SANTA SIGHTINGS. Take a photo with Santa on the rooftop at The Willard at The AC Hotel Raleigh Downtown on Sunday, December 11, 1-4 p.m. Enjoy a cup of coffee or cocoa, or even an adult beverage from the bar, while capturing a picture with St. Nick in front of the downtown Raleigh skyline. The event is free, but bring your own phone or camera to take photos.
The Glass Jug Beer Lab – RTP hosts a visit with Santa on Saturday, December 3, noon–5 p.m. Tickets include two beverages (alcoholic or nonalcoholic) and a DIY tree ornament. The event includes live holiday music and food trucks, as well as free face painting and balloon animals for kids. Tickets are available online.
HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS. Holiday lights are shining! Take in some festive decorations with Wake County’s Best Christmas Light Tours. The South and West Raleigh tour features 26 stops, while the North and East Raleigh event includes 31 destinations. Download the Built Story app to access the tours, which cost $10 each.
ON ICE. THE RINK opened over the weekend in the heart of downtown Raleigh at Red Hat Amphitheater. Presented by UNC Health, THE RINK will operate through January 1 and features a natural ice rink with stunning views of the Raleigh skyline. Hours vary and tickets range from $8.50–$11/person. See available time slots and order tickets here.
ON THE RISE. Raleigh native and country singer Kaylin Roberson is starring in a new musical revue called, “She Believed She Could,” which opened recently in downtown Nashville. Roberson is part of an all-female cast of up-and-coming singer-songwriters who share their journeys and perform some of country’s biggest hits along with their own original songs. Roberson has opened concerts for country stars Chris Janson and Jon Pardi.
Country singer/songwriter Paige King Johnson, who hails from Harnett County, will play several dates in the Triangle and across North Carolina in December. The Nashville-based singer is nominated for three 2022 Carolina Country Music Awards.
MAGNET SCHOOLS. The Wake County Public School system will host the WCPSS Magnet Elementary Mini Fair at Conn Magnet Elementary School, located at 1220 Brookside Drive in Raleigh, on Tuesday, November 29, 9:30-11 a.m. Prospective students and parents are invited to explore Wake County magnet elementary program options, visit with school representatives and learn about the application process.
DINING NEWS. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is offering customers a $10 bonus on every $30 e-gift card purchased on Monday, November 28. Purchases can be made at restaurant locations, at dickeys.com or in the Dickey’s app. In addition to Cyber Monday, Dickey’s and The Dickey Foundation will be celebrating Giving Tuesday on November 29 by giving guests the opportunity to give back to first responders through a $1 donation to The Dickey Foundation at the end of their transaction—both in store and online.
Pollo Campero, a fast-casual chicken franchise, opened a location in Raleigh at 8300 Litchford Road on Thursday, October 27. The restaurant chain has more than 80 locations across the U.S. Popular dishes include Campero Fried and Citrus Grilled chicken. Photo by Brent Clark Photography
LET THE GAMES BEGIN. Registration for the BODYARMOR State Games begins in December for winter events. The multisport festival features more than 12,000 athletes and 600 teams competing in 30 sports each year. Winter events in the Triangle include ice hockey, figure skating and pickleball.
SHELTER NEWS. On Giving Tuesday, November 29, SAFE Haven for Cats, located at 8431-137 Garvey Drive in Raleigh, will triple-match your donation. The organization will also host an open house on Sunday, December 4 from 2–4:30 p.m. Families are encouraged to visit the kitties in the shelter.
ART NEWS. The United Arts Council is offering an Internship for Diverse and Emerging Arts Leaders (IDEAL) for undergraduate students from backgrounds underrepresented in arts leadership. Interns are placed with host arts organizations in Wake County and paired with local mentors to guide their personal and professional growth throughout the summer. Arts and culture organizations can learn more at the virtual Arts Hosts Information Session on Thursday, December 1 at 11 a.m.
HISTORY LESSON. Historic Oak View County Park is hosting a new traveling exhibit featuring the stories of the black craftsmen who constructed and designed many of North Carolina’s most treasured sites and buildings, including several in Wake County. The free exhibit, “We Built This: Profiles of Black Architects and Builders in North Carolina,” runs through Monday, March 27.
35 YEARS AND COUNTING. Soroptimist International of Raleigh is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Since its founding in November 1987, the organization has collaborated with other women’s organizations, governmental agencies and educators to empower women and girls by supporting access to education and training. Since 1990, the club has distributed more than $95,000 in grants and awards to local women.
FESTIVE FUN. Taylor Whitworth from Oakwood Cookie Co. hosts a holiday cookie decorating class at The Mayton in Cary on Wednesday, December 21 from 7-8:30 p.m. Tickets include six cookies to decorate, along with icing, sprinkles and a take-home box for decorated cookies. Photo by Kajakiki/GettyImages.
The annual Joel Lane Christmas Open House will take place upon museum grounds at 160 South Saint Mary’s Street in Raleigh on Saturday, December 3, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Enjoy a walk through the oldest house in Raleigh and speak with costumed re-enactors and volunteers. The event includes kids crafts, educational tables and 18th-century toys and games. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
The Hallmark Channel is extending its Countdown to Christmas by taking the celebration on the road to Phillips Farms in Cary, located at 6720 Good Hope Church Road, on Saturday, December 3 (10 a.m.–6 p.m.) and Sunday, December 4 (1–6 p.m.) Enjoy Hallmark-branded festivities while searching for the perfect Christmas tree and grabbing some holiday goodies.
GIVEAWAY! Introducing Cafe Root Cellar in Pittsboro, the reimagined sister spinoff of The Root Cellar Cafe & Catering in Chapel Hill. Chef Sera Cuni re-explores American cuisine and showcases the “go big or go home” seasonal dishes she loves to create. Cafe Root Cellar offers indoor and patio dining for dinner on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and brunch on Sundays, as well as takeout services. Fill out the form on our Midtown or Cary Living giveaway pages for a chance to win a $50 gift card from Cafe Root Cellar. We’ll select a winner Wednesday, December 7.
NEW MAGAZINE! Have you heard the news? The parent company of Midtown and Cary Living has teamed up with the previous editorial team from Carolina Parent magazine to publish Triangle Family magazine, a high-quality, glossy parenting guide. Triangle Family will debut in March/April and will be distributed on a bimonthly schedule to parents across Wake, Durham, Orange and Chatham counties. Learn more here.
HOLIDAY SHOPPING. Tickets are still available for Holiday Market at The Durham on Wednesday, December. 7, 7:30-9 p.m. The shopping event features 25 North Carolina artisans and makers with gifts including succulents, jewelry, fashion, artisan foods, candles, dinnerware, books and more. Tickets are available online, with proceeds benefiting Y Learning from the Durham YMCA. Photo courtesy of The Durham Hotel.
Big Spoon Roasters hosts shopping events on Saturday, December 3 and Saturday, December 10, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. The nut butter and snack bar company invites shoppers to sip apple cider while sampling the entire catalog of Big Spoon Roasters products before building their own nut butter gift sets. The event takes place at the company’s new headquarters and production facility at 500 Meadowlands Drive in Hillsborough.
COMING IN 2023. Kane Realty Corporation announced today that Tamasha, an upscale, modern Indian restaurant, will open in the Park District of North Hills sometime during 2023. Tamasha will offer an extensive wine list, craft cocktails and craft beers, and will be located on the ground floor of the new Advance Auto Parts Tower.
PURCHASE A PUP. Perfectly Imperfect Pups (PIPs) is reducing the adoption fee for select long-term foster dogs by $50 through Saturday, December 17. PIPs has 11 dogs that have been in their foster homes for more than 400 days, and PIPs wants to see them in their forever homes for the holidays. There remains a surge in surrendered dogs, creating overcrowded shelters.
CHAMPIONSHIP SPORTS. The Durham Sports Commission presents the NAIA Senior Football Classic at Durham County Memorial Stadium on Friday, December 16 at 7 p.m. and the NAIA Football National Championship on Saturday, December 17 at 6 p.m. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the One Team, One Durham Fund that awards grants to offset the rising cost of youth sports.
HOLIDAY COCKTAILS. Superica in Cary will offer different holiday cocktails each week through New Year’s Eve. The Mexican restaurant features a pomegranate margarita Friday, December 2–Thursday, December 8. Then it’s Santa’s sangria (red wine, brandy and marinated winter fruits) from Friday, December 9–Thursday, December 15.
Alley Twenty Six owner Shannon Healy is hosting an interactive virtual cocktail class on Thursday, December 15 at 7 p.m. Healy will show how to make three sparkling cocktails via Zoom. Tickets are $15. The Zoom link and cocktail recipes will be sent out via email after the purchase of a ticket, approximately two weeks prior to the class.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION. The North Carolina Museum of History celebrates 120 years of preserving, protecting and exploring history this Saturday, December 3, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. The birthday celebration will feature free admission to the museum’s newest ticketed exhibition, “The Power of Women in Country Music;” live on-site broadcasting from the Triangle’s country music station, WQDR; birthday treats; a birthday promotion in the Museum Shop, and more. Learn more here.
FOR A GOOD CAUSE. Raleigh’s Brookside Bodega and the Life Changing Community Development Corporation have partnered for a Christmas Meal Giveaway on Tuesday, December 20. Canned goods and nonperishable food items will be accepted at Brookside Bodega (1000 Brookside Drive, Suite 119, Raleigh) from Friday, December 2–Friday, December 16. The food donations will be paired with turkeys and distributed to those in need.
The annual Oakwood24 Run benefitting Healing Transitions takes place at the Historic Oakwood Cemetery from 9 a.m. on Saturday, December 3 through 9 a.m. on Sunday, December 4. Healing Transitions supports recovery services for homeless, uninsured and underserved individuals struggling with alcohol and other drug addictions in Wake County.
The V Foundation for Cancer Research has announced its year-end initiatives, including the 16th annual V Week for Cancer Research that runs through Sunday, December 11. During the 12 Days of V Week Giveaway, the foundation will give away merchandise to lucky winners through their social media channels. Participants can follow @theVFoundation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn for details on how to enter.
