08.18.2023

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Today’s Forecast

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

💡 Calling all innovators

Everything you need to know about this year’s Bull City Summit

Two people talking on a stage at Bull City Summit.

There are 33 speakers that will at Bull City Summit. | Photography provided by Bull City Summit

Bull City Summit will return to downtown Durham Monday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 24. The seven-day festival and conference aims to celebrate innovation in science, music, the arts, and technology through a strategically cultivated lineup of speakers, music performances, incubator sessions, exhibits, and an art fair.

BCS has a lineup of seven keynote speakers, including Harvey Mason Jr., president and CEO of The Recording Academy; Dabney Hailey, the founder and CEO of Hailey Group; and Amie Thompson, president and CEO of Creative Allies.

Additionally, each day will feature various panel discussions and presentations that tackle topics such as AI, esports, international festivals, music advertising and public relations, personal branding, mental therapy and the arts, and climate change.

In between the keynote speakers and panel discussions are various happy hour events, live music performances, DJ sets with dance parties, and open mic events.

A DJ performing at Bull City Summitt. — Days at Bull City Summit will end with lots of music and dancing.
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Photography provided by Bull City Summit

Here are some of the events we’ve got our eyes on:

BCS Opening Night featuring performances by Mavis SWAN Poole and Lee Fields | Monday, Sept. 18 | 8 p.m. | Motorco Music Hall, 723 Rigsbee Ave., Durham
Keynote Fireside Chat: Harvey Mason Jr. | Tuesday, Sept. 19 | 9:30 a.m. | Durham Armory, 212 Foster St., Durham
Brett’s Open-Mic | Wednesday, Sept. 20 | 7 p.m. | The Blue Note Grill, 709 Washington St., Durham
BCS 2023 Keynote Fireside Chat: Artist Development & Personal Branding with Amie Thompson | Thursday, Sept. 21 | 1 p.m. | Durham Armory, 212 Foster St., Durham
Bull City Women In Media & Entrepreneurship | Friday, Sept. 22 | 2:30 p.m. | Durham Bottling Company, 506 Ramseur St., Durham
Closing Night with Death From Above 1979 | Saturday, Sept. 23 | 8 p.m. | Motorco Music Hall, 723 Rigsbee Ave., Durham

Ready to attend? Buy an all-access pass to attend all events or get tickets to individual music performances.

Events

Friday, Aug. 18

Each One Meet One | Friday, Aug. 18 | 6-8 p.m. | 4309 Auburn Knightdale Rd., Raleigh | Free | A business networking event hosted by the Economic Empowerment Ministry.
Throwback Jams and Karaoke Game Night | Friday, Aug. 18 | 7:30-10 p.m. | The House Restaurant, 4310 S. Miami Blvd., Durham | $8-$50 | Listen to ‘90s tunes while playing classic games like Uno, Jenga, chess, and checkers.

Saturday, Aug. 19

Body Mind Spirit Celebration 2023 | Saturday, Aug. 19-Sunday, Aug. 20 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | NC State Fairground Exposition Center, 4285 Trinity Rd. | $15 | A holistic living expo that features 165 booths, 75 performers, and 60 psychics and healers.
Balloon Bash Scavenger Hunt | Saturday, Aug. 19 | 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Moore Square, 201 S. Blount St., Raleigh | $0-$32 | Collect balloons through challenges in downtown Raleigh during this family-oriented scavenger hunt.

Sunday, Aug. 20

Cars and Coffee | Sunday, Aug. 20 | 8-11 a.m. | Crossroads Ford, 2333 Walnut St., Cary | Free | Grab a cup o’ joe and browse sweet rides at this indoor and outdoor car show.
Open Mic Sunday | Sunday, Aug. 20 | 3-6 p.m. | Gizmo Brew Works, 5907 Triangle Dr., Raleigh | Free | Local musicians will show off their chops on the outdoor stage.

Plan your weekend

Click here to have your event featured.

Try This

Ready, set, relax at The NOW Massage

Try This: Ready, set, relax at The NOW Massage

Presented by a RALtoday Partner

Slideshow of interior of The NOW Massage studio space.

The NOW’s Midtown East lobby is designed with raw elements + natural materials to create a chic, minimalist oasis. | Photos by RALtoday

Hey, Raleigh — RALtoday team member Garcelle here. Come along for an afternoon of relaxation thanks to a 50-minute NOW massage + Scalp Renewal Enhancement at The NOW Massage.

What we tried:

After check-in, I waited in the lobby before meeting my massage therapist, Holly, in the tranquil transition space where we discussed expectations and my preferences (which was a great time to mention problem areas).

Holly then led me into the massage space where each room is separated by thick canvas. The NOW’s signature scent and calming white noise immediately start working to relax me.

The 50-minute NOW massage focuses on rejuvenating, relieving stress, reducing anxiety, and inducing total relaxation — all of which I can confirm.

Read on to learn what products I took home, how the enhancement went (hint: it may have been my favorite part) + how you can be treated to a complimentary enhancement yourself.

Don't miss the bliss

News Notes

Arts

Calling all creative nonfiction writers of Wake, Durham, and Orange counties. Applications are open for the 2024 Piedmont Laureate program until Tuesday, Oct. 3. Writers of biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, and travel writing can apply, and the chosen Laureate will receive a $6,000 stipend.

Health

Wake County is hosting a free public health fair on Saturday, Aug. 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wake County Public Health Center, Clinic E, at 10 Sunnybrook Rd., Raleigh. Event attendees can receive free mpox vaccines, HIV + STI testing, and information about housing, employment assistance, and HIV care.

Closing

Today is Catalan Tapas Bar’s last day in business. The popular Cary restaurant, near La Farm, is closing on account of struggles caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, like increased overhead costs. (Triangle Business Journal)

Number

70,000. That’s how many meals Now Serving delivered over the past 18 months. The organization works to provide hunger relief to Triangle area residents by delivering free healthy meals crafted by local restaurants and caters. Learn how you can help the org’s mission.

Pets

Hause of Dogs, a dog bakery and ice cream bar, is celebrating its grand opening at 421 N. Harrington St., Ste. 120 in Smoky Hollow on Saturday, Aug. 19 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a Pup-Up Event featuring 15+ vendors. Come out with your doggo for a tail waggin’ good time.

Environment

Reduce the amount of garbage you send to the landfill through backyard composting. To help you get started, the City of Raleigh released a handy guide, featuring tips like how prevent a compost pile from getting smelly and resources for local food scrap collection areas.

Try This

Pizza and plants? Sounds like the perfect Friday night to us. The Resident Oven is popping up at Hartwell tonight from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Enjoy a slice + join Urban Pothos at 6:30 p.m. for a special workshop to make your own tamandama.

Finance

One card, all the perks. A $200 welcome bonus, unlimited cash back, and 0% interest into 2024 all with no annual fee almost sounds too good to be true — but this card has it all.*

The Word

Cannabidiol. CBD is a naturally occurring chemical compound in the cannabid sativa plant, which is a type of hemp. Looking to try CBD or legal THC products but don’t know where to start? Here are the answers to 20+ FAQs about CBD, courtesy of the experts at Trek CBD.*

Correction

We recently let you know that Transfer Co. Food Hall is hosting the PineCone People’s Square Dance from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18. While the event is indeed on Aug. 18, that is tonight — as in Friday — not Saturday. RSVP with a suggested donation of $10.

Number

Wake County tourism by the numbers

By the numbers: Dissecting Wake County’s 2023 visitation figures

Wake County’s hotel occupancy increased from 57.1% in 2021 to 66.8% in 2022. | Photo by RALtoday

18.5 million. That’s how many visitors Wake County welcomed in 2023, according to Wake County’s annual report.

2023 saw a 3.9% increase in visitation over 2022. These visitors spent a record-breaking $3.2 billion, an 8.1% increase from the previous year. Food and beverage sales accounted for $913 million of this figure while lodging accounted for $790 million.

RALtoday_VisitRaleigh2023_Spending — A healthy economy makes an even a healthier Raleigh.
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Photo by RALtoday

From this $3.2 billion in spending, $307 million in state and local taxes were generated. A direct impact of this spending resulted in the creation and sustainability of 25,000+ tourism and hospitality-related jobs. Additionally, the visitor-generated taxes saved Wake County households $712 in annual taxes, $111 more than 2022.

Large revenue contributors to Wake County’s economy — like PNC Arena and Red Hat Amphitheater — are often updated + enhanced using the taxes acquired from tourism. School construction, water, sewer, and other local necessities are also partially funded by tourism-generated spending.

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The Wrap

Emily Shea wearing a black shirt next to houseplants

Today’s edition by:
Emily

From the editor

Did you see our Reel about college move-in week? We hope it gives you a good laugh. Welcome new college students from NC State, Meredith, and beyond, and good luck with your first semester.

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