, she works entirely with discarded, donated and found items. Her studio is a jumble of yarn and thread, piles of nets, collections of plastic bottle caps, rolls of pantyhose and assorted other objects people have discarded. It’s a far cry from Ferreira’s design school days — she moved to the United States from Uruguay in her 20s to study textiles — where her focus was on creating commercial products. “I was being trained to make beautiful things that seduce people to buy the new and throw away the old,”
she remembers. It didn’t sit well with her, causing such an existential crisis that she quit school for a year. Her professors eventually convinced her to finish her degree, but she’s never forgotten the feeling. “I guess this work now is my redemption,” she says, “creating things outside the realm of consumption, things for education and collaboration.
“Found objects are an extension of life,” she says. “They’re a reminder that nature is constantly working, through time, to wear things out. It makes you ask, Who’s really the artist here? Sometimes I feel like I’m stealing these objects, because I’m not making them, I’m just taking.”
She’s drawn to the creativity and surprise of working with whatever materials come her way. She likens it to her favorite literary genre, magical realism (her current read is Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84), because working with found objects is both grounded in the grit of everyday life and transporting, otherworldly. It takes
Opposite page: Ferreira in her former Artspace studio. This page, clockwise from top: Materials; The Drowning of Atlantis; Ferreira at work.
THe Art & Soul of Raleigh
“When you find an object it’s like, OK, this is the world we’re in, here we go, let’s do this.”
— PATRIZIA FERREIRA
the “yes, and…” mindset of an improv artist (or, perhaps, of a child) to work with found objects. She says, “When you find an object it’s like, OK, this is the world we’re in, here we go, let’s do this.”
For Ferreira, “let’s do this” means committing an abundance of time and energy to each piece. Every one of the stitches in her work — and there are many — is done by hand. “I don’t use machines, because I don’t want to remove the humanity from the pieces,” she says. “Using needle and thread is an ancestral practice, it’s a process people can understand: they understand stitches, they understand yarn. So when I make something with my hands, it’s a built-in connection to whoever is looking at it.”
That connection is palpable when you view Ferreira’s work, as with her recent solo exhibition, Precarious Habitats, at Meredith College. It takes active restraint not to touch the work, as the layers of detail invite you closer and closer. “You
can’t help but imagine the actual hands of the artist working with the material,” says Sarah Rose Nordgren, co-founder of School for Living Futures, which collaborated with Ferreira on an exhibition called THe Future of Water at Golden Belt Arts in Durham last May. “There’s care in every detail.”
But that slow, deliberate, processdriven approach fits Ferreira’s posture toward her work: that the art leads the way. “She’s open to what may become,” says Nordgren. “Coupled with her meticulousness, she has this curiosity and exploratory quality.” It’s the way of nature itself, after all: slowly changing course over decades or millennia, responding to whatever it encounters.
Ferreira’s bent toward collaboration is embodied in both her artwork and her role as an educator. She has led community maker events, in collaboration with the NC Museum of Art and Artspace, where she enlists strangers to work together.
She’s drawn toward weaving together disparate things, whether it’s found objects sharing a space or people sharing a project. “In human society, borders divide us, but in nature, borders aren’t rigid, and nature thrives in those liminal spaces,” says Ferreira. She witnessed this firsthand growing up on the Uruguayan coast, where the border between land and sea pulses with life. She also witnessed it as an immigrant to the United States: she moved to Pennsylvania for her graduate program, then married and settled here, with all the navigation of culture and language that came with it.
“I don’t think of my projects as having borders — they only end because I have a deadline or limited space,” says Ferreira. “Otherwise, they would go on and on forever, one thing merging into the next like the natural world.”
Opposite page: Ferreira’s works The Peel of Our Existence (left) and The Deluge. This page: A scene from the show Precarious Habitats.
Kitchens Baths &
Whether it’s freshening up paint or tile, changing out fixtures or doing a top-to-bottom renovation, a change in your kitchen or bathroom can have a huge impact on your life. A modernized kitchen becomes the true heart of the home, while a luxurious bathroom can transform daily routine into relaxation. Read on for inspiration for these hardworking spaces.
Kitchens Baths &
SPLASH GALLERIES
splashgalleries.com
Splash Galleries is no stranger to rising kitchen and bath trends — one of the biggest being the growing popularity of spa-inspired bathroom features. From luxurious steam showers to cold plunges to high-tech system tubs, homeowners are transforming their bathrooms into personal wellness retreats, blending luxury with health and relaxation. As Splash Galleries celebrates 20 years in business, the showroom is embracing this trend with a full spa room renovation. The newly designed space will feature a working steam room and a spa system tub equipped with a cold plunge, allowing visitors to experience these wellness upgrades firsthand. For those looking to bring the spa experience home, Splash Galleries offers expert guidance and a curated selection of luxury fixtures to help create bathrooms that are both beautiful and rejuvenating.
VIBE CABINETRY AND DESIGN
vibecabinetry.com
Vibe Cabinetry and Design transformed this spacious kitchen from coastal farmhouse to moody mid-century Craftsman. For the main area of the kitchen, the Vibe team painted the base cabinets a muted blue-black from Sherwin Williams, then used quartz countertops in a timeless grey to tie together the dark lower cabinets with the light upper cabinets. The finishing element was all-new hardware in champagne bronze, which mixed seamlessly with the existing stainless steel appliances. In the eat-in space, Vibe flipped the color script, bringing the matte black tones up to the ceiling and leaving the lower cabinet white. A butcher block counter in walnut adds further dimension to the handcrafted Spanish tiles and locally-made stainless steel floating shelves. This project shows how Vibe can work with what you have to design the home of your dreams.
Tucked away in the rolling countryside of Northern Wake County, just six miles from Historic Downtown Wake Forest, and convenient to Raleigh and the surrounding Triangle Area, is the area’s new private gated community – Grand Highland Estates.
A home in Grand Highland Estates places you at the center of luxury living in an exclusive gated community. Each residence is thoughtfully designed to support both everyday comfort and effortless entertaining; stylish, functional layouts and refined details set these homes apart from the rest.
Open-concept interiors connect spacious living areas with dedicated spaces for work, recreation and relaxation. At the heart of each home is a luxurious kitchen, designed as an inviting space where hosting feels effortless and every gathering becomes a memorable experience.
In Grand Highland Estates, every detail is crafted to elevate your living experience, making these homes not just places to live, but celebrations of a sophisticated lifestyle. Step outside into beautifully designed outdoor living areas, many of which feature luxurious pools and inviting spas,
providing a private oasis to unwind and savor peaceful moments under the stars. Whether you’re cooking in a gourmet kitchen, luxuriating in a tranquil bath or enjoying a summer evening by the pool, you’ll find that each moment spent here is a testament to the art of elegant living.
The impressive stone gated entrance sets the tone for the community while providing homeowners with a feeling of privacy and comfort. Gently winding roads lead to spacious homesites, stunning views, and natural beauty. This private, luxury community is more than a place to live — it’s a place to thrive, where every detail has been considered to create an unmatched living experience.
Learn more at g randhighlandliving.com.
Kitchens Baths &
CLOSETS BY DESIGN
closetsbydesign.com
An organized pantry makes all the difference — because when you’re getting dinner on the table or packing lunches in a rush, who wants to search for what they need? Closets by Design Raleigh can customizes storage solutions for every room, from pantries and linen closets to walk-in wardrobes, home offices, and garages. With sleek shelving, pull-out drawers and smart design features, they can make every inch count. Whether you’re storing spices or spare sheets, efficient organization transforms the way you live. Closets by Design Raleigh serves Burlington, Cary, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Durham and all surrounding cities, bringing customized solutions right to your door. Because when your space is in order, everything else falls into place. Learn more or schedule a consultation at closetsbydesign.com.
SANCTUARY AT LAKE WHEELER
sanctuaryatlakewheeler.com
The Sanctuary at Lake Wheeler is a stunning community near the heart of the rapidly-expanding tech hub of the South. An ideal fit for the luxury homeowner, the Sanctuary at Lake Wheeler is just five minutes outside of downtown Raleigh, near the NC Farmers Market, Dorothea Dix Park and so much more — all while only requiring county taxes.
The developer team of Sanctuary at Lake Wheeler has invited only the best custom builders to construct homes in this community. Many of them have won prestigious awards from the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County, and they have the experience and expertise to build your home right the first time, on time. Tour homes in this neighborhood and meet our custom builders on the Spring Kitchen & Bath Tour on April 26 & 27 from 12 - 5 p.m.
“Through
precision craftsmanship, passion and quality service and products, we have proudly served the Triangle for two decades with custom stone surfaces.”
Gresham Riggs
Carolina Custom Kitchen & Bath is a resource for homeowners looking to transform their spaces with style and precision. With a reputation built on trust, quality and detail-oriented design, this premier stone fabrication and installation company turns dream kitchens and bathrooms into reality.
Ca rolina Custom Kitchen & Bath was founded in 2005 by Raleigh native Gresham Riggs. In 2009, Gresham married Jennifer and she joined the company shortly after. Their first order of business together was to open up a showroom in downtown Apex. The couple managed the business aspects while leveraging subcontractors for fabrication and installation for several years. Although most of the process was outsourced, Gresham would review every install personally as client satisfaction was the bones of the business, and the key to their success.
In 2016, they started to bring the fabrication process in-house and built a CAD, sales, operations and showroom team. Since then, the CCKB family has grown to more than 30 people and continues to deliver exceptional products, workmanship, and craftsmanship. “Through precision craftsmanship, passion and quality service and products, we have proudly served the Triangle for two decades with custom stone surfaces,” says Gresham. “Whether it’s countertops with custom edges, a fireplace or porcelain wall-cladding, we are driven by bringing our clients’ vision to life and the joy that comes with it.”
From consultation to installation, their team is dedicated to delivering a stress-free renovation experience. Whether you’re envisioning a gourmet kitchen perfect for entertaining or a serene, high-end bathroom retreat, Carolina Custom Kitchen & Bath is the name to trust.
BOOK CLUB
Joy Callaway moderated by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Wednesday, May 14 6-9 p.m.
Join WALTER and Kristy Woodson Harvey as we welcome Charlotte author Joy Callaway, whose two new books, The Star of Camp Greene and Sing Me Home to Carolina, are coming out this summer. Callaway is an international bestselling author of historical fiction and Southern contemporary romance. Your $60 ticket includes a copy of The Star of Camp Greene ($40 without book), hors d’oeuvres by HL Kitchen, unilimited drinks, a book talk and signing opportunity.
Tickets are limited. Buy them today at WALTERMAGAZINE.COM/BOOKCLUB
THE WHIRL
WALTER’s roundup of gatherings, celebrations, fundraisers and more around Raleigh.
KING’S RIDGE GRAND OPENING
On Jan. 28, King’s Ridge celebrated its Grand Opening. This innovative housing solution developed by CASA is projected to reduce homelessness in Wake County by 10%. Attendees learned about the unique partnership with UNC Health, Duke Health and WakeMed, providing on-site healthcare. CASA leadership, partners from the city and county, and representative Deborah Ross shared information about this transformative community project.
Sharonda Ocean
Kerry Witzeman, Stewart Witzeman, Barrett Brewer, Morgan Mansa, Virginia Parker, Tina Konidaris, Sharonda Ocean, Erin Yates, Molly Painter, Stormie Forte, Everett McElveen, Ann Oshel, Deborah Ross
Erin Yates, Barrett Brewer
Cooper Bratton, Katherine Poole, Grey Vaughn, Tracy Manning
Lori O’Keefe, Evan Raleigh
Emma Doss, Rae Marie Czuhai
Molly Painter
Jackie Craig, Kathy Izard
THE WHIRL
FIRST LADY’S LUNCHEON
On Jan. 10, the Junior League of Raleigh hosted the First Lady’s Luncheon, a signature event that celebrated North Carolina’s new First Lady, Anna Stein, at the North Carolina Museum of Art. The event featured performances by Eliza Meyer and Jacqueline Wolborsky as well as talks by Gov. and Mrs. Stein.
Campbell University invests in each student. We prepare each one to make a life, to make a living and to make a difference. Our students are welcomed into an inclusive community of family, and mentored to become leaders who will impact the world. Inspired by our faith and belief in the power of education, we encourage each student to grow academically, spiritually and socially through the world of opportunities that surround them. campbell.edu
Margaret R. Douglas, Jennie Hayman, Graham Satisky, Kathryn West
Eliza Meyer
Sam Stein, Josh Stein, Anna Stein, Leah Stein, Adam Stein
Cindy McEnery
Back row: Dorothea Bitlerm Brooke Poole. Front row: Mary Morgan Keyser, Amanda Smith
April at Weymouth Center
« April 5, 9:00 am Dirt Gardeners Plant Sale
Also, this month at Weymouth Center:
April 1, 5:30 pm: Author Event: Kelly Mustian
April 6, 4:00pm: Poetry by the Pond
April 15, 2:00 pm: James Boyd Book Club: Light at the Seam by Joseph Bathanti
April 13, 2:00 pm Chamber Sessions Series: Tong-Sheppard Duo «
April 21, 9:30am: Women of Weymouth, Kym Nixon of Changing Destinies Ministry
April 23, 4:00 pm: Poetry Slam Jam
April 27, 2:00 pm: Come Sunday Jazz Series: John Brown
April 29, 6:00 pm: Song Circle Jam Session
April 18, 5:00 pm: Meet The Author, James D. Walters Saturday MAY 3, 2025
Bernette Stivers, Graham Satisky, Rebecca Ayers, DeShelia Spann
Jacqueline Wolborsky, Danielle DeSwert Hahn
Deborah Ross, Kristin Cooper, Anna Stein, Elaine Marshall, Laura Barnes
As mothers, daughters, wives, colleagues and friends, often our most valued insights come while in our community of women. The Children’s Home Society of NC brought together women of the Triangle at TRAINE at Seaboard Station for drinks, appetizers and camaraderie as they celebrated Galentine’s Day. They heard from an inspiring panel of women as they shared the challenges, successes and life lessons that come when you lead with your heart.
ARTHOUSE: GOLDEN HOUR
On Feb. 22, CAM Raleigh hosted its annual spring gala, Arthouse. This year, the theme of the enchanting evening celebrating art, community and creativity was Golden Hour. This annual event brought together art enthusiasts for a memorable night in support of CAM Raleigh and its mission to make art accessible to everyone. Guests enjoyed great food and drinks, great company, live performances and, of course, unforgettable art.
Elena Gorena, Kaia Murphy, Hannah Cowell, Reese Ronchetti, Valerie Hoyos
Rachelle Glover-Freeman, Sharon Velez Williams, Teena Williams
On Jan. 24, Methodist Home for Children held its signature gala at the Raleigh Convention Center. Headlined by author J. Dana Trent, Dream Big drew more than 550 people and raised $500,000 for children and families in North Carolina. Thanks to these friends, vulnerable children will gain skills they need to build healthy, self-sufficient and productive lives.
Alex Lassiter
Ben Falk, Daniel Falk, Kevin Baker, Denise Baker
Jacqueline Whittenburg, Anthony Pope
Jenny Andreev, Andre Andreev J. Dana Trent
Larry Mann, Debbie Mann Sherri Blankenship, Dennis Blankenship
THE WHIRL
REGENER8 LAUNCH PARTY
On Feb. 8, Regener8 hosted a celebration to unveil their new Luxury Hair Growth Oil, a product designed to nourish, revitalize and transform hair. The event was hosted by ELLA Collective in Lafayette Village and brought together friends, supporters, client, and beauty enthusiasts to experience the future of scalp and hair health. The event was with beverages and food from Bongoirnos & Son and local LV shops. Wine, beer, food and desserts were all served.
Nicolle Valencia, Luis Valencia
Ed Galiczynski, Joni Galiczynski
Jilian Criscoula, Melanie Loeffler, Summer Duer
Adam Kemnitz, Leah Kemnitz, Ellery Kemnitz
Chastity Sullivan
IRREGARDLESS 50TH BIRTHDAY
Irregardless owner Lee Robinson celebrated 50 years since it opened in downtown Raleigh with a private party on Feb. 24 that included longtime guests, employees, local dignitaries and former owners Arthur and Anya Gordon. Gov. Josh Stein and Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt shared their memories of the restaurant and the governor proclaimed Feb. 24, 2025 as Irregardless Restaurant Day.
Liz
Condo
Josh Stein
Lee Robinson, Rachel Hunt, Anya Gordon, Arthur Gordon, Josh Stein
Peter Lamb and the Wolves
Arthur Gordon, Nicole Stewart
Charles Meeker, Arthur Gordon
Clare Kiernan, Allan From
Breaking News
Hockey stars hit reality TV, a groundbreaking traffic-calming initiative and more!
There’s lots going on in Raleigh this month! Here’s the latest...
CANES STAR ON REALITY TV!
Hockey heartthrobs Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov are headed for television. The Carolina Hurricanes players will be the first in the new franchise, titled The Bachelors: The Playoff. In this twist on the show, 16 women will compete for the players’ hearts — but the players also compete against each other. Expect drama, tears and true love as the two teammates battle it out for roses instead of goals. While both players insist this won’t impact their performance on the ice, fans are already divided. “I just hope it doesn’t mess with team chemistry,” says one Canes fan. With fantasy-suite drama and penalty-box heartbreak guaranteed, the show’ll be as suspenseful as a Game 7 overtime.
CAR-FREE IN ITB
In a bold move to combat traffic congestion, reduce carbon emissions and limit noise pollution, the City of Raleigh has officially banned traditional automobiles inside the beltline, replacing them with an all-golf-cart transportation system dubbed the “Fairway Forward Initiative.” Under the new policy, residents and visitors can choose between renting city-provided electric golf carts or purchasing their own. The city has installed over 500 charging stations and the GoRaleigh bus system has been replaced by 10-passenger “party carts,” featuring weatherproof enclosures and Bluetooth speakers. A representative for the city, who arrived at the press con-
by WALTER STAFF CHATGPT
BACHEL RS The
THE PLAYOFFS
ference in a solar-powered golf cart adorned with the city’s oak leaf emblem, declared the shift “a hole-in-one for sustainability and urban living.”
NC STATE NOW UNC-RALEIGH
In a move that has stunned students, alumni and fans, North Carolina State University announced it will officially rebrand as the University of North Carolina at Raleigh (UNCRaleigh) starting next year. University officials claim the change aligns with the state’s broader university system, similar to UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC-Greensboro. A university spokesman noted that this name is not without precedent: in 1965, the school was legally named North Carolina State University at Raleigh, and only convention dropped the location. Still to be decided: whether to add horns to the school’s wolf mascot or change its colors to red and Carolina blue.
INVISIBLE MURALS UNVEILED
The Raleigh Murals Project is taking public art to the next level with its latest initiative: Invisible Murals, a groundbreaking collection of street art that can only be seen through augmented reality (AR) glasses. Debuting this month, the project will feature masterpieces across the city. “We wanted to push the boundaries of public art,” says project director Jeremiah Gnat. “This allows us to create immersive experiences without physically altering the cityscape.” Local artists are already designing pieces that blend surrealism, animation and interactive elements. Some murals will even evolve in real time, changing based on weather or time of day. Learn more at instagram.com/raleighmuralsproject.
WALTER STAFF REPLACED BY A.I. ...Just kidding! (Not yet, anyway.) Happy April Fool’s Day!
TWO HURRICANES. TWO ROSES. A BATTLE FOR LOVE.
Series Premiere Tuesday, April 1 at 8 PM
Andrei Svechnikov
Seth Jarvis
StrongerTogether.
Stronger Together.
Stronger Together.
Your Family. Our Team.
Your Family. Our Team.
Your Family. Our Team.
Stronger Together.
Your Family. Our Team.
The diagnosis is cancer. You’re scared. You feel alone. But you’re not. You have your family. Your kids. Their love. Their support. And, along with each other, you have us. An experienced, talented, multidisciplinary team armed with highly advanced treatment options and a “your cancer is our cancer” confidence that says we’ve got this. Instead of alone, you feel stronger than ever. To learn more, visit us online. We believe you’ll agree, together, we make a great team.
The diagnosis is cancer. You’re scared. You feel alone. But you’re not. You have your family. Your kids. Their love. Their support. And, along with each other, you have us. An experienced, talented, multidisciplinary team armed with highly advanced treatment options and a “your cancer is our cancer” confidence that says we’ve got this. Instead of alone, you feel stronger than ever. To learn more, visit us online. We believe you’ll agree, together, we make a great team.
The diagnosis is cancer. You’re scared. You feel alone. But you’re not. You have your family. Your kids. Their love. Their support. And, along with each other, you have us. An experienced, talented, multidisciplinary team armed with highly advanced treatment options and a “your cancer is our cancer” confidence that says we’ve got this. Instead of alone, you feel stronger than ever. To learn more, visit us online. We believe you’ll agree, together, we make a great team.
Stronger Together.
The diagnosis is cancer. You’re scared. You feel alone. But you’re not. You have your family. Your kids. Their love. Their support. And, along with each other, you have us. An experienced, talented, multidisciplinary team armed with highly advanced treatment options and a “your cancer is our cancer” confidence that says we’ve got this. Instead of alone, you feel stronger than ever. To learn more, visit us online. We believe you’ll agree, together, we make a great team.
Your Family. Our Team.
The diagnosis is cancer. You’re scared. You feel alone. But you’re not. You have your family. Your kids. Their love. Their support. And, along with each other, you have us. An experienced, talented, multidisciplinary team armed with highly advanced treatment options and a “your cancer is our cancer” confidence that says we’ve got this. Instead of alone, you feel stronger than ever. To learn more, visit us online. We believe you’ll agree, together, we make a great team.
