From Friday until October 24, Time Warner Cable will be rolling their NHL Center Ice package for free on channels 431-444 and HD on Channel 745. This season the package not only includes all of the league’s televised games (subject to blackout for Canes games), it includes the Mosaic Channel, a 4-screen composite channel showing 4 currently played games. There will also be the Stat Channel, Dual Feed Channel (showing the away feed when available), and Replay Channel, which shows a replay. The service costs $171 for the season.

It’s been a busy, though not newsy, stretch , but the beat goes on! There will be plenty of beats in the area beginning tomorrow when Alice Cooper plays the DPAC. On Thursday night The Lincoln Theatre welcomes Everclear (that’s next Thursday). Seaboard Shops’ Friday get-together features Funuponya.

Saturday, however, is the big day. The biggest music event of the year for this state comes to Carter-Finley on Saturday when U2 and Muse take the stage. The concert is not a sell-out at this point, but will likely approach a sell-out at show time. Be prepared as parking will be $20 at the complex. Parking lots open at 3pm while the stadium gates open at 5pm. Alcohol will not be sold inside the stadium, and kegs are not permitted in the parking lot. “Persons of legal age may consume malt beverages and unfortified wine in Carter-Finley Stadium parking areas, whereas spirituous liquor and fortified wine are not allowed”.

The music weekend finishes on Sunday with Colin Hay (of Men At Work) playing the Carrboro Artscenter. Arts is also going to be abundant this weekend as Friday is the next First Friday Artswalk in downtown Raleigh. Also downtown, the Carolina Ballet will conclude its run of Swan Lake each night thru Sunday.

If houses are your thing, there is a lot to do! Saturday begins the three-weekend-long Wake County Parade of Homes. Be sure to look for the insert in the N&O in the next week which includes a map to all of the tour’s houses. If traditional houses aren’t your thing, maybe you’d like to go on the Modernist House tour on Saturday. This time the tour focuses on the Michael Coates residence in Durham.

At the Raleigh Convention Center the 3-day International Festival will be taking place. Tickets are $5 for adults (<13 free) and the food is fantastic. Is that enough for you? If not you can always stay at home and watch the Wizard of Oz on Netflix Watch Instantly (Saturday only).

Oh, did I forget sports? There’s a lot of that, too! On Friday night the Carolina Hurricanes will open the season against Chris Pronger and the Philadelphia Flyers. On Saturday in Chapel Hill the hapless Virginia Cavaliers will enter Kenan Stadium hungry, ready to feast on the wounded Heels. That game is at Noon, and there will be no alcohol sales inside the stadium, liquor isn’t permitted, blah, blah, blah. (We just hope to see more visiting fans washing their hands in the mens room than we saw at the last home game).

For more information, see the gogoraleigh calendar. It’s a busy week out there, so let’s go do it!

The Carolina HopeFest is coming Sunday to Koka Booth Amphitheatre. The concert features The Indigo Girls with Christa Wells and Matt Nathanson opening. Carolina HopeFest brings together singers/songwriters to benefit grassroots sustainable development in Africa. The fifth annual event will benefit the work of Chapel Hill-based nonprofit Nourish International, a student led movement aiming to eradicate global poverty. Proceeds will be matched by Nourish International’s chapters located across the country.

Tickets are $40 reserve, $25 lawn, and $15 student lawn (not including additional Ticketbastard fees).

On November 18 Robert Earl Keen will be playing at Raleigh’s Lincoln Theatre. Sons of Bill is the opening act. Tickets are $22 in advance.

A late signing at Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion is showing up on the schedule now. On November 7, Patty Loveless will be playing the outdoor amphitheater.

On November 18 Jersey Boy Frankie Valli will come to Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium. The concert begins at 8pm. Presale tickets are available for VIP members from October 7 at 10am thru October 10 at 11:59pm. General public tickets go on sale October 11 at 10am.

After a huge weekend like the last, one would expect the calendar to take a breather. It is a respite, in a way, but there is still plenty to do.

It is a big comedy weekend for the Triangle. Tommy Johnagin starts his weekend run at Charlie Goodnights tomorrow night. Also along the lines of good comedy is Riders In The Sky, who play Saturday night in Cary. Two comedy headliners will be here this weekend, though, as Brian Regan plays the DPAC Friday and Ron White plays Memorial Auditorium Saturday night.

There is plenty of music to go around as well. Thursday night offers Zac Brown in Cary and Loggins & Messina at the DPAC. The old Habits are at Seaboard on Friday, and Rob Thomas, One Republic, and Carolina Liar are in Cary on Monday night.

There will be plenty of cover bands highlighting the Fayetteville Street stage of the Capital City Bikefest (including an Alice in Chains cover band). The 5th annual bikefest takes over downtown with a full slate of events all day Friday and Saturday. If that isn’t your thing, the Southern Ideal Home Show will be at the fairgrounds all weekend. Finally on Saturday, Booth Amphitheater in Cary is hosting Triangle Uncorked, a great annual celebration of wine that has really grown through the years.

Of course there is some competition to watch as well. The Hurricanes play the endangered Atlanta Thrashers on Friday night in an exhibition game while on Saturday the Wolfpack hosts yet another home game. This time the opponent is Pitt and the game is on ESPNU. If you are really thinking, you’ll be sure to watch Jeopardy! on Friday night to see how the teacher from Johnston County fares. Finally, the Carolina Railhawks play a quarterfinal playoff game against Vancouver in Cary on Sunday.

That’s a heapin’ plenty for an “off” weekend, wouldn’t you say? See more details at the gogoraleigh Google Calendar. There’s a lot to do, so let’s go do it!

On Saturday morning the City of Raleigh is hosting a charrette to focus on the strategic vision for the Five Points area. The meeting runs from 9am to 1pm at Our Savior Lutheran Church and will feature an on-site Five Points walk as part of the meeting.

For additional information, contact Carter Pettibone with the Raleigh Department of City Planning at 807-8482. Participants are asked to RSVP to carter.pettibone@ci.raleigh.nc.us  by tomorrow (Thursday).

The Raleigh Downtowner posted that your Carolina RailHawks are offering $8 seats for the upcoming quarterfinal game against Vancouver. The tickets are normally $17 and are available at the reduced rate through 7pm tomorrow night (Thu).