Category Archives: Events

September 2, 2012 · 2:55 am

Color Me Rad Raleigh 5K Race Free Registration Giveaway!

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Photo Courtesy of Color Me Rad & Flo-Foto

Things are going to get a lot more colorful in Raleigh this Fall and I’m not talking about the leaves on the trees changing color! A cool new 5K race called Color Me Rad Raleigh is coming to the Triangle for the very first time on October 27th out by the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion in Raleigh. I love running 5K races, but this one is a little different than your typical race. Color Me Rad Raleigh provides a unique way to experience a 5k with your friends and family all the while helping to raise funds to benefit the Special Olympics of NC. Check out the video below with clips from past races to catch a glimpse of colorful craziness that happens.

As you can see, Color Me Rad is no ordinary 5K! In it runners are bombarded with a rainbow of colors (colored corn starch) at various color stations along the running route. According to their website, the race includes “a tsunami of color that’ll make colored tears of joy run down your cheeks and will renew your will to live”. I don’t know about your will to live, but this race certainly looks like a lot of fun to me! You can view the course map with the location of the various color stations here.

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Photot courtesy of Color Me Rad & Flo-Foto

Registration Giveaway!
The great people organizing Color Me Rad Raleigh were awesome enough to donate Two Free Registrations for me to give away to two lucky Triangle Explorer blog readers! To enter the giveaway just leave a comment below about why you like to run or share this post on twitter (copy me using the twitter handle @trianglexplorer).

I will randomly select the two lucky winners next Monday September 10th and notify them by email with the promo codes. In the meantime, for more information about the Color Me Rad Raleigh 5K race, check out the event website here and follow them on their facebook page and on twitter @colormerad5k for race updates.

Color Me Rad Raleigh 5K
Date: October 27, 2012
Location: Time Warner Pavillion – 3801 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh, NC
Registration: $40 until 9/28/2012 – then $45 through 10/24

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August 15, 2012 · 3:10 pm

Third Annual Carolina Classics At The Capital Car Show Returns to Raleigh August 17-19

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The Third Annual Carolina Classics at the Capital Car Show in Downtown Raleigh sponsored by Miller Lite will feature a new format and new attractions, including appearances by the stars of truTV’s “Lizard Lick Towing” and assembly demonstrations of a Model T Ford.

From Aug. 17 through Aug. 19, attendees will be able to see hundreds of classic cars and vendors inside the Raleigh Convention Center and outside in a special cordoned-off area on the street. On Saturday, Aug. 18, the Lizard Lick Krew will be signing autographs, taking pictures with fans, and offering a wide array of branded merchandise for purchase.

Also on Saturday, members of the Triangle Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America will be demonstrating how to assemble a take-apart Model T Ford. This particular vehicle was produced in 1917 as a five-passenger touring car, then later converted into a pickup truck and finally a two-passenger roadster. Assembly time can vary from six to 12 minutes depending on the number of workers and the cooperation of the Model T. Upon completion of the assembly, the “shop boss” will hand crank the car and it will be driven several feet to prove it can run.

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The show will also feature hundreds of vintage and classic cars and trucks competing for awards in specific categories as well as the coveted Sir Walter Cup for Best in Show. This year’s event includes rare and priceless collection vehicles never before shown to the public.

Last year’s event drew an estimated 40,000 people to Downtown Raleigh. A new format for 2012 includes admission to view all vehicles, vendors and exhibits for just $10, $5 for children under 12, and free for children under six.

“For the past two years, it almost seemed like we were running two separate car shows inside the Convention Center and outside,” said Greg Cox, one of the event’s organizers. “This year, you can see everything – inside and outside – for one low price.”

Operating hours for the 2012 Carolina Classics at the Capital are as follows:

Friday, Aug. 17, 4 p.m to 10 p.m.
Sneak Peak admission for just $5.

Friday Night Cruise-In on Fayetteville Street, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Free admission for classic car participants.
Saturday, Aug. 18, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Appearance by the Lizard Lick Krew, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Model T Assembly Demonstrations, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Car Judging, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 19, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Awards Ceremony, 1 p.m.

This event will also feature live music and radio station broadcasts by 94.7 WQDR, Radio 96.1 and Pulse 102. The primary sponsor for 2012 is Miller Lite.

Classics at the Capital is proud to have as its charity partner the Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness.

For more information about the Carolina Classics at the Capital, visit www.classicsatthecapital.com or call (919) 896-7448. Additional information can be found on the Classic’s Facebook page or by following @capitalclassics on Twitter.

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August 14, 2012 · 8:47 am

Tickets for 2012 World Beer Festival in Durham Go On Sale Today!

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Beer Samples from Bull City Burger & Brewery – Durham, NC

Tickets to World Beer Festival- Durham are currently on sale! The festival will be held October 6, 2012 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Festival goers can also receive a special rate at Millennium Hotel Durham for Friday October 5th and Saturday October 6th. Rooms can be reserved online with the group code WRDBER or by calling 1-800-633-5379.

The World Beer Festival has two sessions, ticketed separately. Each session is four hours, 12-4 PM and 6-10 PM. With a general admission ticket, you receive a tasting glass for unlimited 2-ounce tastings from of different beers from all over the word, including all of local breweries right here in the Triangle.  The festival also features live music by local bands and educational sessions by industry experts. General admission tickets are $45 per session (day of event, prices will be announced at a later date, per session, if not sold out).

Tickets can be purchased online here and at select retail outlets in the Triangle area.

If you plan to go this event I strongly recommend you plan on getting your tickets as soon. This event has been known to sell out quickly in the past.  If you wait too long you will find your only option is surfing craig’s list for tickets at inflated prices.

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July 31, 2012 · 12:05 pm

Fire In the Triangle Conclusion Tonight! Fire In the Triad Starts August 13th!

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Fire in the Triangle ~ Dining Room at 1705 Prime in North Raleigh

Tonight is the final showdown of the competition dining series “Fire in the Triangle“.  Chef Ryan Payne of Chapel Hill’s Weathervane and Chef John Childreers of Cary’s Herons Restaurant will go head-to-head to determine the winner of what has been an exciting competition dining series. Tonight’s final chef “battle” is the conclusion of a two month long competition dining series where each evening, two restaurants “battled” it out side-by-side in a single elimination, “Iron Chef”-style format.

“Fire in the Triangle” featured a total of 15 chef “battles” where diners sampled each course from two chefs in a blind tasting alongside a panel of culinary and celebrity judges. Diners, alongside culinary and guest judges, rated each dish and determined who moved on to the next round and who went home. The winner of tonight’s final battle will win a grand prize of $2,000, a coveted “Red Chef Jacket,” and a hand-forged trophy by Gaines Kiker Silversmith in Blowing Rock, NC.

Check out the Durham Foodie blog by Johanna Kramer where she and other guest bloggers did an awesome job of recapping the entire series of “Fire in the Triangle” chef battles over the past two months of the competition. Each recap includes the secret ingredient revealed for each battle along with descriptions and pictures of the incredible dishes prepared each night. Be sure to check her blog tomorrow for a full recap of tonight’s final event!!

Fire In the Triad Chefs Announced!
If you have foodie friends in the Triad, be sure to tell them about the “Fire in the Triad” series that is coming to Greensboro in August! The competing chefs (pictured below) have just been announced. See the press release below for more information about the event and details on how you can purchase tickets to “Fire in the Triad”!

Fire in the Triad Chefs

Fire in the Triad Chefs (Kneeling,L to R: Tim Bocholis (Bistro B); Kristina Fuller (Bistro at Adams Farm); Jonathan Wheeler (Southern Lights Bistro); Chris Blackburn (Josephine’s); Michael Harkenreader (Undercurrent). Standing L to R: George C Neal III (1618 West); Tim Grandinetti (Spring House); John Bobby (Noble’s Grille); Jay Pierce (Lucky 32); Leigh Hesling (Green Valley Grill); Chris Russell (B.Christopher’s); Mark Grohman (Meridian); Janis Karanthanas (Mozelle’s); Jon Willis (Emerywood); Taylor Brett (Bin 33); John Milner (Milner’s); soux chef)

Yesterday, the Got To Be NC Competition Dining Series and Fire In the Triad announced the participating chefs at a press conference at the Painted Plate in Greensboro, NC. The 15 dining events start with a slate of 16 chefs. The first two competitors battle it out on Aug. 13. The chefs will battle in single-elimination brackets until only two are left standing at the finals on Sept. 25. All events will be hosted at Painted Plate at 2001 North Church Street in Greensboro, NC.

Chefs from across the region applied for the competition, and 16 were chosen. Each chef will bring two additional chefs to serve as members of his or her team. The competing chefs for Fire In the Triad are:

Aug. 13
Lucky 32, Greensboro (Jay Pierce) vs. The Bistro B & Wine Bar, Kernersville, NC (Timothy Bocholis)

Aug. 14
Josephine’s Bistro, Greensboro (Chris Blackburn) vs. Noble’s Grille, Winston-Salem (John Bobby)

Aug. 15
Southern Lights Bistro, Greensboro (Jonathan Wheeler) vs. Meridian Restaurant, Winston-Salem (Mark Grohman)

Aug. 20
1618 West Seafood Grille, Greensboro (George C Neal III) vs. Spring House Restaurant, Kitchen & Bar, Winston-Salem (Tim Grandinetti)

Aug. 21
Green Valley Grill, Greensboro (Leigh Hesling) vs. Emerywood Fine Foods, High Point (Jon Willis)

Aug. 22
Undercurrent Restaurant, Greensboro (Michael Harkenreader) vs. Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro, Winston-Salem (Janis Karanthanas)

Aug. 28
Bin 33, Greensboro (Taylor Brett) vs. Milner’s American Southern Cuisine & Cocktails (John Milner)

Aug. 29
The Bistro at Adams Farm (Kristina Fuller) vs. B. Christopher’s, Burlington (Chris Russell)

Sept. 5
Winner of Aug 13 vs. Winner of Aug. 14

Sept. 6
Winner of Aug. 15 vs. Winner of Aug. 20

Sept. 11
Winner of Aug. 21 vs. Winner of Aug. 22

Sept. 12
Winner of Aug. 28 vs. Winner of Aug. 29

Sept. 18
Winner of Sept. 5 vs. Winner of Sept. 6 (semi-finals)

Sept. 19
Winner of Sept. 11 vs. Winner of Sept. 12 (semi-finals)

Sept. 25
Winner of Sept. 18 vs. Winner of Sept. 19 (Finals)

Chef Ref Laurence Willard assists teams

Chef Ref Laurence Willard assists teams at Fire in the Triangle (Photo Courtesy Compdining NC)

The goal of the “Got To Be NC” North Carolina Competition Dining is to showcase North Carolina culinary talent and agricultural bounty. In addition, time is given to the Office of the State Fire Marshal in North Carolina to support local fire fighters, as cooking is the number one cause of house fires. Instructional tips about kitchen fire safety will be shared during each event.

Sponsors include The North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA), Southern Foods/Pate Dawson, OUR STATE Magazine, Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant in Blowing Rock and h.ITS Technology. Local sponsors include the Greensboro, North Carolina Convention and Visitors Bureau and Visit Winston-Salem, The Greensboro News-Record and GoTriad.com.

Corn Cup Tuille with Whipped Corn Cream, NC Peaches, Blueberries, Corn & Corn Crème Anglaise

Corn Cup Tuille with Whipped Corn Cream, NC Peaches, Blueberries, Corn & Corn Crème Anglaise – Prepared by 518 West Italian Cafe at “Battle Corn” at Fire in the Triangle. (Photo courtesy of Compdining NC)

HOW IT WORKS: Paying guests will sample each course in a blind tasting alongside a panel of culinary and celebrity judges in a series of 15 dinner competitions. Each evening, two restaurants “battle” it out side-by-side in a single elimination, “Iron Chef”-style format. Guests savor a six-course menu (three dishes from each chef without knowing whose food they’re tasting) created around a “secret” or “featured” ingredient. For almost all dinners, the ingredient will come from a North Carolina source. The secret ingredient is revealed to the chefs only an hour before they start cooking, and it must be used in each of their three courses.

Diners, alongside culinary and guest judges, will rate each dish and determine who moves on to the next round and who goes home. At stake in each series is a grand prize of $2,000, a coveted “Red Chef Jacket,” and a hand-forged trophy by Gaines Kiker Silversmith in Blowing Rock, NC. The runner-up receives $500. Tickets for dinners cost $49 excluding beverage, tax and tip. The semi-final and final ticket prices are $59. Diners can attend as many dinners as they like.

Don’t Delay! More than 300 tickets have already been sold for the “Fire in the Triad” competition. The Triangle series sold out completely by the second event. Tickets are on sale online only at www.competitiondining.com

For more Information:

www.competitiondining.com offers event dates, ticket sales, bios and videos featuring participating chefs

www.facebook.com/competitiondining offers daily news and updates, photos of chef dishes and more

www.youtube.com/user/CompDiningNC shares videos of the winner after each competition, video bios on each chef and more

www.Twitter.com/compdiningnc use the hashtag #compdiningnc and join the fun

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July 16, 2012 · 1:37 pm

Jingle in July at Natty Greene’s July 19th!!

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Want to enjoy some live music and donate an unwrapped toy to a great cause? Check out the Jingle in July event this Thursday, July 19th at Natty Greene’s in downtown Raleigh to benefit the Wake County Christmas Cheer Program.

Jingle in July Details

July 19, 2012 @ 6:30pm
Natty Green’s Downtown Raleigh
Live Music, Drink Specials, Appetizers, Raffle Prizes
Admission: an unwrapped toy

About Capital City Clauses
For the past 18 years the Capital City Clause’s mission has been to help collect toys for the Wake County Salvation Army’s Christmas Cheer Program.  To do this, each year they host the Jingle Ball in downtown Raleigh to collect unwrapped toys. This year’s Jingle Ball is planned for December 6th at Marbles Kids Museum.

The Jingle Ball started in 1993 and was originally hosted at the N.C. Museum of History. After moving to Raleigh from Charlotte, Stephen Bryant was inspired to start a charity event to help families in need during the holiday season. He used the event model from Second String Santa based in Charlotte, but instead of Social Services, he approached the Salvation Army as the charity partner because the organization had a delivery mechanism for toy distribution and financial assistance already in place. Bryant pitched the event idea to the Wake County Salvation Army and they agreed to partner with him for one year to see how the event went.

After recruiting several friends who worked and lived around downtown Raleigh to join him, Bryant and his team starting planning the event for early December and did the legal work to get the Capital City Clauses set-up as a non-profit.

The original Capital City Clauses solicited financial sponsors, as well as food and beverage sponsors, to host the first Jingle Ball. Their goal was to ensure that as many donations as possible generated at the event could go directly to the families in need.

The response from the community was overwhelming at the first Jingle Ball- not only did the event generate significant donations for the Salvation Army through toy and cash donations, but it also generated enough seed money for the Capital City Clauses to continue operations between the annual events.

“The day after the first Jingle Ball, the Museum of History and the Salvation Army called me asking if they could partner with the Capital City Clauses again the following year,” said Bryant.

Since then, the Capital City Clauses have donated tens of thousands of new toys and provided financial support for the Wake County Salvation Army’s Christmas Cheer program. The event has since moved from the N.C. Museum of History to Disco Rodeo to the old Convention Center and finally to Marbles Kids Museum for the past several years.

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