I know what you’re thinking — there’s only one way to celebrate the New Year in Southern Wake, and it’s by sippin’ on Satan’s syrup in your tighty-whities while enjoying a Crunchwrap Supreme. I’m not saying you’re wrong — by the time midnight hits, the vast majority of us are half-standing in front of a TV just trying to make it through the countdown in NYC.
Catching an Uber to First Night Raleigh from Holly Springs or Fuquay likely isn’t an option unless we want to flush our kids’ savings accounts down the crapper (just kidding, Cary, we don’t have savings accounts). Even so, there are ways to ring in the New Year that don’t involve dragging yourself upstairs at 12:01 a.m. ( Just don’t expect actual events. I’m not a social calendar. WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME.)
Get Tripsy with the Neighbors
After living in Southern Wake for the past 15 years, I can say one thing with absolute certainty — there’s a sense of community around here that I’ve never experienced elsewhere. Is it because we all agreed not to sacrifice our first-born for an 1,100-square-foot home in Apex? Is it the shared trauma we experience every time we visit the Fuquay Walmart?
Who knows, but we do tend to bond while sitting on camping chairs in the driveway. Remember, with enough alcohol, you’ll completely forget about the Ring doorbell footage your neighbor posted of your dog taking a late-night crap in their front yard.
New Year’s Eve is a time for new beginnings! Forgive and let live. If you’re looking for a drink recipe that will make you best friends with your neighbors for the evening and never want to live another day, I’ve got you covered.
Pink Champagne Punch Cocktail
For a pitcher:
1 bottle of pink Champagne (or sparkling rosé)
1 cup orange vodka
½ cup triple sec or orange liqueur
For one cocktail:
Hahaha like you’ll only drink one
Stalk the ABC Store
Y’all laugh, but sitting in the parking lot of an ABC store and watching the hot messes come and go is one of my favorite holiday pastimes. Why do you think Fuquay built an entire apartment complex with BALCONIES FACING THE ABC STORE?
Nothing brings all the locals (and shopping carts full of booze) to the yard like a good New Year’s Eve party in North Lakes. People make liquor runs in their “painter shirts,” ripped sweatpants, and grass-stained New Balances like everyone is suddenly blind on the last day of the year. Next time you’re picking up some dranks (no, that’s not a typo), do yourself a favor and loiter in the parking lot for a little while. You can thank me later.
Troll Social Media
Nothing in this world is more entertaining than NextDoor and Facebook community groups on New Year’s Eve — or any other holiday involving fireworks. Was that a TNT popper or a gunshot? How traumatized is Janet’s dog, on a scale from 1-10? Who let those preteens run rampant around the cul-de-sac with sparklers? Who owns the white Jeep that tore through the neighborhood like a bat out of hell at 11:42 p.m. EST?
You might not know at first, but Kyle’s Google Nest is going to tell you. If it doesn’t, Barb down the street has already posted a picture of the license plate. For extra entertainment, visit the police department’s Facebook page and watch the comment section light up faster than the night sky along the NC/SC border. Let’s start 2023 off right.
If it’s fitness you want, it’s fitness we got.
Make Resolutions You Don’t Intend to Keep
Southern Wake residents love making resolutions that last approximately a week (two, if you’re from Holly Springs) before they find themselves eating Cajun fries in a puddle of their own tears. Look, we’re all inspired by the older gentleman in the red hat that trots his way to a healthy heart down Judd Parkway for 56 miles (give or take 50), but I think we all know that Stick Boy’s siren song is much louder than the folks at Jazzercise.
Saying that, there are plenty of places to start the year off on the right foot — Planet Fitness, O2 Fitness, Anytime Fitness, 9Round Fitness, Body Shop Fitness, CrossFit, Original Strength Institute, Cook Out. Just to name a few.
Actually Go Out
I know, this might sound crazy — but we DO have a lot of drinking holes around here that don’t require a $769 Uber ride. I’m sure there are events planned at just about every brewery and bar in town, I just don’t have a master list because I’m writing this in October because that’s how magazines work, peasants. The only local events I can find information about at the moment are holiday mini-shoots from photographers who work harder than the fire alarms at Fuquay-Varina High, but I’m sure if you google it you’ll find somewhere to drink alone.
Don’t worry, 2023 is going to be your year. Guaranteed.
- Savory Soup and Salad Combos
- Great Holiday Gifts
- Iconic Holiday Experiences
- I Tried It: The Float Spa Holly Springs
- Soup’s On!
- Restaurant Spotlight: Lovegrass Kitchen
- Dig In & Drink Up: Peppermint S’mores From Brus on Main
- See & Do: December to January 2023
- Meet & Greet: Tim Anderson
- Forget New Year’s Resolutions and Focus on Longevity
- The (unofficial) Guide: Celebrating the New Year in Southern Wake
