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September 2009
Kids are back in school, but summer is still in the air. Gather the family for one of Greater Raleigh's fun family festivals, live music events or pull your pals together for a night out on the town. No matter what type of visitor you choose to be, don't forget to check out our Hot Deals and Special Offers for discounts on hotels, restaurants and attractions. Learn more.
 Live Music and Entertainment
No need for an iPod when there's a full calendar of live music to choose from. Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre welcomes the ladies of Heart (9/4), the folk sounds of the Indigo Girls during the Carolina Hope Festival (9/27), rising country superstars The Zac Brown Band (9/24) and Matchbox 20 front-man Rob Thomas (9/28). Enjoy a night surrounded by larger-than-life works of outdoor art while enjoying performances by They Might Be Giants (9/19) and bluegrass legends Doc Watson and David Holt (9/26) at the N.C. Museum of Art's park theatre. Pinecone presents The Greencards (9/12) with their eclectic mix of country, folk and bluegrass, and the N.C. Symphony returns from a brief hiatus with the Magical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to the Beatles (9/16), Broadway's High School Hits (9/18-9/19) and Life and Death (9/25-9/26), all at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Free summer concerts are still taking place at Seaboard Station for Music on the Porch (Fridays), Concert on the Commons at Triangle Town Center (9/18) and during downtown Raleigh's First Friday (9/4). Learn More
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 Theatre and Cultural
Raleigh Little Theatre performs the original Scenes From American Life (9/4-9/6, 9/10-9/13, 9/18-9/20), told through a series of disconnected vignettes that leap across time, and N.C. State University presents Trishna (9/12), an expression of various arts with a showcase of talented local artists. Take a trip down memory lane as Burning Coal Theatre Company takes you back to the 1960s with Hair (9/10-9/27), and Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy closes out its season with DRIFT (9/12-9/20). Carolina Ballet dances the timeless Swan Lake (9/17-9/20, 9/26-9/27). Learn More
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 Museums Mania
Gawk over Translucence (9/1-9/21) at the Miriam Block Gallery in the Municipal Building in Raleigh, as figures are transformed into movement, color and texture. Explore the heritage of pirates, from ancient times to the present, through intriguing artifacts, legends and history that bring their ruthless adventures to life with Knights of the Black Flag (through 1/4), and acclaimed photographer and author Tim Barnwell provides a window into a world that is fast fading away—the world of rural farm families in western North Carolina, with On Earth's Furrowed Brow (until October), both at the N.C. Museum of History. The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences is offering an in-depth look into everyone's favorite sweet during the blockbuster exhibition Chocolate (through 9/7), and visit the N.C. Museum of Art during its final days before it closes until April 2010, due to ongoing expansion. Rainy day? Head to Marbles Kids Museum for The Adventures of Mister Potato Head (opens 9/4), a traveling exhibit full of engaging learning experiences and then take in an IMAX movie—now playing: Lewis and Clark: Great Journey West or Van Gogh: Brush with Genius. Learn more
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 Sports
Fanatic
Have you been humming the
tune of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" all summer? Grab your
Cracker Jacks and some friends, and head to Five County Stadium
for a Carolina Mudcats (9/3, 9/4, 9/6, 9/7) AA minor-league
baseball game. The Raleigh area can claim seven colleges and
universities and hosts some of the best tailgating around. Check
it out for yourself at Carter-Finley Stadium before a N.C. State
University football game as the Wolfpack takes on the University
of South Carolina (9/3), Murray State (9/12), Garner
Webb (9/19) and the University of Pittsburgh (9/26).
The Carolina Roller Derby Eastern Regionals (9/11-9/13)
come to Dorton Arena at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. And, soccer
season is almost over, so take advantage of the last few games
of the season as the Carolina Rawlhawks (9/12, 9/18)
kick it at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Don't want to simply
be a spectator? Strap on your running shoes and join in on a
great cause at The Magnificent Mile (9/13) in downtown
Raleigh. Hockey season is not too far away, so come and get
your hockey fix at the RBC Center during the preseason Carolina
Hurricanes game (9/18). See if you can spot the top players
at the USA Baseball National Team Identification Series (9/18-9/20)
at Cary's National Training Complex in Thomas Brooks Park. The
stakes are high as the world's top golfers meet at Prestonwood
Country Club for the 9th Annual SAS Golf Championship (9/22-9/25).
Learn
more
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 Festivals
and Shopping
From bugs to fashion shows, arts and crafts and foreign cultures, festivals are bountiful in September. The Roachingham 500, Café Insecta and real "bee"-hive hairdos are just some of the things you'll see at the N.C. Museum of Natural Science's Bugfest (9/12)— the nation's largest single-day bug event. The N.C. State Fairgrounds offer a festival for everyone this month, no matter what your interest. Reptiles, birds and mammals will be on display at the Exposition Center for The Carolina Reptile and Exotic Animal Show (9/5-9/6), and if arts and crafts are more your interest, you won't want to miss the 68th Annual Gourd Arts and Craft Festival (9/12-9/14). Delicious Greek food, authentic dancing, live music and much more, happen at the 28th Greek Festival (9/18-9/20), and pick up some tips on decorating your home at the Southern Ideal Home Show-Fall Edition (9/25-9/27).
SparkCon '09 (9/17-9/20) showcases the area as the "Creative Hub of the South" with events such as: Fashion Spark, TastySpark and StorySpark. The first annual ItaliaFest (9/12) celebration will be held at Festival Park in Wake Forest with traditional Italian music, free activities for kids, great tasting Italian food and beer with an Italian flair, and the Designers Downtown Market (9/12) in downtown Raleigh will feature fine locally made arts and crafts with an outdoor big-city feel. Bring your family to the first annual Cary Caribbean Festival (9/19) and enjoy the music and food of the Caribbean and learn about different island cultures. Thousands of Harley-Davidson fanatics roll into downtown Raleigh for the annual Ray Price Capital City Bike Fest (9/25-9/26), the state's only two-day motorcycle lifestyle event. N.C. Pride (9/26) celebrates GLBT diversity with its Night Festival in Raleigh. Consider yourself a wine snob? Taste hundreds of different wines at Triangle Uncorked (9/26) at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre.
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 Around
Town
Take over the Head Chef's seat after your cooking classes at Fuquay Mineral Spring Inn and Garden's Cooking Classes at the Inn (Wednesdays). After mastering some new recipes, head to the Wake Forest Farmers' Market (every Saturday until November) to pick among the bountiful summer vegetables and fruits and then head back home to your favorite seat with a homemade meal. Get a special glance at Greater Raleigh's talented artists with Art After Hours (9/4, 9/11, 9/18) in historic downtown Wake Forest. Need some family fun and a little exercise? Come celebrate the construction of the White Deer Park and its environmental education center with the Town of Garner at the 2nd Annual White Deer Dash 5k and Family Fun Run (9/26). Learn more
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 Still Time to "Get Off Your County Seat"
Haven't heard about how you can win a free weekend in the Raleigh area? The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau has launched a yearlong campaign titled Get Off Your County Seat, in which one winner from each of the 100 counties in North Carolina (a total of 100 winners) will win a weekend getaway to Greater Raleigh, N.C., with an itinerary that matches your interest and hobbies. Simply check out www.mycountyseat.com and take our quiz to see where you rank among our six visitor types: Creative Genius, Foodie, Fashionista, Adrenaline Junkie, Rock Star Wannabe and History Buff. So go on, North Carolina residents: get off your county seat and visit Raleigh! Learn more
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