The Triangle Explorer

African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County is this Saturday & Sunday
(Photo courtesy Glenn Parson)

I’m keeping my fingers cross that the wet weather stays away the next few days because there are some fun events going on this weekend. Here are my top picks for things to check out this weekend. Also, keep and eye out for the Grand Opening of Pie Hole in Durham this Saturday and Sunday. Looks to be a fun new spot to grab a slice of pie and coffee. I will share a preview of the new shop next week!

Friday – September 1st

Sorelle Performs at Sola Coffee in Raleigh
Sorelle is a whimsical indie band comprised of two sisters Toney-Paite and Skylar Phillips.  Toney-Paite and Skylar have been playing guitar, singing and writing songs since they were 8 and 9.  The sisters went away to school last year, and after some time of being apart realized that music is what they wanted to persue.  They have been writing and recording all new music, and are in the Raleigh/Durham area performing once again! No Cover. Music 7:30-9:30.

Boom Unit Brass Band at The Station in Carrboro
The Boom Unit Brass Band takes the Second Line sound of Old N’awlins to the Old North State and adds some of their own funky flavor. Traditional favorites “Bourbon Street Parade” and “Down To The River” join reimagined pop hits “Sweet Dreams” and “Uptown Funk” to create a sound never heard before. This line-up is ready for any size parade or stage. When you hear Boom Unit Brass Band coming down the street, you best get ready to party. Show is at The Station in Carrboro. Cover $6 Music 9-12pm w/ The Spectacles.

Saturday – September 2nd

African American Cultural Festival – Downtown Raleigh
The African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County is an annual celebration of African American culture as expressed through art, music, food and community. Over the past seven Labor Day weekends, the two day festival has connected diverse people and families from across our region with local, national, and international artists, performers, food vendors, area business owners, and our local media outlets. The festival has become Raleigh’s premiere destination for teaching, sharing, and celebrating the distinctive folk and cultural traditions of African Americans here in North Carolina and from around the world.

Big Spooners Peanut Butter at Oliver’s Collar
Locally made Big Spoon Roasters  has partnered with Oliver’s Collar in Durham to make a fresh-roasted, unsalted peanut butter specifically for dogs, and they are kicking things off this weekend were you can enjoy samples of all their peanut butter products. Joe Van Gogh has also partnered with BSR for their baked goods, and will be handing out samples of their Almond Butter Toast. Bring the kids and the dogs, it’s gonna be a tasty Peanut Butter Palooza kind of day for everyone! Event is 11am-1pm at Oliver’s Collar Dog Treat Bakery & Boutique located at 4711 Hope Valley Road in Durham.

Sunday – September 3rd

Durham Food Truck Rodeo – Durham Central Park
The Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo is an all-ages Sunday afternoon gathering of dozens of the Triangle’s most popular food trucks, live music from Wood Robinson’s New Formal, and local beer. Event is from 12-4pm. You can view a list of the over 50 trucks planning to attend here.

A new coffee spot to visit while you are out and about…

This Saturday and Sunday you can stop by the new Pie Hole on 9th street in Durham. They are a new shop opening over Labor Day weekend that will feature pie by the slice and coffee from California Roaster Klatch Coffee. Look for my full review of them coming next week!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYYWiK_n-0p/?taken-by=pieholedurham

And a new taco spot opens next week…

Got word that the North Raleigh Chronic Tacos will open its doors next Wednesday, September 6th at 10am. This location is up off Falls of Neuse Road in the same shopping center as the new Sprouts grocery store.

Neuse River Greenway – Raleigh, NC

This weekend the temps should be a bit cooler making it a great time to head outdoors. One of my favorite places to enjoy some time outside is the Neuse River Greenway, which now stretches over 27 miles from Falls Lake in North Raleigh all the way down to Johnston County. If you are looking for other fun things to check out this weekend below are my top three picks. Also, make sure you check out the latest coffee news about two cool new shops to check out at the bottom of this post. Happy Exploring!

Friday – August 25th

Live Music by Jason Adamo at Whole Foods Wade Avenue in Raleigh
Catch live music by Jason Adamo at Whole Food’s “Pickin on the Patio” series Friday night from 5-7pm at their Wade Avenue, Raleigh location.

Saturday – August 26th

Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival in Cary
This is one of Cary’s biggest annual events, drawing around 50K guests and takes place place both Saturday and Sunday in the historic downtown area. The two-day event features arts and crafts, food, a Kid’s World and two huge stages with entertainment all day. For parking info event details visit the official website here.

Sunday – August 27th

Durham Bulls Game – Meet the Players Event
This Sunday the Durham Bulls will host a pregame “Meet the Team” event on the field at Durham Bulls Athletic Park from 3 to 3:45 p.m. During this time fans will have the opportunity to get autographs and take pictures, play cornhole and have a catch with players and coaches, among other activities. The game itself starts at 5:05pm. You can purchase tickets to Sunday’s game here.

Coffee shops to visit while you’re out and about….

There is a new coffee shop in Chapel Hill on West Franklin Street called Perennial Coffee & Pastries. Looks like a cozy spot to grab a latte made with Counter Culture Coffee.

And Cocoa Cinnamon’s Lakewood location is now open and operating in “beta-mode” as they tweak the space in menu during roll-out. During beta-mode they are open until 10pm this Friday and Saturday (Closed Sunday). Make sure you get a churro!

Culver’s in Wake Forest – Now Open

Wisconsin-based Culver’s opened it’s first Triangle location today in Wake Forest. The quick-service family restaurant known for its burgers, frozen custard, and cheese curds is located at 2819 Rogers Road just around the corner from The Factory and next to the new Starbucks and Rite Aid. I’ll be checking out the restaurant soon for a full review, but judging from reactions on social media I expect this latest addition to the Triangle burger scene to be a big hit!

Culver’s – Wake Forest
2819 Rogers Road, Wake Forest, NC (map)
Facebook page

Tacolpalooza Food Truck Rodeo in Knightdale this Sunday 12-4pm

This weekend’s picks include three of my favorite things: Music, Coffee, and Food Trucks. Also, there is some exciting restaurant news this week with the opening of Namu Durham, a collaboration between the NCBulkogie and Bo’s Kitchen Food Truck. I’m looking forward to checking them out soon for some great Korean food food – plus they have a coffee bar! No matter what you do this weekend try to stay cool and happy exploring!

Friday – August 18th

Music at Nash Street Tavern in Hillsborough
The Haw River Social and Pleasure Club is a local 3 piece acoustic band, Vocalists and multi-instrumentalists John Worthington, Michael Covington and Todd Gambling. Music is from 8-11pm at Nash Street Tavern in Downtown Hillsboorugh. No Cover. While your in Hillsborough I suggest checking out the New Whit’s Frozen Custard on Nash Street before the show!

Saturday – August 19th

Coffee & Churros at Cocoa Cinnamon’s New Lakewood Location
Cocoa Cinnamon started operating their new location in the Lakewood area of Durham on limited hours this week. On Saturday they will be open for the full day from 8am to 10pm. They will be closed this Sunday and Monday so make sure you swing by on Saturday to check out their coffee and churros! Location is 2013 Chapel Hill Road in Durham. Follow them on facebook here to keep tabs on the new shops hours during the coming weeks.

Sunday – August 20th

Tacopalooza Food Truck Rodeo in Knightdale
On Sunday the RDU Mobile Food Association is hosting Tacopalooza food truck rodeo and competition at Knightdale Station located at 810 N First Ave., Knightdalefrom 12-4pm.

The event will have 10 mobile food vendors and will highlight the best tacos in the Triangle. Each food vendor is required to only serve tacos or taco themed foods. Admission is free and attendees can purchase tacos directly from each food truck. There will also be games and fun for the children like a bouncy house and slide.

Food Trucks Scheduled:
Bandido’s Mexican Cafe
Chirba Chirba Dumpling
Curry In A Hurry Truck
European Bistro Food Truck
Qspresso Food Truck
Tacos Las Gringas
The Humble Pig
The 13th Taco

Dessert Trucks:
Cocoa Forte
Jay’s Italian Ice

Bonus Coffee News – Back Alley Coffee Under New Ownership
I also wanted to share some exciting local coffee news. It was announced today that ownership of Back Alley Coffee in Wake Forest has been transferred over to local coffee pros Lem Butler and Kyle Ramage. Lem and Kyle are both US Barista Champs (2016 and 2017 respectively) so you know they bring a ton of coffee knowledge and expertise Back Alley. I’m looking forward to great things from them and their latest coffee adventure!

Seat Removal at DPAC
(Photo by HuthPhoto)

I’ve enjoyed covering the traveling Broadway productions at DPAC this past year and excited to share that after welcoming more than 3.5 million guests during its first nine years of operation, DPAC is currently undergoing major improvements before the start of the next SunTrust Broadway season that opens this September. Some of the improvements you are sure to notice are new carpet throughout the lobbies and seating area and 2,712 new seats to replace the original seating.

Work on the $1.8 million project started earlier this week and will wrap up in September. The high attendance numbers that have put DPAC among the country’s top venues – and #4 among U.S. theaters, according to rankings released last month – contributed to the need for the improvements.

“Usually projects like this would be done after about 15 to 20 years, but we’ve been fortunate to have had so many guests at DPAC that the change to new carpet and seats needed to be made earlier than normal to keep DPAC among the very best theaters in America,” DPAC’s General Manager Bob Klaus said. “We are most excited about using this opportunity to install a much improved seat so that guests can be even more comfortable when they come to DPAC to enjoy a superstar live event.”

The new seats sound very nice. They are the Allegro model from Irwin Seating in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the seating company used by 95 percent of New York’s Broadway Theaters – including Nederlander’s Richard Rodgers Theatre where Hamilton currently performs, Nederlander’s Minskoff Theatre home to Disney’s The Lion King, and the Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre.

Carpet Removal
(Photo by HuthPhoto

The new carpeting, from Bloomsburg Carpet Industries, is a blend of two shades of red American-made fiber and is woven in Pennsylvania on a velvet loom.  Bloomsburg has installed carpeting at most theaters in New York and across the country, including DPAC’s original carpet. The new carpet will utilize fade-resistant technology, which was not available when the original carpet was installed, to protect against fading due to the sunlight streaming through DPAC’s many windows.

All products to be installed are American-made. A team from PFM, Nederlander and the City took two years to select the products, looking at hundreds of carpet samples and dozens of seat types. Funding for the project comes from a facility fee that is charged per ticket and held in a dedicated fund that the City of Durham maintains to ensure that DPAC continues as a world-class venue for years to come.

“These improvements are the best kind of investment in DPAC, ones that will continue to beautify the theater, while enhancing the comfort of the millions of show and concert guests season after season to come,” said Mayor William V. “Bill” Bell.  “For the last nine years, the shows always have been top-notch, and our guests deserve no less than a beautiful and welcoming facility in which to enjoy them.”

The installation of the new seats and carpets will be finished by September 10^th and are the latest step in over $15 million in improvements, renovations and capital replacement projects planned for the next 15 years.

Traveling productions of “Circus 1903″, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and Andrew Loyd Webber’s “Love Never Dies” are set to grace the stage at DPAC at the start of the next season kicking off in late September. To see the upcoming schedule for the series of Suntrust Broadway shows at DPAC visit https://www.dpacnc.com/suntrust-broadway-series-2017-18.