20 Things to do in March In and Around Raleigh

Kick off spring in the Triangle with garden tours, Irish celebrations, Art in Bloom and a Big Night In for the Arts.
by Kara Adams and Addie Ladner

Eat Your Way Through Fat Tuesday

Let March 1 be an excuse to indulge a little to celebrate the culmination of Mardi Gras on Fat Tuesday. Take advantage of all Raleigh has to offer in honor of Carnival like King Cakes from La Farm, Union Special, or Lucette Grace. St. Roch in downtown will be offering its Louisiana mainstays like gumbo and beignets along with seasonal specialties like crawfish and King Cakes.

Hear The Eagles

PNC Arena will host The Eagles for their Hotel California Tour, where the legendary rock band will perform all the songs from its 1976 record of the same name. Sing along to classics like Life in the Fast Lane, New Kid in Town, and of course, the title track. Original Eagles members Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit, and Joe Walsh will be joined by the late Glenn Frey’s son, Deacon Frey, and country music star Vince Gill.
March 2 | 8 p.m.; from $124; 1400 Edwards Mill Road; pncarena.com

Explore the Juniper Level Gardens

Celebrate the start of spring with a trip to Juniper Level Botanic Gardens that offers something for casual visitors and experienced gardeners alike. The 28-acre campus is home to multiple perennial greenhouses, exotic plants, a grotto garden, and rare trees and shrubs — many of which are available to purchase. Visit its Plant Delights Nursery on the way out and choose from over 1,600 different perennials and plants for your own garden.
March 4-5; free admission; 9241 Sauls Road; jlbg.org

See King Nobuyoshi Godwin’s Work at Charlotte Russell Contemporary

Head to Charlotte Russell Contemporary Fine Art Gallery for a solo exhibition of artwork by King Nobuyoshi Godwin, a Raleigh-based artist who paints using repeated numbers. An opening reception will be held on Friday, March 11 at 5:30 p.m. and select paintings, such as The Bird is Having a Relax Day Because it is with the Fish and Leaves, are available to purchase. 
March 4 – April 6; free; 2012 A Fairview Road; charlotterussellcontemporary.com

Head to Yoga at COR Museum

On the first three Saturdays of the month, stretch and meditate downtown — with a side of history — at the City of Raleigh Museum. Located in the historic Briggs Hardware Building, the COR Museum will offer free hour-long yoga classess for all skill levels. The sessions take place in the main gallery of the museum and are led by local instructors Aparna Ravichande and Natalia Lingerfelt, who both specialize in Hatha Yoga. (Lingerfelt’s class on the 12th will be taught in English and Spanish.) All you need is your mat, water bottle, and mask.
March 5, 12 & 19 | 9:30 p.m.; free but registration encouraged; 220 Fayetteville Street; cityofraleighmuseum.org 

Try Out Dix ’s Connect + Create Series

All ages are welcome inside the Chapel at Dix Park for a series of hands-on art classes presented by Artspace and Dix Park Conservancy donors. On March 8, join artist Taylor McGee to learn about tapestry weaving and work on a miniloom to create a one-of-a-kind wall hanging to take home. On the 22nd, learn how to make your own fabric collage tote bag out of scraps with Alliyah Bonnette, Artspace’s regional emerging artist-in-residence. Registration for this series opens one week before each class at 5 p.m.
March 8 & 22 | 5:30 p.m.; free; 1030 Richardson Drive; dixpark.org 

Watch Big Night In for the Arts

Open your ears — and your wallets: United Arts Council’s virtual Big Night In for the Arts fundraiser is back this year, a rare opportunity to see a broad range of talent with North Carolina roots performing live. “Although the arts community is slowly beginning to rebuild, there is still a great need to help the artists and organizations essential to the recovery of our region,” says Ragen Carlile, interim president of the United Arts Council. Carlile says the event, an effort joined by sponsor WRAL and area arts councils, raised $350,000 last year, and they are optimistic about taking that momentum into this year’s televised event. “Our hope is to again rally around the arts community so that N.C.’s arts and culture do not just survive, but thrive in the future,” she says. The evening’s headliners include jazz singer Nnenna Freelon, tap dancer Jabu Graybeal, alt-rocker Ben Folds, singer-songwriter Hiss Golden Messenger, poet Jaki Shelton Green, and potter Mark Hewitt, among others.
March 10 | 7 p.m.
; free to view; live streaming; bignightin.org

See Carolina Ballet’s Premiere of Snow White

The legendary tale of Snow White and her evil stepmother comes to life with choreography by Carolina Ballet’s artistic director Zalman Raffael, complete with new sets, costumes, and of course the seven dwarfs. For this balletic interpretation of the beloved children’s story, Raffael collaborated with the award-winning composer Shinji Eshima, who also created the moving score for Bariolage in September 2019.
March 10 – 27 | Various times; from $27; 2 E. South Street; carolinaballet.com

Watch Uncommon Women at Meredith College

Head to Jones Auditorium at Meredith College for a concert dedicated to classical works composed or influenced by women, including multiple original pieces by Celka Ojakangas, an elegy to Amanda Todd from Jocelyn Morlock, Samuel Barber’s Medea, Carmen Suite II by Georges Bizet, and the event’s namesake, Joan Tower’s Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman, a response to Aaron Copland’s Fanfares for the Uncommon Man.
March 12 | 7 p.m.; $27; 3800 Hillsborough Street; raleighsymphony.org 

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

Start the festivities early at the 38th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade downtown — in-person again this year! — on Saturday, March 12. The family-friendly event starts at 10 a.m. and will be replete with buoyant Irish dancing, imaginative floats, and sonorous bagpipe players (raleighstpats.org). Also on March 12, Irish pub Hibernian will have its annual block party, kicking off at 8 a.m. with musical acts like Wake Moody, Autumn Nicholas, and Love Tribe, as well as a limited menu. Don’t worry, they’ll have another celebration on actual St. Patrick’s Day, March 17 (311 Glenwood Ave; hibernianpub.com). PineCone is hosting a concert featuring traditional Irish band Lúnasa on March 25 at the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater (2 E. South Street; pinecone.org). And all month you can find Irish favorites like shepherd’s pie or corned beef and cabbage with a side of live music at Morrisville’s Irish-owned Tra’Li Irish Pub (10370 Moncreiffe Road; traliirishpub.com) or Doherty’s Irish Pub (1979 High House Road, Cary; dohertysirishpubnc.com).  Some other ideas, this way.

Get Inspired at WALTER’s WINi 2022 at Market Hall

Join WALTER for our fifth annual WINi conference, where female leaders in our community share their stories to inspire the next generation. Celebrating female innovation, diversity and the entrepreneurial spirit, this event will be a chance for young women to hear about the tenacity and self-discovery that go into building a career. At Market Hall this year with light bites and beverages, walk away with a few new friends and wisdom from these female leaders: Cary Heise of Designed for Joy, Daisy Magnus-Aryitey of Code the Dream, Dawn Blagrove of Emancipate NC, and Emily Neville or Reborn Clothing Co. The event will also be streamed for virtual guests.
March 13 / 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.; 214 East Martin Street; from $15 for a virtual ticket; waltermagazine.com 

Get to know the man behind the hit show Outerbanks

Raised in Raeford, North Carolina, film industry veteran Jonas Pate has found success — and happiness — with the Netflix show that taps his Southern roots. Read his story here.

Here Authors in Conversation at WCPL

For the final event in Wake County Public Libraries’ Black Brilliance program, Village Regional Library is hosting S.A. Cosby, the New York Times bestselling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland, in conversation with local screenwriter and author Eryk Pruitt. Hear both authors read excerpts from their upcoming books, talk about their shared love for writing crime fiction, and participate in a live Q&A. An in-person signing will follow the event with books available for purchase.
March 13 | 2 p.m.; Free; 1930 Clark Avenue; wakegov.com

See the Floral Masterpieces at Art in Bloom

Spring is aflower — and that means the North Carolina Museum of Art is, too! This five-day affair will take a global theme this year, with British floral designer Joseph Massie as a special guest and musical acts like the Peter Lamb Trio, Ed Stephenson, and Smitha Prasad providing a soundtrack that conjures various regions around the world. In addition to enjoying the elaborate floral displays that play off The People’s Collection, you can sign up for lunchtime floral demonstrations with the designers, a garden-themed film screening of Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse, and paper-making classes.
March 16 – 20; from $30; 2110 Blue Ridge Road; ncartmuseum.org 

Watch Raleigh Little Theatre’s Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook

Inspired by the celebrated children’s book series by Barbara Park, watch as the mischievous Junie B. Jones navigates kindergarten — and the infamous idiom, “finders keepers, losers weepers.” When Junie B. finds her furry mittens stolen, she retaliates by declaring herself the “finder” of a brilliant pen of many colors, inspiring a lesson on the principles of right and wrong.
March 18 – 27; $17; 301 Pogue Street; raleighlittletheatre.org 

Laugh During Tracy Morgan’s Working It Out Tour

Head to Improv comedy club to see Emmy-nominated comedian and actor Tracy Morgan, known for his stand-up specials and roles on 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, and The Last O.G. At this “bracing” and “occasionally controversial” show, expect Morgan to deliver his signature pithy observations and one-liners. Plan to eat there: the venue offers a menu that includes hot chicken sandwiches, street tacos, brownie sundaes, and a full cocktail, beer, and wine list.
March 18 – 19; from $35; 1224 Parkside Main Street Cary; improv.com

Visit Duke Gardens

The Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham brim with the beauty of a new season each March as thousands of cherry trees, tulips, daffodils, and poppies burst into bloom.
Sara P. Duke Gardens, 420 Anderson Street, Durham, NC

Listen to the Symphony’s Beethoven Lives Upstairs

Follow a young Christoph and his uncle as they investigate the madman that has moved in above them (spoiler alert: it’s Beethoven) in this innovative reimagining of a classical concert. Conductor Michelle Di Russo and theatrical symphony group Classical Kids Live! bring Beethoven to life for audiences of all ages with performances of some of his most celebrating works, including Für Elise, the Ninth Symphony, and the “Moonlight” Sonata.
March 19 | 1 & 4 p.m.; from $27; 2 E. South Street; ncsymphony.org

Support the North Carolina Opera at its Gala

Support the performances and programs of the North Carolina Opera by heading to Park Alumni center at North Carolina State University for its annual fundraiser. Dance to live music by Sidecar Social Club, enjoy dinner catered by Mitchell•Casteel, and take part in both live and silent auctions of items like gift cards to local restaurants like the Angus Barn, a staycation at the AC Hotel Durham Marriott, and original art, like a watercolor beach landscape by Tesh Parekh.
March 19; 6 p.m. $250; 2450 Alumni Drive; ncopera.org

Drive out to the Triangle’s Version of Stonehenge

A misty spring morning in rural North Carolina: driving northwest from Raleigh, as farms line each side of Old N.C. 86, John’s Woods Road appears seemingly out of nowhere. A grassy shoulder off a dead-end road turns into an open field, where dark shadows peek through the fog, just barely hinting at what lies beyond. It’s quiet here, a spot that’s easy to miss — unless you know what to look for.  In this field, visitors can find North Carolina’s own take on Stonehenge, called Stone Knoll. It’s just outside of Chapel Hill in a little unincorporated community known as Calvander. Here, looming stone slabs arranged around a circle mark each of the cardinal directions — north, south, east, and west — and boulders spiral out from its center, widening into the clearing. The communities around Stone Knoll refer to the landmark as “Hartleyhenge” in honor of its creator, John Hartley. 

Here Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Mitsuko Uchida

The world-renowned ensemble Mahler Chamber Orchestra returns to Carolina Performing Arts with celebrated classical pianist and director Mitsuko Uchida and concertmaster and leader Mark Steinberg for an evening of Mozart and Purcell at Memorial Hall. 
March 22; 7:30 p.m.; from $39; 114 E. Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill; carolinaperformingarts.org

Head to Lincoln Theatre for the Pancakes & Booze Art Show

Enjoy free, all-you-can-eat pancakes in this Los Angeles-based event, a relaxed version of an art show featuring over 75 local artists, live music from local DJs, body painting, and more.
March 24; 7 p.m. – 1 a.m.; from $10; 126 E. Cabarrus Street; lincolntheatre.com

Head to the NCMA for Creative Mornings

After nearly two years of meeting virtually, Creative Mornings RDU, a monthly speaker series and networking event for creatives of all stripes, is back in person at the NCMA. Musician M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger will be speaking to this month’s theme, “Folklore.” It’s fitting, since Taylor studied American folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “I’ve had a vision in my head of this event for months now: coming back together, M.C. at the stage, NCMA as the backdrop. I am absolutely thrilled that it’s coming true,” says Alysse Campbell with CM RDU.
March 25 | 8:45 a.m.; free; 2110 Blue Ridge Road; creativemornings.com/cities/rdu 

See The Dresser at Theatre in the Park

This Ronald Harwood play is based on his own experiences working as the dresser to actor Sir Donald Wolfit. Set backstage at an English province theater production of King Lear, the play follows Norman as he attempts to prepare Wolfit, one of the last great English actors, to take the stage as World War II rages on around them.
March 25 – April 10 | Various times; from $20; 107 Pullen Road; theatreinthepark.com

Embrace the Dutch Concept of Hygge

Sure, we get milder winters here in North Carolina, but that doesn’t mean we have to shut it all down when the temperature drops. Instead, take a note from the Dutch, who are such pros thriving in the cold that they have a word for it: hygge. The hygge mentality encourages folks to detach from technology, spend time with their nearest and dearest, lean into warming foods and beverages, and (still) get outside every day.  Prioritizing this quality time, along with savoring small, cozy touches — like candles lit in the evening, a favorite pair of super-soft socks, and an engrossing book — can help you look forward to even the coldest days. We’ve mapped out ways to do just right here, with the help of our local bakeries, coffee shops, trails, and bookstores.

Watch HUMAN/NATURE

The Martha Graham Dance Company, one of the oldest American dance companies, is coming to Memorial Hall to present Diversion of Angels, Errand into the Maze, and a newly reimagined Canticle for Innocent Comedians, a classic ode to nature.
March 29 | 7:30 p.m; from $29; 114 E. Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill; carolinaperformingarts.org

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A version of this article originally appreciated in the March 2022 issue of WALTER magazine.