It is April 4th 2026...Go to the WRAL Azalea Garden ....Now!!!!!!…read moreIt is amazing with a diversity of color and species. Our first visit but not our last...it is BIGGER than it appears from the street.

Beautiful botanical garden with some arts and sculptures.Lots of tulips there. Like that rabbits on…read morebikes.

I've lived in Raleigh for over 20 years and only recently discovered these delightful gardens just…read morea short drive away. There were two separate areas, the Lake Trail and the Waterfall Trail. The Waterfall Trail was more of a true trail, winding through the woods. The Lake Trail primarily looped around the lake. It would have been nice to have distance markers on the sign. There is a port a potty at the trailhead.

I brought my furry son here for his last hike. Unfortunately his cancer had started to wreak havoc…read moreon his body. Jax loves exploring in the woods, going on walks, and playing in water. This was the perfect spot. I'm sure we probably weren't supposed to let him in the pond but it was his last day with us so we let him splash around the edge. The trails were still viable even given all the leaves had fallen. It was a really peaceful walk and we made great memories. There weren't people there at the time we went which I was thankful given our circumstances. Unfortunately it hadn't rained enough lately to produce the waterfall in the waterfall trail but we did get to see a little one on a different trail. If you walk the waterfall trail and get to the top, there's an intersection where you'll see lots of people carved their names in a tree. Stop by and look up, if you see JAX, that's in honor of my boy. Enjoy your fur babies, your children, and your own life, stop and smell the flowers. Take a walk on a sunny day and feel the sunshine in your face. We're only here for a short while.

My daughter and I made it to ArtWalk for the first time. Not knowing what to expect, we arrived…read moreabout 15 minutes before the official start time and scored prime parking. We were there to buy Christmas gifts from a specific artisan, and just walked around the corner from where we parked to buy the pottery I had been coveting on Etsy. The local artists set up shop on the front lawns and porches of homeowners; and the houses are so cute! Everyone was friendly and the art work and crafts were amazing. There are so many talented local artists. ArtWalk is a great venue to showcase and support them.

The cutest little strawberry field! It's about 30 mins outside of Raleigh and is open on the…read moreweekday. The owner was very proud and gave great instructions. The fields were very organized and you can fill the bucket as high as you want as long as you can still hold the handle. The strawberries were so good that I don't think I can ever eat store bought again.

Heading to a Sunday lunch, taking the backroads, and drove past Hunt's Strawberry Farm on Watkins…read moreRd in northeast Wake county. Actually turned around and went back, thinking fresh picked strawberries would be icing on the cake so to speak. Well, drove down to the little red building and was disappointed to see only cash or checks taken. Should have known that, being a country plot open only during peak berry season. Digging in all pockets I had a few bucks on hand and thought well I'll just ask them to weigh out whatever I could pay for. Not only did I get to pick right-out-of-the-ground berries I got more than plenty and a nice surprise to boot! Please.Go out and support this local farm. You'll be glad you did. You pick or they pick until the sweetness lasts, but hurry the field will be closing soon!

The annual celebration of the arts in Historic Oakwood is organized by a group of women…read moreartists/artisans, intellectuals and philanthropists with an intense dedication to art, the community, and chosen charitable endeavors. It is one of my best events of the year, and attended by serious art lovers from near and far. Organizers are Gretchen Quinn of Gretchen Quinn Pottery and potter Helen Johnson as well as a host of volunteers. This event, held annually in May, features artist set-ups on local porches and lawns, and a drawing supporting a charity, while the surrounding area provides excellent restaurants, cafes, and eateries where visitors may grab a bite while browsing the art. (As a local artisan, I was so enamored at the success, excitement, and vision of this event that I have participated twice, in 2016 and 2017. Consequently, I recommend this event for both artists and art-lovers, as those partaking and attending have an understanding of what creative people are attempting in their artistic lives.)

This is the best festival. Art galore soap, essential oil, wood, to metal, jewelry, fiber,…read morepottery, 2D art, and so much more. It is a great day with many local businesses to stop in for coffee, lunch or a drink!

Although the museum was small, at least admission was free. I noticed that all of the paintings on…read moredisplay were created by artists who are from North Carolina which adds a local touch to the typical art museum.

This is a very small but charming free contemporary art museum in Raleigh. We really enjoyed the…read morelocal artists from Western NC featured during our visit. The space is intimate, which makes for a personal and unique experience. We're looking forward to their reopening and can't wait to check out the new exhibits. Definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area -- a true hidden gem!

This past weekend I took part in the curbside beer pick up. Great concept, particularly since the…read moreactual festival was cancelled. It was great opportunity to support our local NC breweries.You can pick up an assortment of beers. I ordered a 5 pack of sours for $18. The only issue were the lines were quite long. I was in line, probably 2 hours in my car to pick up the drinks. In the future, it would help to have multiple pick up spots. This was a fun alternative in the setting of social distancing.

There are things I love about Brewgaloo and things I hate, but overall, from a participants…read moreperspective, it's good enough to have brought me back three years in a row, so I guess that deserves a four star rating. Anyone you talk to that's been to Brewgaloo will agree that the event is utterly disorganized. They encourage patrons to buy tickets ahead of time BUT DON'T! The will call line is always 3-4 times longer then the usually nonexistent 'day of' line. Honestly, the confusion is ultimately in the purchasing and ID checking of the event. I'm not sure if the staff doesn't know what they're supposed to be doing or don't communicate, but it's just a cluster f. Don't purchase full pours. This is honestly in your best interest since the 3oz pours are never under, rather they're almost always over. Sometimes the beer tents even give you a full pint for funzies. Not sure how people are making money with this event; I've heard it's by how ever many empty kegs you have at the end, while others have told me it's through token collect. Either way, the breweries themselves don't seem to be regulating the process very well. In addition, I have run into more then one tent where they're giving away free samples! One of the reason's I love Brewgaloo is that I'm paying for the exact amount I want to drink. I'm not paying $50+ a ticket like most of the local beer fests. Rather, I'll buying however many $1 3oz pours or $5 pints I can drink. It's much more financially friendly for those of us that don't go crazy at festivals like this. Last year, like many of the reviews stated, vendors were running out of beer and it was getting messy the later it got. This year, it was drizzling rain during the whole event. And while I thought that would keep a lot of people at home, it kept about 1/4 of the regular crowd home. If you're going to this event and it's a nice day out, expect LONG lines for beer and food. It's just that kind of festival. Finally, if you don't like drunk people, this would be an event to avoid. Other then that, come on down to Fayetteville and enjoy music (some so loud you won't be able to hear anything else), beer from what must be every single brewery in North Carolina and even some liquor! The variety of food trucks but most of all, the gathering of groups of friends, looking to have a good time. See you next year!

Visited Wake Forest for the first time and was delighted by how cool this store is from the street…read moreand inside. To find that the store supports local businesses was a bonus, always try to shop local and support when I can. The issue was the 3 employees behind the counter making snide remarks about people shopping in the store and criticizing our purchases. Sorry but I don't think what I purchased was ugly. I can definitely find other places to support locally. As a business owner myself it was a bummer to not feel welcome and appreciated for spending money in the store, but glad we still purchased our items, because we think they are great.

Great shop in Wake Forest!…read more Many different vendors under one roof who have displays of their items. Each area is more like a little shop unmanned. There is a selection of items for everyone. Also they had a couple people there in person doing the business ( one did jewelry and I forgot what the other one was). The staff at the register were friendly as well. Cool little place to check out if you are in Wake Forest.