Your 5-minute guide to the Top 10 things to do this week in the Triangle
Well, as they say, all good things must come to an end. It’s been a highlight of my career to write this weekly column and keep you up to speed on how to get cultured, fed, soused and/or help you blow off some steam for the past several years. But, the wind is taking me in a new direction. So, this is my parting column of “lovely” options across town. And, until we meet again, as always, #SpreadLove, y’all (a fitting farewell tagline on Valentine’s).
Food Truck Flix
Lean into love with the “tale as old as time,” as “Beauty & the Beast” is on the big screen Feb. 13. And if “[you’ll] have what she’s having,” head back Feb. 14 on Valentine’s Day for the quintessential love story “When Harry Met Sally,” chock-full of zingers and sage wisdom by Harry Burns (played by Billy Crystal). “That’s why I have never taken anyone to the airport at the beginning of a relationship… because eventually things move on and you don’t take someone to the airport and I never wanted anyone to say to me, How come you never take me to the airport anymore?” Showings at Frontier RTP, gates 5 p.m., flick 6:30 p.m. foodtruckflix.com
Virtual Sights and Sounds Concert Series
Now in its 79th season, the ever-popular Sights and Sounds Concert Series, co-presented by Chamber Music Raleigh and the North Carolina Museum of Art, is taking it from stage to screen. Check out a dozen free curated webcast concerts and livestreams through May, with the hopes of resuming live concerts in June. Kicking off the series on Valentine’s Day will be Four Nations Ensemble, who has performed at major houses and festivals, including the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center. No tickets required for series events. Register to be emailed livestream links 48 hours before concerts begin. chambermusicraleigh.org
Carolina Skies–Valentine’s Edition at Morehead Planetarium
For some out-of-this-world romance, Morehead Planetarium is here for you (Feb. 13-14). Treat yourself, bae, the fam or crew to some “lovely” fun at Fulsome Theater, where you can lay back and journey through a guided tour of the nighttime sky as it appears that very night above North Carolina while getting schooled on celestial objects, and myths and legends created by ancient cultures. moreheadplanetarium.org
Valentine’s Double Date: Chocolate & Champagne
All you “knead” is love — and Champagne and chocolate. Which means this “double date” chocolate and Champs virtual bakery class is the quintessential way to spend your V Day weekend. Tune in on Feb. 13 for some of Master Baker Lionel Vatinet’s family’s fave French desserts. Think Belgian chocolate mousse, and mocha lava cake. Special guest Laure Levesque, president & chief tasting officer at Queen of Wines, will join Vatinet to entertain and educate guests on the romance and history of French wine. Cheers! lafarmbakery.com/valentines-double-date-chocolate-champagne-virtual
‘In Plain Sight’
Speaking to “legacies of enslavement and inequity, but also to the perseverance, love, faith, dedication, joys and sorrows of Black Durham,” the Bull City’s Geer Cemetery is a sacred and historic African American burial ground. This guided outdoor tour of the current outdoor exhibit, “In Plain Sight,” allows visitors to experience the cemetery’s historic and natural beauty while telling the stories of this hallowed ground. Running to early March, “In Plain Sight” asks us to “confront the persistence of longstanding racial inequity that extends from life into death, resulting in the precarious state of the cemetery and years of community-based efforts to preserve and dignify it.” This month, tours are scheduled for Feb. 13 and 27, and will be small (10-person cap) and socially distanced. Visit exhibit site for full info. Registration is required. durhaminplainsight.com
Valentine’s With Goats!
Baaa-ck with more good news for goat lovers — it’s Valentine’s With Goats! Treat your boo to some super snuggles with all the furry friends on Spring Haven Farm (plus plenty of Insta-ready photo ops) this week — and score brownie points for your own snuggles later. Snacks, sips and hot cocoa will be on offer, plus a craft station run by a local artist to add some artsy fun. And if you’re feeling frisky, take a stab at guessing how many Sweetheart candies are in the Candy Jar for the chance to win two free admittance tickets for future use. Check event listing for full details on scheduling. Entry times can be scheduled between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday. springhaven.farm/
History Hunters: North Carolina and the Green Book
On Wednesday, Feb. 17 (1–2 p.m.) take learning history next level with this virtual program by the North Carolina Museum of History. Tweens ages 10 to 13 should tune in for this interactive and enlightening installment as guest teacher Angela Thorpe, director of NC African American Heritage Commission, takes them on a trip through history of the “Green Book,” a guide that helped African Americans forge ways around segregation. Register here. ncmuseumofhistory.org/history-hunters/nc-and-green-book
Backyard History: Cary’s African American Community
Celebrate Black History Month by upping your knowledge on the stories of Cary’s thriving African-American community via this free virtual class (Feb. 17, 7 p.m., free) with narration by town historians, accompanied by historic photographs, maps and documents. Post-registration, you’ll receive a Webex invitation via email prior to the start of the class. mycary.org/s/program?programCode=008433
Valentine’s Day Igloos
Swap Eskimo kisses with some Bull City Love in Unscripted Durham’s rooftop igloos via a romantic evening over a bottle of sparkling wine, chocolate-dipped strawberries and rose petals. Or enjoy the new Valentine’s Day menu (Feb. 12–14) and staycation option for you and your SO, including a free bottle of bubbles and an igloo dining experience (for up to 10 guests). unscriptedhotels.com
Puppy Love Adoption Event
If you’re looking for love in all the wrong places, find puppy love — literally — at Compass Rose Brewery on Valentine’s Day with this Puppy Love adoption event where you can meet adoptable dogs (from puppies to seniors) and potentially meet your four-legged soul mate. Note, on-site adoptions are not available but you can apply in advance for any Freedom Ride Rescue dogs at freedom-ride.org. it promises to be a pawsitively perfect way to spread love on V Day. facebook.com/compassrosebrewery
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 8:00 AM.