Sip, paint and let your heart speak, funky flower fest, garden story walk, and more. 
Happy Friday, Raleigh. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Raleigh Brief serve up everything you need to know for the weekend ahead.
📰 In the news
Local happenings: James Beard winners to launch late-night Indian street food spot, UNC students clinch a 178-unit affordable housing prize, and block-long mural spotlights city legends — catch up here.
State-level stories: Biomanufacturing hubs still hiring hundreds statewide, pediatricians caution against leaving kids home solo before age 10, and scammers spoof court notices to extort cryptocurrency — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: Study finds adults inhale thousands of plastic fragments daily, many hearts age faster than their owners, and Ford recalls F-150 hybrids without seatbelt chime — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Begin your month with farm volunteering
- Help clean up Rolesville this Saturday
- Pages guide your path and imagination
- Shop local artists at the plaza
- Unlock dozens of travel deals with AARP
🫶 We got your back
Brunch: Ditch toast and coffee? Raleigh’s bagel scene is crushing it with chewy classics and flavor-packed creations. These bagel spots will have you rethinking your morning routine.
Golf: Your home course feels solid until you try some of the top tracks in the state. These travel-worthy greens might just spoil your weekend game.
Reads: The smell of paper, the thrill of cracking open a new story, and the chance to accidentally spend two hours debating which cover looks cooler, Blackbird Books & Coffee is basically a playground for bookworms (minus the monkey bars, plus way more coffee).
Health: Forget outdated weight loss fads and gimmicks. Modern science has changed the game. GLP-1 medications (like the ones behind today’s most talked-about treatments) are helping people manage weight in a safer, more sustainable way. Check out your options today.
👀 Why just read it when you could be in it?
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📆 Around town this weekend
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirey outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
Today
🎨 Sip, Paint and Let your Heart Speak @ Consider It Done Events and Meeting Center | Friday (8/1) at 7:00pm – Break free from the same old after-work drinks and let your heart speak on canvas. They’ve got paint, brushes, swag bags, and a steady flow of wine. Just show up with a sense of humor, and maybe your inner Van Gogh.
🔪 Raleigh True Crime Tour @ Moore Square Visitor Center | Friday (8/1) at 8:00pm – Ready to swap sweet tea for straight-up chills? Stroll downtown with a fearless guide who’s armed with dark, grisly anecdotes about Raleigh’s infamous serial killer, a vodka-fueled oligarch, and a homegrown, lurking Ripper. Bring your best poker face.
This weekend
🎙️ Chente Ydrach en Español @ Goodnights Pop-Up Club | Saturday (8/2) at 4:00pm – Dust off your Spanish skills and catch Chente Ydrach as he spills juicy life lessons en español, so there’s zero hand-holding with translation. It’s like your witty cousin telling stories with flair. Bring a friend who’s fluent or ready to improvise with Google.
😂 Purely Funny @ Nexus1214 | Saturday (8/2) at 7:30pm – Nothing says adulting like unplugging at a comedy show, where the Cleans of Comedy serve up pure stand-up mayhem. Expect relentless punchlines, witty local jabs, and that rare communal snort. Bring a friend, skip the small talk, and laugh off the week.
🌸 Funky Flower Fest @ Moore Square | Sunday (8/3) at 12:00pm – Need an excuse to get out of your air-conditioned cave? Moore Square is turning into a petal-powered paradise this August, complete with local food trucks, craft beer, wine, fresh coffee, and live tunes. Shop floral-focused stalls while marveling at petals you can’t name.
🍷 Paint, Sip & Dip @ Georgia Tardy Art Studio | Sunday (8/3) at 1:00pm – Nothing beats painting South African Ndebele designs on clay pots while sipping your favorite vino, then slipping into a heated saltwater pool as your art dries. It’s the perfect marriage of creativity and leisure, with just enough cultured pretension to make your weekend proud.
👻 Ghost and Urban Legend Walk @ NC State Capitol | Sunday (8/3) at 8:00pm – Raleigh Ghost and Urban Legend Walk is unearthing NC State’s creepiest campus secrets, from whispered tunnel chatter to a long-dead nurse still hanging around to apply bandages. Bring your curiosity and a slightly shaky nerve, and let’s confirm this town’s history is anything but dull.
Next week
📚 Garden Story Walk @ JC Raulston Arboretum | Tuesday (8/5) at 9:00am – Need an escape from screens? Grab the first page at the garden’s Visitor Center, then follow the story as it pops up among the blossoms. It’s self-guided, unhurried, and offers fine prose, fresh air, and zero judgment on your pace.
🦖 3D Movie: T. REX @ WRAL 3D Theater | Tuesday (8/5) at 12:00pm – If you want to share some quality couch time with a T. rex flexing tiny arms in 3D glory, grab your popcorn. They’ve roped in top paleontologists and CGI wizards. Expect cinematic roars, eye-popping visuals, and enough fossil trivia to impress skeptic friends.
🍝 End-of-Summer Pasta @ Home for Entertaining | Tuesday (8/5) at 6:00pm – Whether you’re clinging to the last rays of summer or just love fresh carbs, join a hands-on pasta soirée where you’ll master sweet corn ravioli with bright basil pesto and shape fettuccine tossed in farmers market herbs, then drown your sorrows in affogato.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/1 Rebecca Frazier @ Page-Walker Arts & History Center – 6:30 pm
- 8/1 Tacarra Williams @ Goodnights – 7 pm
- 8/1 Michael Rowland @ Goodnights – 7:30 pm
- 8/1 Kash’d Out and more @ Pourhouse – 8 pm
- 8/1 Red Crown and more @ Wicked Witch – 9 pm
- 8/2 The Flaming Lips and more @ Red Hat Amphitheater – 6:30 pm
- 8/2 A.R. Rahman @ Lenovo Center – 7:30 pm
- 8/3 Cary Underground Market @ Bond Brothers Beer – 12 pm
- 8/3 Lost 80’s Live @ Booth Amphitheatre – 3:30 pm
- 8/3 Kesha and more @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park – 7 pm
🏠️ Price is right – Raleigh edition
How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).
*This 👇 could be your listing. Hit us up if you’ve got a home (or 12) to sell.
Listed by: Martin Verdi (Compass — Raleigh)
Classic brick elegance meets country club cool in this 5-bedroom North Ridge estate, perched along the 13th hole with sweeping pond and golf course views. The main level brings timeless details like hardwood floors, crown molding, and a stone fireplace flanked by custom built-ins. French doors open to a 762-square-foot deck, while the study’s rich woodwork and matching plantation shutters make Zoom calls feel like scenes from a movie.
The massive primary suite serves up two walk-in closets, a Jacuzzi tub, and its own private patio wired for a future hot tub. Upstairs, find a second primary, an entertainment center with kitchenette, and an 842-square-foot unfinished attic ready for whatever you dream up. All tucked on nearly three-quarters of an acre, with resort-style amenities just down the street.
Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →
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