THANK YOU SURVEY PARTICPANTS

As you may know, the March newsletter provided a link to a perception survey regarding the contents of the Downtown Raleigh Newsletter. We appreciate your feedback and thank you for your time.

We would like to take a moment to respond to a couple of your comments to inform you of other great resources available to you.

1. For survey participants interested in more information on downtown businesses, please click here to download our downtown guides "Discover Downtown" for a complete map and guide to dining, shopping, entertainment and parking in Downtown Raleigh. You may also pick up a copy at the Downtown Raleigh Alliance located on 120 S. Wilmington Street, Suite 103.
   
   
2. For survey participants interested in map access, please click here to view our interactive map. (Map navigation: our interactive map enables users to click on any one point and retrieve nearby parking, restaurants, etc. The link provided above takes you directly to the dining category; however, you may navigate away from this page to locate other map coordinates.)
   
   
3. For survey participants interested in receiving street closure notifications, please e-mail info@downtownraleigh.org with "street closure notification e-mail" as the subject header. These blast e-mails are sent the Monday prior to weekend street closures.
   
   
4. The electronic newsletter features special events; however, to view a complete list of downtown events visit our events calendar at www.GoDowntownRaleigh.com. To access the calendar directly, click here.
   
   
5. By popular demand, we will now include coupons in the newsletters when available.

Thank you for your feedback and we welcome you to e-mail info@downtownraleigh.org with any additional comments.

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COUPONS

To access the coupon for Caffe Luna click here.


To access the coupon for Helios click here.

To access the coupon for Gandolfo's click here.

To access the coupon for McDonald's click here.

To access the coupon for Mo's Diner click here.

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"ABOUT DOWNTOWN RALEIGH" NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance is pleased to announce that the fourth issue of "About Downtown Raleigh" magazine (published in partnership with the News and observer) is now available for download. To download this issue of "About Downtown," click here.

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RALEIGH RICKSHAW COMPANY


The Raleigh Rickshaw Company provides a fun and friendly transportation service new to Downtown Raleigh.  For trips that are too far to walk but too near to drive, hail a rickshaw and enjoy a clean, comfortable ride in a street legal, environmentally friendly vehicle.  For an introductory period, drivers are working for tips only.  The next time you see a green, bicycle carriage downtown, flag one down, and take a ride.

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HORSE AND CARRIAGE RIDES
When: Saturday-Sunday (noon-5 pm-weather permitting)
Where: Downtown Raleigh

Enjoy an afternoon carriage ride. Pick-up is located on Edenton Street between the State Capitol and the North Carolina Museum of History.

For more information, call 919.915.0378.

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MOORE SQUARE FARMER'S MARKET
When: Wednesdays from April through October (10:30 am-2 pm)
Where: Moore Square

Join us on Wednesdays for Raleigh's only downtown Farmers Market located in Moore Square on the corner of Blount and Martin Streets. Support your local growers and artisans and enjoy chef series, music, and rotating wineries (wineries present on select dates). The market now also features a variety of delectable lunch items prepared by our main market sponsor Whole Foods Market.

Wednesday, May 2 features musician Jeremy Lev and Chef Todd Whitney from J. Betskis.

For more information, click here.

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FIRST FRIDAY BANNER AUCTION
When: First Friday, May 4 (6 pm-9 pm)
Where: City Market located on the corner of Martin and Parham Street

Friday, May 4, 2007 will continue the silent auctions of the Fayetteville Street Art banners.  Coinciding with downtown Raleigh’s First Friday Gallery Walk, the auction of the beautiful banners will be held on Parham Street in City Market from 6 pm-9 pm.  Several ‘love’, and a few 'angel' banners will be available to the public at the auction. 

The brainchild of Raleigh Arts Commissioner Jessie Cannon the art banners are a wonderful way for local artists to display their work.  “I am so pleased that the response from our local artists has been so positive,” said Jessie Cannon.  Half the proceeds from the auction will go back to the artists and the other half will fund future banners along Fayetteville Street.  Throughout the year, the banners will be auctioned off during the First Friday Gallery Walks. 

The artists’ love banners were hung on lamp posts lining Fayetteville Street for Valentine's Day and during the months of March and April.  The artists who painted the ‘angel’ banners were Georges LeChevallier, Anna Podris, Keith Norval, Kathy Ammon, Karin Baumeister-Rehm, Veronica Samuel, Matthew Mahler, Kitty Mecham, Stacy Lewis, Jose Manuel Cruz, Bill Burch, Kirk Adam, Virginia Owen and Constance Pappalardo.

Currently, you can stroll along Fayetteville Street and view the wonderful work of local artists who painted their visual concepts of ‘spring’.  The twelve artists participating in the ‘spring’ banners project are Karin Baumeister-Rehm, Bill Burch, Douglas Clark, Jose Manuel Cruz, Larry Dean, Barbara Jacobs, Lisa Jones, Carol Lancaster, Stacy Lewis, Starr Oldorff, Martha Thorn and Emily Weinstein.  Artspace and Visual Art Exchange were instrumental in recruiting the artists for these projects.  “This is a great way for local artists to have a presence in downtown and a wonderful way to showcase Raleigh’s talent,” said Sarah Powers, Executive Director of Visual Art Exchange.

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PUBLIC ART PROJECT
Project Unveiling: First Friday, May 4 (6 pm-9 pm)
Where: City Market in downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square Art District

Visual Art Exchange (VAE) is pleased to announce the start of new art education project and intensive artist residency program for two Wake County Alternative Schools. VAE is working with students from Raleigh’s Mary Phillips High School (MPHS) and Longview High and Middle School and Raleigh artist Andre Leon Gray to create murals on trash bins for City Market in downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square Art District. The project will be unveiled to the community during May’s First Friday Gallery Walk, May 4 from 6 pm-9 pm.

For more information, click here.

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8TH ANNUAL K9-3K DOG WALK AND SENIOR DOG 1/2 K
When: Saturday, May 5 (Festivities Start-2 pm; 3K Walk-4 pm; 1/2 K Senior Dog Walk-4:15 pm; Bark After Dark in City Market-5:30 pm-9 pmt)
Where: Moore Square and City Market
Cost: Festivities free to public or click here to view dog walk registration fees.

CELEBRATE
Join in on the festivities, which start at 2:00pm, with annual event favorites including: sponsor booths, demonstrations, dog contests, a microchip clinic, music, refreshments, and the Vendor Village, full of great shopping.
Plus see if YOUR dog can paint at the SPCA Doggie Painting Booth. Go home with an authentic work of art painted by your own pet. Dog Contests Include: Best Costume, Best Singing Voice, Frisbee/Ball Toss, Best K-9 Kiss!

WALK!
The 3K Walk starts at 4:00pm
The 1/2 K Senior Walk starts at 4:15pm
Have a pet that would prefer to stay at home? Try bringing friends and/or family for company and bring a picture of your pet instead!

Celebrate More
After the walk, at 5:30pm, “Bark After Dark” continues the celebration in City Market with live music, beer and food. And the best part? This street party is open to the DOGS as well as their owners.

For more information, click here.

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NC FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS FOUNDATION MEMORIAL SERVICE
When: Saturday, May 5 (10 am-3 pm)
Where: Nash Square

Honor the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters on Saturday, May 5.

The parade will begin at 10 am and the memorial service will begin at 1 pm.

For more information, click here.

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DOWNTOWN RALEIGH FESTIVAL OF HOPE
When: Saturday, May 5 (10 am-2 pm)
Where: Hargett Street in front of the Raleigh Rescue Mission

The Downtown Raleigh Festival of Hope, a day of great family fun, is open to the public and free of charge. It is the Raleigh Rescue Mission's way of saying thanks to the donors and community for another year of life-changing ministry.

The festival will include:

The Big Barbeque Showdown featuring to best of local barbeque
Art Off the Square featuring the work of local artists
Live music and entertainment for the whole family
Games for the kids
Food, beverages, ice cream, candy and snacks
Tours of the mission which will be given every half hour

So come to the mission for a day of family fun and find out how you can help in the fight against homelessness right here in Raleigh.

For more information, click here.

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AIDSWALK+RIDE
When: Saturday, May 5 (Click here for schedule)
Where: Downtown Raleigh

The AIDSWALK+RIDE sets off from the State Capitol on Saturday, May 5. The event consist of one mile and three mile walk routes and 30-mile, 60-mile, and 101.5 mile bike routes.

For more information, click here.

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LECTURE SERIES: TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT: HOW DO WE GET THERE FROM HERE?
When: Thursday, May 10 (6 pm-8:30 pm)
Where:Fletcher Opera Theater at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts

• Is your commute getting longer?
• Are you tired of sitting in traffic?
• Are you interested in options for healthy living?
• Do you devote your professional or personal life to issues of city planning, urban design, sustainability, architecture, development, public transit, healthy living, public health, the environment, global warming or community design?

Knowledge is power.  Learn more about how transit affects the issues you care about and our city’s and our region’s future competitiveness and quality of life.

SAVE THE DATE and join the Raleigh Department of City Planning for the next Designing a 21st Century City lecture.  The event is free and open to the public.  Register now.

Light refreshments will be available prior to the presentation.  Presenters Dr. Robert Cervero’s and Dr. Reid Ewing’s publications will be on sale all evening.  A book signing follows the lecture.

For more information, download the flyer here of visit the website at www.raleighnc.gov/lectureseries.

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MEET THE ANIMALS WEEK

ARTSPLOSURE
When: Saturday, May 19 (11am-7pm); Sunday, May 20 (11am-6pm)
Where: Moore Square

Artsplosure, the Raleigh Arts Festival, has been the premiere arts festival in central North Carolina for 28 years.  The event includes over 170 visual artists showing and selling their work on the streets surrounding Moore Square Park.  In the park, award-winning musicians perform live on a main state throughout the weekend, and Kidsplosure offer crafts and performances just for children.  All Free!

For more information, click here.

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3RD ANNUAL DOWNTOWN RALEIGH HOME TOUR
When: Saturday, May 19 (11 am-5 pm)
Where: Downtown Raleigh

The Department of City Planning is proud to host the 3rd Annual Downtown Raleigh Home Tour on Saturday, May 19 from 11 am-5 pm, highlighting more than a dozen residential properties in the heart of the city.  Held the same weekend as Artsplosure, the self-guided tour showcases the wide variety of housing options available in Downtown, including historic properties and single-family homes, as well as affordable rental units and luxury condominiums.  Information on residential projects that are planned or under construction will also be available.  The event will be held rain or shine.

Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased by cash or check at the Raleigh Urban Design Center at 133 Fayetteville Street.  Children 12 and under are free.  Proceeds from ticket sales contribute to funding the Department of City Planning’s Designing a 21st Century City lecture series.   

For more information call (919) 807-8479, email hometour@ci.raleigh.nc.us, or click here.

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Band Together is thrilled to bring Son Volt to Raleigh on May 19 where great music and local altruism will collide from 6:30 pm-11 pm with possible after show inside at Lincoln Theatre. Cabarrus Street will be closed off, so feel free to bring a lawn chair (and your dancing shoes) for this outdoor event. Price is $17.50 in advance.

For more information, click here.

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RALEIGH DOWNTOWN CRITERIUM

Downtown is Heating Up!  Feel the fever rise as world-class cyclists battle it out under the lights in downtown Raleigh’s newly revitalized Fayetteville Street district.

Experience the thrill of lightning fast turns, high speeds sprints and a block party beat.

For more information, click here.

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MOVIES IN MOORE SQUARE
When: Select Saturdays (May, 26; June 9; June 23; July 7; July 21; August 4; August 18; September 1)
Where: Moore Square

Scheduled movies will be announced soon on the calendar of events at www.GoDowntownRaleigh.com.

MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE
When: Monday, May 28 (10 am-4 pm)
Where: North Carolina State Capitol

A military encampment representing three centuries of military tradition will be set up on the Capitol grounds. A wreath-laying ceremony in honor of those North Carolinians who served during times of war will take place at the Veterans’ Monument. 10 am-4 pm.

For more information, call 919-733-4994 or click here.  




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June 02, 2007: Everclear
June 16, 2007: Unforgettable Fire-U2 Tribute Band
June 30, 2007: Firehouse
July 14, 2007: The Romantics
July 28, 2007: Night Ranger
August 11, 2007: Soul Asylum
August 25, 2007: Warrant

For more information, click here.

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DOWNTOWN RALEIGH RECYCLES!

An unusual-looking truck has joined the mix of cars, buses and pedestrians in downtown Raleigh’s traffic. A recycling truck circles downtown every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon to pick up recyclables from businesses.

The program, known as “Downtown Raleigh Recycles,” began in August. To date, 45 businesses are recycling paper and plastic, metal or glass food and beverage containers. This pilot program offers businesses the convenience of putting out recycling at the same time as garbage. The program benefits the City by reducing the amount of garbage that is sent to the North Wake Landfill.

Participating businesses are easy to spot because they use large blue carts or small green bins, both provided by the City's Solid Waste Services Department. The recycling containers are provided free of charge thanks to a grant from the North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance.  In addition to containers and curbside collection, business owners who join Downtown Raleigh Recycles! receive window decals that they can post to let patrons know that they recycle.

Businesses that use Solid Waste Services for garbage pickup can receive recycling carts and collection at no additional charge.  Businesses in the Central Business District may be eligible to participate even if they are not using the City for garbage service, and should call 831-6489 for more information.

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

Special thanks to our sponsors: