Auston Grove Apartment Homes Blog

Are there any fairs better than the state fair? Not in Raleigh, NC.  Carnival rides, great food, kids events and arts and crafts.

Approximately one million people attend the N.C. State Fair each year, making it the state’s largest annual event. The 11-day fair features livestock, agricultural, arts and cultural exhibits, an amusement midway and nightly, nationally acclaimed musical performances, this year’s fair is October 13 to the 23rd at the Raleigh State Fairgrounds.

Pullen and Sertoma Arts Centers are offering the community one incredible arts event, the Fall Art Fair. Visitors can enjoy various art exhibits, sales and demonstrations, along with kids’ arts activities, live music, and much more! The event is free and open to the public; The Fall Art Fair will be held outdoors at Pullen Arts Center on Saturday, October 15th from 10:00am – 5:00pm.

Residents of apartments in Raleigh, NC have plenty of options next this coming weekend.

October brings a bounty of festivals, blockbuster exhibitions, concerts and events, making it the perfect month for a Free Spirit. Auston Grove Apartments would like to share with you the events coming up in October.
 
October =Festober

October is a month for festivals, and Free Spirits have a multitude of events to choose from. Head over to the Raleigh Convention Center to learn about the food, culture, traditions and clothing of some 50 countries at the 26th Annual International Festival (9/30-10/1), and LEGO KidsFest (10/7-9) offers the entire family the hands-on, minds-on fun of LEGO building. Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre has a month filled with international-themed events including: Garba (10/1), a spectacular form of Indian folk dance, the 5th Annual Eid Festival (10/5), commemorating two worldwide festivals, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and Cary Diwali (10/22), a festival of community and lights focusing on how Indian traditions have influenced other cultures with the theme "Sanskriti - Culture Transcending Borders." October also means Halloween, and Ken’s Korny Maze (9/10-11/14) will test your memory with two-miles of corn-maze fun, and at night stay on the farm for Harvested Farm Nightmare (10/14-15, 10/21-22 and 10/28-29), an experience not for the faint of heart. Appealing to kids of all ages, the Halloween Express at New Hope Valley Railway (10/22-29) takes passengers on a scenic nine-mile train ride, and at the State Farmers Market, the color is orange as pumpkins of all shapes and sizes are displayed during the Great Pumpkin Contest (10/6). Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre then presents its annual Reel-ly Scary Cary Movies Series with The Haunting (10/25), Misery (10/26), Disney’s The Haunted Mansion (10/27), The Blair Witch Project (10/28) and the double feature of Scream and Scary Movie (10/29); the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences hosts Natural History Halloween (10/30) complete with a costume contest and creepy animals. The Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts is the place to be with a diverse roster of events. Spend an evening learning how to connect with man’s best friend as "The Dog Whisperer" Cesar Milan (10/1) showcases his proven canine behavioral techniques, and comedian and actor Mike Epps (10/8) brings his unique blend of comedy to Raleigh. If you haven’t seen a 3D movie on a GIANT IMAX screen you don’t know what you’re missing. This month discover the magic of the movies at the Wells Fargo IMAX Theatre at Marbles watching Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D or Born to Be Wild 3D. Be prepared to have "A Love A Fair" with the North Carolina State Fair (10/13-23). Put the diet on hold and make sure to sample unique fair food like a Krispy Kreme burger, fried Oreos, giant turkey legs or funnel cakes and make sure you have on your walking shoes to explore all of the rides, games, agricultural exhibits and live shows the fair has to offer. Make sure you stay until the end each night when a spectacular fireworks display lights up the night.  Learn more...

Curtain Call

October proves to be a month of jaw-dropping performances and exhibits at many of the area’s cultural centers and from local, professional performing arts groups. The N.C. Museum of Art opens the blockbuster exhibition Rembrandt in America (10/30/11-1/22/12), the largest collection of Rembrandt paintings ever presented in an American exhibition and the first major exhibition to explore in depth the collecting history of Rembrandt paintings in America. Downtown Raleigh’s newest museum, the Contemporary Art Museum, opens its newest feature exhibition Deep Surface (9/24/11-1/2/12), which examines the re-emergence of ornament and pattern. If more visual art is of interest, try one of the area’s newest walking tours, Art Gallery Tours NC, which will take you on a Central Raleigh Gallery Tour (10/1) or a Warehouse District Tour (10/8 & 10/22). The Carolina Ballet dances the premiere of Black and White Swan (9/15-10/2) using both "Black Swan" and "White Swan" in their entirety, with original choreography and featuring four rotating casts of dancers; Dracula: The Masque of the Red Death (10/13-30) returns for a limited engagement and welcomes Tony-nominated Broadway and television star Alan Campbell, who reprises the role of Dr. Seward in Dracula. Lauren Kennedy, a Raleigh native and Broadway actress, stars in the N.C. Theatre production of Evita (10/22-30) about Eva Perón, Argentina’s controversial First Lady. The Raleigh Little Theatre presents the spine-tingling thriller The Woman in Black (10/7-23), Arts N.C. State celebrates the 100th birth year of Tennessee Williams by performing Garden District: Two Tennessee Williams Southern Stories (10/26-30) and Towne Players of Garner perform Harvey (10/14-15, 10/20-22). The N.C. Symphony has a busy month of performances at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts including: Rogé Plays Poulenc & Mozart (10/1-2), Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony (10/14-15) and Zarathustra (10/27-29). Also this month, guests can eat a delicious multi-course meal and listen to an eclectic and intimate performance by members of the N.C. Symphony during the Pub Concert Series at BuKu (10/10). The North Carolina Opera’s season opens with Carmen (10/14 & 10/16), one of the most famous operas of all time, and the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild welcomes Inalare (10/9), a voice/flute/piano ensemble. Learn More...
 
Rock n’ Roll Fantasy

It’s Rocktober in Greater Raleigh, and no matter your musical tastes, there is a band and venue for you. The Raleigh Amphitheater is "Bringin’ the Getdown to Downtown" with Bud Light City Fest featuring Rusted Root (10/1), LIVE’s Ed Kowalczyk (10/8) and Vince Neil of Motley Crue (10/22). Also at the Raleigh Amphitheater in October: Dayglow (10/7) and Darius Rucker (10/21). Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre hosts the Fall Foliage Bonanza Concert featuring Vaughan Penn, Shoot To Thrill, Vickie Shaw, Monika Jaymes, Jennifer Corday & Reverbnation (10/2) benefiting the LGBT Center of Raleigh, and Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek welcomes Chris Brown and his F.A.M.E. tour featuring Kelly Rowland, T-Pain and TYGA (10/1). Pinecone presents The Good Lovelies (10/6) and Hot Rize (10/9) at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, while the N.C. Museum of Art welcomes N.E.D. (10/1). The N.C. State Fair is known for its concert line-up, and this year is set to be a rockin’ good time. Get your tickets early for Craig Campbell (10/13), Skillet (10/14), Easton Corbin (10/15), Tift Merritt (10/16), Steel Magnolia (10/17), George Jones (10/18), David Nail (10/19), Dionne Warwick (10/20), Newsboys (10/21), Kansas (10/22) and Kellie Pickler (10/23).  Learn More...
 
Game Time

Touchdowns, hat tricks and amazing fall hikes are just some of the activities an Adrenaline Junkie can find in Greater Raleigh this month. The N.C. State University Wolfpack football team takes on Georgia Tech (10/1) and Central Michigan (10/8) at Carter-Finley Stadium, while Saint Augustine’s College tosses the pigskin with Winston-Salem State University (10/8) and Johnson C. Smith – homecoming (10/22). The NHL Carolina Hurricanes start the 2011/2012 season by hitting the RBC Center ice against the Lightning (10/7), Bruins (10/12), Senators (10/25) and Blackhawks (10/28). The October weather is perfect for a walk along the Raleigh area’s 152 miles of greenway trails or renting a kayak or canoe at Crabtree Lake. You can even try stand-up paddle boarding on Lake Johnson with Triangle Glides or view some fall foliage at the N.C. Museum of Art’s Art Park, the largest art park in the country. Learn More...

Lessons of the Past

The State of North Carolina has a rich and diverse history, and the best place to learn about the people, places and events that create the history of this great state is at the N.C. Museum of History’s largest exhibition to date, The Story of North Carolina (ongoing). The exhibition traces life in North Carolina from its earliest inhabitants through the 1830s. Part Two of the exhibition, which tells the state’s story from the 1830s to present, opens in November. The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences celebrates National Fossil Day (10/12) and Chemistry Day (10/15). If you’re interested in household staples of the past, Yates Mill Historic Park, Wake County’s last remaining grist mill, offers Mill Heritage Tours (Sat. & Sun.) and Corn-Grinding Tours (10/15-16). The AIA Triangle Homes Tour (10/1) returns to the Raleigh area for the second year showcasing Six Homes, Six Architects and Six Experiences in this one-of-a-kind look into some of the most unique and sustainable homes in the area. Learn More...
 
Nature’s Bounty

Don’t miss out on stocking your pantry with leafy greens, sweet potatoes, broccoli and squash (all available this time of year) at one of the area’s local farmers markets in City Plaza (Wed.), North Hills (Sat.), Western Wake Farmers’ Market (Tues. /Sat.) and Apex (Sat.). Discover the variety of food in downtown Raleigh with a Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tour or Triangle Food Tour; each of these walking tours gives participants to sample signature dishes and talk with the owner/chef at some of the area’s most celebrated restaurants. Discover some of the best brews around on a Beltline Brew Tour (Sat.) or taste at your own leisure at Big Boss Brewing Company Taproom, Lone Rider Brewing Company or Aviator Brewing Company, and if wine is your drink of choice, Chatham Hill Winery, Cloer Family Vineyards and Adams Vineyard and Winery offer tours and tastings. Learn More...