Media requests can be directed to:

Martin Armes, (919) 645-2654 or marmes@visitraleigh.com
Ryan Smith, (919) 645-2676 or rsmith@visitraleigh.com 

WHAT'S NEW IN RALEIGH - SUMMER

June - August 2006

RALEIGH, N.C. (June 2006) --"What's New in Raleigh" is a quarterly release listing new venues, activities, exhibits and much more compiled by the Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau. More information on all of the listings found in "What's New Summer 2006" can be found at www.VisitRaleigh.com

NEW FESTIVALS & EXHIBITS

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences inspires visitors with a stunning display of

nature photographs, revealing the splendor, drama and variety of life on Earth, in this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. This annual showcase displays winners from the largest and most prestigious wildlife photography competition in the world. This year's exhibition showcases an inspirational collection of 84 winning and highly commended entries, chosen by an expert panel as the most expressive and creative from almost 17,000 from over 55 countries. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is on display June 18 – September 10, 2006.

Common Ground: Discovering Community in 150 Years of Art
Common Ground brings together more than 100 works of art - primarily photography, but also painting, sculpture, mixed media and installations - that explore the universal human experiences of struggle, transcendence and salvation. Organized by the Corcoran Museum of Art in Washington, D.C. and drawn from the collection of Julia Norrell, the exhibition illustrates the essential ties that unite people of all cultures, irrespective of politics, race or religion. On display at the North Carolina Museum of Art through July 16, 2006.

The Carolina Mountains : The Photography of Margaret Morley
The North Carolina Museum of History examines Appalachian Mountain heritage with the photographs of acclaimed photographer Margaret Morley. Around the turn of the 20th century, Margaret Morley traveled throughout western North Carolina recording scenes of everyday life. Her photographs and writing capture farm chores, women's work, one-room schoolhouses and other aspects of life in a bygone era. The exhibit features more than 50 of Morley's photographs, several of which appear in her 1913 book The Carolina Mountains. The North Carolina Museum of History presents this exhibit July 11, 2006 – July 17, 2007.

2006 Raleigh International Spy Conference- Castro and Cuba : The Inside Story

Fidel Castro. The cigar-smoking Cuban dictator is one of the best-known and most controversial world figures of recent history. Castro turns 80 on Aug. 13, setting off speculation on what will happen "after Fidel," a subject in the news and under scrutiny by diplomats and intelligence officers worldwide. This is the topic to be explored during the annual Raleigh International Spy Conference. The 2006 event, titled Castro and Cuba : The Inside Story, offers a stellar lineup of former intelligence officials, scholars and commentators. The 2006 International Spy Conference is held at the North Carolina Museum of History, August 23 – 25, 2006

The Enemy Within: Terror in America 1776 to Today
Contrary to the belief of most Americans, September 11th was not the first time terrorist actions generated a national security response. This powerful and provocative new traveling exhibit from the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC, provides visitors with a historic perspective on acts of terror that have taken place on American soil - and how the country has reacted. Each visitor will feel compelled to answer two fundamental questions. "How far would you be willing to go to further your beliefs and what rights would you be willing to give up for your security?" Through haunting "you are there" stories, thought-provoking videos, touch screen computer surveys, and compelling artifacts including Ku Klux Klan robes, J. Edgar Hoover's personal telephone, anarchists' bombs and fragments of the planes that hit the World Trade Center, The Enemy Within explores nine major events in U. S. history when America felt threatened by enemies within its borders. Exploris Museum hosts this groundbreaking exhibit August 26 – November 26, 2006.

Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival
Named a "Top 100" festival, the tradition of excellence continues in Downtown Cary, as one of North Carolina 's premier arts and crafts festival marks its milestone 30th year! This juried show brings more than 50,000 people to downtown Cary every year to see the handiwork of over 400 artisans. Last year artisans hailed from 19 different states including California. Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival takes place August 26, 2006.

SUMMER SAVINGS & PACKAGES

Summer Rocks
With nationally acclaimed artists, concerts and family special events, Raleigh is this summer's hottest entertainment destination in the Carolinas. But it's more than just enjoying live shows, as visitors discover that same energy level outdoors buzzing in the beauty of Greater Raleigh's parks and gardens. Summer Rocks highlights include:

• Concerts like Kenny Chesney, Kelly Clarkson, Mary J Blige and Dave Matthews Band
• Events like July 4 celebrations, Disney Live Mickey's Magic Show, N.C. Museum of Art's Music and Movies and Fuquay-Varina's Celebration of the Arts
• Festivals like Cary Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival, Festival Ritmo Latino and Raleigh Antiques Festival
• Performances like the Wizard of Oz, Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy, The Amistad Saga and the N.C. Symphony's Summerfest Series
• And advance tickets sales for fall blockbuster events like Disney's The Lion King and Monet in Normandy Exhibition at the N.C. Museum of Art

Learn more at www.VisitRaleigh.com/summer.

Concerts Rock
Concerts rock and never more so than in Greater Raleigh. Recently emerging as one of the hottest live music destinations, Raleigh and Cary play host to a wide variety of artists in a wide array of settings now through October Experience the 16th anniversary roster of shows at long-time area favorite Alltel Pavilion, or see why Cary 's Koka Booth Amphitheatre was recently voted the nation's best small concert venue. Enjoy old favorites, like the City of Raleigh 's Alive After Five or, the free, all-day, multi-show event known as Bud Light Raleigh Downtown Live featuring nationally acclaimed artists. Revel in the intimacy of smaller shows at the North Carolina Museum of Art's Park Theater, immerse yourself in the full-on charge of the RBC Center or take in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. The choices, and the range of musicians, are unique and varied. Learn more at www.VisitRaleigh.com/concerts.

Monet in Normandy French Experience

This fall, Raleigh will be one of only three U.S. cities to host Monet in Normandy. Featuring 50 paintings from around the world, the North Carolina Museum of Art prepares for an once-in-a-lifetime exhibition. Raleigh is celebrating with a French getaway experience to match.

Raleigh is the only East Coast venue for this blockbuster show dedicated to Normandy, the French province that inspired many of Monet's best-known masterpieces.

The exhibition spans Monet's career, beginning with his paintings of the Normandy coast and progressing to his famed water lilies, a project that consumed the artist for the last 30 years of his life. Monet's iconic "impressions" of Normandy -- the haystacks, countryside, coastline and gardens -- take center stage for the first time in this exhibition.

Taste the culture that inspired Monet with special dinners, wine tastings, cooking classes and other French experiences all over the city – and see Raleigh in a whole new light. Buy tickets, find special hotel offers and plan your French getaway now at www.VisitRaleigh.com/monet.

Oakwood Inn Murder Mystery Weekend
Oakwood Inn, a Downtown Raleigh Bed & Breakfast, hosts a murder mystery weekend. All major roles will be played by Theatre in the Park actors and the plot was written by Gary Jurkiewicz, innkeeper of the Oakwood Inn. The weekend follows Raleigh 's 4th Annual International Spy Conference, so the plot centers on spies, espionage, and counter intelligence.

Guests will receive a welcoming gift from The Oakwood Inn B & B, Friday hors d'oeuvres, wine and other beverages with the introduction of characters and the storyline unfolding. Guests have breakfast Saturday morning, and then wait for the arrival of the characters to continue with the mystery and some unexpected surprises. Lunch follows at the Inn and then a nice break before dinner in the evening at a downtown Raleigh restaurant where the mystery climaxes and is solved. Sunday morning is breakfast with final closure to the event and prizes given out to those who solved the mystery. August 25 – 26, 2006. $120 per person. Accommodations booked separately.

New TGIF Special Offers
Enjoy your visit even more by taking advantage of Greater Raleigh's TGIF hotel special offers. Mention TGIF and receive the guaranteed lowest available weekend rate at 25 participating hotels, a $10 shopping card, a Sprint Calling Card, lowest available golf rates at four area courses and a Visitors Rewards Card that offers special discounts for local attractions, restaurants, golf courses and more! Learn more at www.tgifraleigh.com.

American Express Offers Cardmembers Discounts in Raleigh

The Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau has partnered with American Express to offer special rates on dining, lodging and events for American Express cardholders.These great offers were developed just for American Express Cardmembers visiting or residing in North Carolina 's Capital City area. Take advantage of these the following offers from Wake County merchants to enjoy the best of City Life, served Carolina Style. To find out more about these special offers visit www.visitraleigh.com.

CULINARY NEWS

AAA Recognizes Urban Food Group
AAA recently awarded Porter's City Tavern, Frazier's and Vivace, all restaurants owned by the Urban Food Group, as AAA Three Diamond Restaurants.

Porter's City Tavern, designed as a neighborhood restaurant serving well-prepared comfort food, opened in 2003, and has been packed ever since. Ideal for brunch on the weekends, outdoor dining, lunch, dinner or cocktails with friends, this casually hip eatery offers an urban tavern experience in Raleigh.

Frazier's an upscale-casual bistro that marries excellent food with casually elegant dining, features the cuisine of Executive Chef Jay Beaver. His seasonal bistro menu showcases local ingredients from nearby farms in classic European bistro dishes.

Vivace, the newest venture from Urban Food Group, is a Tuscan inspired restaurant with a seasonally focused trattoria menu-unique to Raleigh. Vivace will focus on house-cured meats, hand-cut cheeses and classic antipasti, as well as a global wine list, emphasizing Italian and American selections.

?n
Opening late summer 2006, Chef Michael Chuong will open ?n, the most elaborate Southeast Asian influenced restaurant in the region. Cherished for its use of fresh Asian herbs and exotic fruits, Vietnamese cuisine will play the starring role, complemented by coconut milk, curries, spices and a wide selection of fish and Kobe beef from Maylasia, Thailand, China and Japan. As with all Vietnamese cuisine, the French influence will be present, even more pronounced here – in complex sauces, tableside preparations, indigenous ingredients such as truffles, and in the most classic Vietnamese dishes.

Chuong also modernizes classics, thanks to his mastery of Southeast Asian cuisine. Chuong cleverly named his restaurant ?n, which means "to dine," or "to eat" in Vietnamese. This 10,000 square foot restaurant will highlight Chuongs' cuisine in a space designed in collaboration by avid art patron Ann Goodnight and international architect and restaurant designer, Paul Draper & Associates. The French colonial look and feel – showcasing dark mahogany wood and rattan dining chairs – will be complemented by contemporary design elements reflecting Chuongs' updated interpretation of Southeast Asian dishes. Special design features include a wine room visible by both private rooms, an impressive sake display in the dining room, soaring 35 foot ceilings in the dining room, large outdoor terraces with a fireplace, and a dramatic architectural space inside and out.

Nelson's
Nelsons brings the best of classic American-European haute cuisine to life in a stylish multi-faceted setting featuring an inviting dining loggia, gourmet oyster bar, reserve wine bar, private dining room, and outdoor loft bar -- thrilling neighborhood and destination diners alike. Nelsons setting offers intimate dining areas with a soft, contemporary style, imparting a comfortable luxury rarely enjoyed in restaurants. Signature features such as the light-reflecting onyx-covered walls of the oyster bars and the walls of falling water nearby highlight the seafood-focused menu, while supple textures and exquisite Missoni fabrics present a polished and powerful setting – ideal for enjoying stellar steaks and fine wines.

18 Seaboard

Raleigh native Jason Smith has opened Raleigh 's newest culinary venture, 18 Seaboard in the newly redeveloped Seaboard Station in Downtown Raleigh. Smith returns to Raleigh after stints at Magnolia Grill in Durham, Union Station Café in New York City, Peninsula Grill in Charleston, S.C. and at an Antarctic Scientific Station cafeteria. The menu focuses on inventive American Cuisine with an emphasis on locally grown produce and seafood from Carolina waters.

North Carolina Museum of History Opens Calvert Cafe
Calvert Café, an upscale coffee bar with lunch options, will open at the North Carolina Museum of History in downtown Raleigh on Monday, June 26.The café will be located in the lobby near the Museum Shop. Food and beverage selections will include coffee, espresso, fruit smoothies, muffins, pastries, cookies and a selection of wrap sandwiches and salads.

TRAVEL BUZZ

Raleigh to Los Angeles Non-Stop

June 8, 2006, Delta Air Lines' began nonstop service to the West Coast. Delta began the only non-stop service between Raleigh/Durham International Airport (RDU) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), with one roundtrip flight operated with the 150-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

JetBlue Lands at RDU
JetBlue, the air carrier known for its low-fares and high-tech appeal, will inaugurate service to Raleigh-Durham International Airport beginning on July 20 with four daily nonstop flights to New York 's John F. Kennedy Airport. Joining other low-fare carriers AirTran, America West and Southwest at RDU, JetBlue will offer connecting service through JFK to Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Burlington, Portland (Maine) and Bermuda, as well as transcontinental service to the West Coast and Rocky Mountain area between JFK and San Diego, Ontario, Burbank, San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, Portland (Oregon), Seattle, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Denver.

ACCOLADES

The Most Fun City

The Raleigh area ranks as the nation's No. 6 city for fun. That's the word from game maker Cranium, Inc., which commissioned Bert Sperling, who masterminded the "Best Places to Live" feature for Money magazine, to rank 50 cities for their fun factor. This was determined by the number of sports teams, restaurants, dance performances, toy stores, and the amount spent on recreation, among other factors. Minneapolis topped this list, followed by Orange County, San Jose, Atlanta, Chicago, Raleigh area, Washington, Oakland, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

"Top 10 Places for Business & Careers"

For the second straight year, Raleigh recently ranked No. 2 in Forbes' 8th Annual Best Places for Business and Careers Survey. Criteria for the ranking include a culture-and-leisure index, business and living costs and the education of the workforce. Many of those factors are positive benefits when holding an area meeting. Albuquerque topped the survey, followed by Raleigh, Houston, Boise, Knoxville, Phoenix, Nashville, Durham, Fayetteville, Ark., and Indianapolis. 

Smartest City in America

A new study by Bizjournals.com based on an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data puts Raleigh No. 6 in concentration of "brainpower" for medium sized cities, while Cary came in 7th among small communities. The study analyzed the educational levels of adults with an emphasis on concentration of college graduates.

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

New Hope Valley Railway Grand Centennial

The New Hope Valley Railway celebrates its 100th Anniversary in 2006. This historic railway was originally built as the Durham & South Carolina Railroad during 1905-1906, and the very first ever revenue producing train was operated in June 1906.  The facility is now open to the public for train rides, educational activities and special events.

Historic Yates Mill County Park

Celebrating its 250 th anniversary, Historic Yates Mill County Park has undergone renovations and is once again open to the public. Historic Yates Mill County Park offers visitors an "Escape from the Everyday Grind" with unique cultural and environmental experiences. The park boasts nearly 600 acres of land, including the 20-acre millpond, which is part of the Swift Creek nutrient-sensitive water-supply watershed. Diverse park habitats include pond, creek, wetlands, and forests.

Historic Yates Mill County Park is managed as a preserve for native wildlife with a mission to study and interpret the cultural, natural, and agricultural heritage preserved in the park. Park programs focus on the site's ecology, cultural history, and agricultural heritage. Visitors can look forward to cane-pole fishing, guided canoe floats, seasonal natural history and agricultural programs, and tours of the fully operational gristmill.

ACCOMODATION NEWS

Woodburn Cottage B&B

Raleigh 's newest bed and breakfast opened in June in a historic 1920s arts and crafts bungalow in Downtown Raleigh. Minutes from N.C. State University, museums, restaurants and shopping. Woodburn Cottage provides guests an intimate setting with two elegantly appointed guest rooms. The City of Oaks Room and The Garden Room offer romantic settings combined with all the amenities you need. Rates begin at $119 per night. It is owned by former City of Raleigh planning director George Chapman and his wife.

William Thomas House Bed & Breakfast
The William Thomas House, considered one of Downtown Raleigh's most treasured bed & breakfasts, has announced it will close its doors effective August 31.