Photo courtesy of Howdy Homemade
ICE CREAM ON A MISSION. Howdy Homemade, a Texas-based ice cream company with a mission to create a space where teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities can find meaningful employment, opened a location in Cary last weekend at 320 S. Walker Street #123. Howdy Homemade provides jobs that create structure, confidence and a sense of pride for neurodiverse individuals and their families, and offers unique flavor concoctions such as Happily Ever Banana, Orange Dreamsicle, Dr. Pepper Chocolate Chip (gluten free), Cold Brew & Cookies and Cookie Nom’ster.
SPOTLIGHT ON SOCCER. The U.S. Soccer Federation, currently based in Chicago, is considering Cary for a proposed new headquarters and training center, according to Triangle Business Journal. The potential development would take advantage of the existing facilities at WakeMed Soccer Park, located off East Chatham Street near Interstate 40.
24 HOURS OF FUN. Oak City Group is hosting the Sunrise 2 Sunrise festival at Rockingham Speedway on Saturday, April 22, at noon. The event will include two music stages, hot air balloon rides, NASCAR rides and 24 hours of live music. Camping and parking is included with a general admission ticket for the 18-and-older event.
MEET THE PLAYERS. V Pizza in Cary (1389 Kildaire Farm Road) will host N.C. State basketball players Ernest Ross, DJ Burns and Terquavion Smith for a paid autograph signing event on Tuesday, February 21, 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.–close. Guests pay fees for autographs, autographed photos and videos of less than one minute.
Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Master Chorale
FINE ARTS.
The North Carolina Master Chorale and chamber orchestra will present “Barons of Broadway” at the Cary Arts Center on Wednesday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. The chorale will perform music from shows such as “Camelot,” “My Fair Lady” and “Brigadoon.” The program will also include tunes from “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and “Guys and Dolls,” plus a medley by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Purchase tickets here.
Cary Gallery of Artists is hosting 98-year-old artist Ann Howe in an exhibition in conjunction with Cary Art Loop beginning Friday, February 24, 6–8 p.m. Join Howe and other artists for a relaxed reception with light refreshments, conversation and artwork. Howe is one of the founding artists of the Cary Gallery of Artists, which opened in 2005.
Multi-media artist Dorrie Casey will host a fundraiser at her Chapel Hill studio (219 Cub Creek Road) March 18–19, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. All proceeds from her artwork will benefit RedBird Theater Company and the Chatham Arts Council. Casey’s works include more than 50 handheld magic wands, staffs and scepters, as well as framed works in birch bark and scrap metal.
FOR A GOOD CAUSE. The Jandy Ammons Foundation has announced the recipients of its annual grant-giving event. A total of $406,259 will be given to 12 North Carolina nonprofits to complete projects supporting preservation, conservation, art and more. Recipients include Artspace, Book Harvest, Learning Together, North Carolina State University Engineering Foundation, Triangle Land Conservancy, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, Note in the Pocket, Poe Center for Health Information, Triangle Land Conservancy, Town of Wake Forest and Wake Forest Historic Preservation Commission, Wake Forest College Birthplace Society, Ducks Unlimited, and Historic Lucks Cannery. Learn more about the foundation here.
Jasmine’s Smart House in Wake Forest has partnered with the Dorothy Mae Hall Women’s Center in Wendell to provide transitional housing for women who are homeless, with children or victims of domestic violence. The shelter provides medical support, food, therapy, toiletries and clothing.
PET ADOPTION. The Wake County Animal Center is reducing adoption fees for pets six months and older through Friday, February 17. The shelter is charging $25 for dogs and a name-your-price option for cats. The discounted adoption includes the spay/neuter surgery, microchipping and updating required vaccinations. Donations to the Animal Center are welcome.
CLASSES FOR TEENS. WGU North Carolina, an affiliate of accredited, nonprofit Western Governors University, has a new enrollment opportunity for students ages 14–18. Students may enroll in the university’s School of Education, Leavitt School of Health, College of Business and College of Information Technology. The program offers flexible online learning that is ideal for students who have earned a high school diploma at an early age.
