Pick sunflowers, head to a drive-in movie and this week’s Best Bets
Y’all, it’s totes ma goats Goat Week on Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge and e’erybody goat time for this. Elsewhere, you can park it for a Food Truck Rodeo on the farm, an alfresco French wine dinner (bon appétit!), live comedy and more, plus plenty of outdoor/drive-in flicks and virtual ops to boot. And, wherever you are, stay cool (literally) and #SpreadLove.
Pick Your Own Sunflower Days
If you’re missing frolicking in the Dix sunflower fields that stretch on forever, you should plan a trip to Hill Ridge Farms in Youngsville between July 30 and Aug. 14 for Pick Your Own Sunflower Days, with 10 varieties from which to choose. Farmer John has planted enough to produce 50,000-plus blooms for your picking pleasure. And bring the camera (phone) — do it for the ’Gram. Two sessions daily: 6:30 a.m.—noon, and 4:30—8:30 p.m. hillridgefarms.com
Goat Week 2020
Stuff just goat serious: Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge brings us Goat Week 2020 (July 29–Aug. 2) with virtual and in-person events. Tune into Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge’s Facebook page at noon July 29 to meet the goats, July 30 for kids’ story time, July 31 for Goat Trivia (you’ve goat this), and Aug. 1 for Caleb the goat’s birthday bash. Then, Aug. 2, join the in-person Goat Themed Car Bingo (1 p.m., at East to Us parking lot, 1720 Guess Road, Durham). Hey, whatever floats your goat! Visit site for additional details on each event: piedmontrefuge.org/goat-week
Summer Outdoor Flix
The “reel” fun continues at a host of viewing venues. At Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre, catch a “Footloose” & “Grease” double header (July 30). On Aug. 4, “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” the documentary about the late congressman and civil rights leader, will be screened. Doors open at 8 p.m. Film at 9 p.m.
Over in Chapel Hill, swap the Buick for blankets at The Lumina Theater, and watch movies by starlight in pods (up to 5 people): “Space Jam” (July 30) and “Shrek” (July 31 & Aug. 1). Then Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, da-da over to Food Truck Flix for some “Moulin Rouge” (July 31), and “Fern Gully” (Aug. 1). Movies in the Beer Garden also returns to Glass Jug Beer Lab in Durham Aug. 1. Check individual sites for prices, times and details.
She Kills Monsters + Divas!
Miss local theater? Raleigh Little Theatre is back with its first-ever fully virtual performance: “She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms,” now through Aug. 1, in which “Agnes Evans must learn to cope with the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, she stumbles into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tilly’s refuge.”
Then, glam up your week with RLT’s Divas! 2020 virtual cabaret performance, Aug. 6 (7:30 p.m.), held on Facebook Live on the RLT Divas Facebook page. This year’s competing divas include Allie Sullivan, LaToya Smith, Noah Sennert and more. Visit the BidPal page for the event to vote with your wallet to support these Divas in their fundraising efforts, and watch their YouTube videos to learn more about why each of them wants to win the coveted crown! Don’t miss the Masked Diva… keep tuned in for details. raleighlittletheatre.org
French Wine Dinner
Tres chic alfresco dinner a la Paris? Oui, Oui. You won’t want to miss Parizade’s July 31 French Wine Dinner in their glorious garden courtyard. À votre santé (aka: Cheers)! $100 per person, call 919.286.9712 or visit parizadedurham.com to reserve.
LIVE Event: Guy Torry
Raunch up your weekend with no-filter Guy Torry, set to take stage for three nights of stand-up at Goodnights Comedy Club. “ Quick-witted and always pushing the envelope a little further with his rough language and touchy subject matter, you can expect to hear all the ridiculous jokes on everything from marriage to divorce and dating to sex.” Visit goodnightscomedy.com for show, time and ticket info, plus extensive details on how the club is keeping you safe—and laughing. July 31–Aug 2.
Food Trucks at Eno
Belly (and mask) up! Remember Food Truck Rodeos and scrumptious sweaty summer fun? Well pull out your stretchy shorts — that memory is a reality again. Food Trucks on the Farm at Eno River Farm is here for you Aug. 5 (and Aug. 19, both 5–8 p.m.) as some of the best trucks in town roll out for the farm’s biweekly food truck rodeo. Bring a blanket, grab some grub and chill out—and don’t skip the homemade ice cream. 2127 St. Marys Road, Hillsborough.
History + Highballs: Montfort Hall: Past, Present and Future
The North Carolina Museum of History’s History + Highballs is back with its at-home version via presenters Jeff and Sarah Shepherd, the husband-and-wife team behind the plan to make Montfort Hall an anchor in the local community. Tune in Thursday, July 30 (7–8 p.m.) to hear about the history, current state and future plans of Montfort Hall, one of the few remaining pre-Civil War houses in the area and is a National and Raleigh Historic Landmark, dating back to 1858. Register here: bit.ly/38iZhms. A link to the online program will be sent to all registrants twice on the day of the program. ncmuseumofhistory.org
Concert + Movie Series
Get your groove on at Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre on Wednesdays for its new live music and movie series. Aug. 5 will feature American Bowie Experience (David Bowie Tribute) live, plus “Labyrinth.” Live music starts at 7:30 p.m., followed by the 9:30 p.m. flick. Tickets from $19 per car. raleighroaddrivein.com
Summer Park & Party
Dig drive-in movies (who doesn’t)? MBK Wake County is here for you and is slated to host a series of free (yes, free! But you will need to purchase a vehicle parking pass) drive-in flicks starting July 30 (5-11:30 p.m.) at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. Feel free to bring your own snacks, but food trucks will be on-site as well. Purchase in advance by first completing a three-minute survey: Parking pass fee $20, SUV/truck $25. All proceeds go toward closing the achievement gap for youth and young adults of color in the Triangle. No passes will be sold at the movie.
Paint TWO Pint Glasses
In-person wine and design is back at Hi-Wire Brewing as the brewery teams up with Wine & Design for a socially distanced paint pARTy, including two free beers with every ticket, and intel on how to paint the Durham Skyline Sunset onto a pint glass. No prior paint know-how needed. Thursday, July 30, 6:30–8:30 p.m., 800 Taylor St., Durham. Tickets at wineanddesign.com
Michael Daughtry: Triangle Virtual Open Mic Night
Dwarf Star Studios’ ever-popular weekly virtual open mic nights dedicated to Triangle talent continue Aug. 4. The weekly Tuesday streamed event (8–10 p.m.) highlights Michael Daughtry, plus six additional musicians — all LIVE (not prerecorded) from their locations to benefit a number of organizations helping artists and venues during these challenging times. Tune in and info at: triangleopenmic.com.
Science Cafe + Movie Night
Control + Alt + Delete online thieves and protect yourself with this North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Science Café: Staying Protected in a Digital World (July 30, 7-8pm), as representatives of the N.C. Department of Information Technology share info about how you can better stay safe online and protect your privacy. Watch the Science Café live. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences hosts happy time for Hogwarts fans for Museum Movie Night: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (July 31, 6-9 p.m.). “Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.” … Join fellow fans on Zoom to watch a short film from the AV Geeks’ archive and then stay on so you can chat along about the movie! (If you don’t own the movie, it is available for rent online.) After the movie, stay and play some film-related trivia and have Q&A with an expert on snake communication. (Program is free, but donations are appreciated.) Register for Museum Movie Night!