Volunteers of all ages plant a young tree together in a sunny Raleigh park.

Looking for a feel-good way to spend Saturday morning? **Raleigh Arbor Day** returns to **Carolina Pines Park** on **October 24**, from **9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.** It is free, open to all ages, and built around the simple idea that a stronger city canopy starts with neighbors showing up.

The City of Raleigh is teaming up with We Plant It Forward for a hands-on morning of stewardship. The program begins with a ceremonial tree planting and Arbor Day proclamation, then moves into rotating activities focused on practical tree care and healthy local ecosystems.

Best of all, participants will receive a **free tree to plant at home**. That makes the event more than a nice morning in the park—it is a chance to take a small piece of Raleigh’s future right back to your own yard.

Bring the family, wear clothes you do not mind getting a little soil on, and join the effort to make Raleigh cooler, greener, and more resilient one tree at a time.

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Friends enjoy an elevated, shareable dinner of grilled skewers, barbecue, dumplings, tacos, vegetables, and dessert at a warmly lit Raleigh restaurant.

Raleigh-area diners have another reason to make those dinner reservations. The new **MICHELIN Guide American South** includes **15 Raleigh-area restaurants**, putting more of the Triangle’s distinctive food culture in the national conversation.

The local group includes **four Bib Gourmand** recipients and **11 Recommended** restaurants. In MICHELIN language, Bib Gourmand spots pair memorable food with strong value, while Recommended restaurants are places inspectors consider genuinely worth a visit.

The list is a reminder of just how wide Raleigh’s table has become. It includes globally influenced neighborhood cooking at **Ajja**, masa-focused plates at **Mala Pata**, long-smoked barbecue at **Prime Barbecue** and **Sam Jones BBQ**, dim sum at **Brewery Bhavana**, and polished destination dining at restaurants such as **Brodeto**, **Jolie**, **Poole’s Diner**, and **Stanbury**

No need to turn this into a checklist—unless that sounds fun. Pick a place you have been meaning to try, invite someone hungry, and celebrate a local dining scene that keeps giving us new reasons to go out.

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A modern pediatric hospital campus takes shape amid landscaped paths and fall trees as planners review an unbranded site plan.

A major Triangle health-care project received an equally major vote of confidence this week. The **Duke Endowment** has committed **$100 million** toward the planned North Carolina Children’s Hospital, a joint UNC Health and Duke Health project in Apex.

The planned facility would be North Carolina’s **first freestanding children’s hospital**, an important milestone for families who currently may need to travel out of state for certain highly specialized pediatric care.

The hospital is planned for a 220-acre site within Apex’s under-construction Veridea development, near U.S. 1 and the Triangle Expressway. Officials expect the project to break ground next year, with an opening targeted for the early 2030s.

Beyond care and research, the project is expected to create **8,000 jobs** once open. It is a long-range story, but one that signals how the Triangle’s growth can translate into broader capacity for children and families across North Carolina.

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Raleigh Weather

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