Hopscotch Music Festival fills the streets of Raleigh. | Photo by Garrett Poulos
Take out your calendar, grab your day planner, or text all your friends — these are the top events we recommend heading to this month. Psst: Don’t forget to bookmark this page and come back; we update our guide monthly.
Concerts
American Aquarium Roadtrip to Raleigh | Thursday, Feb. 6-Saturday, Feb. 8 | Lincoln Theatre | $60 | Join this legendary Oak City band on its annual tour of Raleigh.
Winter Jam Tour 2025 | Friday, Feb. 14 | 7-10 p.m. | Lenovo Center | $15+ | Jam with Skillet, Anne Wilson, and more — plus, pay your donation at the door.
Seasonal events
Living in Color Art Exhibit | Saturday, Feb. 1-Friday, Feb. 28 | Dorothea Dix Park | Free | This exhibit celebrates the experiences of people of color in the South for Black History Month.
Adult Nights: Wild Love | Friday, Feb. 14 | 6:30-10 p.m. | Downtown Raleigh | $25 | Craft microscopic love notes, marvel at Valentine’s Day gemstones, and meet the live animal ambassadors of their species’ amorous connections.
“Florencia En El Amazonas” | Friday, Jan. 31 + Sunday, Feb. 2 | Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts | $25+ | NC Opera will perform its first ever Spanish language opera set in an enchanted Amazonian rainforest.
Beer Garden Drag Brunch Love Ball | 12-4 p.m. | Raleigh Beer Garden | $20+ | Enjoy mimosas and dazzling performances by local queens
Craft Pasta Alfredo From Scratch With Chef Lucas | Sunday, Feb. 2 | 1-3 p.m. | Tin Roof | $55 | Learn how to make this Italian fan fave dish from scratch, including making your own pasta dough.
Omakase by Kai, a new Omakase-style Japanese restaurant, will open soon at the Hyatt House Hotel in Seaboard Station featuring a wrap-around sake bar. The sushi restaurant is the latest project from chef James Chung, who also runs North Raleigh’s Kai Sushi & Sake Bar.
Sports
The Soccer Tournament is returning to WakeMed Soccer Park in June, and its slate of high-profile women’s soccer teams just doubled. TST will welcome 16 women’s teams and 48 men’s teams with a $1 million winner-takes-all prize. Last year, the US women’s national team beat our own NC Courage in the final round. (ABC 11)
Try This
It’s the last weekend of Triangle Restaurant Week, and there’s plenty of deals to indulge in. Read up on our picks and make some of your own, too.
Community
Raleigh is launching a pilot program to help neighbors in need, including those with substance use disorders, experiencing homelessness, and mental + behavioral crises. CARES is an alternative response program without police and is set to launch in June. Check out more ways to help your community with our volunteer guide. (INDY Week)
Ranked
We know it, you know it, and now B2B Reviews knows it: NC is the No. 1 best state to start a business, according to a recent ranking. The ranking highlighted our state’s business-friendly taxes, talented and high-quality workers, and lower cost of living. Check out the top industries and employers here in Raleigh.
Closed
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Cary’s Parkside Town Commons has closed, citing low foot traffic as a contributing factor. The restaurant, which opened in 2017, lost $132,000 in revenue between 2023 and 2024. (Triangle Business Journal)
Save time (and your hands) with these kitchen hacks: this jar opener is great for arthritic joints, while this chicken shredder does the hard shredding work for you.*
Category
Eat
🍽️ New vegan eats
Here’s a peek at Marian while it was under construction. | Photo by RALtoday
A new restaurant + cocktail bar opens on Glenwood South Friday, Jan. 31, and its menu of global flavors and bartender-crafted cocktails is elevated by its completely vegan kitchen. Here’s what to know about Marian before you go.
Marian is owned by VegSouth, the hospitality group behind other veggie eateries you may know like Element Gastropub and Dirty V, which plans to move from Apex to Raleigh this year. Expect the same commitment to fun, unexpected flavors while steering clear of meat, dairy, and any other non-vegan ingredients. We’re looking forward to a spread of tapas to share without worrying about food restrictions.
Marian is located in the former home of Plates Kitchen, which closed in July 2024. Italian restaurant Strada took over the space in October and subsequently changed its name to Rocco’s after a legal challenge by an Asheville restaurant of the same name. Rocco’s closed at the beginning of 2025.
The Buy
The Buy
An organic face scrub and mask with over 10,000 five-star reviews. It’s crafted with manuka honey, orange peel, cehami, and aloe vera to hydrate, brighten, moisturize, and smooth for clearer and more youthful skin.
I have to admit — my grand plan of Meatless Mondays in 2025 has fallen by the wayside. I’m hopeful a new option like Marian will get me and my meat-free curiosity back on track. I’m eyeing the oyster Rockefeller, carrot lox, and tonkatsu ramen.
Answered
Answered
Which Canes player has the most points this season besides Mikko Rantanen?
It’s Martin Necas. Although he’s not a Hurricane anymore, he had a big impact on this season. Ahead of last night’s game against the Blackhawks, newcomer Mikko Rantanen was tied for sixth in the league.
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