Triangle foodie events: Festivals, dinners, tastings & tours

The State Farmers Market will celebrate Strawberry Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 4 with samples of local berries and strawberry ice cream, as well as a strawberry recipe contest. Contestants can submit their favorite strawberry dessert with strawberries as the main ingredient. Desserts can be dropped off between 8 and 10 a.m. at the State Farmers Market Administrative Office at 1201 Agriculture St, Raleigh. Judging is open to media and will start at 10 a.m. Prizes will be awarded at noon. facebook.com/StateFarmersMarket.

Olio & Aceto Cafe at 400 S. Elliot Road in Chapel Hill will host a Mexican-themed dinner on Friday, May 5, to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The three-course meal is $25. Red or white sangria is available by the glass or bottomless pitcher and Mexican beers are $3 a bottle. Tables may be sat between 6 and 8 p.m. and reservations are required in advance. The menu is at olioandacetocafe.com. Call 919-903-8958 before 4 p.m. to reserve your space. Seating is limited.

The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill has kicked off its weekly Friday night concert series. Every Friday through Oct. 13, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. there will be live music and food trucks near the front porch. For a schedule of music and food trucks, go to carolinainn.com/about/chapel-hill-event-calendar.

Ponysaurus Brewing, 219 Hood St., in Durham is hosting a concert to support the ACLU of North Carolina May 6, from 5 to 11 p.m. The concert features Hiss Golden Messenger; Megafaun; Mount Moriah; Shirlette Ammons; Loamlands and DJ Bug Spray. There also will be food trucks. All of the proceeds go to the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina. The event is kid friendly but not dog-friendly. There is only one entrance on Hood Street. Participants are encouraged to take the Bull City Connector or carpool. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Children 12 and younger are admitted free. ponysaurusbrewing.com/dontbemean

Gizmo Brew Works, 5907 Triangle Drive, Raleigh, will host a fourth anniversary party Saturday, May 6, from noon to 8 p.m. There will be live music, four food trucks, cask beers and a commemorative glass. Admission is free. The event is family and dog friendly. gizmobrewworks.com

ChickenWire will host its first popup of the year Saturday, May 6, from 5 to 8 p.m. where several area chefs will execute the culinary version of a folk tale, “Stone Soup.” There will be seven courses with drink pairings featuring food from Robin Bilodeau, pastry chef; Serge Falcoz-Vigne, Saint Jacques French Cuisine; Sean Fowler, Mandolin; James Johnson, Tribeca Tavern; Bo Peterson, Executive Chef, Daily Planet; Regan Stachler, Patria Food; and Bud Taylor, Bistro at Topsail. Tickets are $140. All event location details are emailed to ticket holders 36 hours prior to the event. chickenwirenc.com/upcoming-events

The Fairview Dining Room and Bull Durham Bar at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club in Durham hosts a Kentucky Derby celebration Saturday, May 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Derby Day Brunch kicks off the day from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Fairview Dining Room. Hats and Gloves Derby Afternoon Tea is held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The Derby Dinner at Dusk is a three-course meal from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Fairview Dining Room. The dinner is $35 per person. The 143rd Run for the Roses starts at 6:34 p.m., airing in Bull Durham Bar. For reservations, go to Open Table or call 919-493-6699.

The fifth annual fundraiser for TABLE is at Mediterranean Deli, 410 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, Sunday, May 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. There will be hors d’oeuvres and a variety of wine and beer. Tickets are $45 per person. TABLE feeds hungry children in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. tablenc.org

The TerraVita Food & Drink Festival is partnering with the Asheville-based Blind Pig Supper Club to serve an eight-course feast prepared by eight different chefs May 7. The 5 p.m. dinner serves as a teaser for the four-day event Oct. 18-21, which will continue to be held in Chapel Hill. It also will serve as a launch for ticket sales, which will begin at the conclusion of the dinner at 10 p.m. The Blind Pig Supper Club, created in 2011, plans popup dinners with the venue and menu under wraps until 48 hours before the event.

The participating chefs on May 7 are: Steve Goff, Brinehaus Meat & Provisions, Raleigh; Kim Hunter, Kimbap Café, Raleigh; Matthew Krenz, The Asbury, Charlotte; Phoebe Lawless, Scratch, Durham; Mike Moore, The Blind Pig Supper Club, Asheville; Dean Neff, PinPoint Restaurant, Wilmington; Jeff Seizer, Royale, Raleigh; and Jamie Swofford, The Chef’s Farmer, Shelby.

Tickets are $88 each. Gratuity isn’t included. Diners are asked to bring their own beverages. Wine and beer are permitted while hard liquor isn’t. Proceeds will benefit the TerraVita Educational Foundation, which supports nutritional education and works with organizations that support access to safe, fresh food. TerraVitaFest.com.

Vidrio, at 500 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, will host its second Library Sessions event on Tuesday, May 9 from 7 to 9 p.m., featuring Italian winemaker Caterina Dei of Cantine Dei vineyards. Dei will guide guests on a tour of Italian wines and a four-course pairing dinner. Event seating is limited, and tickets can be purchased for $65 (includes gratuity and tax). Free valet is provided. For a menu and tickets, go to vidrioraleigh.com or call 919-803-6033.

Journalist John Trump will discuss his new book, “Still & Barrel: Craft Spirits in the Old North State,” Wednesday, May 10, at 7 p.m. at Quail Ridge Books, located at 4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road, Raleigh. The event will also be a panel discussion about the state of craft distilling in North Carolina, and the hardships and benefits of starting a craft distillery. Representatives from Lassiter Distilling Company, Raleigh Rum and Covington Spirits will be on the panel. A signing Tuesday, May 16, at 7 p.m. is at The Regulator, 720 Ninth St., Durham and features Fair Game Beverage Co. and Durham Distillery.

Triangle Town Center & Commons in Raleigh holds free “Creekside Wined Down” events every other Thursday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the pavilion with live music, lawn games and beer and wine. Proceeds from beverage sales will benefit Triangle non-profit Saving Grace, an animal adoption organization dedicated to helping homeless animals find permanent homes. Wined Down events are May 11, May 25 and June 8. All events are weather permitting. triangletowncenter.com

A fundraiser to benefit the Conservators Center – a Burlington nonprofit that preserves threatened species – features food and beer pairings inspired by the endangered animals.

The May 19 event, a partnership with Mystery Brewing and Tabletop Media Group, is Friday, May 19, at 6 p.m., at the Conservators Center, 676 E. Hughes Mill Road, Burlington. While participants take a self-guided walking tour of the center to see the animals, Triangle restaurants and breweries (and two from Greensboro) will provide food and beverage.

Tickets are $100 per person or $180 per pair and include food, beverage and the tour. The tour and six food stations will take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Proceeds go to the Conservators Center’s Animal Care Fund. The nonprofit preserves threatened species through rescuing wildlife and education. The rain date is May 26. conservatorscenter.org/

A fundraising dinner series from Families Moving Forward continues at The Rickhouse, 609 Foster St, Durham. A Durham chef will serve three or more courses at a ticketed dinner with proceeds benefiting the organization, which provides temporary homes to homeless families with children. The participating chefs are Seth Gross, Pompieri and Bull City Burger & Brewery, June 19; Billy Cotter, Toast and Dashi, Aug. 21; and John May, Piedmont, Oct. 16. There will be a finale gala Dec. 18. Tickets are $75 and include the meal, wine and beer. A limited number of series passes will be sold for all four events and gala. Gala tickets are $50. Tickets are sold in advance only. familiesmovingforwardnc.org/chefsforchange

Tap the Triangle offers craft beer tours in Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh. TTT will offer a Friday night “hop on, hop off” shuttle connecting the breweries in Durham for a flat rate. The company has partnered with a dozen breweries and bottle shops and offers tours from $24.99 to $69.99. They package beer tastings with transportation. There is a 20-percent discount in April to celebrate North Carolina Beer Month. TapTheTriangle.com

Taste Carolina offers a variety of food tours in Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh and Hillsborough including tasting tours, Raleigh Roots Tour, Dinner and Drinks tours and a Speakeasies Cocktail Tour. For descriptions, dates and reservations, go to tastecarolina.net.

Tobacco Road Tours offers several tours in Raleigh and Durham . They include the Raleigh Walking Culinary & Cultural Tour, Raleigh Craft Cocktail Tour and the Raleigh Pub Crawl & Haunted Adventure Tour. For descriptions, dates and reservations, go to tobaccoroadtours.com.

Guided culinary walking tours are offered in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary on Saturday afternoons. Star times vary. Tickets are $45, plus service fee. Reservations must be made in advance. For descriptions, dates and reservations, go to trianglefoodtour.com

Tour the facility in downtown Knightdale to see how Lassiter’s North Carolina Rum is made. Tours run for 30-45 minutes and include a sample of our rum for all guests 21 and over. Lassiter Distilling Company, 319 N. First Ave., Knightdale. 919-295-0111, lassiterdistilling.com.

This story was originally published May 3, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Triangle foodie events: Festivals, dinners, tastings & tours."