Category Archives: Events

September 13, 2013 · 9:00 am

Weekend Picks! September 13-15th

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Weekend Picks! September 13-15th

There are so many fun things going on this weekend it is really hard to narrow it down to just handful of picks! My picks span from local beer in Wake Forest to a fashion show in downtown Raleigh to a pepper festival in Oxford and live music in Chapel Hill. No matter where you are in the Triangle this weekend there are great things going on!

Friday September 13th
Sparkcon – circusSpark Circus Under The Sea – Raleigh
Sparkcon is going on all weekend but this is my top pick for Friday night. Starting with circusSPARK showcase: Under the Sea Friday at City Plaza in Downtown Raleigh from 8-9p. This event is a showcase for all circus talents in the Triangle– clowns, magicians, jugglers, fire performers, hoop dancers, aerialists, unicyclists, mimes, make up artists, acrobats, belly dancers, stage hands, costume designers, balloon twisters, etc…
Info: website

Live Music at Motorco – Dirty Bourbon River Show – Durham
An awesome band playing is at Motorco in Durham tonight at 9pm! The Dirty Bourbon River Show is comprised of Noah Adams (vocals, piano, guitar, accordion, trumpet), Charles “Big Charlie” Skinner (vocals, trombone, wind toys), Matt “Slyfox” Thomas (vocals, tenor, bari and Mississippi saxophone, clarinet), Jimmy Williams (bass, sousaphone) and Dane “Bootsy” Schindler (drums). See website below for ticket information.
Info: website

North Hills Friday Night Tribute Music Series – Raleigh
Every Friday from September 6th through October 11th, Midtown Events will be hosting a block party from 7-9pm on Park Street at North Hills. This new series will pay tribute to some of your favorite music legends and is sure to have something for everyone! This Friday enjoy the tunes of Jimmy Buffet tribute band Coconut Groove.
Info: website


Saturday September 14th
Big Boss Brewery Tour – Raleigh
Guided by the staff of well-oiled brewers, tours of the brewery take place the second Saturday of each month at 2 p.m. The 30-minute tour takes you through the entire facility where you will learn about Big Boss’s beer-making process. And afterward you can try a few sample brews for $1 each (limit three). There are usually a handful of food trucks there as well. Please bring a valid ID. They must ID everyone!
Info: website

Friends of Wake County Animal Shelter Mega Adoption Event – Raleigh
Mega Adoption Event for the Wake County Animal Center Saturday Sept 14 and Sunday Sept 15th at the Capital Bld PetSmart (2800 Milbrook Road) . Come out from 10am-4pm to meet animals from the shelter who are up for adoption. The shelter has a goal of 100 Adoptions in 2 days!
Info: wesbite

Spakcon – fashionSpark Runway Show – Raleigh
fashionSPARK runway show!at City Plaza in Downtown Raleigh from 8-9:30 pm. Activities all day lead up to the fashion show with a Main Stage line-up of music, dance and theater, street painting on Fayetteville Street and an art bazaar in City Plaza. Fashion show and film to screen in the evening. Galleries featuring design, art and new media/digital work in multiple venues.
Info: website

North Carolina Hot Sauce Festival – Oxford
The NC Hot Sauce Contest brings thousands of people to downtown Oxford to interact with friends, merchants, fans, artisans and vendors.   North Carolina’s finest hot sauces and  barbeque sauces, along with breweries and wineries spice up the blends and texture of downtown’s historical streets. Enter the NC Pepper Eating Contest. Watch as Artist Dan Nelson creates our Festival on Canvas.  NC Hot Sauces and Barbecue Sauces, all will be competing for the title of North Carolina’s Best!!!!!!!
Info: website

Live Music at The Bar – Beauty Operators – Durham
Great music and fun with an all ladies band playing rock, blues, and funk this Friday at “The Bar” in Durham 8-10pm w/$5 cover.
Info: website

Sunday September 15th
White Street Brewing 1st Anniversary Celebration – Wake Forest
Wake Forest’s White Street Brewery Celebrates its one year Anniversary Sunday September 15th! Noon-9pm There will be a full day of live music, food trucks, raffles & prize give-aways and much more! Alivia’s and Red, Hot, & Blue food trucks, Lumpy’s ice cream. Music by Todd Harris, The Andy Coats Trio, and The Will McBride Group. 96.1FM broadcasting live from 12-2pm and giving away prizes every 5 min for an hour. $3.00 pints (most beers) and $6 growler fills all day! All About Beer Magazine on site to give away World Beerfest tickets and a subscription to the magazine.
Info: website

Sundays at Six Music Series – Chapel Hill
FREE Sunday evening concerts, beginning each week at 6 pm at Southern Village in Chapel Hill.  Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating, and to bring a picnic, or purchase food from any of the Southern Village food establishments. All performances are free, and will be held on the stage at the Village Green in Southern Village.This Sunday’s performer is  Bluegrass Battleship.
Info: website

Magnificent Mile Race – Raleigh
The 8th annual Magnificent Mile Race will be held in Raleigh, NC on Sunday, September 15, 2012 to benefit the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation.The Magnificent Mile features a men’s and women’s competitive mile, a recreational mile, and two kids’ races. The race begins at 2 pm at 330 Hillsborough Street. The Magnificent Mile is part of the fall portion of the Second Empire Grand-Prix Series. Food courtesy of The Q Shack and Whole Foods, as well as face-painting, a bouncy house, a mobile video-gaming van,  and great door prizes.
Info: website

 

Looking ahead to October
Pepper Festival in Chapel Hill on  October 6th!

pepper

Make sure you save the date and get your tickets today for the 6th annual Pepper Festival. It is a celebration of sustainable agriculture, farmers, renewable energy, and the creativity of the Piedmont’s chefs, brewers and artisans! Live Music by Big Fat Gap, Loamlands, and Steph Stewart and the Boyfriends!  Cash bar with pepper-infused beers, wines, and liquors!  Interactive exhibits & kids’ funzone with face-painting, giant bubbles, circus performers!

When
Sunday, October 6th, 3-7pm at Boulder Park in Briar Chapel, Chapel Hill, NC
 
Tickets
$25 before Sept 13 at midnight, $30 after Sept 13, $35 at the gate.  Kids under 12 get in free! With your ticket you get an endless supply of pepper-themed dishes from some of the Piedmont’s best chefs and food artisans, made with locally-sourced pepper varieties! You can buy tickets here. For more details about the Pepper Festival website.

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September 12, 2013 · 10:01 am

Sparkcon Kicks Off Today in Raleigh!

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If you are looking for something to do the next few days look no further than downtown Raleigh. SPARKcon, the Triangle’s annual creative explosion, September 12–15th, will assemble 2,000+ artists, performers and other creative folks for 200+ shows and exhibits on Fayetteville Street, City Plaza and beyond.

Festival Hours
Friday 5:30pm – 11pm
Saturday 11am – 11pm
Sunday 12pm – 4pm

Festival Location:
Downtown Raleigh, Fayetteville St area and 17+ local venues

SPARKcon2012 circus_photo by Makeda Sanford

Photo by Makeda Sanford

Kick Off: ideaSPARK Pecha Kucha Night (Idea Slam) Raleigh Volume 15
(pre-registration required)
Thursday, September 12, 2013 at Contemporary Art Museum (CAM ) in Raleigh’s Warehouse District.
Time: 6:40 to 8:40p (doors open at 5:40)

Friday Showcase: circusSPARK showcase: Under the Sea
Friday, September 13, 2013 at City Plaza in Downtown Raleigh
Time: 8-9p

Saturday Showcase: fashionSPARK runway show!
Saturday, September 14 at City Plaza in Downtown Raleigh
Time: 8-9:30 p

Saturday Highlights: A Main Stage line-up of music, dance and theater, street painting on Fayetteville Street and an art bazaar in City Plaza. Fashion show and film to screen in the evening. Galleries featuring design, art and new media/digital work in multiple venues.

Sunday Highlights: The bazaar continues, the music stage will present a full day’s lineup and the circus will take over a block of Fayetteville Street. View the finished Street Paintings.

A full schedule is on SPARKcon.com & available on an iPhone app.

SPARKcon2012 general_photo by Mary Kay Kennedy

photo by Mary Kay Kennedy

artSPARK: 700 streetpainters on Fayetteville Street, art galleries in downtown venues including Visual Art Exchange (VAE), installations featuring three local artists in the Fish Market Gallery and a mural at the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM Raleigh) entitled What are Your Roots? All weekend.

bazaarSPARK: On-the-street bazaar of 50 local crafters and designers selling their latest handmade wares. Saturday and Sunday.

circusSPARK: Acrobats, aerialists, face-painters, fire dancers, jugglers and more perform, parade and host interactive workshops. All weekend. Showcase Friday at 8pm on City Plaza.

comedySPARK: A book release party, Clean Stand UP, Stand Up showcase and a swearing competition. All weekend.

geekSPARK: A showcase for the creative use of new and interactive media and technology featuring a showcases of digital motion, a games, open source as well as interactive events including robots, a city model, Godzilla and more on Fayetteville Street and CAM Raleigh. All weekend.

danceSPARK: Dance performances and workshops showcasing a wide variety of local dancers and styles. All weekend.

designSPARK: An interactive map project Our City, Your Design on Fayetteville Street, a green fuel showcase, studio tours, architecture walking tours. All weekend.

fashionSPARK: Runway show, featuring 10 local fashion, accessory and green designers in the largest annual fashion show in the Triangle. Saturday at 8p, on City Plaza. A jewelry Trunk show on Friday @ VAE.

filmSPARK: Local filmmakers present their work through shorts screenings, a 48-Hour film challenge and a panel discussion on local resources. Saturday and Sunday.

ideaSPARK: Community-oriented presentations from a variety of community leaders, artists, and entrepreneurs in a fast-paced format. Showcase Saturday night at CAM. Smaller idea sharing events all weekend.

musicSPARK: Over 55 acts performing throughout the weekend on four outdoor stages. musicSPARK mainEVENT: Friday, September 13th, 9p at Kings Barcade

poetrySPARK: Local poets, professional and amateur, featured in readings, workshops and panel discussions. All weekend.

tastySPARK: A food truck rodeo on E. Martin. All weekend.

theatreSPARK: A full day of theatre performances by local theatre groups, including NC Theatre and Burning Coal Theatre on Saturday in City Plaza Pop-up theatre all weekend.

About VAE and SPARKcon
Visual Art Exchange produces SPARKcon to celebrate and highlight diverse creative efforts in the Triangle and is a part of the VAE mission to support and provide opportunities for artists and connect the community to the arts. This festival gives an unusual opportunity for the community to be directly involved with a public art / performance art project in downtown Raleigh. SPARKcon is unique because it is an event fully developed by artists and the creative community, who are encouraged to use their creative talent and insight to produce their own engaging and inspiring programs. SPARKcon was founded in 2006 by Aly and Beth Khalifa.

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September 4, 2013 · 12:27 pm

Watts Grocery & The Walking Fish Cooperative Team Up for the “Strange Seafood” Dinner Sept. 9th

Strange_Seafood_Event_Flier

Watts Grocery joins forces with Walking Fish Cooperative for the 1st annual Strange Seafood gourmet dinner on Monday, September 9, 2013, at 7 p.m. Attendees will enjoy a 5-course decadent dinner that showcases an array of sustainably harvested strange seafood from North Carolina.

Chef Amy Tornquist will prepare an unforgettable meal featuring a variety of “strange” seafood. Proceeds from the event will benefit Saltwater Connections, a project of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center on Harkers Island. Saltwater Connections is a regional initiative aimed at sustaining livelihoods, cultural heritage, and natural resources along North Carolina’s central coast, from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke and Down East Carteret County.

“Like our cooperative, the Strange Seafood event is about celebrating the diversity and flavors of North Carolina’s seafood and the unique coastal communities that depend on commercial fishing,” notes Lin Chestnut, a founding member of the Walking Fish Cooperative.

Tickets
The dinner will be $70 per person or $100 w/ wine pairings by the Hope Valley Bottle Shop. To reserve your table and support the region’s unique coastal heritage, contact Watts Grocery at 919-416-5040.

About Watts Grocery
With roots firmly planted in North Carolina, Watts Grocery takes its name from the Watts-Hillandale neighborhood where chef Amy Tornquist has fond childhood memories of the Watts St. Grocery candy and snack stop in Trinity Park. Featuring local foods by the forkful, Amy weaves them into her cooking to create a distinctive take on North Carolina cuisine. Watts Grocery combines easygoing Southern hospitality with dishes such as fried oysters with remoulade, chicken and dumplings topped with cheese biscuits, and Meyer lemon mousse. Durham’s night owls feast on the unconventional bar menu featuring fried chicken gizzards with garlic aioli, hush puppies with basil mayo and red velvet cupcakes. For more information visit, http://www.wattsgrocery.com or call 919-416-5040. Watts Grocery is located at 1116 Broad Street, Durham, NC, 27705. Connect with us on Facebook at Facebook.com/WattsGrocery or on Twitter @WattsGrocery.

walking fish

About The Walking  Fish Cooperative
Founded in 2009, the Walking Fish Cooperative operates an award winning community supported fishery (CSF) that links fishermen on the coast of North Carolina to seafood-loving consumers in the Triangle. The goals of this community-owned and operated venture are simple: to foster economic opportunities, to cultivate healthy communities, and to encourage environmental stewardship. What better way to invest in a sustainable future and get fresh, local seafood? For more information or to sign-up for the upcoming CSF, visit http://www.info@walking-fish.org. Support us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WalkingFishCSF.

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September 3, 2013 · 6:30 am

4th Annual Science of Beer Event at Durham’s Museum of Life & Science ~ September 12, 2013

science of beer 3

Image courtesy of Museum of Life and Science

Brew enthusiasts eager to learn more about their favorite beers from around the Triangle will offer a toast to science on Thursday, September 12, 2013 at the Museum of Life and Science’s fourth annual Science of Beer. A part of the popular adults-only Museum AfterHours program series, this year’s event features tastings from over 15 local breweries, scientists from the Duke Institute for Brain Scientists and the NCSU Brewing Lab. Guests are invited to participate in hands-on experiments and workshop sessions exploring everything from the science of skunking to the lifecycle of a malt.

“This is the perfect event for such a beer loving area – you not only get to taste so many of your favorite local brews, but also learn why you love them so much! Do you genes play a role in your preference for IPA or is it the way your body reacts to that aroma over others? We’ve seen incredible growth over the past four years in both the number of beer enthusiasts and local breweries eager to attend – we look forward to the biggest Science of Beer yet!” remarked Master Teacher and event coordinator, Adrienne Testa.

About Science of Beer 2013
Taste a variety of beers from over 15 local North Carolina breweries and meet the scientists who make yeast, hops and bubbles their life’s passion.

  • Tastings and experiments with local brew experts exploring yeast production, balancing bitterness with salt, role of fermenting vessels and more.
  • Chocolate and charcuterie tastings complimenting beer selections provided by Escazu and G2B.
  • Meet local scientists and enjoy hands-on beer themed workshops on the role of genetics in determining beer preferences and the impact of Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen on beer head.
  • Enjoy local food trucks including Pie Pushers, Parlour and Only Burger.
  • Over 15 local North Carolina breweries including:
Fullsteam Bull City Burger
Bull City Homebrew Mystery Brewing Company
Lonerider Brewing Company The Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery
Carolina Brewing Company Foothills Brewing
Mother Earth Brewing Sub Noir Brewing Company
White Street Brewing Company Raleigh Brewing
Natty Greene’s Brewing Company Gizmo Brew Works
Triangle Brewing Company
science of beer 1

Photo courtesy of Museum of Life and Science

Details & Ticket Info
Science of Beer: Tastings, Interactive Workshops and Hands-On Experiments
Location: Museum of Life and Science – 433 Murray Avenue, Durham, NC
Date: Thursday, September 12, 2013
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Tickets available for purchase online: $15 Museum Members; $18 General Public

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August 20, 2013 · 10:15 am

Chef Dean Thompson of Flights Wins Fire in the Triangle!

Chef Thompson's new knife

Chef Dean Thompson is the proud winner of a handmade chef knife by Ironman Forge in Charlotte. He is pictured with event host and founder, Jimmy Crippen (left).
Photo courtesy Competition Dining

Last night’s “Battle North Hills” wrapped up Fire in the Triangle. Sixteen chefs from the Triangle competed in the competition that began July 8 and concluded last night. On Monday evening, bragging rights went to Chef Dean Thompson and his team from Flights at Renaissance Raleigh Hotel. He won in a competitive battle against Chef Scott James of Midtown Grille, another North Hills’ restaurant in Raleigh, N.C.

In the dining room at Rocky Top Catering’s 1705 Prime, guests waited to hear the final numbers, eyes riveted on the event host and founder, Jimmy Crippen. Crippen briefly quizzed each chef and his team members about how the day had unfolded. After recognizing the outstanding team at 1705 Prime, Crippen rattled off the scores for all six courses. Chef Dean Thompson and teammates Anthony Zinani and Matt Thompson took home the trophy, a $2000 check, a handmade chef knife by Ironman Forge in Charlotte, and the coveted red chef’s jacket only a Competition Dining finals winner can receive.

Flights team with the $2000 check

Left to right: Mac Sullivan (Pate Dawson-Southern Foods), Matt Thompson, Anthony Zinani, Dean Thompson, Jimmy Crippen (Founder of Competition Dining)
Photo courtesy Competition Dining

The $2000 check was presented by Mac Sullivan, chief executive officer of Pate Dawson-Southern Foods, lead sponsor of the event, and Jimmy Crippen, host and founder of Competition Dining.

Fire in the Triangle challenged the chefs to use two featured ingredients, Certified Angus Beef® and Fullsteam Brewery’s El Toro and Hogwash. The chefs were required to use beef in two courses and Fullsteam Brewery’s “plow-to-pint” beers in each of their three courses for 140 diners. The chefs are not told what the featured ingredients will be until noon on the day they compete.

Course 5, Flights

“Homer Simpson” Beer, Coffee & Doughnuts, Beef Cake & El Toro Tiramisu, Banana Ice Cream, Hogwash Caramel, Chocolate Glazed Krispy Doughnut, Beef & Wonton Sprinkles — Chef Dean Thompson of Flights
Photo courtesy Competition Dining

Visit the Competition Dining flickr photo album for last night’s event for more delicious images of the wonderful dishes prepared by Chef Dean Thompson of Flights and Chef Scott of Midtown Grille. For more information about the Competition Dining Series visit their website and check out the great video below by Kelly McCullen of UNC-TV about the event.


Next Up – “Fire in the City” Charlotte
The competition dining series now moves on to their next event “Fire in The City”, taking place in the Queen City of Charlotte. Chef’s for the Charlotte series will be announced at 6pm on Wednesday August 21st. Tickets for “Fire in the City” are on sale now and can be purchased here. If you can’t make the event but want to follow the action online follow @CompDiningNC on twitter or on facebook. 

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