Foodie events: Dinners, tours, festivals and more

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.

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 benefit Triangle nonprofit Saving Grace, an animal adoption organization dedicated to helping homeless animals find permanent homes. The next Wined Down events are Thursday. All events are weather-permitting. triangletowncenter.com

The town hosts Food Truck Thursdays from April through June and September through November at Knightdale Station Park, 810 N. First Ave. One truck is at the park for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. while two to five trucks come to the park for dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. There are covered shelters. Live music is featured on the third Thursday dinner of the month. There won’t be lunch trucks July 20 or Aug. 17. knightdalenc.gov (search “Food Truck Thursdays”)

A five-course meal will be served at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Shaw University’s 1855 Rogers-Bagley-Daniels-Pegues House, 125 E. South St., Raleigh, to highlight the work of the Raleigh Food Corridor and its efforts to promote access to nutrition in diverse downtown Raleigh communities. The meal will be prepared by chefs Angela Salamanca of Centro and Ryan McGuire of the Chefs Academy, and will unfold room by room. Erin White, of Raleigh’s Community Food Lab, will lead the tour. Proceeds will benefit the Raleigh Food Corridor. $90. bit.ly/2rrqX2r

Triangle Restaurant Week, which seeks to promote the area’s thriving culinary scene, continues through Sunday. Across the Triangle, almost 90 restaurants will offer fixed three-course menus for lunch and dinner at set prices. Pricing for the event is $15 for a 3-course lunch, and $20, $25, $30 or $35 for a 3-course dinner. The price is per person and doesn’t include beverages, tax or gratuity. For participating restaurants and menus, go to trirestaurantweek.com/.

Chef Patrick Cowden presents a five-course vegan dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday at Pharmacy Cafe, 702 N. Person St., Raleigh, with beer from Trophy Brewing and Raleigh-grown produce. $91. Proceeds benefit the Raleigh Food Corridor. raleighfoodcorridor.org

Humana hosts a nutrition talk and cooking demonstration Thursday at the Humana Community Location, 8800 Harvest Oaks Drive, Suite 100, Raleigh. The free talk will provide information on superfoods, which might fight the effects of aging. Following the talk, there will be a cooking demonstration by Chef Zacki Murphy. Samples will be available. 919-870-4992

Olio & Aceto Cafe, 400-C S. Elliot Road in Chapel Hill, hosts a dinner from 5-8 p.m. Friday. The event will feature a selection of French wines from Moulin de Gassac, an estate in the Languedoc founded by legendary winemaker Aimé Guibert. There will be a variety of small plates. Bottles of wine may be bought at a discount on the night of the tasting only. The tasting is $10 per person. olioandacetocafe.com

Tap the Neuse V, a cornhole competition and gathering to benefit Sound Rivers, is noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Neuse River Brewing Co., 518 Pershing Road, Raleigh. Proceeds will benefit the nonprofit charity and its Riverkeeper programs, which help protect the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River basins and area waterways used for swimming, boating and drinking water. Admission to the family-friendly event is free. Cornhole tournament participants can register in advance for $20 per team, which includes two raffle tickets for prizes. Day-of registrations are also welcome at noon. Capital Creations pizza will be available for a suggested $5 donation; $2 raffle tickets for various prizes also will be available. neuseriverbrewing.com or soundrivers.org

A Place at the Table Raleigh hosts Second Saturday brunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 18 Seaboard, 18 Seaboard Ave., Raleigh. The meal is pay-what-you-can. 919-861-4318, 18seaboard.com.

The Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo features more than 50 food trucks spread out along Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. The next rodeo is noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Upcoming dates are Aug. 6 (3 to 9 p.m.) and Oct. 8 (noon to 7 p.m.). Dogs are advised to stay at home. downtownraleighfoodtruckrodeo.com/

Cupcakes & Cocktails is 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Tandem, 200 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro. There will be a cupcake contest, the 2017 signature cocktail, live music and wine. Admission includes unlimited cupcakes and one drink ticket. Tickets can be purchased online for $40 per person by Wednesday, or if available, at the door for $50. Proceeds will benefit the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. ocrcc.org , 919-240-7937, tandemcarrboro.com.

Alley Twenty-Six in Durham will host two cider cocktail classes with Mattie Beason, owner of Black Twig Cider House. Each class will offer tastings of three cider cocktails and discussions with Beason, Alley Twenty-Six’s Shannon Healy, Rob Mariani of Alley Twenty-Six Tonic Syrup’s and North Carolina distillers. Beason will serve cider cocktails after each class. Classes are 4 to 5 p.m. June 17 (with TOPO Distillery) and Aug. 19 (with Fair Game Beverage Company). Cost: $25. Alley Twenty Six is at 320 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham. ticketbase.com/events/cidercocktails

A beer festival with dozens of local and national breweries is 5-9 p.m. June 17 in front of Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Lenoir St., Raleigh. There will be craft beers, food trucks and live music. Tickets include beer tastings and a commemorative taster. Tickets are $40 for designated drivers, $55 for general admission at 5 p.m. and $75 for early access at 4 p.m. Tickets can be bought at beercampraleigh2017. eventbrite.com.

The Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo is five times a year and boasts that it’s the original food truck rodeo of the Triangle. More than 50 trucks congregate at Durham Central Park at 501 Foster St., accompanied by live music and local brewers. Upcoming rodeos are June 18 (noon to 4 p.m.), Sept. 3 (noon to 4 p.m.) and Nov. 5. durhamcentralpark.org

Pizzeria Faulisi, 215 E. Chatham St., Suite 101, Cary, is hosting a six-course meal at 7 p.m. June 19. The meal, the first in a new monthly summer series, will feature variations of handmade Italian pastas. Tickets are $60 per person, or $80 with beverage pairings, with gratuity included. Seating is limited to 25. Tickets are available at the restaurant. facebook.com/pizzeriafaulisi

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

Chef Ashley Christensen of Poole’s Diner is hosting a cookbook launch party 6 p.m. June 20 at Bridge Club, 105 W. Hargett St., Raleigh. The event will honor Chef Joshua McFadden, of Ava Gene’s in Portland, Ore., to celebrate his new book, “Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables,” which has received praise from several food publications. Christensen and her team will prepare six recipes from the book, including Chilled Seafood Salad and Fried Cauliflower with Spicy Fish Sauce. The ticket includes beer, wine and a cocktail pairings from the bar. Christensen will host a brief Q&A with McFadden about his process writing the cookbook and his perspective on cooking. It will be followed by a book signing, during which McFadden will sign the book. Copies of the book are not included in the ticket price but are available to buy at the event through Quail Ridge Books. Tickets are $55. ac-restaurants.com

A dozen food trucks will join the regular Holly Springs Farmers Market June 24 for the Park It in the Market Food Truck Rodeo. The rodeo is 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. across the street from Holly Springs Town Hall, 128 S. Main St., in the East Center Street Public Parking Lot. (The market starts at 8:30 a.m.) There also will be live music and children’s activities. Another food truck rodeo is scheduled Sept. 23. hollyspringsnc.us

La Farm Bakery owner Lionel Vatinet hosts his fifth annual Bread Bakers Guild of America Open House from 3 to 5 p.m. June 24 at La Farm Bakery, 4248 NW Cary Parkway, Cary. La Farm will offer behind-the-scene tours of the bakery, followed by a bread-shaping demo and an opportunity to see the bakers scoring and loading breads into and out of the hearth oven. A large variety of La Farm Bakery breads will be sampled – including Vatinet’s newest Barley Bread with Blueberries – and guests will take home a White Chocolate Mini Baguette. The event is free, but RSVPs are requested by emailing priya.joawn@lafarmbakery.com. lafarmbakery.com

Cary’s Downtown Chowdown (formerly known as the Chatham Street Chowdown) is leaving its East Chatham Street home and moving to the refurbished Academy Street for its next rodeo from noon to 5:30 p.m. June 25. Head to Academy Street between Chatham Street and Dry Avenue and the new Downtown Park. The Cary rodeo features 30 trucks, beer and wine vendors along with live music and seating areas. Other upcoming rodeos are July 30 and Oct. 1, all from noon to 5:30 p.m. townofcary.org (search “Downtown Chowdown”)

A live cooking show about Southern identities, “The Boiled Peanut Hour,” will feature The Lee Bros. (Matt and Ted Lee), with Andrea Reusing, chef at Lantern in Chapel Hill and the restaurant of the Durham Hotel, and choreographer Mark Dendy at 7 p.m. July 9 at Reynolds Industries Theater, Durham. Tickets are $50. Part of the American Dance Festival lineup. A limited number of $250 VIP tickets are available, which include a ticket to the performance and an after-show four-course dinner with the performers at The Durham Hotel prepared by Andrea Reusing. Proceeds will benefit the ADF Scholarship Fund. Tickets are available at the Duke University box office at tickets.duke.edu or by calling 919-684-4444. For information on the dance festival, go to americandancefestival.org.

The Wake Forest Food Truck Rodeo has two more events scheduled July 23 and Oct. 29. The July 23 event is noon to 4 p.m. at The Renaissance Centre at 405 S. Brooks St. in downtown Wake Forest. More than 15 trucks will be on site, plus a beer tent will be provided by Brooks Street Bowl. facebook.com/wakeforestfoodtruckrodeo/

Tickets are on sale for October’s TerraVita Food & Drink Festival, which will feature award-winning chefs, journalists, authors and tastings along with a sustainable food message. The four-day festival, now in its eighth year, is Oct. 18-21 at various Chapel Hill venues. The festival features dinners, chef demos as well as the Sustainable Classroom – workshops and tastings with acclaimed speakers. This year’s festival also features a Seasoned in the Chef tribute dinner to honor Bill Smith of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill. Chefs will prepare courses to recognize Smith’s legacy as a chef. Ticket prices vary per event. A limited number of four-day passes are $550. TerraVitaFest.com.

Abundance Healing Arts is hosting a series of sessions for participants to learn about edible and medicinal trees while walking through woods and fields in Chatham County. Participants will learn tree identification, safe and sustainable harvesting, as well as food and medicine preparation and uses. Participants also will create tree-inspired teas and edible treats. Classes are Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. June 8, 15, 22 and 29. The cost is $165 per person. abundancehealingarts.com/events.html

Durham Spirits Co., 3222 Old Chapel Hill Road, Durham, is holding a class to create a menu of small plates from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday. The event will feature Latin American dishes: Argentinian Empanadas with Chimichuri, Brazilian Cheese Bread, Cuban Tostones with Oregano and Garlic Mojo, Grilled Peruvian Meat Skewers, Puerto Rican Mofongo and Tres Leche Cake. $59 per person. 425-463-5430, durhamspiritscompany.com

The Kitchen Specialist, 3407 University Drive, Durham, hosts a class on making a Southern meal from 6 to 8 p.m. June 14. The menu includes: Fried Green Tomatoes with Corn and Tomato Remoulade, Crispy Pork with Benne Seeds and a Bourbon Peach Sauce, Charleston Red Rice, Videla Onion Tart, Kale and Blueberry Slaw and Bourbon Berry Cobbler. $59 per person. 919-490-4922, thekitchenspecialist.com.

Chef Gabe Barker of Pizzeria Mercato will teach a class from 6:30 to 9 p.m. June 28 at Midway Community Kitchen, 505 W. Rosemary St., Chapel Hill. There will be wine pairings with the food that’s prepared. $65. 919-280-0895, midwaycommunitykitchen.com.

Bites of Bull City, a food blog, hosts a walking tour in the Five Points area of downtown Durham from 2 to 5 p.m. June 17.The walking tour begins at 2 p.m. at the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau before heading to Counting House, inside 21c Museum Hotel. The tour continues to Pizzeria Toro, The Cupcake Bar, Bull McCabe’s and Viceroy. Spots are limited. There is only one tour per season. $48 per person. bitesofbullcity.com. Click on Foodie Events.

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. Start times vary. Tickets are $45, plus a service fee. Reservations must be made in advance. For descriptions, dates and reservations, go to trianglefoodtour.com

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. TapTheTriangle.com

Tours are offered at Mystic Farm & Distillery, 1212 N. Mineral Springs Road, Durham. Participants will learn about the process of making Bourbon whiskey and other spirits from the fields to the bottling line. Afterward, there will be a walking tour of the farm or a game of giant Jenga. Tours are June 10, 17 and 24 from 2 to 3 p.m. and 4 to 5 p.m. $10 and up. whatismystic.com.

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

This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Foodie events: Dinners, tours, festivals and more."