Today’s Forecast

51º | Cloudy | 0% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:25 a.m. | Sunset 5:17 p.m.

City

The red New Raleigh Flag with an acorn on it flying in front of Raleigh's skyline.

Have you spotted the newly-designed flag flying around Raleigh? | Photo by Mahmoud Khader

A local grassroots movement is looking to upgrade Raleigh’s flag to make it “more iconic.” The New Raleigh Flag Campaign redesigned the historic flag, created in 1899, into a simplified version inspired by the original. It’s intended to one day become a second official Raleigh flag. Read: The new flag won’t replace the old one.

The campaign started in 2021 after Raleighite Brian Rineer saw the Ted Talk “Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you’ve never noticed.” Inspired to create a more recognizable Raleigh flag, Brian — along with his son, Craig — and a handful of other Raleighites, collaborated to create a new one.

“The purpose of a flag is to signal identity at a distance,” Brian told RALtoday. “I think there’s a desire to have something like that — people like living here and they’re proud of the city. I think they would like to show that sense of identity with a recognizable symbol.”

A comparison of Raleigh's old flag and new flag. — Raleigh’s historic flag was created in 1899.
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Graphic by RALtoday

The new flag incorporates the bright red color and silver diamonds from Sir Walter Raleigh’s coat of arms into an acorn emblem. Fun fact: The acorn is a symbol of potential and growth. Unlike the original, the new flag is not double-sided.

“Raleigh is the City of Oaks and named for Sir Walter Raleigh, so we wanted to find a way to represent those two themes in a simple, concise, and easily-recognizable way,” Brian said.

Multiple residents and businesses, such as North Street Beer Station and DeMo’s Pizzeria & Deli, are already flying the new flag.

City Council must vote to adopt the new design as an official flag of Raleigh. A vote is not yet scheduled. “Right now, we’re just trying to spread awareness,” Brian said. “If we continue on our current trajectory and the community continues embracing it, I’m hopeful that would make it a no-brainer when it comes time for the council to decide.”

Want to fly the new Raleigh flag? You can buy one here.

Asked

Do you think Raleigh needs another official flag?

A. Yes, I love the new design.
B. Yes, but not this one.
C. No, I like the historic one.
D. Raleigh has a flag?

Let us know

Events

Friday, April 28

Chicago/Raleigh Improv Festival | Friday, April 28-Saturday, April 29 | Times vary | ComedyWorx, 3801 Hillsborough St., Raleigh | $15 | Some of the best long-form improv teams from the Windy City and City of Oaks will take the stage all weekend long.

Saturday, April 29

Lawn Art With Neighbors | Saturday, April 29-Sunday, May 7 | 9 a.m.-9 p.m. | Raleigh | Free | Create any type of visual or performing art that can be displayed on your front lawn, balcony or any patch of grass; register to be included on the L.A.W.N. Raleigh viewing map.
The Great Raleigh Cleanup Best Day Ever: Spring Fun-raiser | Saturday, Apr. 29 | 1-5 p.m. | Haven Farm, 8521 Buffalo Rd., Knightdale | $30-$2,500 | Enjoy music, food trucks, yoga, lawn games, a silent auction, and family-friendly activities such as creating sustainable art and cuddling baby goats.
Roshambo Spring Market & Music | Saturday, Apr. 29 | 1-5 p.m. | Transfer Co. Food Hall, 500 E. Davie St., Raleigh | Free | Grab a drink and some lunch, enjoy music by Trey Mulvey, and shop local vendors.
Make-A-Wish hosts Raleigh book release event at Crabtree | Saturday, Apr. 29 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Crabtree Center Court, 4325 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh | Free | Join Crabtree, Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina, and Barnes & Noble to honor Ellena Vollmer, a 16-year-old girl from Elizabeth City, who had a dream of writing + publishing her own children’s book.*

Sunday, April 30

Flights & Bites: A Wine and Food Pairing | Sunday, Apr. 30 | 12-5 p.m. | The Wine Feed, 602 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh | $30 | Delicious food from Brewery Bhavana will be perfectly paired with a wine flight.

Monday, May 1

Yoga in the Park | Monday, May 1 | 6-7 p.m. | Flowers Field at Dix Park, 1030 Richardson Dr., Raleigh | Free | Enjoy the nature and tranquility of the park with a yoga class to increase strength and flexibility.

Plan your weekend

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Try This

🌇 Spend a summer night at the newly-opened AVA Rooftop Bar

Slideshow of photos around AVA Rooftop Bar at Fenton in Cary.

Catch us spending golden hour at AVA’s this summer. | Photos by RALtoday

It’s rooftop season here in Raleigh, and to celebrate, we stopped by the opening of AVA Rooftop Bar at Fenton in Cary.

The new sun-soaked outdoor bar atop Sports & Social and PBR Cary offers plenty of seating for groups + parties and peak day-to-night summer vibes courtesy of a live DJ.

Belly up to the bar to enjoy craft cocktails, wine, beer + bubbly, plus light bites perfect for sharing (think: hummus platters, skewers + tabbouleh.)

What we tried:

We sipped on a few signature cocktails, including the AVA Margarita + the Watermelon Spritz, and ended the night with a sunset champagne toast (a daily occurrence). The Mediterranean-inspired fare was spot on for the warming weather and dessert was the cherry on top of the evening.

Keep reading to see what not to miss + what we’re still talking about. Already itching to go? AVA is now open, so stop by Wednesday-Friday from 5 p.m. to close, or Saturday + Sunday from noon to close. Happy roof-topping, Raleigh.*

What not to miss

News Notes

Coming Soon

A new ABC store is opening in the former Kimbrell’s Furniture building on Salisbury Street. This will be the first time in ~40 years a liquor store will be located downtown. The building, owned by Empire Properties, will also include additional retail space, offices, and residential units. (The News & Observer)

Development

Durham-based developer Jarrod Edens filed a zoning map change application to build up to 650 homes near Falls Village Golf Club in east Durham. If the request is approved, it would allow for more density and a greater variety of housing types on 10 lots along Highway 98. (Triangle Business Journal)

Seasonal

The John Chavis Splash Pad is now open for the season. The water feature is open 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Sunday. There is no lifeguard on duty and children must be supervised by an adult.

Shop

Frills Atelier will host a grand opening party on Friday, May 5 in its new space in the Pop-Up Shops at Martin Street. From 6-9:30 p.m., shop from the sustainable fashion accessory shop — along with other vintage and art vendors — while enjoying a complimentary nacho bar and sangria.

Biz

Attention restaurant owners. If you’re interested in building a streetery, funding is still available. The City of Raleigh’s outdoor seating program helps local businesses build streeteries by lessening the cost. Funding supports the construction and installation of a platform and walls.
Electric vehicle company VinFast announced that it raised $2.5 billion in new funding. The commitments will “give a push for VinFast to accelerate its development,” including opening a manufacturing complex in Chatham County in 2025. (WRAL TechWire)

Eat

Planning a family cookout — or a kid’s birthday party? These s’mores cups are perfect for pint-sized party-goers, and they’re easy to make. Pro tip: Top with gummy worms for extra fun.*

Finance

Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Calculate your payment.*

Drink

Ditch the hangover without having to ditch your favorite cocktail with Ritual Zero Proof Spirits. The award-winning brand makes non-alcoholic rum, tequila, gin, and whiskey so you can enjoy the ritual of having a drink without feeling icky the following day. Psst — check out Ritual’s collection of cocktail recipes.

City

How downtown has grown (so far) this year

The resident population of downtown Raleigh is more than 12,000. | Photo by Ashton Stepter

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance released its Quarterly Market Report, recapping the progress of developments, business openings, and other market trends in downtown from January to March 2023. Here are some highlights:

There are 16 developments currently under construction. The Signal apartment building in Seaboard Station was the first to be completed this year. Check it out.
Of the 17 new businesses that opened, HUSH, Social Club 112, and Split opened most recently in March. Bonus: Happy + Hale and the Ark Royal reopened. See available retail space.
More than 2,300 residential units were delivered or currently under construction (400H recently topped out).
Events such as the Carolina Hurricanes Fan Fest helped attract 1.5 million unique visitors to downtown. So it’s a good thing that 408 hotel rooms are under construction.

Read the full report.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Anne

From the editor

The votes are in... and it looks like our readers’ favorite Cook Out milkshake flavors are Oreo and Oreo Mint. Don’t agree? Nominate your favorite in our poll.

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