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Plan Ahead
Plan Ahead
📅 Grab that calendar
Explore stunning private gardens to ring in the spring. | Photo provided by Oakwood Garden Club
No April Fools here, just our April Plan Ahead. We’ve got over 20 local events this month you’re not going to want to miss — no kidding.
Festivals
2026 Pimento Cheese Festival | Saturday, April 11 | If you can imagine it, someone’s putting pimento cheese in it at this one-of-a-kind festival.
Y’all Means All NC Beer Festival | Saturday, April 25 | This new craft beer festival will welcome over a dozen local craft breweries with food trucks, live music, and more at Raleigh Brewing.
Earth Day
Earth YAY! 2026 | Saturday, April 18 | Celebrate the earth with The Great Raleigh Cleanup. Start with a morning yoga movement, an amphitheater cleanup, eco experts, and a market full of eco-friendly vendors.
Try This
The 37th Annual Oakwood Garden Tour | Saturday, April 11-Sunday, April 12 | Explore the most stunning gardens in Raleigh with a curated selection of teas.
21Marbles: PARTYology | Friday, April 17 | This 21 and up party will have you feeling like a kid again with arts and crafts, science demonstrations, and games like hockey and laser tag.
What do stink bombs, caboose cannons, and camouflage have in common?
Presented by Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Trippy toads, armored armadillos, and two-toed sloths are among the live animals featured in this new exhibition. | Photos provided by NC Museum of Natural Sciences.
With larger-than-life sculptures, interactive experiences, and live encounters, you’ll learn about animals from around the world and the wild strategies they use to survive — including a critter that can voluntarily shed its limbs to escape.
This family-friendly event is perfect for summer break, and is available in English and Spanish.
Vino & Tap, a new downtown Cary wine bar, opens tomorrow, April 2 with champagne cocktails, an extensive wine list, and beers on tap at the edge of Downtown Cary Park. (INDY Week)
Traffic
Speed a little. Lose a lot. That’s the name of the NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program’s new campaign targeting speeding drivers through this Sunday, April 5. This week, expect an increased number of patrols and checkpoints. (Raleigh Downtown)
Biz
$27 million. That’s how much the downtown Raleigh Sheraton hotel sold for — a 42% drop from its 2015 price. The hotel is poised to be renovated into a Westin hotel with elevated guest rooms and amenities. (The News & Observer)
Community
The North Carolina Forest Service has issued a statewide burn ban until further notice because of a drought affecting all 100 counties. Read this Q+A to learn more about what a burn ban means for your barbecue plans. (ABC 11)
Trending
A dead shark carcass was found in Wake Forest off Ligon Mill Road with its fin removed, and the NC Wildlife Commission said they have no knowledge of what happened. Before you click — it’s gruesome. (WRAL)
A trendy square-cut tank under $15 that’s a great wardrobe basic for spring and summer. It’s double-lined, soft, and has the right amount of stretch to flatter curves. Stock up in black, white, or both.
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