12+ cheap things to do in the Triangle this weekend

Triangle residents rejoice! It’s that time of year when the area starts coming alive with festivals, outdoor events, and more. The randomness that will ensue every weekend between now and fall will be so much fun. And I will try to keep you posted on some of the more interesting events (especially for families and those of us on a budget).

Let’s start with this weekend:

* Dog owners might want to take their pooches to Moore Square between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday for the SPCA Dog Walk.

* Go camping, dancing, crafting, Earth-saving, concert rocking at the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, which starts Thursday and continues through Sunday.

* Listen to a free performance by the Durham Symphony at 5 p.m. Sunday at Trinity Park in Durham as part of the Pops in the Park concert series. And if the weather holds up to the forecast, then head over to Francesca’s Dessert Cafe on Ninth Street for some stellar gelato (the Sweet Cream is my favorite) or to LocoPop’s on Hillsborough Street for a gourmet popsicle treat.

* Check out the Durham Art Scene. This weekend is the annual Durham Art Walk. Make a day out of it by wandering over to the American Tobacco complex and hanging out by the water or head in the opposite direction to the Scrap Exchange to make crafts with the kids.

* The weather will also be perfect for a picnic at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. I plopped myself down on a blanket there last weekend, played some frisbee and snacked on Peanut Butter sandwiches. Cheap way to be romantic with your honey or let the kids burn off some energy.

* Go to the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science for the Butterfly Bash. It features dung beetle races, butterfly releases, insect eating and more.

* Saturday is Earth Action Day at the Morehead Planetarium. The family-friendly event is from noon to 5 p.m.

* You can go see “Pride and Prejudice” on stage at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Paul Green Theatre in Chapel Hill.

* The Durham Bulls are out of town this weekend. But UNC baseball has a home game against Miami at 1 p.m.  Sunday.

* If you’re a Wilco fan, you might want to check out the screening of the band’s new documentary “Ashes of American Flags” which airs at 11:55 p.m. Saturday at Galaxy Cinema in Cary.

* Go to the N.C. State Fairgrounds. The flea market is best when the weather is beautiful, so I can almost guarantee this weekend’s market will be filled with a variety of vendors. The flea market is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every weekend. While you’re at the fairgrounds you can eat some Mediterranean food and learn about Turkish culture at the N.C. Turkish Festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.

* And finally, consider supporting local comedy (you know I’m a fan). DSI Comedy in Carrboro has an out-of-town guest who tracked me down on facebook and made me laugh with her message, so I’ve got to give her a plug. Sara Benincasa will be performing a one-woman show at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the theater.

Of course, I probably inadvertantly snubbed about 50 other local events happening this weekend. As always, feel free to promote them and post links to them in my comment section. Let us know if there’s other events we should be checking out.

Vegans not allowed

I spotted this sign at Aquarium Outfitters, an awesome pet shop in Wake Forest. It made me smile. If you’re ever looking for something random to do, take a drive out to Wake Forest to go to this pet shop. I stumbled upon it last year when I was in Wake Forest researching stories for MyNC.com. It has a huge snake and fish collection. No dogs or cats, but lots of birds and mice. It’s a fun find.

Also, I stopped by this cool new vintage shop in downtown Wake Forest that has only been open for a week. Of course, since I was in Sunday stroll mode, I didn’t jot down the name of it. But it’s not hard to find (there’s not much on the main drag in downtown Wake Forest). The prices were really good and there’s even a meeting space (complete with bright yellow and green retro chairs) that the couple is letting the public use for free. If anyone knows the name of the shop, please post it in the comments so I can update my blog.

What restaurant has the best biscuits in the Triangle?

Trips to Biscuitville have become a staple in my Sunday brunch routine. I’m hardly a biscuit connoisseur, but I’ve got to admit that the North Carolina biscuit chain has got it going on. They’ve got Texas Pete, awesome sausage patties, strong coffee, and — of course — tasty biscuits. And the Honey Buns deserve their own fan page on facebook. Breakfast for two costs about $10.

On Sundays, I take my copy of the News & Observer with me and sprawl out in a booth with my biscuits and boyfriend. Sometimes we’ll go on Saturdays too. Another huge Biscuitville brunch perk is there’s rarely a wait. I get impatient waiting for a table for Sunday brunch (unless you give me coffee like Elmo’s does).

But I know there are better biscuits out there. Somewhere in the Triangle, there’s a fluffy, golden biscuit that’s waiting to woo me. Help me find that place.

Tell me what restaurants you think have incredible biscuits (or biscuits not worth wasting my time on). I’ve had the biscuits at Elmo’s and Flying Biscuit, and I like them both. But certainly there are other locally-owned places that I’ve got to try.

Elephants and horses walk to RBC Center for circus

Here’s some footage from the animals being unloaded for the circus last night:

Circus animals to walk the streets of Raleigh tonight

I had to share this e-mail with you. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is coming to town and tonight the animals will be unloaded from the train. I know some of my readers will see this as a perfect opportunity to protest the use and care of animals in circuses. Some of you might want to take your kids (or just your cameras). So, like it or not, here are the details about the march.

What Raleigh residents will see in the streets on Monday, February 2 starting at 7:30 PM is the Grand Animal Walk of The Greatest Show On Earth. This event heralds the arrival of the sizzling, all-new 138th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, offering eleven performances at the RBC Center, Thursday, February 5 through Sunday, the 8. The show is coming from Charlotte, NC.
The animals will be unloaded from the train at 7 PM on Hillsborough Street across from Dorton Arena and begin making the Walk to the RBC Center. For those interested in seeing the animals the best viewing position will be the RBC Center near the loading dock entrance. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL TIMES AND TRAVEL ROUTES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE!

I went to the circus when it came to town last year, and I highly recommend it if you don’t have any ethical issues about elephants, tigers and lions being put on display like this.

Cary celebrates Christmas in the strangest ways

When I want to get into the Christmas spirit, there are certain no-fail traditions I can fall back on. Watching “It’s A Wonderful Life” or “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” Decorating the Christmas tree. Sipping yummy Egg Nog. Tuning to the All-Christmas music radio station. Watching the kids line up at the mall for their chance to whisper their wishes to Santa.

But there’s something happening at Crossroads Plaza in Cary that seems more dangerous than festive: Riding in a horse-pulled buggy with Santa Claus. Traffic at Crossroads is crazy this time of year. I don’t see how having a horse clopping up and down the parking lot hauling small children is a good idea.

When you’re a kid, it’s probably pretty cool to ride around with Santa for a few minutes. But is this really the best venue?

I’ll (probably) never be a vegetarian

I’ve thought about becoming a vegetarian, but the idea wafts away whenever the I encounter vinegary, spicy buffalo wings (the kind that make your eyes water when they’re delivered to your table).

I lived with a vegetarian for a little over a year. He boycotted meat for moral reasons (he’s the guy on the left with the salad). When we moved into our house, my meat-free roomie plastered my leather boots and some meat I placed in the fridge with stickers saying something about saving a cow. I respected his vegetarianism (I like how that sounds like a disease). When we fired up the grill, I didn’t flip his veggie burgers with the same spatula I used for my beefy burger. I also always tried to suggest restaurants that offered meatless options beyond the standard salad and cheese sticks.

I doubt I could ever eliminate meat from my life because of buffalo chicken and pork BBQ. Even after reading the graphic description of how pigs appear on my plate in this N&O series, I still can’t help but crave pulled pork ALL THE TIME.

But I do not have any major issues with your personal choice to be a vegetarian. So if you’re planning to chow down on tofurkey instead of turkey Thursday, I’m not going to judge. In fact, I want to help maximize your sans turkey celebration.

Turns out the country’s largest vegetarian Thanksgiving Day feast is right here in the Triangle. The meat-free meal is hosted by the Triangle Vegetarian Society and sounds pretty tantalizing, even to this meateater. The gourmet menu includes oyster mushroom croquettes, roasted garlic olive oil mashed potatoes with chives, mushroom gravy, apple-pecan stuffing, and fresh raspberry-cranberry relish.

The only catch is the meal is so popular it’s already sold out. But you may still be able to snag a plate. The society is taking names and will contact fellow vegetarians if anyone cancels their reservation.

Whether you’re a meat eater or not, I hope your Thanksgiving is truly special. I know the holiday is a favorite for many because it’s a chance for family and friends to come together and unite around food. You don’t have to buy presents, flowers or cards. Just eat and be happy. Now that’s something I can appreciate.

A new cute creature at the Duke Lemur Center

My heart melted a little bit this morning, and I thought you might want yours to do the same. I watched the video Duke University’s news service produced to introduce the world to Ichabod, an aye-aye.

The extremely rare aye-aye is a goofy looking creature that looks like a cross between a bat and a ferret. It hails from Madagascar, where it is endangered and is thought by some to be an omen for death for the village it shows up in.

Ichabod was born July 23 at the Duke Lemur Center.

I haven’t been to the Lemur Center yet, but I so need to take a tour. The center offers tours by appointment only. Yet another fun, unusal thing to do in the Bull City. For more on Ichabod, click here.

So do you think this aye-aye is a cutey or a little creepy?

Fun in the Bull City for $6 (kind of)

The Setting: Durham, NC.

The Time: From 6 to 11 p.m. Friday night

The Goal: Have as much fun as possible on a budget.

Here’s how it went down: One of my friends had tickets to the Durham Bulls game. I accepted his invitation. Then I got an e-mail from another friend reminding me the Bulls game was on the same night as the final concert in the Warehouse Blues series. What to do? How about both.

I’ve told you about the city-sponsored Warehouse Blues series before. It’s held on Friday nights during the summer at West Village. Anyway, the performers are top notch and it’s completely free. You can even bring your own beer.

Even though the concert series is over, it’s still worth heading over to West Village if you’re around downtown Durham. The developers have done an outstanding job transforming the shuttered Liggett & Myers tobacco factory into a gorgeous place to live, work and even play.

After the concert, we walked along the railroad tracks to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, at which point we realized we had forgotten our tickets in the car. Oops. No worries. For $6 you can buy yourself a spot on the lawn behind center field.

The Result: So for $6 we had five hours of outstanding entertainment and people watching on a Friday night.

The Bonus: I got to meet Lucky AND Friday nights at the DBAP always end with fireworks.

(OK, technically, I spent more than that b/c beer and dinner was involved, but I could have easily opted to eat before going out and not drink).

The Question: Any suggestions of other inexpensive ways to spend a Friday night around the Triangle?

Massive kitten adoptathon scheduled Saturday

If you find kittens ridiculously adorable and feel an uncontrollable urge to shower them with love, then you may want to make plans Saturday to head over to the PetSmart at 2800 E. Millbrook Road in Raleigh. That’s where the SPCA of Wake County will be hosting a “SUPER kitten adoptathon” (their words, not mine) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 30 kittens will be available for adoption.

Apparently, summer is kitten season at the SPCA, which has seen a major influx in cats being left at the shelter. The shelter is attributing the kitten explosion to the declining economy, according to a news release.

Current hard times are forcing people to make some dififciutl decisions, such as giving up their pets. The increase in surrendered cats and dogs combined with teh decrease in adoptions is leading to increase euthanasia rates.

As an incentive, the shelter is reducing the adoption price to $47.50, which covers spaying/neutering, a microhip, deworming and vaccinations (including rabies).

Also on Saturday, 20 kittens and 50 cats will be available for adoption at the SPCA adoption center at 200 Petfinder Lane in Raleigh. Raleigh. If you need to see some kittens to get you in the mood, check out the kitten generator or this video of a kitten tht one of my coworkers recently adopted.

But if you’re going to adopt a kitten, don’t forget that they grow into cats that seem to live forever. I adopted my cats in 2000 and have been dragging them around with me ever since.