Hopscotch Music Festival fills the streets of Raleigh. | Photo by Garrett Poulos
Lucky you. You just found RALtoday’s Plan Ahead, a list of some of the biggest events to plan for that are taking place throughout Raleigh each month.
Live music
Tyler Childers: On The Road | Tuesday, April 15 | 8 p.m. | Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek | $100 | Sway to this country singer’s songs like “All Your’n” and “Feathered Indians.”
Billy Strings | Thursday, April 17-Saturday, April 19 | Times vary | Booth Amphitheatre, Cary | $140+ | This acclaimed improvisational singer + flat-picking guitarist will come to Cary for three days of bluegrass.
Pimento Cheese Festival | Saturday, April 12 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Downtown Cary Park, Cary | Price of purchase | Explore 50+ vendors and taste creative pimento cheese-infused dishes, from empanadas to ice cream.
15th Annual North Carolina ‘Cuegrass Festival | Saturday, April 19 | 12-10 p.m. | Fayetteville Street | Price of purchase | NC staples barbecue and bluegrass unite for one fun festival complete with a vendor market in support of SAFEchild.
Meet the Artist: J. Felton Powell | 3-4 p.m. | Wake Forest Community Library, Wake Forest | Free | This all-ages program celebrates the unique + vibrant local artist.
Little Native Comedy Show | 7-10 p.m. | Little Native Coffee Co. | $10 | Laugh with a slate of local comedians at the intimate coffee shop.
Friday, March 28
Raleigh Burger Bar Takeover | 5-9 p.m. | Sir Walter Coffee & Kitchen | Price of purchase | Try exclusive burgers like the Wicked Walter with habanero jam and pepper jack cheese.
Trisha Paytas: The Eras of Trish Tour | 7:30 p.m. | Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts | $68+ | The viral internet star will bring her one-woman tour to Raleigh.
Tonight at 9:39 p.m., No. 1 seed Blue Devils men’s basketball will play No. 4 seed Arizona in hopes of advancing to the Elite Eight. Duke will take on former Tar Heel + familiar face Caleb Love who is the top scorer for the Wildcats with 16.8 points per game. Stream the game with Peacock.
Watch
ICYMI, our local “The Voice” contestant was eliminated earlier this week. Deputy Robert Hunter didn’t make it through the show’s battle round — but we’re still rooting for you, Robert.Read more about Hunter’s time on the NBC show. (WRAL)
Travel
The last thing you want to think about when planning a trip is parking at the airport — but did you know there are ways to avoid paying for parking? Many hotels + nearby parking lots offer free parking and shuttles to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. See the full guide.(The News & Observer)
Environment
The NC Forest Service issued a statewide open-burning ban due to mass wildfires, most in WNC. The News & Observer has a full list of supplies for wildfire evacuation kits, including a portable NOAA weather radio, three days of food + water, and more essentials.
Older Adults
Do you dream of Santorini? Attend an interest meeting for a group trip to Athens and the Greek Islands on Monday, April 7 to learn more about visiting iconic destinations like the Acropolis, the Parthenon, a local winery, and more breathtaking beauty of the Mediterranean.
Community
Thanks to the Canes, Apex is now home to two street hockey rinks at Apex Community Park, and you can welcome them with a festival on Saturday, March 29. Expect bounce houses, food trucks, and appearances from Canes players + Apex officials to help break the ice.
Finance
If you’re in credit card debt, you could spend hours (or days, or weeks) mapping out how to reduce it on your own... or you could let Freedom Debt Relief step in to renegotiate with debtors and consolidate your payments. See if you qualify.*
Announced
Congrats to Edward K. on winning our Lovin’ Life Music Fest Giveaway in partnership with Southern Entertainment.*
Category
State
🎤 NC’s official hip-hop song?
Petey Pablo’s influence on NC can be seen everywhere — including Canes home games. | Photo by RALtoday
“This one’s for North Carolina, come on and raise up.”
That’s how the chorus of NC-native Petey Pablo’s “Raise Up” starts, and since its 2001 release, the song has become a Tar Heel State staple. Now, it could be enshrined into law with other state icons like the dogwood, plott hound, and cardinal.
A bill was filed in the NC Senate this week that would establish (a censored version of) “Raise Up” as NC’s official hip-hop song due to its cultural significance. Can you name another song that name-drops Hoke County? NC is the only state with an official toast, and if adopted, the only state with an official hip-hop song.
The Carolina Hurricanes have even adopted “Raise Up” as the slogan for the 2024-25 season after the song was chosen as the team’s goal song in 2018. Watch the hype video of Pablo throughout the Lenovo Center + Oak City.
The Buy
The Buy
A purse organizer that’s 69% off thanks to Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. Say goodbye to a messy handbag with this organizer featuring 13 thoughtfully designed pockets to keep everything in its place. Read: You’ll never be endlessly digging around for your keys again.
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