By JANICE LEWINE
Inspiration Run
January 1
Fleet Feet
3524 Wade Avenue, Raleigh
The goal event of this event is to inspire you to be better to yourself, your community and the environment with three activities—a run, a trash pickup and a donation to a local charity. This will be a 30-minute run starting at our Ridgewood store on an out-and-back route. Runners of all paces, including walkers, are welcome to join. Enjoy snacks and refreshments afterward. This event is free, but donations to InterAct are encouraged. Register online.
First Friday at Artspace
January 3, 6 p.m.
201 E. Davie Street, Raleigh
Enjoy a variety of exhibitions, an art making activity from 6-9 p.m., and live entertainment.
Bird Watching at the Chapel Hill Public Library
January 4, 3–4 p.m.
100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill
Meet at the library terrace to contribute to science at Bird Watch as the library takes part in New Hope Bird Alliance for Project FeederWatch, a nationwide effort to observe and count feeder birds from November until April. Enjoy interactive bird games, temporary tattoos, binoculars, guides, and a birding scope.
chapelhillpl.librarycalendar.com
Emancipation Day Breakfast
January 4, 9 a.m.
220 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh
Enjoy a hot breakfast while learning about Anna Julia Cooper, an advocate for women’s rights, education and civil rights. This lecture is presented by Dr. Shirley Moody-Turner. Tickets are $20 and support the City of Raleigh Museum.
NCMA Teen Day
January 4, noon–4 p.m.
North Carolina Museum of Art
2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh
Create something, immerse yourself in the galleries, and learn a thing or two about the museum teen ambassadors. Find free pop-up art activities and enjoy a day at the Museum with the Teen Arts Council. Register online.
2024 Homes for the Holiday:
A Hillsborough Gingerbread Tradition
Through January 5
Downtown Hillsborough
The annual walking tour of unconventional gingerbread exhibits returns to Hillsborough’s downtown shop windows through January 5. Homes for the Holidays is an annual event held at participating businesses throughout Hillsborough to celebrate the creative arts and bring joy to the community.
“Venice and the Ottoman Empire” and
“Samurai” The Making of a Warrior”
Through January 5 and February 2, respectively
North Carolina Museum of Art
2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh
See two exhibitions, “Venice and the Ottoman Empire” and “Samurai: The Making of a Warrior,” with one exhibition ticket. View works of art and culture spanning six centuries across three global empires—Venetian, Ottoman and Japanese. Purchase tickets online.
PineCone Presents Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
January 10, 7:30 p.m.
Fletcher Opera Theater
2 E. South Street, Raleigh
Entertaining and engaging, the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys put on a high-energy show beloved by audiences across generations. Formed over a decade ago at a distillery on the Tennessee side of the Smoky Mountains, the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys have spread their brand of bluegrass far and wide – to festivals across the country, European venues and the Grand Ole Opry stage.
There’s a Yeti in the Garden
January 10–February 2
JC Raulston Arboretum
4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh
Search the gardens during open garden hours to find the hiding spots of two Yetis. All you need is your sense of adventure and your eagle eyes. Once you discover the Yeti with the treasure chest, scan the nearby QR code to reveal the information on how to open the Yeti’s treasure chest. Take an item or bring an item to trade.
GLOW Under the Silver Moon Parade
January 11, 6 p.m.
Downtown Cary Park
327 S. Academy Street, Cary
Delight in artful handmade paper lantern creations and join the Cary community in a parade through Downtown Cary Park. The procession will be followed by music and performances featuring Bulltown Strutters, One Tribe Rhythms and Caroleeena’s Circle of Joy.
MLK: Celebrating the Legacy Through the Arts
January 11, 2–5 p.m.
W.D. Hill Recreation Center
1308 Fayetteville Street, Durham
Honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with visual art displays, poetry open mic, community discussions, live performances, arts and crafts projects and more.
Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Dreamfest Weekend
January 17–20
Various locations in Cary
Celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at this three-day event that features a children’s program, a community walk, public service activities, the annual Dreamfest celebration and more.
Shen Yun Performing Arts
January 18–19
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
2 E. South Street, Raleigh
Shen Yun delivers a performance that displays 5,000 years of culture in one night. A seamless blend of timeless stories, live East-West orchestration, innovative digital backdrops and deeply expressive dance.
Chamber Treasures: Music by Black Composers
January 20, 7:30 p.m.
2209 Fairview Road, Raleigh
Faculty and students of the North Carolina Chamber Music Institute invite the public to join a celebration of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. when they perform music of black composers at this free concert. Dr. Timothy Holley, cellist and associate professor of music at NC Central University, curating this program that includes works by composers Timmothy Baker, Jessie Montgomery, Leslie Adams, and more. The event also features North Carolina native composer and singer James Dargan performing songs based on poems by Langston Hughes. Prior to the concert at 6 p.m., NCCMI will present, “Conversation with the Composer” with Mr. Dargan.
nccmi.org/programs-and-events/faculty-artist-series/
John Chavis Memorial Park Presents King Day
January 20, noon–3 p.m.
505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Raleigh
Honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through service and children’s activities.
“Appropriate”
January 24-February 9
North Raleigh Arts & Creative Theatre
7713-51 Lead Mine Road, Raleigh
Every estranged member of the Lafayette clan has descended upon the crumbling Arkansas
homestead to settle the accounts of the newly dead patriarch. As his three adult children sort through a lifetime of hoarded mementos and junk, they collide over clutter, debt, and a contentious family history. But after a disturbing discovery surface among their father’s possessions, the reunion takes a turn for the explosive, unleashing a series of crackling surprises and confrontations.
North Carolina Symphony Presents “Scheherazade”
January 24–25
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
2 E. South Street, Raleigh
North Carolina Symphony performs Rimsky-Korsakov's spectacular showpiece.
Carrboro Film Fest
January 24–26
Drakeford Library Complex
100 N. Greensboro Street, Carrboro
Enjoy a weekend of films that celebrate and interrogate Southern culture. Purchase tickets online.
Concert Singers of Cary: “For a Breath of Ecstasy”
January 25, 7:30 p.m.
Greenwood Forest Baptist Church
110 SE Maynard Road, Cary
The first half of the concert features Michael John Trotta’s “For A Breath of Ecstasy,” a seven-movement celebration of the wondrous poetry of American Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Sara Teasdale. Vivid imagery and moments of yearning, love, joy and peace are revealed through an individual’s relationship to nature and in love. The concert features Allen Bailey on piano and Bo Newsome on oboe.
Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo
January 26, 3 p.m.
Lenovo Center
1400 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh
Take the family for this Western lifestyle event that combines professional rodeo action with entertainment.
“Death of a Salesman”
January 29–February 15
PlayMakers Repertory Company
120 Country Club Rd, Chapel Hill
Bear witness to the tragic unraveling of Willy Loman, a weary salesman chasing the elusive American Dream. Amidst family strife and shattered illusions, his journey becomes a haunting exploration of identity, disillusionment and the relentless pursuit of success.
playmakersrep.org/show/death-of-a-salesman/
Bad Momz of Comedy at Halle Cultural Arts Center
January 30, 7:30 p.m.
Halle Cultural Arts Center
237 N. Salem Street, Apex
Nationally-touring Bad Momz of Comedy brings TWO nights of laughs, camaraderie, and a well-deserved parenting break to the Halle Cultural Arts Center. This not-safe-for-playdates comedy group performs for packed venues nationwide.
“Paint Me This House of Love”
January 30–February 16
When Jules appears at Cecelia’s house after 25 years of estrangement to help her renovate it, the two must navigate the web of narratives they’ve told themselves and each other. As father and daughter reconnect, they find it hard once they start to discuss the truth of their pasts, finding it easier to escape into fairytales. The truth about both of them and their past twist and turn just like the fairytales they tell. Purchase tickets online.
burningcoal.org/paint-me-this-house-of-love
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert”
January 31–February 1
Durham Performing Arts Center
123 Vivian Street, Durham
Relive the magical adventure of Harry Potter’s second year at school like never before. Enjoy the full-length feature movie, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” in high definition while a live orchestra performs John Williams’ otherworldly score.
“Florencia en el Amazonas”
January 31, 7:30 p.m.; February 2, 2 p.m.
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
2 E. South Street, Raleigh
North Carolina Opera’s first ever Spanish language opera! Embark on a magical and mysterious journey along the mighty Amazon. Glamorous opera legend Florencia Grimaldi is traveling incognito by steamboat through the enchanted rainforest in hopes of finding her long lost love. Wracked by storms and a cholera outbreak, she and her fellow passengers are drawn deeper into the Amazon, where fantasy and reality intertwine, and their hopes and dreams are tested.
“The Trip to Bountiful”
January 31–February 3
Cary Arts Center
101 Dry Avenue, Cary
Horton Foote’s moving play tells the story of Carrie Watts, an elderly woman, who longs to escape the cramped Houston apartment where she lives with her protective son, Ludie, and her authoritarian daughter-in-law, Jessie Mae. Carrie wants to return to her beloved hometown of Bountiful, Texas, one final time before she dies. While Ludie is at work and Jessie Mae is at the drugstore, Carrie escapes to the bus station and befriends a young woman named Thelma. The new friends travel toward Bountiful together, but when Carrie arrives in nearby Harrison, Texas, she begins to learn that her beloved town isn’t the same as she remembered it.
Ice Skating in Downtown Cary Park
Select days in January
327 S. Academy Street, Cary
Experience the magic of the holidays at Downtown Cary Park’s winter skating rink. Head to Park Street Courts to find the arena transformed into a frosty weather destination. Skating and skate rentals are free. Check-in is in person at Park Street Courts and operates on a first-come, first- served basis until the rink reaches capacity for each skating window. View the calendar for skating opportunities.
Walking Club with Bull City Strollers
Thursdays in January, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
545 Foster Street, Durham
Join the Bull City Strollers every Thursday for a beer and a walk. Meet at the Jug at 5:30 p.m., then go for a 30-minute stroll downtown with beer in hand, thanks to the Bullpen social district, winding up back at the Jug. Strollers, kids, friendly dogs and walkers of all speeds welcome.
Cary Downtown Historic Guided Walking Tour
Sundays in January, noon–1 p.m.
Tour meets at 114 S. Academy Street, Cary
Explore the fascinating history of Cary, a small southern railroad hamlet that has transformed into one of America's fastest growing and most innovative cities. Travel from site to site in its historic downtown and uncover the stories of brilliant agricultural innovators. Discover Cary’s pioneering commitment to public education and the foundation of a rare racially integrated social club in the heart of North Carolina’s bedroom community. Purchase tickets online.
“Journey to Space”
Through April 27
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
11 W. Jones Street, Raleigh
Explore the forbidding environment of space, including the dangers that astronauts face and how they work, eat and sleep. Experience the sights, sounds, smells and sensation of floating as you climb aboard a full-scale, rotating mock-up of the Destiny Lab on the International Space Station. See authentic artifacts from past missions, including Neil Armstrong’s helmet and gloves from his Apollo mission. Purchase tickets online.
