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Dix Park is one of Raleigh’s best parks. | Photo by RALtoday
Dorothea Dix Park is the largest public park in Raleigh at 308 acres, and it’s seriously grown in the last few years. We’ve decided it’s time for Dix Park to get its own spotlight from us, starting off with landmarks — we’ll also cover history and what’s coming soon, too.
Major park landmarks
Gipson Play Plaza | Enter from either Lake Wheeler Road entrance | Where do we even start? Gipson is the largest adventure playground in the Southeast with something for every kiddo, including a fountain to play in, a sensory maze, and a 91-foot-long mega swing.
Stone Houses | Enter from southern Western Avenue entrance | These recently renovated houses were once part of day-to-day operations for Dorothea Dix Hospital, but now, they act as offices for park staff, a welcome center, and guest restrooms.
Trolls | Not so fast. Artist Thomas Dambo says his one-of-a-kind wooden trolls are meant to be discovered organically. While the park has dropped some hints as to where these trolls might be, we’re not spoiling the surprise.
SoCal jewelry brand Gorjana will open its first Raleigh store in North Hills next to True Food Kitchen. This everyday jewelry brand specializes in pieces to mix, match, and layer, with a Laguna Beach-inspired storefront. We’ll let you know when it opens.
Coming Soon
Drift Coffee will be the first retail tenant of The Weld, a new development near Dix Park. Expect more cafe faves from the Wade Avenue location in a nearly 1,500 sqft space when it opens next summer. (Raleigh Magazine)
Travel
RDU is not among the 40 US airports that will have to reduce flights, but the airport still might see some related travel delays. Maybe it’s time to consider Amtrak instead of a flight? (PBS)
Civic
Many Wake election results are in — check The News & Observer’s coverage to see who will lead various Wake towns + municipalities.
Health
Appointments are now available for COVID-19 vaccines at five Wake County clinics. Make your appointment at Wake County Public Health Center, Departure Regional Center, or three other centers in the county.
Holiday
The City of Raleigh is collecting new and unwrapped toys for newborns to 13-year-olds in its annual Elf Squad holiday toy drive. You have until Wednesday, Dec. 10 to drop off at community centers and other local hubs.
Jobs
Do you have a passion for local theater? Raleigh Little Theatre is hiring a Development Manager who will build a culture of philanthropy at the theater company. Doesn’t sound like you? Apply for a part-time position at the box office instead.
Looking for a remote opportunity to lead and inspire a winning team? We’re hiring a Sales Director to fuel our fast-paced sales team, with a competitive salary, premium benefits, unlimited PTO, and real growth opportunities to boot. Apply to join our team.
It’s a new chapter for Raleigh’s next bookstore, and it all starts with The Prologue. Bright Side Books and Wine, a romance bookstore + wine store, will open soon at The Platform apartments in the West End, but they’ve set up a temporary shop in the Warehouse District.
Take a sneak peek at the store’s wares, including a selection of romance from BIPOC authors, blind books, and plenty of seating for cracking open your next read.
A MagSafe charging station with fast-charging technology. We love its foldable, travel-friendly design, allowing us to charge up to three devices at once from anywhere.
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.
Happy Friday, Raleigh. You might have already seen it in our events section, but this is the first weekend of Moonlight in the Garden at JC Raulston Arboretum. The arboretum is one of my favorite places in town, and being there at night with festive lights is just magical. Don’t miss it!
JC Raulston Arboretum is lit up just two weekends a year to explore after hours.
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