GARDEN TOUR. The Oakwood Garden Club hosts the 34th annual Oakwood Garden Tour on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16. Tours begin on the hour from 10 a.m–4 p.m. each day. The self-guided walking tour covers 1.5 miles. Iced tea will be served in select gardens along with a few sweet and savory treats from local businesses.
FREE CONCERTS. Downtown Raleigh Alliance presents Live After Five on Fayetteville Street with four Wednesday concerts from 5–8 p.m. The lineup includes The Soul Psychedelique Band (April 19), 120 Minutes with Autumn Nicholas (May 17), Hard Tuck with King Akira (June 21) and Spin Doctors with Adam Pitts (July 19). Local food trucks and breweries will be on hand.
Photo by ColinAndersonProductions Pty Ltd/GettyImages
RAISING FUNDS. Skate Raleigh will host a fundraiser for the Conlon Family Skatepark project at Union Station (510 West Martin Street) on Sunday, April 16, 6–9 p.m. Enjoy an evening of food, music and art. Tickets range from $40–$150, and sponsorship packages are available. The park will be located on Dorch Street between West Street and Capital Boulevard.
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS. The North Carolina Museum of History will host a panel discussion with environmental leaders on Thursday, April 20, 7–9 p.m. The talk will include reflections on North Carolina’s role in the origins of the environmental justice movement and the 1982 protests in Warren County. Panel participants include Michael Regan, the 16th administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. RSVP to Madison Martini at .
FOR A GOOD CAUSE. Activate Good will host a yoga class at Yoga Six (621 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh) on Saturday, April 15 at 1 p.m. The class is part of the kickoff to National Volunteer Week, part of the organization’s new model for service. Registration for the class is available online.
HOOTENANNY FUN. NC Eat & Play’s Spring Hootenanny & Foodie Festival takes place at Phillips Farms in Cary this Saturday, April 15, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Enjoy a southern Wanderland filled with festive vibes, and tons of great bites and beverages. Kids ages 12 and younger are free but require a ticket for admittance and must be selected with a general admission ticket, which cost $45 per person and include parking, with access to the farm’s kid and adult field activities, rides and entertainment.
Photo by Kristen Randall
BEER AND BROWSING. Pop-Up Raleigh hosts monthly markets at Trophy’s Maywood Brewery (656 Maywood Avenue, Raleigh) on the third Saturday of each month,—so April 15 this month—from noon–5 p.m. The event includes a rotating selection of art and vintage items from dozens of vendors, along with offerings from food trucks from around the Triangle.
Brewgaloo is looking for volunteers for its annual beer festival in downtown Raleigh on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22. Volunteers are asked to work shifts of two to four hours in a variety of jobs in exchange for a festival T-shirt, 10 free drink tickets, a 50% off code for the NC Hops Fest in June and other perks. Signups are available online.
FESTIVAL FUN. The 13th Annual North Carolina ‘Cuegrass Festival, which supports local children’s causes in North Carolina, returns to downtown Raleigh this Saturday, April 15, noon–6 p.m. The fun takes place on Fayetteville Street and includes a main stage lineup that featuring performances by Jon Shain & FJ Ventre, Old Habits, Duck, Into the Fog and more. The festival also features a draft beer tent and silent auction. Place bids here.
ADULTS ONLY. Marbles Kids Museum hosts 21Marbles: Partyology on Friday, April 14, 6:30–9:30 p.m. Sip, create and play your way to become certified in Partyology. You must be 21 and older to attend. Bring a valid ID. Entry costs $15.
Photo by Melissa Wistehuff
SPRING COCKTAILS. Dram & Draught released its spring cocktail menu at all locations last week. Among the new drinks on the menu were the Elvis Presley, which features peanut butter and honey-infused bourbon, banana and campari; while the Tropical Fire offers pineapple and jalapenõ-infused tequila, lime, ginger, hellfire bitters and soda. Dram & Draught’s Blackberry Smoke (pictured above, at left) features Los Siete mezcal, Montenegro, Anch Reyes, Orgeat, salted blackberry agave, lime and heat tincture. Or, enjoy a menu original like My Lady Grey (pictured above, at right), which includes Cathead honeysuckle vodka, Cocchi Americano; Earl Grey, lemon, sugar and lavender bitters.
AMONG THE BEST. Raleigh-Durham ranks No. 6 on the Travel & Leisure list of the most beautiful and affordable places to live in the U.S. The survey indicates the market appeals to young people who seek an economical place to raise a family, thanks to a growing job market and high-paying jobs in medicine, research, and technology.
BRING THOSE BIDS. Safe Haven for Cats has opened bidding for auction items leading up to April’s sold-out Tuxedo Cat Ball. Anyone can place a bid on items that include paintings by local artists, sports memorabilia and fine jewelry. Bidding will close on Friday, April 21 at 10 p.m.
TRAVEL OPTIONS. Frontier Airlines is adding flights from RDU to Chicago and Houston in mid-June. Chicago service to Midway International Airport will include flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Houston service will be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. With those routes, Frontier will have a total of 20 nonstop destinations at RDU.
BREAKING GROUND. CORRAL Riding Academy (3120 Tarheel Clubhouse Road, Raleigh) will host a groundbreaking for its new Raleigh campus on Saturday, April 15, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Guests will receive a guided tour of the facilities and learn about the organization’s history. CORRAL is a faith-motivated nonprofit that serves adolescent girls in high-risk situations through a long-term, holistic program of equine therapy and education.
