📫Wake County’s Next Big Playground Is Coming! | Sip, Paint & Passport: Foxcroft Wine & Travel Watercolor Classes | Beer & Banjos – Bowstring Pizza & Brewyard, Raleigh📍

Read Online

Hello friends!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! With just 23 shopping days left until Christmas, the holiday countdown is officially on. 🎄✨

Today is also National Mutt Day—a perfect reminder to show some extra love to your furry friends. And if you’ve been thinking about adding a four-legged companion to your family, this is a wonderful day to consider adopting a lovable pup in need of a home.

Wishing you joy, wagging tails, and a festive week ahead! 🐾❤️

See you out there in beautiful Wake,
Diane

—Philippians 4:6
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

✨ Shop Boujee for Less! ✨

Love looking fabulous without breaking the bank? When you shop through our Wake News & Events Boujee link, part of your purchase helps fund Esophageal Cancer research — so you can feel good while looking great!

💎 New deals drop daily — and if you’re lucky, you’ll uncover some hidden steals that’ll make your wallet happy.

So go ahead — enjoy the boujee life at budget prices.
👉 Shop our Boujee Link today and sparkle for a cause!

Please note that for some deals you may need to be an Amazon member.

Buffalo Wild Wings – (Raleigh, Cary, Garner, Wake Forest)
🍽 BOGO 50% Off Traditional Wings 

📍 Today’s Chuckle 📍

I love December shopping—it’s like a workout for my credit card. 💳💪

📍 Trivia 📍

• Fraser Fir Fame – North Carolina produces about 90% of all Fraser Fir Christmas trees sold in the United States, making it the nation’s leading supplier. 🌲

Ho-Ho-Ho The Christmas Flotilla is Coming!

Picture this: it’s Saturday, December 6, 2025, the sky is turning that perfect inky-blue, and suddenly the water inky water starts sparkling, because the Crystal Coast Christmas Flotilla is underway!

The fun kicks off at 5:30 p.m. sharp in Morehead City when the first glowing kayak paddles out, followed by yachts dripping in lights, shrimp boats turned into floating North Poles, and sailboats whose masts look like giant Christmas trees. The parade cruises right down the waterfront, then crosses the water and slides into historic Beaufort around 6:15 p.m. like Santa’s sleigh making a second stop just for us.

Grab your coziest blanket and pick your spot:

• Morehead City waterfront for the big send-off (perfect if you love being right where the boats launch.

• Beaufort’s downtown harbor for the grand arrivalnothing beats watching the lights reflect off the water with those gorgeous old storefronts in the background.

Kids wave glow sticks, dogs wear reindeer antlers, and everyone smells like hot chocolate and kettle corn. The boats compete for “Best in Show,” so expect over-the-top creativity: one year we had a pirate ship blasting Mariah Carey, another year a fishing boat towed an inflatable Grinch on water skis.

When the last twinkling vessel ties up around 7 p.m., the party doesn’t stop. Stroll Beaufort’s boardwalk, pop into the shops that stay open late (perfect for knocking out a little holiday list), or warm up with she-crab soup and peppermint mochas at one of the waterfront restaurants.

One night, two charming towns, a million lights on the water, and zero bah-humbugs allowed. Bring your crew, come hungry, and get ready to have your holiday spirit officially launched, Crystal Coast style!

See you on the waterfront Saturday, December 6. The boats are ready to sleigh! 🎄⚓✨

_{Read Online}

Sip, Paint & Passport: Foxcroft Wine & Travel Watercolor Classes Are Back!

Every Tuesday in December 2025, ditch the holiday hustle and sneak away to Foxcroft Wine & Food (442 Daniel St, Raleigh) for the coziest hour of your week.

From 6:30–7:30 p.m., you’ll sip a glass of perfectly paired wine while a local artist guides you step-by-step to watercolor a dreamy travel-inspired scene (think Tuscan vineyards, Parisian cafés, or snowy Alpine villages).

All materials are provided, zero experience needed, and you leave with your own frame-worthy masterpiece plus a happy little buzz.

Tickets are $40 and include your wine + supplies. Spots are limited and always sell out fast!

Grab your seat and full schedule here → https://www.foxcroftwine.com/events

Perfect for date night, girls’ night, or a solo “treat yourself” moment. See you at the easel! 🎨🍷✈️

Alice Gerard with Book Event – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 – Doors 6PM / Show 7PM – $30

Legendary old-time fiddler and banjo player Alice Gerrard (yes, half of the iconic Hazel & Alice) is bringing her strings and stories to Cat’s Cradle! This special evening doubles as a celebration of her brand-new book, I’m Too Young to Be This Old. Expect heart-melting bluegrass standards, foot-stomping originals, and Alice reading a few hilarious and heartfelt passages between tunes. At 90 years young, she still plays with more fire than most half her age.

Grab tickets now (they’ll go quick!): https://catscradle.com/event/alice-gerrard

Beer & Banjos – Bowstring Pizza & Brewyard, Raleigh

Every Tuesday – Music starts 6:30PM – Always FREE!

The best free Tuesday night in Raleigh lives at Bowstring! Beer & Banjos brings rotating pickers and grinners playing blazing bluegrass, old-time, and folk on the big outdoor stage. Come early, snag a picnic table, order a pizza and a $5 pint, and let the five-string fireworks fly. Dog-friendly, kid-friendly, and zero cover charge – just show up ready to clap on the two and four.

No tickets needed – just roll in: 1930 Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh More info: https://bowstringbrews.com/events

Wake County’s Next Big Playground Is Coming!

Say hello to Kellam-Wyatt County Park – a brand-new 59-acre beauty opening winter 2027 between Raleigh and Knightdale!

This donated family farm will feature:

• U-pick orchards

• Community gardens

• Kayak launch

• Nature playground

• Trails and picnic pavilions

Construction just kicked off thanks to the 2018 Parks Bond. Get hyped with the official teaser here: https://www.wake.gov/departments-government/parks-recreation-open-space/kellam-wyatt-county-park

Only two more years until we’re picking apples and paddling at sunset. Who’s counting down with me?

First Night Raleigh 2026 Lineup Just Dropped – and It’s a Party!

WRAL First Night Raleigh is back December 31, 2025, and the lineup is straight 🔥!

Headliners:

• Mipso closing out the night with that sweet NC folk magic

• Leven Kali bringing silky R&B vibes

• Nikki Glaser roasting 2025 into oblivion

• Giant puppets, silent disco, bluegrass legends, and a massive fireworks + acorn drop at midnight (plus a kid-friendly 7 p.m. drop so the littles don’t melt down)

Starts at 2 p.m., runs till the ball (acorn?) drops, all across downtown Raleigh. Tickets only $13 in advance — grab yours before they vanish like your diet resolutions.

Full lineup + tickets: firstnightraleigh.com

Let’s send 2025 out with a bang and welcome 2026 dancing in the street! 🎆🥂🌰

Where Are the Elves?

Cozy up in your PJs for a magical Evening with Elves at Marbles Kids Museum!

Roast s’mores under the stars, explore an arctic winter wonderland, and meet the enchanting Snowflake Fairy.

Friday, December 5, 6–8:30 p.m. at 201 E. Hargett St., Raleigh — grab tickets now at marbleskidsmuseum.org ($27 members/$30 non-members)!

The Toy Truck Triumph

It was the weekend before Christmas 2024 in Chatsworth, California, and the air in Victor Kouyoumijan and Kevin Kouyoumjian's warehouse hummed with the chaos of holiday prep. As owners of World Tech Toys, the brothers had loaded a massive truck with pallets of stuffed animals, action figures, and glittering dolls—gifts destined for underprivileged kids in Los Angeles shelters. But as the driver turned onto the 118 Freeway, burglars struck like shadows, siphoning the cargo in a brazen heist that left the Kouyoumjians staring at an empty lot.

Heartbroken but undeterred, Victor, 52, and Kevin, 48, huddled that night over takeout falafel, brainstorming. "We can't let those kids down," Kevin said, his voice steady despite the sting. By Monday morning, they'd rallied their team, dipping into personal savings to restock every last toy—double the original haul. Pallets piled high again, they delivered it all to the shelters on December 19, watching wide-eyed children clutch their new treasures.

One little girl, Sofia Ramirez, 7, from a Skid Row family shelter, spotted a floppy-eared bunny and squealed, "It's magic!" Victor knelt down, ruffling her hair. "Nah, kiddo. It's just what family does." The brothers' deed made local headlines, but to them, it was simple: in a city of dreams, no child should wake up to an empty stocking. This holiday season, as they unpack fresh shipments, Victor and Kevin still get letters from Sofia—proof that one act of generosity can spark a lifetime of wonder.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
— Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

55 Plus - The New Silver Standard

Can you really escape to an Abandoned Island today?

👉Did you know that Outback Steakhouse gives Senior’s 10% on their bill? Be sure to check out other great senior discounts below👈

_{Read Online}

Check out our online calendar for more events and local activities!📌

We strive to make sure that all information is accurate. However, we always recommend check all details with the event organizer.

There are so many events happening in and around Wake County, NC that we have gone to a seperate page to list events. Please click this button to view all of the area’s great events!👇

Sometimes, email servers can cut off parts of the newsletter, making it tricky to enjoy the full experience. For the best reading experience and to catch all the details, click here to view the entire newsletter!

👇👇👇

If your business event, or restaurant, is not on the list and you would like to be added, contact us at [email protected]