Museums reopen, Virtual BugFest and your Best Bets for the week
Call your friends; call your mom; tell your dog. It’s phase 2.5, y’all! North Carolina is (more) open! I’d encourage running in the streets but, clearly, minding the three W’s is de rigueur — so just run up and down your hallway or around your yard.
But we’ll see you at the museum, at the gym, on the playground … just safely socially distanced, of course. Temps are cooling (projecting), all is improving (hoping) — and, well, we’re all staying sane together. Have a good week with these Best Bets, and, as always #SpreadLove.
Museums!
Live art is no longer canceled! In Durham, the Museum of Life + Science is open! In Raleigh, the North Carolina Museum of Art opens to the public Sept. 9. Reserve free timed tickets at visit.ncartmuseum.org/events. The Museum Park remains open dawn to dusk, with (get excited) reopened restrooms!
The North Carolina Museum of History welcomes visitors back Sept. 10. Learn more about the plan ncmuseumofhistory.org. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will welcome you back on-site Sept. 22, along with the Daily Planet Cafe. Visit naturalsciences.org/open to reserve your free timed ticket.
And parents, wait for it, Marbles is reopening Sept. 16, with member early access Sept. 11–13. Check each website for safety guidelines, hours, exhibits/programming, ticket and entry info, and more. Then go and just be in wonder. And stay tuned for more artsy openings!
Local Pumpkin Carver on Food Network’s ‘Halloween Wars’
Stop everything. You’re gonna wanna carve out some time for “Halloween Wars.” One of Raleigh’s own will be competing in Food Network’s fan-fave “Halloween Wars” show, with Season 10 premiering on Sept. 13 (9 p.m.). The five-episode battle-round show features six teams (each stacked with an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar master) creating Halloween-themed edible displays that are as scary as they are delish. Winner takes home $50K. Jim Bille, a North Raleigh resident for almost 30 years, is one of the expert pumpkin carvers competing. After he started carving pumpkins in his free time around four years ago, Bille began showcasing his gourd goodies on his Jim Bille Creatives Instagram page — ultimately catching the attention of the Food Network. You’re gonna wanna scoop his ’Gram — followed by the Food Network premiere (dubbed “Monster Road Trip”—spooky). Good luck, Jim! foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-wars
Moore Square Market Sunday Pop-Up
Downtown Raleigh hosts this special weekend pop-up of Moore Square Market Sunday, Sept. 13 (10 a.m.–2 p.m.). Look for the likes of 1Eatz, Bold Bagels, Gratitude Culture Kombucha, Papa Shogun and much more. There will also be live music and activities. Stay tuned for more information. Early risers can join Current Wellness for a flow yoga class starting at 9 a.m. ($15). Registration is required at currentwellnessraleigh.com. There will also be live music from local artist Orlando Parker Jr. Moore Square at 200 S Blount St. downtownraleigh.org
BugFest 2020
Bug off! This year’s BugFest is going virtual — and global! Join the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Sept. 14-19 for six full days of programs. Interact with entomologists from North Carolina and around the world and bug out on the fascinating world of bugs. A full list of programs is available at BugFest.org, where you can register for free to attend any of the dozens of buggy offerings.
This year’s spotlight? Shoo fly don’t bother me! “True flies are one of the most amazing and diverse groups of insects, with approximately 110,000 described species of true flies found worldwide,” according to a news release. Who knew? You’ll even get schooled on an assortment of “superflies ranging from the chocolate fly that pollinates the flower of the cacao tree, to the blow fly that helps solve crimes through the field known as forensic entomology.” That’s so fly. And there’s so much more — from a macro-photographic introduction to bizarre and beautiful flies of NC to Paleozoic megabugs to how to tie fishing flies specific to NC, a bee’s-eye view of a live honey bee hive inspection with beekeepers, and even a BugFest edition of Trivia Tuesday and Bug Yoga for Kids. Yeah, you’re gonna wanna clear your schedule for this. bugfest.org
Offstage Live: Music at the Museum
In lieu of the N.C. Museum of Art’s popular summer concert series is a new live streaming concert series from inside the museum galleries that debuted Sept. 1 and sees its second installment air Tuesday, Sept. 15 (8 p.m.), with Durham-based political jazz and neo-soul quintet Dreamroot, who “uses music as an agent for healing — for themselves and for others — as they create music as a refuge from chronic illness, racism, hatred and the struggles of living in the 21st century.”
While it’s free to watch, viewers are invited to donate to help North Carolina artists and the arts. The shows will also be aired in the future on UNC-TV with behind-the-scenes interviews. Future acts include S.E. Ward from Chapel Hill (Sept. 29); and Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba from Pittsboro (Oct. 20). Go to youtube.com/ncartmuseum and ncartmuseum.org/offstage.
Sunflower Experience
“You’re a sunflower … I think your love would be too much.” Pretty high Post Malone praise for the summer bloom, which is still in view. The calendar may say mid-September (WHAT?) but sunflowers can still be celebrated with the Sunflower Experience at Phillips Farms of Cary, opening Sept. 12 and culminating at the end of sunflower season (usually around the end of September). Visit site for ticket info: 6701 Good Hope Church Road, phillips-farms-of-cary.ticketleap.com
Come Out & Play Sculpture Show
If you haven’t been yet, come out and play — virtually! — at the Come Out and Play sculpture show. Started 19 years ago on JimGin Farm to honor those affected by 9/11, the show has blossomed over the years while retaining its initial essence. This year’s format, though absent in-person connections, still includes artists, both visual and musical, which can be found at comeoutandplay.info. For those looking to connect live, show producer Debbie Meyer along with her family and artist Kevin Kuhnel, have created an on-site installation called “Letters to the World,” where “participants travel a path, guided by colorful metal panels, to the top of the horse pasture at JimGin Farm. At the path’s end, there are benches, a box with paper and pens (and hand sanitizer) and two mailboxes” (one “incoming,” and one for “outgoing” mail).
Says Meyer: “We invite everyone who would normally attend the show to write a Letter to the World–share whatever is on your mind, in words, in a poem, in a drawing, or even a song, and send it to Debbie Meyer (150 Wild Horse Run, Pittsboro, NC 27312). The letters will be put in the incoming mailbox for all to read [and] posted on comeoutandplay.info. The other mailbox is for on-site visitors to write letters to be ‘mailed,’ to the incoming box.” Letters can, of course, be anonymous as preferred. If you want to visit the installation (and a few other pieces artists have placed) in person, contact Debbie to reserve a time just for you and your family (writetoeloise@gmail.com, 919-357-6142).
Glass Jug Beer Lab’s 6-Year Anniversary
Fete six years of Durham’s Glass Jug Beer Lab - Brewery 6 feet apart with this six-day celebration featuring six new beers. Check the schedule for which night corresponds to your preferred brew release and shenanigans (trivia! Food trucks!). Hint: Friday sees Glass Jug’s own Jeremy “Groovy” Grooms spinning tunes and Saturday rounds out the week to ring in six years with an Oktoberfest-themed event (live bands, food, brews and more). facebook.com/glassjugbeerlab
PS 118 and More
For more art, pop into PS 118 in its new spiffed-up digs, now open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for masked-up visitors for viewing of three exhibits, new titles in the bookstall and more. The Broad Street gallery Horse & Buggy Press and Friends is also now open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a max of three masked-up visitors at a time to see the “Sidespurs and Detours” exhibit. Saturday viewings are by appointment only from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. horseandbuggypress.com/ps118
Heroes Unite Walk to Defeat ALS
Walk Your Way to Defeat ALS Sept. 12 as heroes unite statewide (and here in the Triangle) to stamp out ALS in the brand-new Walk Your Way event: “One day, one goal, all of North Carolina walking together to celebrate ALS heroes in our unified efforts to defeat ALS!” Make sure to register for this year’s Heroes Unite Walk to Defeat ALS by visiting walktodefeatals.org.
Food Trucks at Eno
Stretchy pants — on! Time to roll out for Eno’s biweekly Food Truck Rodeo in all its scrumptious fun, Sept. 16, as some of the best trucks in town park it for your feeding pleasure. Bring a blanket, grab some grub and chill out for awhile—and don’t miss the homemade Eno ice cream. 2127 St. Marys Road, Hillsborough.
Fall Farm Fun
Calling all children of the corn. More corn mazes and other fall farm fun abounds as more farm facilities open for the season. Check out Naylor Family Farm and Giant Corn Maze (opening Sept. 12), Hipp Farms Corn Maze & Field of Fun (Sept. 14), both in Fuquay-Varina, for the likes of corn mazes, hay/wagon rides, farm animals, jump pad/bounce houses, and pumpkin patches. At Naylor, you can also mine for gems, and at Hipp, you can race pedal karts and try your hand at a corn cannon. And expect many opportunities to follow next week when a slew of haunted trails, family-friend farms, etc., join in for the season.
NC Roots Music Series
Enjoy The Hamiltones Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. as part of this NC Roots Music Series, a series of live stream performances by North Carolina musicians. The series runs on the third Thursday of each month through December. You can watch the streams on facebook.com/MusicMakerReliefFoundation/ or the Music Maker YouTube channel. Rock on.
Poetic Justice 2020
We can all use a little poetic justice right now. Coming to you live via Zoom and Facebook Sept. 11 (7 p.m.), this year’s annual fundraiser sees a collection of young artists curated by Emancipate NC Poet-in-Residence Hausson Byrd. “Celebrat[ing] beauty and joy within a world that tries — but never succeeds — to silence and cage us,” artists Honora Ankong, Kazi, Rosamaria Varona, Jeremy Melchesidec Joseph (Pharaoh), and Alani Rouse will share stories and spoken word about the criminal justice system and how we overcome it. Register to attend: emancipatenc.org/poetic-justice
Parizade Greek Night
Right now familiarity breeds comfort, especially via comfort food! And Parizade in Durham will comfort you Sunday, Sept. 13, by bringing back their annual Greek Night. Truly a beloved annual occasion, this year’s Greek Night will unfold with dishes served family-style instead of the traditional buffet, and tables inside and out spaced 6 feet apart, complemented by a big Greek band and DJ — not to mention an incredible spread from chef Jason Lawless of traditional Greek dishes. Come hungry!
A NEW Art Market
To market we go! ICYMI, Hopscotch + Pop-Up Raleigh have joined forces to bring home (literally) this virtual art market through Sept. 15. The market will feature live music streams, past Hopscotch performances, an Insta-ART Auction, fun BAND swag and a NC artist+maker market — and, most importantly, a great way to support NC creatives. hopscotchmusicfest.com/lineup/
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 1:36 PM.