Category Archives: Events

June 16, 2014 · 8:02 am

Got To Be NC Competition Dining “Fire in the Triangle” Tickets on Sale Now!

Fire in the Triangle 2014

The Got To Be NC Competition Dining Fire in the Triangle series returns to Raleigh this month with your favorite Triangle chefs facing off in a friendly competition from June 23 through Aug. 4. Each event is a highly interactive dinner in which community members can not only attend, but also get in on the action. I’ve attended the event the past two years and can attest that it is a fun evening of great food. You can read my 2013 Fire in the Triangle recap here.

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How it Works
In every battle, two chefs face off preparing three courses created around a “secret” or featured ingredient revealed at noon that day. Diners taste and grade the six courses without knowing which chef prepared each. Along with scores from professional judges, results are tallied and a winner is crowned, moving that chef on to the next round of competition.

The Goal
The Got To Be NC  Competition Dining is in its third year now and is part of a larger movement. Because we are all chefs, farmers, or diners, its mission is to connect and celebrate this community through a dynamic, entertaining experience.

Fire in the Triangle First Round Brackets:

June 23
Dean Thompson of Flights and Joseph Yarnell of Cantina 18 in Raleigh

June 24
John Childers of Herons at The Umstead in Cary and Scott Yankovictz of The Station in Raleigh

June 25
Spencer Carter of Weathervane at Southern Season in Chapel Hill and Nunzio Scordo of Driftwood Southern Kitchen in Raleigh

June 30
Christopher Hill of The Oxford in Raleigh and Yunes Sabou of City Kitchen in Chapel Hill

July 1: Serge Falcoz-Vigne of 518 West in Raleigh and James Clark of Carolina Crossroads at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill

July 2
Peter Spear of Pup’s Steakhouse in Wilson and Adam Jones of Dean’s Seafood Bar & Grill in Cary

July 7:
Sean Fowler of Mandolin in Raleigh and Steve Zanini of Jimmy V’s Steakhouse & Tavern in Cary

July 8
Regan Strachler of Little Hen in Apex & Beth LittleJohn of Coquette Brasserie in Raleigh

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Location & Ticket Information
All Fire in the Triangle competition events will be held at 1705 Prime in Raleigh and begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available online now and advanced reservations are required. For information or to order tickets, visit www.competitiondining.com.

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June 2, 2014 · 4:04 pm

10th Annual Beaver Queen Pageant Saturday June 7th

passing judgement on best beaver tails

Past Pageant Queens Passing Judgement on Best Beaver Tails
Photo courtesy Aaron Zalonis Photography

The 10th Annual Beaver Queen Pageant, a free and fun event, will be held on Saturday, June 7th in the meadow at Duke Park (Acadia at Knox Street) in Durham. Pre pageant activities will begin at 4pm, and the pageant will start at 5pm.

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Dancing Unicorn
Photo courtesy Aaron Zalonis Photography

The Beaver Queen Pageant is one of Durham’s marquee events and is rich in the history and culture of the community. Started in 2005 by members of the Duke Park neighborhood in order to protect beavers from a potentially harmful road construction project; it has grown into a large scale event that attracts hundreds of people from all over the Triangle who are interested in protecting wetlands and want to give a helping hand to beavers. It is a free, family-friendly beaver ‘beauty pageant’ that is a creative outlet for both the contestants and the audience.

Frank Stasio

MC Frank Stasio of NPR
Photo courtesy Aaron Zalonis Photography

As with every pageant there are the gowns, the interview, and the talent shows- no swim suits since all beavers are slippery swimmers! The judges are anything but impartial as the audience ‘bribes’ them to support the performer they like the best, adding to the entertainment value of the event. WUNC’s Frank Stasio will serve as emcee for the third straight year.

Crowd in the Meadow at Duke Park
Photo courtesy Aaron Zalonis Photography

This annual event in Duke Park is a hit with kids of all ages due to the outrageous costumes and audience engagement. More than just being fun, it honors diversity, supports community, promotes creativity, and adds to the uniqueness of Durham. Food trucks on site will include Only Burger, Sympathy for the Deli, Pie Pushers, and The Parlour. There will also be a Locopops cart and a Scrap Exchange booth where people of all ages can make their own beaver tails!

The Judges

The Judges
Photo courtesy Aaron Zalonis Photography

The purpose of the spectacle is to raise awareness of our community’s waterways and pockets of nature, and to raise money to help protect and restore these precious resources for all to enjoy. The Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA) is grateful for the support it has received from the Pageant over the years.

Bulltown Strutters

The Bulltown Strutters
Photo courtesy Aaron Zalonis Photography

ECWA encourages community involvement with Ellerbe Creek and the land alongside it, through workdays, nature hikes, and outreach into schools and neighborhoods that border the creek. Long-term goals for the organization include creating an interconnected network of trails and nature preserves linking downtown to Falls Lake, restoring water quality and habitat in Ellerbe Creek, and creating spaces for people in the community to enjoy.

...and the winner is Furrah Gnawsett-Majors

2012 Queen Furrah Gnawsett-Majors
Photo courtesy Aaron Zalonis Photography

10th Annual Beaver Queen Pageant
Date: Saturday June 7th
Time: 4pm (pre-pageant fun) 5pm (pageant begins)
Location: Duke Park in Durham (Acadia at Knox Street)

Photos used with permission from Aaron Zalonis Photography. Visit his 2012 Beaver Queen Pageant photo album on flickr here.

 

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May 7, 2014 · 3:39 pm

Weekend Picks: May 8th – 11th

Sarah P. Duke Gardens

The fun continues this weekend with several opportunities to catch some great live music, stroll local gardens, gaze upon the stars, and enjoy some sweet treats at a new dessert spot in Raleigh.  My weekend picks:

Thursday May 8th

Midtown Beach Music Series at North Hills – Band of Oz
The midtown beach music series at North Hills has grown to become a favorite Thursday evening activity drawing fans from all over to enjoy the most famous beach bands around. This week’s band is the Band of Oz. The best parking for this event is located in the Cap Trust Tower. Event info

Sarah P. Duke Garden in Bloom
Now is the perfect time to visit Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Not just this Thursday but really anytime this week and the entire month of May. The colors should really be popping at this point on the 55-acre oasis at Duke University. Admission is free. For more info about the garden visit http://gardens.duke.edu.

Friday May 9th

Bittersweet – Dessert & Cocktail Lounge Grand Opening
Bittersweet officially opens it doors this Friday at 5pm. They serve desserts, cocktails, and counter culture coffee. This is the kind of place where you can get “bourbon with your pie, champagne with your cake. and Irish whiskey with your coffee”. In otherwords, a place you should definitely check out! Bittersweet is located at 16 East Martin Street in downtown Raleigh. http://bittersweetraleigh.com

Second Friday Art Walk in Chapel Hill
The 2nd Friday Artwalk takes place in Carrboro and Chapel Hill from 6:00 – 9:00 pm on the second Friday of every month. It’s a great opportunity to explore the many arts venues and businesses in both towns as well as socialize with other art lovers in the community. Many of the galleries will have live music and other art related entertainment. http://www.2ndfridayartwalk.com

Duke Teaching  Observatory Open House – 9pm
The Duke Teaching Observatory is a teaching facility for the Duke Physics Department. It is also an active site for science outreach to the community. They will hold an open house viewing this Friday starting at 9pm. Depending on the weather you may be able to gaze upon planets like Jupiter, the star Castor, as well as the Ring Nebula and Cigar Galaxy. Click here for a map of the observatory location in Duke Forest. Check here for an update on the status of the open house (they cancel when weather does not cooperate). Visit their website for additional Open House Info

Saturday May 10th

Second Saturday Brunch at Rebus Works
Special saturday Brunch prepared by Captain Ponchos Tacos with music from a live Mariachi Band. Doors open at 10:30am. To purchase your tickets and additional information including the full menu visit their website here.

PopUp Market at Sola Coffee
Sola is hosting another handmade crafts and art  “pop-up” market featuring local artisans this Saturday from 9:30am-1:30pm. Then later that evening check out some internationally acclaimed Irish music by Colleen Raney and Han Zaraki. Music starts at 7:30 w/ $5 cover. http://www.solacoffee.com

Sunday May 11th

Free Yoga with Lululemon at Midtown Park in North Hills
Join Lululemon Athletica this Sunday 11-12 for free yoga on the lawn of the new Midtown Park at North Hills. Event Info

Jazz Brunch with Justin Johnson at Weaver Street Market
Amazing guitar player Justin Johnson will perform this Sunday on the lawn in front of Weaver Street Market. Justin is a wizard with the guitar and plays incredible instrumental blues and jazz. These Sunday Jazz Brunches (grab food and drink inside Weaver Street Market) are a springtime favorite of mine. Event Info

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April 28, 2014 · 10:18 pm

Wide Open Bluegrass Festival Returns to Raleigh ~ Oct 3rd & 4th 2014

World of Blue Grass in Raleigh 2014
Like Bluegrass Music? Well downtown Raleigh will be jumping with it when the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival Returns to Fayetteville Street this fall the weekend of October 3-4th.The World of Bluegrass event consists of four parts:

1) IBMA Business Conference, September 30 – October 2
2) 25th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards
3) Wide Open Bluegrass Music Festival (includes both free & ticketed performances) 4) Bluegrass Ramble – An innovative series of showcases

Wide Open Bluegrass Festival: Oct 3rd and 4th
The Free portion of the festival will include 50+ bands, three music stages, a dance tent, vendors, concessions, youth performances and activities. Performers include a broad mix of local, national, and international talent.

Those wishing to obtain tickets for the ticketed portion of the festival (which takes place at Red Hat Amphitheater and Raleigh Convention Center Ballroom Stages), Bluegrass Ramble Showcase passes, conference registration, Award Show tickets and hotel reservations should go to IBMA’s website, www.ibma.org.

 

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Bluegrass Ramble: Sept 30th – Oct 2nd
IBMA has also announced the artists selected for the Bluegrass Ramble, an
innovative series of showcases that will take place at select venues throughout
downtown Raleigh. A total of 30 showcase slots will feature emerging talent capable and willing to broaden the bluegrass market, established bands that are introducing substantial changes to their act and artists that have released significant new recorded material. Here is a link to the Ramble lineup

The Bluegrass Ramble showcases will be held in the following venues:

• Kings: 14 W. Martin Street
• Lincoln Theatre: 430 S. Dawson Street
• Pour House Music Hall: 224 S. Blount Street
• Raleigh Convention Center
• Tir Na Nog: 218 S. Blount Street
• The Architect Bar & Social House: 108 ½ E. Hargett Street
• Vintage Church: 117 S West Street

The Bluegrass Ramble is a Ticketed Event
Admission to the Bluegrass Ramble is available to both IBMA Business Conference attendees (with ID) and to the general public via Bluegrass Ramble showcase wristbands. Buy tickets here.

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April 22, 2014 · 6:05 am

Triangle Coffee Pros Head to Seattle to Compete in US Coffee Championships

USBC 2014 Header

This is a huge week for the US specialty coffee industry and of course the Triangle is right in the thick of it. Tim Jones of Jubala Village Coffee in Raleigh and Jonathan Bonchak of Counter Culture Coffee in Durham head to Seattle this week to compete among the nation’s best baristas and coffee professionals in the 2014 US Coffee Championships (USCC). Scott Conary, President of Carrboro Coffee and Chair of the SCAA Competitions Committee is will also be attending the USCC on the other side of the counter with the competition judges.

Tim is putting his skills to the test in the US Barista Championship, while Jonathan is competing in the US Brewers Cup. These two gentlemen have been working tirelessly over the past few months to prepare to go up against the nation’s best. Please join me in wishing them both good luck as they wrap up their final week of planning. If you would like to follow along this weekend the event will be streamed live online here starting on Thursday. You can also track the action via twitter coverage provided by @SprudgeLive. Visit the event website for the complete schedule of events.

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Tim Jones of Jubala Village Coffee

US Barista Championship Explained (From the Official Website)
“The United States Barista Championship (USBC) is a platform for baristas to enhance their espresso beverage making skills through an exciting and challenging competition. In 15 minutes, the barista must prepare and serve espressos, cappuccinos, and a personally designed signature beverage for four sensory judges; all while being assessed on their preparation abilities by two technical judges. The USBC is more than a competition; it’s a place to develop community and meet other coffee lovers from across the US. Throughout the year, baristas from all across the country compete in six regional competitions to qualify for this national event and the winner of the USBC will go on to represent the United States in the World Barista Championship.”

Jonathan Bonchak of Counter Culture Coffee

US Brewers Cup Explained (From the Official Website)
“The United States Brewers Cup is an exciting competition that highlights and celebrates the fine art of manual brewing. Competitors are judged in two rounds by skilled coffee tasters. The first round is a blind tasting, the competitors all brew the same coffee on their chosen manual deceives. Those who advance to the second round will brew and present their chosen coffee to the judges’ panel. The winner of the US Brewers Cup will represent the United States in the World Brewers Cup Championship.”

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USCC 2014

US Coffee Championships – Seattle, Washington April 24-27
To learn more about the US Coffee Championships visit their official website here: http://uscoffeechampionships.org

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