The Triangle Explorer

Here is a quick list of my top things to do this weekend. Whatever you do, if it involves being outside I hope you find a way to stay cool!

Outdoor Movie at North Carolina Museum of Art – Friday
Movie screening takes place outside in the Museum Park Theater at 9pm. Tickets are free for members are $6 for nonmembers. This week’s feature is Mad Max 2: Road Warrior

Tour de Fat – Saturday
New Belgium’s Tour de Fat returns to Durham this Saturday. Grab your friends, decorate yourselves and your bike and come on out for a great time!  Bike Parade begins at 11, with registration beginning at 10am to get signed in. The parade will last about an hour and then the festival (revival) will begin with great music, skits, bike pit and great beer selections from New Belgium!  All proceeds from the event  benefit local charities.

Fullsteam .262 – Sunday
Fun Run, and Food Trucks. The Point 262 has something for everyone. A Very Serious Run for, well, the serious; A Rather Fun Run for the recreational athlete; and Impromptu Feats of Strength, which is just a good time for participants and spectators.

Cary Food Truck Rodeo – Sunday
Over 25 food trucks will line the streets of downtown Cary this Sunday from 5-9:30pm. You can view the list of trucks here.

Honeysuckle Tea House in Chapel Hill

Below are my weekly picks of top things to do over the weekend. Whatever you end up doing I hope you stay cool out there. If you are looking to get outside and find a new place to run check out this recent post I shared on Offline Media about 12 great trails to run across the Triangle. Happy Exploring!

Creekside Wind Down – Friday
This Summer Triangle Town Center Mall is hosting the Creekside Wind Down each Friday from 5:30-8:30PM for Creekside Wind Down. This family-friendly summer series will feature a live band every week, plus yard games, local brews and more! Located outside the food court near the fountain. This week’s band is Liquid Pleasure. Featured brewery and food truck are Compass Rose and Not Just Icing Cupcakes.

Music at the Honeysuckle Tea House – Saturday
Singer-Songwriter, Pianist Kaitlin June performs this Saturday from 7-9pm at the Honeyuckle Tea House in Chapel Hill. Performance will be inside under the fans. Share a smoothie with a friend to stay cool. Music starts at 7pm.

Komen Triangle Race for the Cure  – Saturday
Annual fundraiser to help fight breast cancer. This year the event will be held at Frontier in RTP. Along with the 5K the event will also feature a new Belk Tailgate Zone that will allow for easy pre-race gathering and after-race fun with a Food Truck Rodeo that will include 12 food trucks and a beer garden featuring 3 local breweries.

Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo – Sunday
Over 50 local food trucks will line Fayetteville Street from 1-6pm Sunday. Make sure you get there early to avoid the long lines. It is going to be hot so bring sunscreen and bottled water. You can view the complete list of participating trucks here.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into Riverdance, performing at the DPAC through this Sunday. Now in its 20th Anniversary year this is the production’s first tour in North America in four years and it was my first time seeing the show. I knew I was in for some great Irish step-dancing but what I and the rest of the packed audience got was that and so much more – resulting in an exuberant standing ovation at the end of Tuesday night’s show.

The performance is an exciting blend of dance, music and song. In honor of the 20th Anniversary, the show has new costumes, new lighting, new projections, and a new number.  And while there is in fact plenty of Irish dancing throughout the show, there are also other wonderful numbers incorporating other dance styles like flamenco, tap, Slavic folk dance. Each dance number was nothing short of amazing and added its own unique flavor and energy to the show.

The athleticism of the the dancers is off the charts. I can’t even imagine the strength and control they need to execute the lightning speed footwork, seemingly effortless hops, and high angular kicks. At times it seemed like the dances legs and feet swiveled as if on ball bearings. I went in expecting great dancing but was also blown away by the live musicians performing on stage. There was a fiddler, saxophonist, percussion and a muilleann pipes and whistles. Each musician gets his chance to shine in their own dedicated numbers in between dances. The vocalists of the evening are equally as strong. The haunting soprano solos and chorus performances were lovely.

While each dance number provided its own special moment, the real heart of Riverdance is when the leads and full troupe of 20 dancers are on stage together dancing in a thunderous unison to the rhythms of the Irish old country. Of course the other styles of dance features had their magical moments too. The solo flamenco dancer brought the heat, and one of my favorite numbers of the night was the “dance off” between three Irish step-dancers and and the American tappers. It was a kick watching them trying to one-up and poke fun at each other. The energy level was high and the audience erupted into applause throughout the number marveling at their lightning speed, incredible rhythm, and amazing footwork.

I’m glad I had the chance to catch the show on its first return to North Carolina in years. Whether you’ve seen Riverdance before or you’re like me and catching it for the first time, this show has something for everyone and I recommend you get yourself a ticket before it dances its way out of the Triangle this weekend.

Riverdance  plays at the Durham Performing Arts Center Tuesday through Sunday, June 12th. For more information and to order tickets visit  http://www.dpacnc.com/events/detail/riverdance.