An energetic independent music festival in downtown Raleigh at blue hour, with a joyful crowd watching a live band on an outdoor stage amid colorful lights and the city skyline.

Raleigh’s beloved urban music festival is back in full swing. **Hopscotch Music Festival** runs from Thursday through Saturday, September 10–12, bringing packed club shows, outdoor performances, and plenty of downtown energy to the city’s streets.[1]

The City Plaza main stage on Fayetteville Street hosts the headline acts, while dozens of additional performances unfold at clubs and music venues across downtown. With more than 100 performances on the calendar, it is a great weekend to follow a favorite artist or simply wander into something new.[1]

You do not need a festival pass to catch every bit of the fun. **Moore Square** is serving as a free hangout space with music, food vendors, artisans, and a relaxed place to recharge between sets. On Saturday, families can also stop by **Totscotch**, starting at 10 a.m. with kid-friendly programming.[1]

Whether you are staying out late for a club set or just spending an afternoon downtown, Hopscotch is one of those weekends that shows off Raleigh’s creative heart. Comfortable shoes, a loose plan, and a willingness to discover your next favorite band are all you need.

[Read More...]

A stylish future cocktail bar on the ground floor of a red-brick North Hills apartment building, with a warm amber-lit interior and a leafy outdoor patio full of relaxed friends.

North Hills is preparing to add a new stop for a nightcap. **Little Saint Cocktail Co.** is planned to open next spring as the neighborhood’s first standalone cocktail bar, landing on the ground floor of St. Albans Lofts at **600 St. Albans Drive**.[2]

The bar is the latest project from Raleigh artist and nightlife entrepreneur Patrick Shanahan, who has helped shape several familiar local concepts, including Peregrine, Capulet Cocktail Bar, Rosebud Cocktail Lounge, and the forthcoming Café Royale.[2]

While the final menu and design are still being developed, Shanahan says the concept will draw on his Irish roots and the years he spent falling in love with cocktails in New York City. The site will include an outdoor patio, offering another option for lingering after dinner nearby.[2]

For North Hills regulars, it is a sign that the district’s evening scene continues to grow beyond dinner reservations. We will be watching for the opening details—and for the first glimpse of the drinks that make Little Saint its own.

[Read More...]

An optimistic, realistic mixed-income housing redevelopment in a historic Raleigh neighborhood, with landscaped courtyards, apartments, neighborhood shops, and people enjoying a walkable public green.

A significant redevelopment is moving forward in Raleigh’s historic Fourth Ward. The Raleigh Housing Authority has received approval to rezone the **11-acre Heritage Park** site, clearing the way for a large mixed-use, mixed-income community near Dix Park.[3]

Heritage Park previously contained 122 affordable homes, many of which had fallen into disrepair before demolition. Under the rezoning, the redevelopment must replace at least those 122 affordable units, with room for the project to expand across multiple phases.[3]

The first planned phase is aimed at creating 51 senior-housing units. Longer term, the Housing Authority’s goal is to create enough homes for roughly 1,000 residents, along with space for businesses and retail—a big shift for a rapidly changing part of Raleigh.[3]

The approved zoning allows buildings up to 12 stories, and potentially taller through a transit-oriented height bonus. There is still plenty of planning ahead, but the project represents an important opportunity to add homes, services, and neighborhood activity while preserving an affordability focus.

[Read More...]

Raleigh Weather

Enjoy this issue? Share it with a friend and subscribe at capitalcitybeat.com