This month, experience college basketball, stargazing, Mardi Gras soirées and, of course, Valentine’s Day with loved ones. 
by Addie Ladner

You’re Too Sweet!

This month, chocolate will be enjoyed in hundreds of ways, from a box of chocolate-covered strawberries to molten lava cakes. Here in Raleigh, our local chocolatiers roast direct-sourced cacao beans with pride, transforming them into delicious confections. “We love that our customers enjoy our chocolate with their loved ones, friends or Galentine’s day gals,” says Sam Ratto, owner of Videri Chocolate Factory. “Though of course, we think chocolate is the perfect treat to celebrate the ones we love, any day of the year.” Located in the Warehouse District, Videri offers everything from their single-origin bars to bonbons in a spectrum of flavors, plus pairings with ice cream or coffee. You can tour its facility, too. (327 W. Davie Street; viderichocolatefactory.com) Escazú, which recently moved to a new location in Gateway Plaza, is a micro-batch chocolatier beloved for its ice cream and bars (we suggest the Single Origin Sheep’s Milk). But for Valentine’s Day, splurge on a box of beautiful, hand-decorated truffles that look — and taste — like tiny works of art. (2409 Crabtree Boulevard, Suite 124; escazuchocolates.com) Available at various local markets and gift shops, Raleigh-based Spring & Mulberry uses dates to sweeten all its chocolate, and its bars are adorned with beautiful and flavorful accents like dried strawberries, flower petals and coconut. (Find retailers at springandmulberry.com).

Beyond indulging your sweet tooth this month, there is plenty of fun to be had, from cheering on a college basketball team to supporting local theater to racing in our city’s most glutinous charity run. Read on for your February to-do list.

Watch Some College Basketball!

We’re in the middle of college basketball season, which is especially exciting here in the Triangle where we have three major universities with ACC teams. This month offers several opportunities to see games between our local rivals. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill women’s team will play NC State in Raleigh at the William Neal Reynolds Coliseum on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m for the annual charity Play4Kay game. (From $121; 2411 Dunn Avenue; gopack.com)  The UNC men’s team will be up against Duke University on Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Dean Dome. (From $700; 300 Skipper Bowles Drive, Chapel Hill; goheels.com) Then the UNC men’s team will play NC State in the Lenovo Center on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. It’s the only time you’ll see these two teams play each other this regular season — the first time in more than a century that the teams haven’t battled twice. (From $110; 1400 Edwards Mill Road; gopack.com)

See WORDS = POWER at the Gregg Museum of Art + Design

On view at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design on NC State’s campus is the exhibition WORDS = POWER. It features writings by North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green paired with visual works by both students and professional artists. Collectively, the exhibit explores how art can spark change in the world and encourage compassion and strength in communities. Join Green on Feb. 19 from 6 – 9 p.m. for a Q&A and artist talk to discuss the exhibition (registration required).
Feb. 1 – 28 | Various times; Free; 1903 Hillsborough Street; calendar.ncsu.edu

Take a Deep Dive into Whiskey at a class at Vitis House

Did you know that all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon? Vitis House food, wine and spirits expert Doreen Colondres is hosting a class centered on all things whiskey to explore just that. Learn how different parts of the world produce the spirit (from Scotland’s Scotch whisky to Japanese whiskey — spelling difference included) and sample rare, award-winning varieties. Colondres will pair the whiskeys with light bites, including a bourbon-marinated skirt steak served on naan with tzatziki and piquillo pepper sauce.
Feb 4. | 6:30 – 8 p.m.; $115; 1053 E. Whitaker Mill Road, Suite 115; vitishouse.com

See Built to Remember at Artspace

Lauren Selden, a Texas-based artist, has a visiting exhibition titled Built to Remember at Artspace this month showcasing two sculptural bodies of work, Returning Home and Invasive Species. Returning Home features miniature structures made of wax and metal that offer a glimpse into the places Selden has lived, including dormitories, rentals and public housing. Many of them sit atop thin pillars as a nod to rising sea levels. Invasive Species features small, curved, delicate flowers resting on larger bases. “Together, the houses and flowers create a landscape of memory and endurance. Through rising waters, institutional rooms and small blooms that refuse erasure, Built to Remember is a tender study of how our environments mark us, and what we build within ourselves to stay standing,” says Artspace artist programs manager Alexandra Jane.
Feb. 1 -22 | various times; Free to view; 201 E. Davie Street; artspacenc.org

Support a Good Cause at the Triangle Wine & Food Experience

Notable chefs from all over the country come together to host this multi-day foodie event to benefit the Frankie Lemmon School & Development Center. It includes special wine dinners at local restaurants, private meals featuring big-name chefs and, to cap it all off, an evening with tastings and a live auction. Feb. 5-7 | Various times; From $500; various locations; frankielemmonfoundation.org

See Carolina Ballet’s Carmen Suite

In the late 1960s, choreographer Alberto Julio Rayneri Alonso was commissioned by Russian ballerina Maya Plisetskaya to create a ballet inspired by the title character in Georges Bizet’s famous opera Carmen. The sensuous Carmen Suite, set to music arranged by Plisetskaya’s composer husband, Rodion Shchedrin, was censored at the time for its erotic dancing and immodest costumes. This month, Carolina Ballet will debut its interpretation of this storied work paired with Book of Esther, a ballet inspired by the exhibition of the same name at the North Carolina Museum of Art. “In this bold world premiere, resident choreographer Amy Hall Garner reimagines Carmen Suite with powerful theatricality and a fresh choreographic voice set to Bizet’s iconic score, alongside Zalman Raffael’s Book of Esther — expect a compelling program that explores courage, agency and identity,” says Joshua Dwight with Carolina Ballet.
Feb. 5 – 22; From $55; 2 E. South Street; carolinaballet.com

See Raleigh Little Theatre’s Moonlight and Magnolias

This historical fiction play at Raleigh Little Theatre imagines the story of how Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind was adapted for cinema. Set in late-1930s Hollywood, the story follows producer David O. Selznick, screenwriter Ben Hecht and director Victor Fleming, who shut themselves off from society for five days to produce the screenplay. The film, which starred Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable, went on to win eight Oscars — but also has been criticized for its depictions of slavery and the antebellum South.
Feb. 6 – 22 | Various times; From $33; 301 Pogue Street; raleighlittletheatre.org

Spectate or Participate in the Krispy Kreme Challenge

On your marks, get set, go … and then after you run your fastest 2.5 miles, eat a dozen doughnuts and do it again. That’s the rubric for the Krispy Kreme Challenge, a quirky North Carolina State University tradition that’s a long-running fundraiser for UNC Children’s Hospital. A challenge in cardiovascular and digestive stamina, the race starts and ends at the Memorial Belltower with a midpoint pause at the Krispy Kreme on N. Person Street. For folks not wanting to eat all that sugar and carbs — The Challenger race category — there are other ways to participate. Sign up as a Casual participant and eat as many or as few doughnuts as you wish, or opt for the No Doughnut category to just run. For spectators, it offers some fun people-watching, as participants are often in costume. (But you may want to avoid the turnaround, where the gorging-and-running combo can sometimes have unappealing consequences).
$49; 2011 Hillsborough Street; krispykremechallenge.com

Celebrate in Style at the Mardi Gras Masquerade Prom for Adults

New Orleans isn’t the only place with some pomp and circumstance this time of year! The City of Raleigh is bringing a touch of Mardi Gras to the over-21 crowd with a fun Masquerade Prom at Dorothea Dix Park. Enjoy festive cocktails at the cash bar, live music and a DJ. Wear your most elaborate mask and eveningwear and gather your friends to party like you’re in the French Quarter.
Feb. 7 | 8 – 11 p.m.; $40; 1030 Richardson Drive; raleighnc.gov

Have a Self-Care Sunday with Yoga at Dix Park

Having a hard time staying motivated on those self-care New Year’s resolutions? Local yoga instructor Carrington Jackson is hosting this gentle flow session inside Dix Park’s Greg Poole, Jr. All Faiths Chapel. Blending stillness, breath and light movement, the vinyasa-based class is a great way to center your body and mind in a peaceful, welcoming environment. This class is open to all fitness levels and yogis as young as 12 years old. Don’t forget your mat and water bottle.
Feb. 8 | 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.; Free but registration required; 1030 Richardson Drive; dixpark.org

See The Sarafinas, My Way at Theatre Raleigh

The Sarafinas is an elite dance performance company hailing from New York City that’s led by two former Radio City Rockettes. For The Sarafinas, My Way, they’ll be joined at Theatre Raleigh by Broadway vet and Dancing with the Stars alum Amanda Kloots, as well as vocalist Dominic Scaglione, Jr., for a glamorous, jazzy show. The performance will feature captivating precision dance moves and mesmerizing vocals to the songs of some of America’s most iconic crooners.
Feb. 12 – 15 | 7:30 p.m.; From $80; 6638 Old Wake Forest Road; theatreraleigh.com

Enjoy a Valentine’s Day-Themed Dinner at NCMA

Catering Works, the company responsible for the North Carolina Museum of Art’s varied cuisine options, has parntered with Chamber Music Raleigh to put together a romance-themed four-course dinner for Valentine’s Day. For each course, guests will get to choose between multiple dishes with inventive names. Among them: the Perfect Liaison (shaved Iberico ham, fruit and house-made ricotta on crostini), the Blush (grilled sourdough topped with a gruyere-and-champagne fondue and sour cherries) and the Forbidden Flight (roasted duck breast with a honey-rhubarb glaze over forbidden rice). The evening will feature live music from the Cleveland Celtic Ensemble.
Feb. 14 | 6:30 – 9 p.m.; $200; 2110 Blue Ridge Road; ncartmuseum.org

Hear Love Songs of Lennon & McCartney at The Rialto

The North Carolina Master Chorale has a love-ly show planned at The Rialto Theater in honor of Valentine’s Day. Hear romantic tunes from the canon of legends John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the songwriters for The Beatles, like McCartney’s “Yesterday” and Lennon’s “All You Need Is Love.”
Feb. 15 | 3 p.m.; From $18; 1620 Glenwood Avenue; ncmasterchorale.org

See Wilmington-born The Runarounds at The Ritz

The Runarounds are a Wilmington-based band that was cast in season 3 of Outer Banks. Almost overnight, the jam band became a sensation — even landing its own TV show, a fictionalized account of its journey chasing success on a nearly sold-out tour. The Runarounds are playing (for real) at The Ritz this month and while the show is sold out, go ahead and add your name to the waitlist or check resale apps to experience this Eastern North Carolina sensation in its glory.
Feb. 21 | 7 p.m.; From $140; 2820 Industrial Drive; ritzraleigh.com

Enjoy Stargazing at The Willard

Did you know February’s a great month for stargazing? Stars (including constellations like Gemini and Orion) and planets (like Mars and Jupiter) are brighter against a darker winter sky. The Raleigh Astronomy Club is setting up its telescopes at The Willard Rooftop Lounge downtown for a free galaxy-viewing session, with club members on hand to help explain and identify noteworthy sights. Make the night even better by purchasing one of The Willard’s cosmic-inspired cocktails like the Supernova (a mezcal-based drink with toasted coconut, Tajin, triple sec and lime) or the Saturn (which features Drumshanbo Sardinian Citrus, lemon, orgeat, passion fruit and angostura bitters).
Feb. 25 | 7 – 9 p.m.; Free; 9 Glenwood Avenue; thewillardraleigh.com

Listen to Paul McDonald & The Morning Doves

American Idol alum Paul McDonald is bringing his band The Mourning Doves to Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro to offer the folk rocker’s perfect blend of raspy vocals and electrifying instrumentals. While McDonald is known for high-energy performances, his latest album, So Long to the Dark Side, offers lower-fi tunes and themes of growth and healing. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Feb. 27 | 8 p.m. From $17; 300 E. Main Street, Carrboro; catscradle.com 

This article originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of WALTER magazine.