From Dreamville to Stevie Nicks, don’t miss these 5 big Triangle events this spring
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The pollen has been steadily coating our cars, porch furniture and anything else in sight.
The days are longer, the sun a little brighter.
That means it’s time to be outdoors, to linger with friends over good food, drinks and conversation. It’s the moment to wander street festivals with live music blasting and the smells from food trucks wafting through the air.
Here are some of our favorite events that we’ve got circled on our calendars. Maybe you’ll circle them too.
LUMINOCITY FESTIVAL AT PULLEN PARK
Details: Feb. 23-April 9 at Pullen Park, 250 Ashe Ave., Raleigh. luminocityfestival.com
To kick off the spring season, Pullen Park is hosting the 2023 LuminoCity Festival. This traveling event has taken residence in several cities in recent years. This spring, Raleigh will be home to the LuminoCity mascot “Lumi” and his lantern friends.
Spread across several acres, LuminoCity has dozens of light-up displays similar in style and construction to traditional Chinese lanterns. Visitors can wander around the lanterns after dark for a unique light show experience.
Due to unseasonably warm temperatures, the cherry trees in Pullen Park are already in full bloom. Festival organizers have taken care to specifically light the cherry trees, promising a glowing look at the blooms every evening.
Guests are also encouraged to take a trip back in time to see the massive animatronic dinosaurs. Visitors can interact with life-size dinosaurs as they explore the park.
The festival is held every evening from 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. through April 9. Tickets for the festival are available online. General admission is $25, and $18 for children 3 to 12 years of age.
TOBACCO ROAD MARATHON
Details: March 19, American Tobacco Trail, Cary. tobaccoroadmarathon.com
For the 13th year, runners from across the Triangle are headed for the American Tobacco Trail.
Participants in the Tobacco Road Marathon have the opportunity to run the full 26.2 miles or opt for the half-marathon along the scenic greenway. Runners can look forward to a relatively flat course and moderate, springtime temperatures.
Over 12 years, the event has raised over $1.3 million for charities, including the American Red Cross, Hope for the Warriors and Triangle Rails To Trails Conservatory.
Limited spots remain for runners, but there will be space for spectators at the finish line along Brooks Park Lane in Cary.
DREAMVILLE FESTIVAL
Details: April 1-2, Dix Park, Raleigh. Dreamvillefest.com
Some of the biggest names in rap and hip-hop are coming to Raleigh this spring. Dreamville Music Festival is back with a star-studded lineup, including headliners Usher, J. Cole and Drake as well as Burna Boy, Ari Lennox and Summer Walker, among others.
The two-day festival at Dix Park drew more than 80,000 attendees and generated more than $6.7 million in economic impact to the city and county last year.
“Having grown up nearby in Fayetteville, J. Cole and his Dreamville team use the festival as an annual opportunity to shine a light on the special place that helped shape him into the successful and creative artist he is today,” according to Dreamville’s website.
Tickets for the event are already sold out, but more may become available through the waitlist.
RUTH E. CARTER EXHIBIT AT NCMA
Details: April 1 to Aug. 6, N.C. Museum of Art, 2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh. ncartmuseum.org
Visitors have the chance to get up close and personal with some of the most noteworthy costumes in film.
“Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design” will open to the public at the North Carolina Museum of Art on April 1. This exhibit features 60 original costumes from films the two-time Oscar winner has worked on. Carter’s remarkable designs allowed actors to fully immerse themselves in the lives of their characters.
Carter has designed for films like “Black Panther,” “Amistad,” “The Butler” and “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” Iconic outfits worn by Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington, Chadwick Boseman, Eddie Murphy, Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker will be on display through Aug. 6.
She has won two Oscars, with the first in 2019 for “Black Panther,” becoming the first Black person to win an Academy Award in that category. She won on Sunday for her costumes in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
STEVIE NICKS ‘LIVE IN CONCERT’
Details: May 12, PNC Arena, 1400 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh. pncarena.com
Stand back! Living legend and rock icon Stevie Nicks will be playing PNC Arena this spring.
In January, Nicks announced the second leg of her “Live in Concert Tour.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, known for her enduring solo career and roots as a member of Fleetwood Mac, will be stopping in Raleigh on May 12 as part of her 13-city tour this year.
Although Nicks has not released a new album in nearly a decade, she is expected to play some of her most memorable hits, including “Edge of Seventeen,” “For What It’s Worth” and “Stand Back.”
At select venues during this tour, Nicks will be joined by fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Billy Joel. However, Raleigh is not one of the cities slated for Joel to perform.
Tickets are still available for the concert and begin at $150 each on Ticketmaster.
