Downtown Raleigh packs three centuries of food history into a three-hour walk, and no two stops taste alike. Start with a steamed Char Siu Bao, a Cantonese barbecue pork bun, inside a downtown brewery that's part bookshop, part flower stall. Move on to a Lebanese family kitchen for hummus, baba ghanouj, fattoush, shawarma, and kibbee mikli, recipes carried across a century. Then it's whole-hog barbecue, chopped fine and sharpened with vinegar the eastern North Carolina way, at a Warehouse District pit room. Somewhere along the route, your guide hands you a Secret Dish, revealed only on the day. Finish with a three-bar chocolate flight at a bean-to-bar factory inside an old railway depot. Your guide lives here and will explain the barbecue rivalry between eastern and western Carolina, what East Hargett Street meant to Black Raleigh in the 1920s, and where they take their own family to eat.. Come hungry, leave with a downtown Raleigh you actually know how to eat your way through.

Swap the usual “what should we do today?” debate for a fun, hands-on candle making class hosted at a trendy local brewery in Raleigh. In this hands-on experience, Instructor Caroline will guide you step by step as you design and pour your own custom candle. You’ll explore different scents, learn how fragrance, wax and wicks work together and create a candle that feels completely personal. And the best news? No experience is needed. Get ready for an experience that is creative, relaxing and way more memorable than sitting through another average happy hour. This class is ideal for couples looking for a unique date night, friends planning a girls’ night out, solo guests who want a calming creative escape and travelers searching for a local activity beyond the typical sightseeing list. Come for the cozy atmosphere, stay for the joy of making something with your own hands and leave with a custom candle that feels totally you.