FIRST FRIDAY
When: Friday, February 1(6 pm-9 pm)
Where: Downtown Raleigh

Celebrate First Friday on Friday, February 1. First Friday is a free event that is open to the public and attracts hundreds of people to downtown the first Friday of every month. The First Friday Gallery Walk offers the public an opportunity to enjoy the openings of new gallery exhibitions, eat downtown and explore the art community. Come join the hundreds of people who already enjoy this very popular self-guided gallery walk and see how it has changed.

What's new about First Friday this year? Now, the event offers a First Friday Trolley. The trolley connects the five downtown districts so it's faster and easier to get around downtown and visit a wide range of different galleries and restaurants in one night. The trolley is FREE and runs from 6 pm-9 pm with seven different stops throughout downtown.

New 2008 map/guides will be available listing all of the 45 participating galleries, restaurants and retail outlets. The map/guide also highlights the First Friday Specials offered by the restaurants and bars. Additionally, it features the First Friday Trolley Route and Stops. All participating establishments will have the map/guides available as well as an official First Friday flag displayed outside their building. The displayed flag enables patrons to walk down the street and visually identify event participants.

Also new in 2008 is the updated First Friday web-site (GoDowntownRaleigh.com/FirstFriday). It serves as the main source of information for the event. It is hoped that this enhancement program helps create a sense of cohesiveness among participating businesses and increases public awareness of the event in downtown.

First Friday is generously supported by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, Downtown Raleigh Alliance and Ms. Jessie Cannon.

For more information, click here.

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The Del McCoury Band—a quintet fronted by the family patriarch and supported by his two sons, Ronnie McCoury on mandolin and Rob McCoury on banjo—is undeniably one of the most talented, venerated and vital groups in the modern bluegrass era. The Washington Post recently deemed Del McCoury “a national treasure”, while numerous music publications have credited the band with increasing the bluegrass “hip factor," generating much of the genre's steady upswing in popularity with a more youthful crowd.

The Del McCoury Band has now won more International Bluegrass Music Association awards than any other artist in the genre’s history with more than 40 individual and group citations from the IBMA—including a whopping nine “Entertainer Of The Year” honors. They won a Grammy in 2006 for "Best Bluegrass Album" for their album The Company We Keep, and have recently released their very first all gospel bluegrass album, The Promised Land. With a professional career spanning five decades, Del McCoury has proven not to be a relic of bluegrass music's past but an architect of its future.

This concert is part of PineCone’s 2007-08 Down Home Music Series.

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GROUNDHOG DAY
When: Saturday, February 2 (10 am-4 pm)
Where: NC Museum of Natural Sciences

Join an esteemed group of local luminaries and see Sir Walter Wally emerge from his winter digs. If he sees his shadow, we’re in for another six weeks of winter! Learn about groundhogs and hibernation. Meet a variety of live animals and discover how they make it through the winter.

For more information, click here.

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BEHIND THE SCENES AT DVORAK'S HILARIOUS COMIC OPERA "THE DEVIL AND KATE"
When: Monday, February 4 (6 pm)
Where: A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater lobby, Progress Energy Center
Cost: Free

For more information, call (336) 631-1534.

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DVORAK'S HILARIOUS COMIC OPERA "THE DEVIL AND KATE"
When: Friday, February 8 (8 pm) & Sunday February 10 (2 pm)
Where: A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater at Progress Energy Center

A mischievous fairy tale about a devil, a shrew, a princess … and the shepherd who rescues them all! Based on a story in Bozena Nemcova's “Folk Tales and Legends” (1845), the drama by J.K. Tyl (1850), and a poem by Ladislav Quis (1883).

Libretto by Adolf Wenig in an English translation by Ian Gledhill.

From the North Carolina School of the Arts

James Allbritten, music director
Steven LaCosse, stage director

Sung in English

Tickets:
$20 adults / $12 seniors and students

For more information, click here.

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LOVE IN THE TROPICS
When: Saturday, February 9 (7:30 pm-10:30 pm)
Where: NC Museum of Natural Sciences

Enjoy a fun-filled, adults-only, romantic evening of live music, Salsa dancing, food, games, tropical delights, a cash bar featuring frozen margaritas, a fifty/fifty raffle and a silent auction for great items such as a kayak, trips, one of a kind pieces of art and much more. All proceeds benefit the Educators of Excellence Fund. 

Cost:  $15 for Friends of the Museum, $20 for the General Public

For more information, click here.

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"THE DROWSY CHAPERONE"
When: Tuesday, February 12-Sunday, February 17
Show Times: Tues-Fri (8 pm); Sat (2 pm, 8 pm); Sun (2 pm, 7 pm)
Where: Memorial Auditorium at Progress Energy Center

Get ready to be transported to a magical, wonderful world! A world where the critics are in awe, the audiences are in heaven and the neighborhood is buzzing with excitement. Welcome to "The Drowsy Chaperone", the new musical comedy that is swooping into town with tons of laughs and the most 2006 Tony Awards of any musical on Broadway! It all begins when a die-hard musical fan plays his favorite cast album, a 1928 smash hit called "The Drowsy Chaperone," and the show magically bursts to life. We are instantly immersed in the glamorous, hilarious tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with thrills and surprises that take both the cast (literally) and the audience (metaphorically) soaring into the rafters.

"Intoxicatingly funny, with more laughs per minute than any new show on Broadway. The best party in town!"-Pat Collins, WWOR-TV

"A must-see."-Entertainment Weekly

For more information, click here.

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FREE VALENTINE'S DAY CARRIAGE RIDES COURTESY OF THE DOWNTOWN RALEIGH ALLIANCE
When: Thursday, February 14 (6 pm-10 pm)
Where: Pick up locations on Fayetteville Street

Under the twinkling lights of Fayetteville Street couples, friends and families can enjoy FREE horse drawn carriage rides courtesy of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance.  

Pick up locations for the carriage rides are 150 Fayetteville Street for rides around the Capitol and 219 Fayetteville Street for rides around Moore Square.

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TAJ MAHAL TRIO
When: Thursday, February 14 (8 pm)
Where: Meymandi Concert Hall at Progress Energy Center

A blues icon and two-time Grammy Award-winner, Taj Mahal incorporates into his distinctive blues a global perspective, reflecting and combining sounds from places he's lived and traveled. Taj Mahal has released more than 45 albums and has collaborated with a wide range of artists from Miles Davis to the Rolling Stones to Toumani Diabate to the late Etta Baker. He is

currently touring as The Taj Mahal Trio, on guitar, piano and banjo with Bill Rich on bass and Kester Smith on drums. Having performed together on and off for more than thirty years, these musicians combine their blues, folk and funk expertise and a long, shared history of Mahal's music.

This concert is part of PineCone’s 2007-08 Down Home Music Series.

For more information, click here.

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INTERIM DOWNTOWN PLAN PUBLIC MEETING
When: Wednesday, February 20 (6 pm)
Where: Raleigh Urban Design Center located at 133 Fayetteville St, Suite 100

You are invited to attend an open public meeting, hosted by the City of Raleigh, that will focus on the development of the Interim Downtown Plan. The Interim Downtown Plan is intended to address certain policy gaps not covered in the current comprehensive plan or other council-approved planning documents. This document is part of the approved timeline of events towards the eventual completion of the new Comprehensive Plan for the City of Raleigh.

During the meeting, staff of the City’s Comprehensive Plan consultant team, HNTB, will be on hand to present preliminary findings and recommendations. Attendees will be provided with the opportunity to respond to the preliminary recommendations.

For more information, please click here.  

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SAVE THE DATE-DOWNTOWN RALEIGH ALLIANCE ANNUAL MEETING
When: Tuesday, April 1 (5 pm-8:30 pm)
Where: Sheraton Raleigh Hotel at 421 S. Salisbury Street

Join your fellow downtown supporters at the DRA's Annual Meeting featuring guest speaker Gordon Nixon, RBC President & CEO.  The event will include a presentation highlighting 2007 accomplishments, an awards ceremony, and more. 

The awards ceremony will be one of the main highlights of the event. It will showcase projects completed in 2007 that significantly contributed to the identity of downtown, and will acknowledge individuals whom have advocated for downtown in 2007, and over a lifetime.

For Sponsorship opportunities, please contact Tracey Lovejoy at traceylovejoy@downtownraleigh.org.

For more information, click here.

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COUPONS, SPECIALS AND HALF-OFF GIFT CERTIFICATES

Coupons and Specials:

To access the Poole's Diner Valentine's Day Special, click here.

To access the Yancy's! Valentine's Day Special, click here.

To access the Chick-fil-A Valentine's Day Special, click here.

To access the coupon for Iatria, click here.

Half off gift certificates. Purchase a gift certificate for half the price of its value. (For example, buy a $50 gift certificate for only $25.) Limited supply available.

To access the certificate available for purchase, click here.

To access the certificate for purchase, click here.

To access the certificate for purchase, click here.

To access the certificate for purchase, click here.

To access the certificate for purchase, click here.

To access the certificate for purchase, click here.

To access the certificate for purchase, click here.

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THE LATEST EDITION OF THE RALEIGH DOWNTOWNER
The Raleigh Downtowner offers monthly news on downtown Raleigh: entertainment, dining, arts & culture, fashion, history, wine, and much more.

To view the latest edition and/or to view archived issues, click here.

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The reinvention of downtown Raleigh continues with the opening of Poole’s Diner.  The legendary luncheonette that began as a pie shop in the 1940’s is now under the skilled ownership and direction of Chef Ashley Christensen (also of Enoteca Vin) who breathes new life into the favorite downtown spot with sleek, updated décor and an evolving menu.   

With Christensen’s signature strong focus on high-quality, organic ingredients and local fare, the menu at Poole’s reads like a list of one’s favorite southern-style comfort food met with French bistro influence.  Christensen’s commitment to fresh presentation and boutique offerings means the menu changes weekly, sometimes daily.  “We come in everyday and cook what we want, what excites us.  It’s truly a cook’s kitchen.”  Menu favorites include tomato soup with fennel and crispy frog legs with fried herbs as appetizers; orange roasted beets with great hill blue as vinaigrette; Niman Ranch pork shank, pan fried North Carolina flounder with tomato and dill as mains; and macaroni au gratin and braised luck and money “next to.”  The menu is presented on two imposing blackboards near the entrance.   Drink selections, which include featured cocktails all made with fresh-squeezed juices and garnishes cut to order, beer, wine and the newly-added reserve wine list, are listed in the same fashion. 

Ashley wisely preserved the luncheonette’s popular double-horseshoe shaped bar, red banquettes and stools, but upped the cool of the spot by eliminating all kitsch and clutter.  Poole’s now reflects her aesthetic of style through simplicity and quality, and serves as an appropriate backdrop to her food.  Poole’s, in its many other incarnations, was a bar first and restaurant second.  With Ashley and her cooking, it is decidedly the reverse. 


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CAVE: WELL KNOWN NORTH CAROLINA ART NAME SURFACES ON NEW GALLERY IN DOWNTOWN RALEIGH
Location:115 1/2 East Hargett Street
Website: www.adamcavefineart.com
Grand Opening: Friday, February 1 (6 pm-9 pm)

Adam Cave Fine Art will open on Friday, February 1, 2008. This fine art exhibition gallery will represent a select group of regional and nationally known artists, including Joseph Cave, David Hewson, Stephen Aubuchon, Wayne Taylor, and Donald Furst. Additional artists will be announced in the future. The focus of the gallery will be mid and late career artists working in the mediums of painting, printmaking and photography. Adam Cave Fine Art will also be introducing some new, young talent to the area including Massachusetts painter Jennifer O'Connell.

Adam Cave grew up in a family of artists. His father, Joseph Cave, is a well known Southern landscape painter. Adam spent his childhood in Northern California and moved to Europe during his high school years. He attended college in Connecticut where he earned degrees in both fine art and art history at Connecticut College. On graduating, he began his fine art career in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1997, Adam arrived in the Triangle and became director of Raleigh's Gallery C where he remained until this Fall.

Adam is married to Cynthia Daniel Cave; an artist and a graduate of Meredith College. He has served on the Town of Cary Public Art Advisory Board as well as lectured for The Visual Art Exchange and The Fine Arts League of Cary.  Most recently Adam was asked to be a juror for Artspace in Raleigh and, in 2008, he will serve as art chair for the Aids Services Agency "Works of Heart" auction, the largest art auction and fundraiser in the Triangle.

A changing exhibition schedule of solo and group shows will be featured at Adam Cave Fine Art. The gallery is located on the 2nd floor of an historic 100 year old building recently remodeled by Empire Properties. 115 1/2 East Hargett is full of early Raleigh character and a perfect environment to showcase fine art. The Gallery is half a block from Moore Square and an easy walk to the NC State Capitol, numerous quality restaurants, museums, and other galleries, the  NC Symphony and the NC Ballet.

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PROPOSED MIXED-USE HIGH RISE PLANNED FOR GLENWOOD SOUTH

A development team led by Cross Williams of Williams Realty & Building Company and Architect Gary Cline, AIA have submitted preliminary site plans to the City of Raleigh for the newly named Powerhouse Plaza, a new 10-story, mixed-use building at the intersection of W. Jones, N. West and N. Harrington Streets in the vibrant Glenwood South District.  “We felt a strong connection to Powerhouse Square, which has been our home for the last eight years.  The development team also believed that this building would anchor one the four corners at Jones & West Streets and strengthen the identity of this area of Glenwood South” says Gary Cline, whose firm Cline Design Associates, redesigned the existing buildings for Progress Energy and Gregg Sandreuter ten years ago and moved in as its anchor tenant.    

The new building as proposed will have approximately 210,000 sf including a 134 – Room, Hyatt Place Hotel, Ground Floor Retail/Restaurant Space and Hotel Lobby, Rooftop Restaurant/Bar and 88,000 sf of Class A Office Space.  The 1.27  acre site shall also include a 403 car parking structure and which provides 3/1000 office  parking that is unheard of in the downtown office market.

Cline Design Associates, PA who is also designing the new project, plans to relocate its offices in up to 30,000 sf within the new building.  Negotiations are under way with several other anchor tenants who would have equity positions within the building.

Premiere Development Group of Charleston proposes to own and operate the upscale Hyatt Place Hotel, the first of its type in the Triangle area and the first within Hyatt’s portfolio to be integrated into a mixed-use building.  The new Hotel would be the first to open in vibrant Glenwood South District.  Interior plans for the Hotel are being prepared by R4Architecture of Charlotte, NC is coordination with Cline Design.  It is anticipated that the structure will be a LEED Certified Building, again one of the first of its kind in the State of North Carolina to include a hotel component.  Construction is estimated to begin mid to late summer of 2008 and be completed by the end of 2009. 

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For more information about Downtown Raleigh, visit www.GoDowntownRaleigh.com.

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