SPIRITED FUN. Sports and Social in Cary hosts a 90s Throwback Jam on Saturday, August 19, 7 p.m.–2 a.m. Come dressed for a party that includes arcade games, hula hoops, adult juice and more. Tickets are available online.
James Beard finalist Shannon Healy, the owner/bartender of Alley Twenty Six, is offering virtual interactive online cocktail classes each month. The next class, Pisco Party, is Thursday, August 31 at 7 p.m. Nominated for Outstanding Bar Program in 2022, Healy leads the cocktail demonstration, preparing three drinks within the hour. Tickets are available online.
Tickets are now available for Whiskey Wine & Fire at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Saturday, September 23, 5–9 p.m. General admission tickets include a souvenir tasting glass and all-you-care-to-taste sampling of whiskey, wine and other beverages. The event includes food vendors and live entertainment. VIP tickets are available and include 4 p.m. admission.
DINO FUN. The Museum of Life and Science in Durham will host a Dino Academy on Saturday, August 19, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Kids spend the day learning about paleontology and explore the museum’s campus, which will be decked out with dino-themed activities and fossils. There will also be an opportunity with the Piedmont Wildlife Center to meet a modern dinosaur between 10 a.m.–noon. The event is included with admission.
BUILD IT! Marvel at over one million LEGO bricks that have been transformed into more than 90 sculptures by artist Nathan Sawaya in “Art of the Brick” through August 31 at 6240 Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. View his original sculptures as well as reimagined versions of famous masterpieces like Michelangelo’s “David,” Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” Tickets are $11.90 for children and $19.90 for adults.
TEA TIME. Heights House Hotel in Raleigh will host afternoon tea at The Parlor at Heights House each Thursday, Friday and Saturday beginning Friday, September 15. Tickets are $60 and include tea and mini desserts. The events offer guests a chance to explore the pre-Civil War property that was restored in 2021 by owners Sarah and Jeff Shepherd. Seatings are at 2 and 2:30 p.m. Reservations are required.
BURGER FREEBIES. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews will host two local events to celebrate the restaurant’s Summer of YUMMM tour. Red Robin will hand out cheeseburgers, yukon chips and other samples at a pop-up event at the Durham Bulls game on Friday, August 18 and Saturday August 19, 5–10 p.m. Then on Sunday, August 20 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m., guests at the restaurant’s Durham location (5313 New Hope Commons Drive) can enjoy the samples, Red Robin swag and other activities.
SUMMER MOVIES. Durham Parks and Recreation presents Rock The Park with a showing of “Top Gun: Maverick” (PG-13) at Durham Central Park on Saturday, August 19, 8:30–10:30 p.m.
FOODIE FUN. Sera Cuni, owner and chef at Cafe Root Cellar in Pittsboro and Root Cellar Cafe & Catering in Chapel Hill, won the 2023 Undeniably Dairy Award for the Savory Dish category at the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Chef Showdown Grand Finale on Monday, August 14 at the Angus Barn Pavillion. Cuni’s winning dish “Summer in Sicily Chatham Style,” featured seared scallops, roasted corn custard, corn and smoked ham hock arancini, blackberry poblano drizzle, pickled shallots, micros and crispy shallots. The NCRLA Chef Showdown is a prestigious culinary and mixology competition recognized as the state’s premier event to captivate the audience. Brought to you by Got To Be NC in collaboration with the NC Department of Agriculture, the Chef Showdown shined the spotlight on accomplished culinary and mixology contenders who crafted delectable dishes, cocktails and mocktails utilizing the finest North Carolina ingredients. The Grand Finale offered guests the opportunity to sample delectable creations from 19 skilled savory chefs and five accomplished pastry chefs.
DEVELOPMENT NEWS. The Centennial Authority, owners and operators of PNC Arena, signed a 20-year lease extension with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, August 15. As part of the agreement, the arena will undergo major renovations, including the development of an entertainment district surrounding the arena. The new district will include 100,000 square feet of retail/dining space, 150,000 square feet of office space, 200 multi–family residential units, a 150–room hotel and a 3,000–5,000 capacity indoor music venue.
GALLERY SHOW. 5 Points Gallery in Durham will host the exhibit “Inspiration Ignited” August 18–September 9. The showcase of Triangle artists includes unique visions in paintings, sculptures, fused glass and mixed-media works. Gallery hours are Fridays 5–9 p.m. and Saturdays 1–9 p.m. All work from the exhibition can be shipped or picked up at the gallery.
FOR THE FIRST TIME. Raleigh-based band The One Eighties will host an album release party for “Minefields” at Kings (14 West Martin Street, Raleigh) on Friday, August 25 at 8 p.m. The concert is the first live performance by the duo (Daniel Cook and Autumn Brand) and follows the album’s release on Friday, August 18. Tickets are available online.
FUNDRAISING. The 35th annal Walk for Hope takes place at Angus Barn on Sunday, October 8. Tickets are available for $55 through Friday, August 25 and $70 thereafter. Enjoy delicious food, music by The Embers, a petting zoo, games and more. All proceeds will fund mental health research directly. Tickets are available online.
The Frankie Lemmon School & Development Center’s 2023 Summer Auction is live for online bidding. The public can bid on concert tickets, fine wines and more. The wine offerings include California Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs and other fine wines. Bidding continues through Tuesday, August 15 at noon. The child development center welcomes children ages 2–6 with and without disabilities.
MODERNIST EVENT. Join Cathleen Turner of Preservation North Carolina and George Smart of NCModernist for a discussion of historic preservation easements for Modernist houses during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, September 19, 7–8 p.m. Homeowners can register for the discussion online. The event is free.
TRIBAL CELEBRATION. Members of North Carolina’s eight Native American tribes will gather on Dorothea Dix Park’s Big Field for an inter-tribal pow wow on Saturday, August 26, 11:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. The event will bring together more than 5,000 members of both the tribal and wider community for a day of competitive dancing, music, food, vendors and family fun. Dix Park’s indigenous heritage goes back thousands of years, when it served as a hunting and gathering space for native North Carolinians.
DIVE IN. Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe in Greensboro will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2024, and the water park is offering a special deal to mark the occasion. Guests can pay $59.99 for a single day in the current season and enjoy the rest of 2023 and all of 2024 for free, subject to Saturday blackouts. For $99, guests receive unlimited admission through 2024 along with additional perks.
BOOK RELEASE. Michelle Icard has released a new book, “8 Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success,” for parents of kids ages 8–18. The book details the benefits of failing and the specific ways adults can coach kids through the universal setbacks that occur during adolescence.
STUDENTS AND MENTORS. Wake Invests in Women has launched its 2023–24 Career Guides Mentorship Program for Wake Tech students. The program creates opportunities for students to enhance their soft skills and professional development while cultivating relationships with peers and professionals throughout Wake County. The group is seeking both student applicants and career guide mentors.
