Photo by Ross Joyner/NCSU
PACK IT UP! North Carolina State University’s Packapalooza block party and street festival caps off Wolfpack Welcome Week this Saturday, August 26, 2–10 p.m. NCSU students, faculty, staff, alumni, families and members of the local community pack Hillsborough Street for a day filled with music, entertainment, family-friendly activities, food and everything that embodies the Wolfpack spirit. The day will close with a performance by musical headliner David Cook—winner of season seven of “American Idol”—as well as a grand finale of fireworks and a laser light show.
SECOND-HAND SHOPPING. The NC Vintage Bazaar takes place at Raleigh Convention Center on Saturday, August 26, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. More than 130 vintage clothes vendors from across the country will be selling their best secondhand finds. Tickets are available online and run from $5–$20. Kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult.
PLANS IN THE WORKS. Plans to expand the capacity of the Raleigh Convention Center are moving forward after the Wake County Board of Commissioners voted to allocate $387.5 million to the convention center’s expansion and Red Hat Amphitheater relocation. The project will add 30 breakout rooms and 500,000 square feet of meeting space. The changes will double the center’s capacity to 20,000 people. The amphitheater will move one block to the south.
Jaguar Bolera is expanding its development footprint to include five pickleball courts at Salvage Yard (2300 Atlantic Avenue, Raleigh) beginning in early 2024. With the expansion, Jaguar Bolera will include more than 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor food, beverage and entertainment space. Guests can enjoy more than 100 craft beverages from self-pour taps along with a bite to eat from two counters.
Real estate firm Hines, one of the developers behind Fenton in Cary, has submitted a rezoning application and preliminary development plan for a major makeover for Cary’s Waverly Place, according to the Triangle Business Journal. The redevelopment would involve 6.5 acres that includes the CMX CineBistro and the two parking lots on either side of it. The preliminary plans show there would be buildings between four and seven stories that would have multifamily units, retail space and office space, a parking deck and 15,000 square feet of community gathering areas. Hines purchased the shopping center in 2022 for $88 million.
DINING NEWS. Perry’s Steakhouse and Grille in Raleigh will serve a four-course pork chop meal on Sunday, August 27 to celebrate National Pork Chop Day. For $44, guests receive a meal that includes a pork chop, pork chop bites, white bean pork chili and more. Perry’s Online Marketplace is offering a pork chop bundle, and the culinary team is releasing two exclusive pork chop leftover recipes for guests to create at home.
Amedeo’s Italian Restaurant (3905 Western Boulevard, Raleigh) is celebrating its 60th anniversary by offering guests lasagna for $5 on Sunday, August 27, 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Guests can enter to win weekly September prizes to receive dinner at 1963 prices. Weekly restaurant specials include discounts for students.
Kane Realty Corporation has announced that True Food Kitchen will open in the Main District of North Hills in spring 2024. It will be the brand’s first restaurant in North Carolina, located on the street level of the five-story 4114 Creative Offices building. The restaurant will feature a large outdoor dining space and join new restaurants Limani Grille, Mia’s Brooklyn Bakery, Village Tavern and the reopening of Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
Krill restaurant (506 Ramseur Street, Durham) hosts a Mexi-Cali wine dinner on Thursday, August 31 at 6:30 p.m. Five hand-selected wines will be paired with five Asian-inspired Mexi-Cali courses. The dinner costs $95 per person.
New food and drink options are on their way to Dorothea Dix Park. In a recent request for information, Dix Park Conservancy, in conjunction with the City of Raleigh, announced it is actively recruiting food and retail operators to provide and serve the park. The 308-acre urban park is home to the Dreamville Festival, a popular annual summer sunflower field and other popular events.
CREATE A COCKTAIL. Neighborhood bar and Southern kitchen Whiskey Kitchen (201 West Martin Street, Raleigh) will host the second installment of How To: The Cocktail Series on Tuesday, September 19, 6–9 p.m. Guests will create their own Old Fashioned with the help of Whiskey Kitchen’s bartenders. Attendees will have the opportunity to customize their drink with different bar selections.
FREE PET ADOPTIONS. On Saturday, August 26, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Wake County Animal Center will eliminate all pet adoption fees as part of its annal Clear the Shelter event, which staff always hope will leave their building empty at the end of the day. Meet 72 dogs, 13 cats, 13 kittens, 3 rabbits and 1 bird waiting for a family to welcome them into their hearts and homes. View the gallery of animals here.
HIGH MARKS. Bailey’s Fine Jewelry has been named one of America’s Coolest Jewelry Stores by INSTORE magazine. The jeweler took third place for its Fenton location in Cary. Close to 100 stores were judged for exterior and interior appearance, store biography, marketing, web presence and overall individuality.
SAMPLES AND SWAG. Playa Bowls will give away free bowls and swag to the first 50 guests at its new Durham location (744B Ninth Street) on Saturday, August 26 at 10:30 a.m. The Durham shop serves superfruit bowl menu items including pitaya, coconut bowls and smoothies.
JITTERBUG KIDS. Express & Release Therapeutic Dance, a therapeutic dance company in Durham, will host a virtual therapeutic dance workshop for kids on Saturday, August 26, 3–4 p.m. The Zoom session is designed for kids who feel anxiety or excitement about the school year. Kids will have a chance to stomp, jump, laugh and release the emotions of returning to school.
FOR A CAUSE. ZTC Casino Night – Doubling Down on Childhood Cancer takes place at the Governors Club in Chapel Hill on Saturday, September 16 at 5 p.m. Zach’s Toy Chest welcomes guests for an evening of casino games and fundraising to support childhood cancer families across North Carolina. The event includes live and silent auctions. Table purchases and individual tickets are available online
HELPING HANDS. Unbridled Way Forward (4206 Bahama Road, Rougemont) will host a Herd Meditation at the farm on Sunday, September 10, 2–3:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to relax and spend some quiet time with the horses. The farm works with individuals, teams or groups, providing mental health and well-being services, organizational wellness and personal discovery and learning. Tickets are available online.
WORKOUT WARRIORS. The Streets at Southpoint will host a free workout class hosted by Move With Us and 360 Approach on Sunday, August 27, 10–11 a.m. The event takes place on the lawn in front of the AMC Theatre. Guests are encouraged to bring a mat and water.
PUMPKIN PATCH EXPRESS. Celebrate fall with a trip to the Museum of Life and Science’s pumpkin patch. Pick the perfect pumpkin to decorate and enjoy a variety of activities inspired by autumn. Then, climb aboard the train for a ride back to the station on the Ellerbe Creek Railway. Tickets cost $15 and go on sale August 28 for supporting members, August 29 for Explorer members and September 3 for the general public.
TOWN TOUCHUPS. The Town of Zebulon has been awarded a $500,000 grant through the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. The grant will go toward Little River Park: Phase 1 and include expanding access to the east side of Little River Park, establishing open spaces and developing 1.25 miles of gravel trails and a mile of asphalt trails. Additionally, new structures will include shelters, restrooms, a natural classroom and a native garden.
FLAMINGOS ON THE GO. The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro will say goodbye to 15 famous residents on Saturday, August 26. A flock of Chilean flamingos is set for transfer to the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina next month, following the closure of the aviary last year. The North Carolina Zoo will host a “Farewell Flamingos” event in the flamingo habitat that day from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Pink snacks will be served.
