FIRST FRIDAY
When: Friday, November 2
Where: Downtown Raleigh

First Friday is one of Raleigh's most popular evening escapes.  Join us on the first Friday of each month for a fun-filled introduction to Raleigh's exciting art, music, and dining scene.  Enjoy the gallery walk and take advantage of the First Friday Specials provided by participating restaurants. 

Look for the First Friday Flags (see rendering) to easily locate participating merchants.  A detailed map/guide will be available at each location.  Pick up your very own FREE copy for easy event navigation. 

Launched in August, the new First Friday website, www.GoDowntownRaleigh.com/FirstFriday, lists all participating venues and offers other exciting event details. Explore the site and learn more about this fun-filled event.

Be sure to visit downtown Raleigh's newest First Friday participant, 311 West Martin Street Galleries and Studios, as they celebrate their opening on First Friday, November 2. 

For more information, click here.

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ART UNVEILING AND RECEPTION
When: Friday, November 2 (5:30 pm-9 pm)
Where: Quorum Center

Downtown Raleigh will come alive with sound, action and art as Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) hosts a reception to unveil “Journey,” a 40-foot-wide sculpture done in tribute to North Carolina. The unveiling takes place in the lobby of Quorum Center.

With sirens ringing and lights flashing, firefighters will arrive to officially unveil the lobby artwork, a large-scale sculpture crafted by artists Tom Stanley and Shaun Cassidy. Downtown Raleigh Alliance’s president and CEO, David Diaz, will make welcoming remarks. The reception event," Journey" on Jones Street, will occur in conjunction with downtown Raleigh’s First Friday Gallery Walk and is open to the public.

“Journey” stands 12 feet high and spans the width of Quorum Center’s lobby windows. The sculpture is made of laser-cut, powder-coated aluminum silhouettes depicting dozens of images associated with North Carolina. The artists seek to celebrate the state’s diverse geographic and cultural climate with silhouettes from the mountains to the coast, including everything from a fishing boat to a microscope, to a pine tree to a heron. “Journey” will be backlit with fiber optic lighting tubes. The piece will be visible from Quorum Center lobby and Jones Street.

After an extensive nationwide search, LGFCU commissioned Stanley and Cassidy to create the sculpture to serve as the focal point for Quorum Center’s lobby in October of 2006, three months before the credit union moved into the building. “Our presence in Quorum Center is a realization of our goal to provide a campus near the legislature to serve the needs of local government while being part of the revitalization of downtown Raleigh. This sculpture is a gift to the community and serves as a constant reminder of our mission to strengthen communities across the state and improve the lives of our members,” noted Maurice Smith, LGFCU president.

Stanley serves as Chair of the Department of Fine Arts at Winthrop University in Rockhill, SC, and Director of the award winning Winthrop University Galleries. His work was recently exhibited at Barbara Archer Gallery in Atlanta, GA, Glance Gallery in Raleigh, the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, and at Gallery twenty-four in Berlin, Germany.

Cassidy, originally from Carshalton, England, serves as Associate Professor of Sculpture at Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC. His sculpture work has been exhibited throughout the U.S. and abroad including Socrates Sculpture Park in New York, Franconia Sculpture Park in Minnesota, Forum for Contemporary Art in Saint Louis, MO, DeCordova Museum in Massachusetts, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Marseilles, France.

For more information, click here.

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Visit Capital City Grocery on Saturday, November 3 and enjoy samples of delicious Thanksgiving treats. Staff will be on hand to help you plan your holiday meal!

Look for local vendors as well!

For more information, click here.

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Shop Raleigh's The Handmade Market for fine art, apparel, jewelry, accessories, housewares, paper goods, and more from a selection of the best and brightest independent designers, artists, and crafters from NC and beyond.

Whether you’re shopping for a holiday gift for a friend or family member, or looking to treat yourself to something special, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for (and more!) at The Handmade Market.

The Handmade Market is produced by The Handmaidens, a North Carolina collective of nine artists and designers.

For more information, click here.

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CITY OF OAKS MARATHON
When: Sunday, November 4 (7 am-1 pm)
Where: Downtown Raleigh and other surrounding areas

The Sony Ericsson City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare Half Marathon marks the return of the marathon to Raleigh after a five year absence. The name refers to Raleigh's historic distinction as the "City of Oaks," with its abundance of oak trees and calls to mind the natural areas that abound within the metropolitan capital of NC.

For more information, click here.

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A MODEL FOR URBAN FORM: TRADITIONAL CODES VERSUS FORM-BASED
When: Tuesday, November 6 (6 pm-8:30 pm)
Where: Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts

If you are an urban designer, planner, policy maker or interested citizen and want to consider, discuss and understand the implications of decisions made today on our city’s future, join the conversation.

All lectures are free and open to the public. Please call 919-807-8480 or email trisha.hasch@ci.raleigh.nc.us to register.

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VETERANS DAY PARADE
When: Saturday, November 10 (9 am-1:15 pm)
Where: Downtown Raleigh

The Veterans Day Parade will begin at the intersection of Davie and Fayetteville Streets and will travel north toward the Capitol, turn west on Morgan Street, north on Salisbury Street and east on Edenton Street. The parade will end at the intersection of Edenton and Wilmington Streets.

At 11 am sharp, you are invited to the formal ceremony at the Veterans Monument on the north side of the Capitol (Edenton Street) to honor our veterans. This year the Enloe High School Band will hold a concert on the east side of the Capitol after the formal ceremony.

For more information, click here.

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OLD RELIABLE RUN
When: Sunday, November 11 (1 pm-4:30 pm)
Where: Downtown Raleigh

Your participation in the 24th Old Reliable Run matters for thousands of people in our community who need help. Show you care and join the fight to improve lives across the region. An added attraction along with the 10K run includes the 5K for the recreational walker/runner who wants to feel good while doing good. Proceeds benefit the Triangle United Way Community Care Fund and help to improve lives across the Triangle. All individuals even if you are part of a team need to register here.

For more information, click here.

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The Comprehensive Plan is the official long-range planning document that contains a vision, goals and policies to guide growth and development in Raleigh. City leaders say a new 20- year plan is needed to ensure that Raleigh's quality of life continues to be protected as the City grows, emphasizing neighborhood preservation, a strong economy, ample parks and recreation, improved mobility for all modes of transportation, and the protection of the City's and region's natural resources and environmental quality.

Choose from one of the three available workshops below:

Tuesday, November 13 (6:30-9 pm) Central District: Shepherd's Hall, The Church of the Good Shepherd located at 125 Hillsborough Street

Wednesday, November 14 (6:30-9 pm) Southwest District: McKimmon Conference and Training Center, NCSU located at 1101 Gorman Street

Thursday, November 15 (6:30-9 pm) Northeast District: North Raleigh Church of Christ located at 8701 Falls of the Neuse Road

Citizen participation and input will be an integral part of the update process. We hope you will be able to attend at least one of the public input workshops.

Click here to register now.

For more information, click here.

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Extraordinary achievement by six individuals and organizations will be celebrated at the 23rd annual Raleigh Medal of Arts Ceremony. A reception (black-tie or 'creative dress') will follow the ceremony. The ceremony and reception are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Medal of Arts is the City of Raleigh's highest arts honor. This year's winners are the North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Theatre, gallery owner and community arts leader Rory Parnell, Carolina Ballet lead dancer Melissa Podcasy, Progress Energy, and The Raleigh Ringers. William Ivey Long, an award-winning Broadway designer and North Carolina native, will serve as master of ceremonies. Special presenters will be North Carolina First Lady Mary Easley and singer Tift Merritt.

"We are honored to be selected for a Raleigh Medal of Arts," said Lisa Grele Barrie, Development Director for North Carolina Theatre. "Recognition this year is especially meaningful, given that NCT will be celebrating our 25th anniversary," Barrie added.

As part of this year's Medal of Arts ceremony, the audience will be treated to performances by Anita Burroughs-Price, a harpist with the North Carolina Symphony and a past Medal of Arts winner; The Raleigh Ringers; and the North Carolina Theatre, which will present a selection from the musical "Secret Garden."

The City of Raleigh Arts Commission established the Medal of Arts program in 1984. Past winners include author Betty Adcock, philanthropist Dr. Assad Meymandi, Raleigh Little Theatre and Arts Together. The Arts Commission, celebrating 30 years fostering the arts, will also recognize past Medal of Arts winners at the ceremony and unveil a special "Happy Birthday, Raleigh Arts" video.

For more information, contact the City of Raleigh Arts Commission office at 890-3610 or email Belva.parker@ci.raleigh.nc.us.

For more information, click here.

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RALEIGH CHRISTMAS PARADE AND WINTERFEST
When: Saturday, November 17 (Parade: 9:30 am-12 noon / Winterfest: 12 noon-3 pm)
Where: Parade: Downtown Raleigh / Winterfest: Moore Square

Don’t miss the excitement of the 2007 WRAL-TV Raleigh Christmas Parade. Presented by the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association, this annual event is the largest parade between Atlanta and Washington D.C.  An estimated 50,000 people will line the street, in addition to thousands more watching at home.
 
The parade is hosted by WRAL-TV morning news personalities Bill Leslie and Lynda Loveland, with Mark Roberts serving as street-side reporter.

Now in its 63rd year, the parade will feature dozens of bands, fantastic floats, super-sized balloons, marchers, twirlers, entertainers and a special surprise at the end of the parade.

The parade route is 1.2 miles long, starting at the corner of Hillsborough and St. Mary’s Street.  The parade travels east on Hillsborough Street, turns south at the Capitol on Salisbury, east on Morgan and then makes a final turn down Fayetteville Street.

This is the 34th consecutive year that the event will be produced and aired by WRAL-TV.  The parade will also be streamed on WRAL.com and simulcast on Fox 50 Digital.  For the 8th consecutive year, WRAL will produce and present the parade in High Definition on WRAL-DT.  The station will also replay the parade broadcast during the month of December on the WRAL NewsChannel, plus a special holiday presentation on WRAL-TV/WRAL-DT at 4 pm on Christmas Day.

You are also invited to Winterfest held after the parade in Moore Square from 12 noon-3 pm.

For more information, click here.

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The first of four Arts Alive festivals on Lichtin Plaza, The Capital Holiday Arts Celebration will be held Saturday November 24, beginning at 2 pm. To celebrate the rich diversity of art offerings at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts over the holiday season, Arts Alive is presenting Tobey Archer's LIGHT PLAY.  The installation will illuminate and transform Lichtin Plaza through bright, moving, and colorful forms interacting with the numerous evening visitors. This atmospheric seasonal lighting installation created by artist Tobey Archer will be choreographed to perform a constantly changing show of cheerful abstract, theatrical, and Raleigh-related images.  The lights will dance on high platforms with their beams intertwining and reaching across each other, the Lichtin Plaza, and the Progress Energy Center while playfully touching the pedestrians within the Plaza and making them part of the artwork.  This first of its kind lighting installation in Raleigh will be unveiled to the public on Saturday November 24, and it will be seen nightly through First Night Raleigh on December 31, 2007. The artist invites everyone in the Triangle to come and be part of LIGHT PLAY.

Leading up to the unveiling of LIGHT PLAY will be performances and presentations by the North Carolina Master Chorale, The Kids On Broadway from The North Carolina Theatre, Celtic/Folk Musical Group Winterbourne, The Triangle Sounds of Creation Choir, The Opera Company of North Carolina, and the cast of Theatre in the Park's “A Christmas Carol.”  Also participating will be The Carolina Ballet, The Raleigh Ringers, First Night Raleigh, The North Carolina Symphony, and The Community Music School. By visiting these groups’ booths at the event, attendees can get more information about the arts organizations, purchase tickets, shop for holiday music, merchandise and more. 
             
In addition, Artsplosure is proud to announce a new and exciting community arts project that will be featured at First Night Raleigh 2008. The Countdown to First Night is an outdoor visual art project consisting of 30 banners decorated by local art students, professional artists and community organizations. Each banner will depict the many ways citizens of Raleigh and the surrounding communities celebrate the joys of the season. Beginning December 1st, one banner will be unveiled at 5 pm each day leading up to First Night Raleigh 2008. The banners will be prominently displayed on the outside of the Alexander Square Parking Deck on the Capitol Building end of Fayetteville Street.

For more information, click here.

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Mary LeGere, Artistic Director, announces the 2007-2008 season of Raleigh Dance Theatre (RDT).  The company will open its season with the family-oriented production of Storybook Tales featuring the premiere of a ballet based on the timeless classic children’s tale of the rewards of determination and good will, The Little Engine That Could.  Rounding out the program are The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Sleeping Beauty, Act III, Aurora’s Wedding.   Performances take place Saturday, November 10 (11 am and 3 pm) and Sunday, November 11 (3 pm) in Fletcher Opera Theater at Raleigh’s Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts.  RDT’s  Spring Repertoire performances will be held on March 29, 2008 at 2 pm and 7 pm in Jones Auditorium at Meredith College.  General admission tickets for both performances are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.  Group rates are also available. 

RDT is also working with the North Carolina Coastal Plain Girl Scout Council to offer ballet workshops and programming for Brownies and Girl Scouts. Dance Around the World, to be held on December 1, 2007, teaches girl scouts about music and dance from Africa, India and Ireland with local professionals including African dancer, L.D. Burris, and musician and composer, Ken Ray Wilemon.

Raleigh Dance Theatre was founded in 1984 by Ann Vorus to provide pre-professional performance training, while promoting and fostering the art of dance in the community. It is one of two local pre-professional companies who have gained recognition by Regional Dance America/Southeastern Regional Ballet Association.  RDT’s training program has a proven record of success, with alumnae who have gone on to professional careers with Carolina Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Washington Ballet II, and New York City Ballet among others. 

For more information about the Raleigh Dance Theatre or Storybook Tales, please contact the company offices at (919) 834-1058, or click here.

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COUPONS AND HALF-OFF GIFT CERTIFICATES

Coupons:

To access the coupon for Helios, click here.

To access the coupon for Laurie Hayes, L.M.B.T. message therapist, click here.

To access the coupon for Iatria, click here.

To access the coupon for Chick-fil-A, click here.

To access the coupon for Capital City Grocery, 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 gift certificate available for purchase, click here.

To access the gift certificate available for purchase, click here.

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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GLOBE RESTAURANT AND BAR
Location: 510 Glenwood Avenue
Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri (Lunch 11:30 am-2 pm), Mon-Sat (Dinner 5-10 pm) Late night Thurs-Sat (10 pm-2 am)

Globe Restaurant and Bar has just opened. Heath Holloman, the Executive Chef and co-owner, has branched out from the fine dining French influenced food he made so popular at Bistro 607. At Globe, Heath and chef Gray Modlin have created a menu that offers dishes influenced by cuisines and ingredients from around the world, prepared in their own style. Presented in a thoughtfully designed space, diners can enjoy the menu offerings in the main dining room or order off of the full menu from the bar or entertain a group in a private wine room.

Providing a menu with nothing priced over twenty dollars, diners will find the thai influenced chicken and red curry next to the homemade fettucine pasta and marinara, a Provence inspired tuna appetizer with artichokes and lemon caper vinaigrette or the all american classic Coke Float with homemade ice cream. Regardless of the choice, patrons will surely appreciate that everything on the menu is created from scratch by a talented kitchen staff led by Heath.

The wine list has been thoughtfully put together by Henry Burgess, Sommelier and co-owner, and offers affordable variety as well as more prestigious offerings. Have a relaxed experience and pick something from the glass pour list or have Henry pair a wine with your dinner. With selections from France and the rest of Europe as well as Australia, California and South America, there is a wine on the list everyone can fall in love with.

Globe is also open for lunch Monday through Friday featuring house cured pastrami, a take on the classic slider and a classic pannini on house made breads, as well as options from the dinner menu. Or, come by late night from Thursday to Saturday and enjoy drinks at the bar and a menu that is available until 2 am.

For more information, click here.

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THE VELVET LOUNGE & VIP ROOM
Location: 401 N West St, Suite 131
Hours of Operation: Mon-Sun (6 pm-2 am)
Website: velvetloungeraleigh.com

Velvet Lounge is now open on the corner of Tucker St and West St, just behind Sullivan’s in Glenwood South. Velvet Lounge is a 3,000 square foot nightclub/lounge with a private VIP Room overlooking a two-tier dance floor with a long glowing glass top bar running through the center. Blue velvet curtains and artwork add to the décor.

Velvet Lounge hosts a variety of different theme nights including:

• Wednesday: College Night
• Thursday: Ladies Night featuring glasses of wine and martinis for half off and free hors d'oeuvres. Wine tastings are also scheduled for Thursday nights.
• Friday: “Velvet Live” featuring live music from some of the areas top bands.
• Saturday: Theme party night with Raleigh’s best DJs spinning dance music all night long. You can check upcoming Saturday night theme parties and Friday night band schedules by checking the Velvet calendar online.

Velvet Lounge is also available for private parties & catering.

For more information, click here.

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CATCH 22
Location: 322 Glenwood Avenue
Hours of Operation: Mon-Thurs (12 noon-10 pm); Fri-Sat (12 noon-11 pm)
Website: www.shopcatch22.com

Inspired by la boutique style Heather Long bridges the gap between raleighwood and hollywood. Heather decided to turn her penchant for style into a career when she began her boutique, which houses some of her favorite styles for men and women and her own line of super glam cocktail dresses.  “Catch 22 is unique in that it was created specifically for the individual, the young professional, and the trend setters, servicing both the ingénue and celeb alike,” says Heather.

Catch 22 brands have been hand picked from the hottest up and coming designers from around the world.  At Catch 22 you will find some old favs; 1921 and Habitual denim, Rich and skinny, Kasil, Kenneth Jay Lane, Ben Sherman and Obey Propganda, but don’t be surprised if you discover new ones as well.  French and Italian designers bring in fresh, hot styles for men and women at a great price. Great necklaces for layering can be found mingling with timeless heirlooms and handcrafted sterling jewelry.

Catch 22 owner, Heather Long, created a line of cocktail dresses that are as individual as the person wearing them. The dresses are available for purchase in the store, but if you are looking for the perfect dress they can be customized using your measurements and color specifications.

Catch 22 features bright pops of color, exclusive prints, vintage furniture, super-trendy tops, an admirable spread of designer denim, and great jewelry.  Shop in a relaxed atmosphere while discovering trendy and timeless pieces that are notably affordably.  You don’t have to travel around the nation to hunt for fashion finds; Catch 22 does all the work bringing the collections to you. 

At Catch 22, you will fall in love with fashion all over again. Catch 22’s exclusive selection ensures a wardrobe you’ll never find anywhere else.  Strike out in style with bold designs, funky accessories, and evening essentials. 

Relaxed environment, great prices, late hours, funky and fresh designs.

To purchase a half off gift certificate for Catch 22, click here.

For more information, click here.

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

Special thanks to our sponsors: