The Triangle Explorer

Now that the holiday season is upon us there are countless things going on each week. Below are my top picks of things to check out this weekend. Along with these special events I recommend putting the Chinese Lantern Festival on your calendar. This lanterns will be on display at the Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary which through January 15th.

Friday

Live Music at Brew Coffee Bar in Raleigh
It’s First Friday Raleigh and that means downtown will be hopping! I recommend starting things off with a visit to Brew Coffee for some live music by Young Oaks playing some festive Christmas music, as well as originals off their newly released album! They’ll also have art and photography from CynthiaViola featured on the walls all month long and specials on draft beer. 

Saturday

Historic Wake Forest Home Tours
The Wake Forest Historic Preservation Commission and the Wake Forest Woman’s Club will present their biennial Christmas Historic Home Tour on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 1-7 p.m. – rain or shine! Offered only in even-numbered years, the Christmas Historic Home Tour is a self-guided tour featuring several Wake Forest homes and other properties decorated for the holidays and open for viewing. This year’s event will also offer wonderful holiday music and much more! Tickets are $18 in advance (tax included) and $24 (tax included) on the day of the tour.

Sunday

Rudolph’s Food Truck Rodeo in Knightdale
The RDU Mobile Food Association (RDUMFA) will hold its 2nd Annual Rudolph’s Holiday Food Truck Rodeo in Knightdale Station Park this Saturday from 12-4pm. The rodeo will feature 10 food trucks decorated for the holidays in addition to craft beer and cider. There will also be activivites for the kids linke bouncy houses, a visit from Santa and special musical performances by the Spectrum Carolers and the Wendell Middle School Jazz Band. Proceeds from the event benefit Meals on Wheels of Wake County. 

Boylan Heights Artwalk in Raleigh
From 12-5pm on Sunday. Local artists will display and sell their work from porches, homes and studios throughout the Historic Boylan Heights neighborhood. This is a wonderful opportunity to stroll through an historic neighborhood and shop for special gifts for the holidays. Make sure you stop by Rebus works as there will be several artists there as well in addition to Food Trucks Cousins Maine Lobster and Bam Pow Chow.

Brook Lynn Boyd and Stefan Karl
(Photo By PaparazziByAppointment.com)

Just in time for the Holidays, DPAC is proud to present the Triangle return of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical beginning November 29th through December 4th as part of the Encore Broadway at DPAC series. This is a special year for touring companies of The Grinch. It’s been 10 years since the show’s debut on Broadway and 50 years since the original broadcast of the animated television classic, which originally aired on CBS on December 18, 1966.

Grinch 2010 Company
(Photo by PaparazziByAppointment.com)

I just caught the cartoon over the weekend and am looking forward to seeing the show come alive on stage with the magnificent sets designed by John Lee Beatty and costumes designed by Robert Morgan. All of which are inspired by Dr. Seuss’ original book, while the Music and Book of Mel Marvin and Timothy Mason breathe new life into this timeless story.

Bob Lauder as Old Max
(Photo by PaparazziByAppointment.com)

In preparation for the show’s arrival in Durham this week, I had a chance to speak with Bob Lauder who plays “Old Max” in the production. You might recall that ‘Max’ is the Grinch’s little dog. You know, the unfortunate little pup that takes the place of the reindeer and pulls the Grinch’s sleigh filled with the gifts he stole from Whooville? In the stage adaptation, Old Max serves as the narrator, reminiscing on the events that happened  all those long years ago when he was a younger pup.

A native of Southern California, Bob has been performing his entire adult life. He’s shared the stage with Eric McCormack (Will and Grace), John Lithgow (Third Rock), Kristen Chenoweth, Robert Picardo (Star Trek Voyager), Cab Calloway, Joel Grey (Cabaret), Phyllis Diller, Marni Nixon, Marvin Hamlisch and comedian Red Buttons. When I spoke with Bob he told me that he really looks forward to playing this role every year (this will be his 7th season). Bob is an accomplished operatic baritone as well, he’s sung across the country with opera companies. You’ll get to hear his deep baritone voice in some of the shows’ most popular tunes.

When asked about what to look for in the show Bob was quick to point out the incredible sets. “The sets are simply amazing. It’s like they have been pulled right out of the book. Just like Dr Suess imagined them, but in 3D!” And while the costumes are equally impressive, this production should not be thought of as simply a costume show. “It’s much more than that, it’s about family, coming together, and where you belong”. Speaking of costumes, while the Grinch at first glance might be a bit scary looking to some as Bob explains it, “He’s a fun scary. To the children it’s a comedic evil. A big silly bad guy they can laugh at.”

DPAC is also planning a special sensory-friendly performance of the the Grinch on Saturday December 3rd at 11am. This sensory-friendly performance will be presented in a welcoming and supportive environment for children and adults on the autism spectrum and their families. Slight adjustments will be made to the production, including fewer loud noises and flashing lights that may be challenging for some audiences members. In addition to the adjustments made to the show, designated areas of DPAC will help make the experience safer and more enjoyable for those with autism and other sensitivity issues. You can read more about the sensory-friendly performance here.

If you are looking for a great local race to round out the 2016 running season I recommend checking out the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina Race 13.1 in Durham on Saturday, December 10th. No worries if you aren’t quite ready for the Half Marathon distance as there are also 10k and 5k options as well in addition to a Holiday Fun Run for the kids.

The map above shows the courses for all three race options. The start of the race is at Northgate Mall just off Guess Road. I’ve run one other race in Durham and know first hand that there are some nice rolling hills in the Bull City, but there is also some great scenery with the course winding through some of the cool historic neighborhoods around Durham.

This is the race’s second year and I for one am glad to see a December Half Marathon option in the Triangle. Early December can be a pleasant time to run in this area, and with so many races scheduled earlier in the Fall it is nice to run in one more before the end of the year when you are already trained up.

With the race so close to Christmas, runners can expect some holiday fun throughout the course, including Santa Claus hats, jingle bells, drumlines and festive music.  The Kids Fun Run before the race is free with a suggested donation of $5 for the race’s charity partner, Heart 2 Heart Collaborative, or an unused toy that will be donated to Duke Children’s Hospital patients.

I think having a solid local race like Race 13.1 before the new year begins is a nice addition to the local running scene. Hope to see you out on the course in December! For more information about this race and to register visit www.Race13.1.com.

Darth Vader Visits Raleigh ~ Christmas Parade 

Yes it’s still November, but the Raleigh Christmas Parade is a lot of fun and I recommend catching it this Saturday, November 19th. The parade has always been held the weekend before Thanksgiving as the official kick-off to holiday shopping. You can read more about the parade history here at the Raleigh Public Record.

The parade typically lasts 2.5 hours and has all the things you would expect including floats, music, and various entertainers cruising through downtown Raleigh to huge crowds. My favorite was the year they had Darth Vader and Stormtroopers Marching though downtown.

There are lots of great places to view the procession, by my preferred spot to catch the action is on Fayetteville Street near the capital building. The parade kicksoff around 9:40am. For more information and to view the parade route map visit http://grma.org/christmas-parade/.

Mattie Beason of Black Twig Cider House

Do you love cider? Want to learn more about how to pair ciders with different cheeses? Mattie Beason, cider expert from Black Twig Cider House is teaming up with Alexander Kast from Goat Lady Dairy to hold a Cider and Cheese pairing and tasting class on November 12 and December 10 at 3 pm. The class will highlight 5 cheeses and 4 ciders. Mattie ans Alexander will talk about the cheeses and cider individually and explain why they paired them together. Classes will be held at Black Twig Cider House in Durham. The cost is $25 per person. Tickets are available here: http://www.ticketbase.com/events/ciderclass

About Black Twig Cider House
Co-Owners Mattie Beason and John Eisensmith welcome you to the first-of-its-kind cider-focused restaurant in the Southeast, featuring the largest variety of cider, with over 80 ciders available on tap or in bottles. Named after an old southern cider apple, Black Twig features a Txotx (pronounced /CHO-ch/), a Spanish cider barrel from which patrons can taste Spanish cider in 2-4 ounce pours. A cider expert, Beason is one of just eight cider instructors for the US Association of Cider Makers, and is excited to bring his cider knowledge and passion to the Durham community. The menu features locally sourced Firsthand Food sausages with Guglhupf buns, house made toppings and elevated bar fare.