Features

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Spam and Scams: The Digital Bogeymen

If you feel like there has been an uptick in spammy content coming across your devices lately, you’re not alone. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, so it’s the ideal time to refresh your understanding of what these scammers are capable of.

The internet is passing junk form responses and emails at an unprecedented pace. Spam... Read More

Uncovering Spookquay-Varina

Liz Pardue was 8 years old when she read a ghost story involving one of her ancestors in the book North Carolina Ghosts & Legends by Nancy Roberts.

The story involved “a devil collecting the soul of a witch” — somewhat atypical reading for a third grader, don’t you think?

“It terrified me, and I... Read More

Woman to Watch: Katie Gailes

Back in 2023, Katie Gailes was flirting with retirement. While on a Zoom meeting with Entrepreneur Support Organizations in the Triangle — and despite wearing red glasses and lipstick and being, as Gailes describes herself, “my usual feisty self” — she labeled herself an “official little ol’ lady.”

It didn’t take long for people to... Read More

Shop Small

It’s a well-know refrain for entrepreneurs everywhere: Every day I’m hustlin’. And that’s rarely more true than during the year’s final months, when harvest festivals, craft markets, and holiday bazaars pepper the calendar.

On the following pages, meet five small business owners who have harnessed the joy of creating to fashion whimsical and one-of-a-kind products... Read More

Food & Dining

Restaurant Spotlight: The Library Steakhouse

Once upon a time, a public building in downtown Fuquay-Varina afforded residents the chance to check out books and savor stories. Today the transformed space serves as a gathering spot for guests to book tables and relish nourishing meals.

Locals are delighted about the recent opening of The Library Steakhouse, among the town’s newest and... Read More

Dig In & Drink Up: BOLT Drinks and Coffee

Origins: “We relocated from Iowa. Energy drinks are big there. We couldn’t find anything here while we were house hunting, so we decided to bring something new to the area,” says Stephanie Guinee, who owns BOLT with her fiancé, Brad Prashaw.

Details: “We serve a carbonated, caffeinated energy drink mixed with our signature syrups. Customers... Read More

Life & Style

State Fair Shenanigans

It’s that time of year again, folks — and, like my editor, I am shocked out of my daggum mind that I have never written about it until now.

North Carolina’s 2024 State Fair runs from Thursday, Oct. 17, to Sunday, Oct. 27, so grab your denim overalls and prepare to get the turkey leg... Read More

Meet & Greet: Brie the Plant Lady

Brie Arthur’s career in horticulture looks much like a vine climbing a trellis, with vertical ascents paired with zigs and zags navigating the various obstacles and opportunities ahead of her.

A professional gardener, author, YouTube host, and self-proclaimed plant nerd, Arthur first laid down roots in horticulture through the 4H program in her home state... Read More

See & Do: October to November 2024

Music Bingo Oct. 5 & 19, Nov. 2 & 16, 8–10:30 P.M. The Corner Biergarten & Bottle Shop, 1625 N. Main St., Fuquay-Varina

With 24 taps pouring craft beers, ciders, and seltzers, as well as traditional German favorites, there’s something for everyone to enjoy during the bimonthly music bingo night.

Family Spooktacular Oct. 12, 1–4... Read More

From Overalls to Overpriced

You may have noticed that Southern Wake has upped its restaurant game. Foodies from all over the Triangle are flocking to occasionally visiting Holly Springs and Fuquay for a look at our fancy menus.

Get those tires out of your front yard and put on some real pants because THINGS ARE CHANGING. Hoity-toity establishments are... Read More

Home & Garden

A Retreat for Two + Friends

A one-room transformation, that’s all the Holly Springs homeowners sought — until they started working with Amanda Steinert-Francfort of ASF Interiors. Under Steinert-Francfort’s expert hand, their project turned into a refresh for the new home’s entire first floor.

The clients wanted unique design elements to reflect their individual styles, and to upgrade construction-grade lighting and... Read More

Fresh Statement

Homeowners Jennifer and Leo Young love statement-making details, including antique furniture, grand staircases, and Tudor architecture. They also love open living, indoor/outdoor spaces, and quiet luxury, so the couple partnered with Spotted Interior Design to refresh an outdated home in Cary.

“We immediately saw great bones,” says Jennifer. “And it’s an extremely convenient location. We... Read More

Travel

Worth the Drive

Expand your surroundings and your palate with a jaunt to one of these unique dining destinations. Farm-to-table fare, in-house distilled spirits, and international flavors make these restaurants worth the road trip.

SAAP Cary

Chef Lon Bounsanga, formerly of Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana, opened his newest Laotian restaurant on the edge of the new Downtown... Read More

Get a Room

Japandi Dome

Marina and Gene Huneycutt’s 2-acre property “feels like a little piece of countryside,” nestled in a quiet section of northwest Durham, only a 15-minute drive from downtown Durham, Hillsborough, and Chapel Hill.

“I love the idea of having people in my home and caring for them,” says Marina Huneycutt.... Read More