Body Mind Spirit Celebration | 10 a.m. | NC State Fairgrounds, Exposition Center | $15 | See what the future holds at this holistic festival, featuring almost 200 vendors, performers, and psychics.
The Soul Picnic | 5 p.m. | Booth Amphitheatre, Cary | $45+ | Whether you’re dancing to the beat, exploring local flavors, or shopping from one-of-a-kind creators, celebrate culture + community.
Malik Elassal | Saturday, Aug. 16-Sunday, Aug. 17 | Times vary | Goodnights Comedy Club | $34+ | You might recognize this comedian from the new FX series “Adults” — come out to see what he brings to the stage.
Sunday, Aug. 17
Raleigh Hippie Festival | 12-5 p.m. | Moore Square | Free+ | Keep it groovy while enjoying food trucks, live music, a market + vintage car show.
Katy Perry | 7 p.m. | Lenovo Center | $55+ | This legendary pop star is bringing all her hits to Raleigh — you won’t want to miss her shoot across the sky, sky, sky.
Saturday, Aug. 23
Packapalooza | 2-10 p.m. | Hillsborough Street + NC State Belltower | Free+ | Ring in the new Wolfpack school year with a family-friendly block party.
An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes | 7 p.m. | Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts | $44+ | Westley himself will join this screening of “The Princess Bride” with a moderated discussion and Q+A after the film.
73% of the corn crop across the US is in good to excellent condition — a 5% increase from this time last year, thanks to the abundant rainfall. Excited to try the cream of the crop? We recommend Salt & Lime Cabo Grill’s street corn. (AgWeb)
Listen
Do you feel like popular music has been a summer bummer recently? The lack of upbeat hits has resulted in many people deeming 2025 a year without a song of the summer. Luckily, Oak City has many upcoming concerts that will give us something to listen to in the fall. (CNN)
Tech
What’s that sound? Dial-up’s final rings. AOL announced it will discontinue its dial-up services on Tuesday, Sept. 30, after three decades. Help bring any users up to speed by connecting them to RALtoday when they get a new provider. (NPR)
Outdoors
50 minutes. That’s how much daylight will be lost in Raleigh during the month of August as the sun progressively rises later and sets earlier. We recommend taking advantage of the daylight while you have it by hitting a local trail. (AccuWeather)
Water for elephants? The North Carolina Zoo has it covered. The zoo recently celebrated World Elephant Day with C’sar — the oldest African Bull Elephant in North America.
Okay readers, get ready for another fun fact about your weekend editor. Elephants are my favorite animals (followed closely by sea turtles), and it’s safe to say this clip brought joy to my day + I hope it brings some to yours as well.
If you haven’t made the ~1.5-hour drive to the North Carolina Zoo yet, this is your sign it’s time to meet C’sar + his friends. With over 250 species, a new air hike ropes course, and so much more, it’s worth the day trip.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
There are just 98 days until Red Hat Amphitheater looks like this. Get ready to rink in the holiday season + start planning for this downtown winter wonderland — tickets are on sale now, and there’s plenty of cheerful activities planned.
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