Yesterday was hot. Today is hot. Summer is here and I can’t wait to jump into the fun to be had in Raleigh! Especially the free stuff.
This weekend is First Friday (welcome, May!) and PBR’s 3rd annual art show from 6-10pm. It’s free and there’s so much awesome fun going on you may just feel inclined to donate to benefit circusSPARK, SPARKcon and The Visual Art Exchange.
Go to…
Raleigh’s “art district” at the 300 block of W. Martin Street between Dawson and Commerce. Parking on the streets or closest parking deck on W. Morgan Street.
Experience…
Works from these artists: Mark Elmore, Rafael Vargas, Victor Knight, Paul Friedrich, Artie Barksdale, Eric Knisley, Sean Kernick, and Pete Sack.
Live music, hosted by 88.1 WKNC: Oulipo (Indie-psychedelic-pop band) and Baobab (Tribal-electro-folk band).
Aerial and fire dancers, acrobats from Raleigh’s new circus school – Cirque de Vol, and circusSpark’s Burning-man inspired fire performance.
A free photobooth (did those two words just happen together?!)
Klausie’s Pizza Foodtruck & chocolate tastings by Elemental Chocolate!
Brewmaster’s Bar & Grill – new(ish) bar around the corner, serving food and drinks till 2am at PBaRt Show 3 this year.
Earth Day is today but I started celebrating yesterday when I bought a microwave on craigslist. I find this buying practice to be very rewarding because not only do I keep one more item from the landfill, even if just postponing it, but it’s an opportunity to connect with my community. I always get something out of it that I didn’t expect, which is now what I expect and makes the experience fun. Yesterday, I found a new road in a neighborhood I thought I had all figured out, the house was my favorite sweet blue (smile), and though the seller had not been sleeping well for what seemed to be several nights, he was kind and asked for less than it was listed for. Yeah, no big deal, but the point is it shifted my perspective ever so slightly. And that, to me, is what makes living together on this planet so interesting.
Tomorrow…
Yesterday, the artist-barista at Morning Times, Casey Porn, and I contemplated the size of the real version of this piece of art (above with a side of lobster bisque). She mentioned a cigarette pack. Interesting. And he’s the guy who did the large murals in the restrooms at Big Boss Tavern. Very interesting.
So, who is Bobby Logic?
From what I can tell, he’s one of our own and I can be sure, that is very cool. His style is emotional, logical, loud and stunning. And he’s all over the place. You can find his art in print, products, clothing, tattoos, murals, and CDs. He was a Featured Artist at The Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas, NV for 2008-2010, and his art and music have been featured in films The Road to Sundance, The Great Fantastic, and Paradise Boys.
Check him out tonight during First Friday @ Morning Times on Hargett Street.
I get this neat feeling when I come across a hidden park or garden in Raleigh. It’s similar to how I felt when I watched The Secret Garden when I was little (’87 version). It’s a private spot. In the midst of the world, you are your own special person in that small, special place.
And Raleigh has a ton of them.
I personally know that in my neighborhood and those surrounding it, the Parks Department gardeners regard their parks like a pet or child, and there seems to be one every few hundred yards. Most of the time, there is a thin line between park and garden… hidden nooks and benches, vines and flowers, hints of mystery and adventure.
Seek out a hidden spot, and whether you sit for awhile or admire it from afar, it’s the feeling, the moment you take, that’s important.
What can I say? This blog is about liking what I like. No apologies. Go Pack!
Wow, it’s amazing outside… I just had to head downtown yesterday… and decided to start using a real camera soon ;)
The Triangle Wiki team is launching their project tonight. And celebrating 1000 published pages! At bu•ku around 7pm, head out to 110 E. Davie Street to find out more, ask questions and partake in some fabulous food and drink. Networks like the Triangle Wiki are some of the best ways for large groups of people to nurture growth and positivity around where they live, work and play. Check out the site for something that has value to you, and if it’s not there, publish it!
~
When I first started this blog over a year ago, my first few posts were part of a series I called “A tourist in my own city”, highlighting four restaurants/bars that were important to me at the time (and still very much are). My bu•ku post was the 4th and final of the group that also included Tir Na Nog, Epona & Oak and The Pit.
I often get asked, “How do you know?” And the answer is, “It’s complicated.”
However, there are some go-to sites you should know about. They are just the tip of the iceberg — down below is a wealth of information: people and places, networks and groups, friendships and stories — but this a great starting place to figure out what interests you most, getting you more acquainted and involved with your downtown.
dtraleigh.com
The Raleigh Connoisseur – one of the best ways to not miss a downtown beat, 16 topics and lots of chatter
camraleigh.org
Contemporary Art Museum – form on righthand of any page except home page (go figure)
godowntownraleigh.com
Downtown Raleigh Alliance – pretty ginormous list of events, festivals and performances for the month
southwestraleigh.com
Raleigh’s Creative District blog – lots of change, growth and development happening in the section of Raleigh between Wade Avenue and South Wilmington Street
raleighnc.gov
Your neighborhood Citizen Advisory Council - meetings are open to the public
Art District, City Market, Downtown Raleigh
CAC, CAM, city plaza photo, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, hopscotch, information, newsletter, Raleigh Connoisseur, sites, websites
Epona & Oak is sunshine.
Shiny, sweet rays of sunshine that span across the cobblestone of City Market and in through the boutique windows… up on the nook with the octopus platter… off the rows upon rows of jewelry (fav: Rivet by Leigh-Erin M. Salmon)… and onto the faces of boutique-owner-sisters Cheryl, Leeann and Katie. These ladies exude a light-hearted happiness that resists dampening even during the most trying times. Times, like the one-year anniversary of their mother’s passing – that they will honor this Friday by staying true to their nature, by giving back.
Epona & Oak reached out to their community, to the people who help reflect their positivity, and planned an event at the store this Friday — First Friday March 2012 — with local food and drinks, raffle gifts and a silent auction. They do it all for Hospice of Wake County, a special group of people who helped pull them through the last days of their mother’s courageous battle with cancer.
Darling and Dear Stationary donated and you can too! If you’d like to, call or email them.
Jam on DJ Dave Hogan!
