It was cold, dark, and pouring rain, but that didn’t stop people from showing up. Really great to meet some of you out there despite the miserable weather.

If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote early.

If you’d like to see more of my photography, you can find me on Instagram: @capturedbyval_

I grew up going to the fair almost every October, but walking around this week, the whole food side felt dead in the water.
The most insulting part has to be whatever they thought they were doing replacing the old Restaurant Row with the sanitized "food hall" setup. You fight the crowds just to stare at three overpriced options (The Yard, Jack’s, and Playa Bowls) you can literally get in Raleigh on a random Tuesday. What’s the point of bringing b&m concepts into a fairgrounds space if there’s zero novelty or fair-exclusive draw?

The 15% revenue cut clearly broke the system. When you demand 15% off the top of gross sales, you run off the generational staples who built the fair's reputation (Al’s, Miss Debbie’s, Oak City Fish and Chips), and the vendors who stay have to jack up prices through the roof just to survive. Dropping $20 or more on a plate for mid Sysco chicken tenders, frozen fries, a shitty pretzel that’s way too salty, and generic carnival trailers from Ohio and Florida that have zero connection to NC is getting impossible to justify.

On top of that, good luck actually finding anything unique on the asphalt. They put out the "New Foods" guide online, but once you're there, nothing is labeled. Half the new items are scrawled on a piece of cardboard behind a generator, and the actual local NC trucks are completely swallowed up by the identical neon rigs. If I have to fight dead cell service to cross-reference a laggy map just to find an honest ham biscuit or decent eastern NC barbecue, the whole layout is a failure.

The fair traded real local identity and decades of community tradition for a corporate revenue squeeze, and it shows. Hard to feel good about spending that kind of cash when it feels less like North Carolina and more like an airport terminal with hay on the ground.

For those interested in how NC is voting during this early voting period, here is a good turnout tracker from Carolina Forward.

The Carolina Forward Turnout Tracker — Carolina Forward

I swear, the power has flickered more this year than the rest of my life combined, and it’s starting to give me a lot of headaches. Not even really sure what to do as I can’t imagine Duke actually fixing anything.

Anyone else?

Does anyone remember that post from a few months ago about someone finding maggots in their burger from the Shake Shack at Village District? Unfortunately, that post has been stuck in my head ever since, and I haven’t eaten from there since. Does anyone know if the issue was ever investigated or resolved? Or has anyone eaten there recently and had a good experience? I’ve been craving a burger and milkshake from Shake Shack SO bad, but I just can’t bring myself to go back without some reassurance that everything is okay now 😩

They are pretty adjacent to each other. Thinking about crowds and parking…..

I heard it was incredibly packed for the Friday free event but today wasn’t bad at all. Here is a cut and paste I sent my friend who told me about it. I would have been disappointed if I paid twenty bucks. Fyi

Crowds not bad at all today. The collection was very small, and Id say less impressive than their regular Egyptian collection. But since it was free, Im definitely glad I went. The tomb recreation was impressive and was exactly what you see if you visit the valley of the kings.

RIP TREES.

We went to the Fair today, and I was hoping to see the woman who sells quilling pieces at the Village of Yesteryear, but she wasn’t there. I had planned to buy a piece as a Christmas present for a friend. Does anyone know where else she sells? Also, does the Village of Yesteryear seem like it has way fewer vendors than normal to anyone else?

I know Holly Hill's inpatient services are universally regarded as horrible but an outpatient coordinator at Triangle Springs told me their outpatient services were better. Does anyone have any experiences to back up that their outpatient services, especially IOP, are decent?

Hello parents of Raleigh / Wake County! I have an 11 year old who is enjoys crafting (Rainbow Loom / Art / Digital Art / possibly learning crochet), and she craves extra social time with peers. I'm curious if anyone has community kid clubs focused around crafting that we could look into her joining?

If you have any recommendations, feel free to drop them here or DM me!

I’m a DJ/producer getting back into making music and trying to actually get involved with the local scene. I’m into bass music, dubstep, house, etc…

Looking for other producers/DJs to meet, collaborate with, or just point me toward local events.

If you know of any local spots, groups, open decks, Discords, events, or just want to connect, I’d appreciate it!

Where’s the best place to go for some vintage men’s jeans/clothing?

I sound like an old man, but they really don’t make jeans like they used to. Finally tore through my 10+ year old pair of jeans and I’m not loving the quality (or lack thereof) of new pairs of jeans, plus, I much prefer the softer worn-in denim feel anyway.

Bonus points for good pricing, and even potentially some other vintage options like button downs/vintage sports sweaters/etc available at the store!

Extra bonus points if it’s North Raleigh/Wake Forest direction since that’s where I’ll be coming from.

Hey everyone! I am a 25-year-old guy living in Raleigh, North Carolina. I’m originally from Long Island, New York, and I’m looking to meet some new people and hopefully build some genuine, long-lasting friendships!

Here’s a little about me and what my interests are:

\-I am a middle school social studies teacher, and I really enjoy history, geography, and learning about different cultures.

\-I enjoy going on walks, working out, bowling, exploring new places, and getting out of the house when I can.

\-I am a big fan of music and movies. I especially enjoy older movies and I consider myself to be a movie nerd/film buff.

\-I love to travel, where I have so many places I want to cross off my bucket list. Next year I am even doing another trip out west to Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.

I’m pretty laid-back, friendly, and enjoy having conversations about pretty much anything.
I like meeting people from different backgrounds and hearing about their interests and experiences.
I’m hoping to find people around my age (preferably 21–30), but I’m open to talking with anyone who’s genuinely interested in making friends.

Whether you’re from North Carolina, elsewhere in the United States, or even another country, feel free to reach out! I’m open to both online friendships and potentially hanging out in person if you’re local.
I’m not looking for anything complicated. Just genuine friendships with people who enjoy talking, sharing interests, and getting to know one another.
Feel free to comment or send me a message!

Have some folks coming into town to visit the state fair and they eat Halal (open to vegetarian/plant-based).

I am aware of the options outside of the fairgrounds but, would love for them to have a good time at the fair as well.

Any recommendations?

I’m looking to buy a home soon. Could anybody offer an agent they worked with that you feel went above and beyond for you? I’ve heard horror stories of people just out for the money/not offering good customer service.

I missed out and was not able to get a ticket for the LGBT+ drag out the vote show.

I really wanted to go! Does anyone by chance have an extra ticket or one that they would be willing to sell?

The venue appears to be only provided to RSVP folks, which I completely understand. But if I knew where it was, I’d go and see if they had an extra ticket! Thanks in advance.

Any neighborhoods doing day trick or treating, or day time events around triangle?

Constant running of red lights, following way too closely, speeding, high beams on all the time. I've never seen traffic behave so badly in my 22 years of driving.

What's the deal?

Hello there. I currently live in midtown area and need to make a move pronto. I am very open to ideas but I am at a critical moment in my life. I waited until the last minute to pick a new place to live and now I'm in a rush. My lease is up November 5th. Yikes!

With that said, I am very open to ideas. I've looked around plenty already but I am just having trouble settling on a place. My number 1 right now is the Alexan Moto off of Glenwood South in the downtown area. I looked at reviews for the rental company, Graystar, and they are abysmal so now I am second guessing.

Budget is around $1750

I really like the idea of living downtown but I am legit open to everything. I am looking for a management company that actually cares about their tenants. The management at my current place is awful. I am a bit of a homebody and work remote so I would love a place that is very comfortable.

A nice view would be great, exercise equipment, close to shopping and entertainment. Honestly I am very open so I am just throwing this out there. Looking for inside knowledge about places. All of the reviews online are fake and even going on tours isn't great because they show you non of the "warts" if that makes sense.

Thinking of moving here and wanted to know how is it for people of color and women living there? Do you experience any cat calling, feeling unsafe walking at night, being followed in stores, stares, microaggressions or worse? I'm trying to decide what neighborhood would feel safest and most comfortable for me. Thanks!

Thank you for your help in advance. Going with the fam. Do you guys recommend ubering or driving?

hello fellow peers!! Just wanting to know if anyone knew of any dental practices that offered cosmetic dental services like permanent fangs in the dry area? Preferably using composite! this has always been a huge want of mine.

Thanks to anyone that can help :3