Parks

• Barkyard, Downtown Cary Park, 327 S. Academy St., Cary | This recently opened park features an open pavilion offering beer, wine, and nonalcoholic drinks adjacent to the big and little dog park complete with faux fallen logs, interactive water features, and more.
• Carolina Pines Dog Park, 2305 Lake Wheeler Rd. | Dog parents can enjoy picnic tables while their companion runs around the small or big dog area; the area is lit at night.
• Dix Park Dog Park, 1800 Umstead Dr. | Let your pooch run free at this grass-covered, newly renovated park — there is a water station for humans and pets, plus separate areas for small and large dogs.

• Millbrook Dog Park, 1905 Spring Forest Rd. | Raleigh’s oldest dog park, which opened in 2003, features agility equipment, drinking fountains, picnic tables, shade structures, and the area is lit at night.
• Oakwood Dog Park, 910 Brookside Dr. | Embracing the City of Oaks’ trees, this park is shaded and has two fully fenced areas for large + small dogs, water stations, and plenty of space to run.
• West Street Dog, 400 W. North St. | This indoor dog park and bar is the perfect place for your pup to run around while you sip a cold brew.
• Coming Soon: The Yard, 1115 W. Lenoir St. | This bar, cafe, and off-leash dog park headed by multidisciplinary Raleigh artist Taylor White, is coming soon to the historic Boylan Heights neighborhood.

• NC State Men’s Basketball vs. Syracuse | Tuesday, Feb. 20 | 7 p.m. | PNC Arena, 1400 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh | $20-$50 | Cheer on the Pack as it balls against Syracuse.
• Destin Conrad w/ Amaria | Tuesday, Feb. 20 | 7 p.m. | Lincoln Theatre, 126 E. Cabarrus St., Raleigh | $30-$50 | Listen to sultry R&B songs like “It’s Only You” performed live by this newcomer artist.

• Stargazing at The Willard | Wednesday, Feb. 21 | 7-9 p.m. | The Willard Rooftop Lounge, 9 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh | Free | Join the Raleigh Astronomy Club for the first stargazing session of 2024 — plus, grab celestial-inspired cocktails.

• QuiltCon | Thursday, Feb. 22-Sunday, Feb. 25 | 10 a.m. | Raleigh Convention Center, 500 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh | $15-$330 | Attend special lectures, workshops, and visit with vendors during the largest modern quilting event in the world.
• Laugh Out Loud: Black and Proud comedy show | Thursday, Feb. 22-Saturday, Feb. 24 | Times vary | TR Studio, 3027 Barrow Dr., Raleigh | $15 | Watch this comedy sketch show which is fully produced by and features rich voices of the African American community.

• Lauren Daigle — The Kaleidoscope Tour | Friday, Feb. 23 | 7 p.m. | PNC Arena, 1400 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh | $37-$102 | Listen to this contemporary Christian singer and songwriter perform hits like “Rescue” live.
• Adult Nights (Taylor’s Version) | Friday, Feb. 23 | 7-10 p.m. | NC Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones St., Raleigh | $15-$25 | Drop everything now and meet us at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences to dance like you’re feeling 22 and enjoy fun + interactive science activities.

• Dueling Dinosaurs Gala | Friday, April 19 | 6:30-10 p.m. | Nature Research Center, 121 W. Jones St., Raleigh | $200-$250 | Be among the first to see the Dueling Dinosaurs in their new home at the state-of-the-art SECU DinoLab. Celebrate the Dueling Dinosaurs Gala at a dino-mite evening of science, fun, and philanthropy.*

• A section of Hillsborough Street near the NC State Fairgrounds will be closed for the next two weeks. The NC Department of Transportation is relocating a water line — the closed segment is set to reopen March 2. (WRAL)

• Mac’s Speed Shop, a Charlotte-based restaurant chain coming soon to Five Points, is hiring for all positions. From servers to line cooks, apply to work at this neighborhood bar that promises beer, bikes, and award-winning barbecue.

• Join Iris Coffee Lab this Saturday, Feb. 24 + Sunday, Feb. 25 for its first ever Hashbrown Speedrun. Look forward to a loaded specialty menu featuring hash browns topped with Longleaf Swine barbecue, huevos rancheros, and more from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Phil Rosenthal of “Somebody Feed Phil” is coming to the Carolina Theatre of Durham on April 18. Tickets for the evening with Phil are on sale now — season seven of the foodie Netflix series will release on Friday, March 1.

• TrunkShow is hosting a Spring Market featuring funky vintage vendors on April 14. Bring a tote for your goodies and shop clothes, home goods, homemade items + more, and enjoy live music, food trucks, and beer. Vendor applications are open now through March 4.

• Raleigh ranked No. 23 on WalletHub’s list of the hardest working cities in America. Data ranging from employment rate to average weekly work hours was collected — Raleigh just topped NC’s largest city, Charlotte (hey, CLTtoday).

• The French bulldog is the most popular dog breed in the US. Spoil your pup, no matter the breed, with our dog-friendly business guide, and send us your favorite places to bring your pooch in the Raleigh area.

• “The Creative Team” is a free six-week workshop series from Raleigh Little Theatre centered around Directing, Stage Management, and Theatrical Design. Intended to offer educational + practical experience to groups historically underrepresented in theater training, each session prioritizes BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ applicants and runs March-April. Applications are due by Friday, Feb. 23.*

• A friendly reminder to book spring + summer vacations (they’re just around the corner). Looking for privacy? This beachfront Bahamas cottage is perfect for two. Prefer the mountains? Book this newly built Gatlinburg, Tennessee cabin. Want beach time? Walk to St. Simons, GA’s shore from this Vrbo that’s also a treehouse.*

• Hotel lodging tax collections added up to more than $38 million, up $5.1 million over 2022.
• Prepared food + bev tax collections totaled $44.6 million, an increase of $3.8 million over 2022.
• Both hotel lodging and prepared food + bev tax collections were the highest year on record, totaling 12.13% higher than 2022.
• Visit Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance hosted 367 events which brought nearly 629,000 visitors to the area.