Oktoberfest Coming to Cary
Beginning September 17, celebrate Oktoberfest at the Bavarian Brathaus in Cary. For the first time, the Brathaus is organizing its own Oktoberfest, featuring Bavarian-style fun, entertainment, and live music. For seven weeks (ending October 24) the Bavarian Brathaus will become “a haven of beer drinking, live entertainment, and partying.” Kicking off the season will be a four-day extravaganza from Thursday, September 17th to Sunday, September 20th.
Massive pork shanks, homemade Brats, Stein glasses of German beers and more will be served by dirndl-clad waitresses. Guests will be encouraged to dance as live musicians are coming in from NC and VA just for this event.
The ticket price of $38.00 includes the entrance fee, four-course Bavarian dinner, live entertainment, and door prizes starting at 7pm inside and out. All Tickets need to be pre-booked in person or by calling the Bavarian Brathaus at 919-859-5299.
Zac Brown Coming to Cary
The Zac Brown Band is coming to Koka Booth Amphithteatre in Cary on September 24. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.
Rock Hall Concert Postponed
The 2nd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concert scheduled for September 6 at Booth Amphitheatre has been postponed until some time in the Spring of 2010. The show was to feature the members of Prince’s bands (Revolution and Grand Central), White-Sox All-Star band (Alan White, Spike Edney, Jamie Moses, Jeff Scott Soto, Randy Hansen, Geoffery Castle, Berndt Bodal), Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.), Patty Smyth and Scandal, 94 East, Blessed Union of Souls, Nine Days, Freddy Jones Band, Atlanta Rhythm Section, and the Georgia Satellites.
Tickets purchased in person at an outlet or the Amphitheatre Box Office for the September 6 show will be refunded at point of purchase starting tomorrow (Aug 12). Tickets purchased via phone or Ticketmaster.com will be refunded automatically on the same date. Tickets purchased for the September 6, 2009 event will NOT be honored for the rescheduled date in 2010. Tickets for the 2010 rescheduled show will go on sale later this Fall.
Noodles & Co. Coming to Crossroads Plaza
The Friday Sue Stock column in the N&O revealed that Noodles & Co. will open their second area location in Crossroads Plaza during the Fall. There are no formal announcement signs in the shopping center, however the most logical location is the one adjacent to Dickie’s BBQ. It has never been upfitted, and is the perfect size for a Noodles store. map it
DOT Unveils Plans for US64 Corridor
The Department of Transportation unveiled short and long term goals for US64 from Apex to Pittsboro, one of the fastest growing regions of the state. The divided, four-lane road in the Short Term will likely become a Superstreet. This means that each major intersection will be placed by Michigan intersections, like one in front of the Hotel Europa (Sheraton) in Chapel Hill. US64 traffic and side street traffic turning right is unaffected. However side street traffic desiring a left turn will turn right, then make a U-turn. For more information, see the NCDOT Superstreet Webpage. The proposed long term goal for the road is to convert it to an expressway, as seen in the video below.
Oh, and there are the protesters. save64.org has put together a blog of absurdities that hinge on one pipe dream: stopping growth. Remember the quote from Shawshank Redemption? “Get busy living or get busy dying.” The alternative to growth in this area is not what we want, so we better handle growth properly. The save64 crowd needs to drive out Capital Blvd from 440 to 540 and see the future of their blessed road unless they enact a proactive plan.
German Band Playing at Brathaus
A combined group of musicians from the Kiedrich KCV Musikanten and Blaskapelle Gladbachtal will perform at the Bavarian Brathaus (Cary location) on Tuesday Thursday, July 23. Last summer these two bands welcomed Raleigh’s The Little German Band and Dancers on their Germany trip. While the Raleigh’s LGB&D performs Bavarian and more traditional German music, the two bands from Germany lean toward waltzes, American compositions and traditional German music. The group will be performing from 6:00 – 10:00 PM.
Car Charging Stations Open in Cary
Today’s opening of the golden arches on Kildaire Farms Road saw not only the state’s first green McDonald’s, it also was the opening of the first public car charging station in the North Carolina. The parking lot of the restaurant is outfitted with two ChargePoint locations.
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At roughly the size of a parking meter, the digital kiosks (pictured) are always ready to accept a ChargePoint account-holder’s key fob. A simple swipe unlocks the station’s door, revealing a receptacle where electric car drivers can plug in. Once the car is connected (with a user-supplied cable), the station’s little metal door locks down to protect the AC connection from weather, bumping off (like in the laundromat), and vandals disconnecting the cord. During charging the timer on the device’s face counts up the charging time. Should one reach a complete charge, the station automatically stops the charging process. Once the user returns, he or she swipes their fob to disconnect the power and release the security door.
The receptacle door covers an area that actually can hold a portable electronic device, too, so one can charge their iPhone while keeping it locked and secure. The company also reminds customers that their stations are suitable for Segway charging as well.
Currently the system only offers 120V connections, but plans are in the works for a possible 240V connection, though because of Federal Regulations, an SAE J1772 charging interface is more than likely to be the next step.
A local resident was at the charging station with his electric pickup truck he bought from Virginia Power a few years ago. His 26 battery cells live under the bed of the truck, and offer about 50 miles on a complete charge. Charging times varies by connection. 120V connections take “all night” to take an exhausted battery to a full charge while a 240V connection takes about 6 hours to reach a full charge.
Technology has vastly improved since the modification of his truck about a decade ago, however today’s plug-ins still have some work to do. A $100,000 Tesla Roadster has a range of around 250 miles while the upcoming plug-in version of the 2010 Prius is reported to sport only a 12-mile EV range.
Currently the restaurant is not reserving the premium parking spaces in front of these two kiosks to electric drivers. The restaurant may, however, dedicate these spaces to hybrids until demand for the chargers increases.
Charging stations like these are, though, popping up rapidly around the country. Another station in this state will come online later this week, in fact. A representative from NovaCharge, the Tampa outfit that handles the SouthEast installations of this station network, said that the company’s goal is to have a presence in navigation systems and with Google to provide station location information.
The technology is certainly a “chicken and egg” phenomenon. People will not invest in a car they cannot charge away from home while the energy industry doesn’t want to needlessly rollout unwanted technology. However demand for the cars is probably the last stop, and positively will not sell without stations like these being reasonably accessible around the area. Certainly it will be interesting to watch the growth of this new wave of tech.
Green McDonald’s Opens on Kildaire
The replacement McDonald’s on Cary’s Kildaire Road is now open. The new store features many updates to the McDonald’s design including double drive-thru and a new look, but this location is only the third “green” McDonald’s store (.pdf brochure) in the country (Savannah and Chicago being sites for the first two). The restaurant is applying for Gold LEED-certification and features:
- Around 50 Solatube daylighting fixtures (pictured) supplemented by on-demand LED lighting.
- Water efficient restroom and kitchen fixtures
- Rapidly renewable materials for insulation and decoration
- Building materials from high-recycled content (such as existing concrete fragments to fill the building’s slab)
- Drought tolerant landscaping
- Education touch-screen in the dining area
- On-site NovaCharge vehicle charging stations
The owner and operator, Ric Richards, bought the store in 2007, but wanted a structure dedicated to “sustainability”, which would result in significant cost and energy savings.
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Space Savers Now in Crossroads
The move was quick, and the Cary location of Space Savers is now in Crossroads Plaza, where Coconuts music and movies was.
HHGregg Coming to Crossroads
Today’s column by Sue Stock reveals that the former Circuit City location on Walnut Street, across from Crossroads, will be filled by HHGregg this fall.
The Umstead Presents Entomology Artist Marley
The Umstead Hotel & Spa (warning: music) recently began a fascinating exhibit in its Art + Nature Series. The artist is Christopher Marley, a renowned entomologist, who sources rare butterflies and insects from all over the world and creates art with them.
Marley will be here July 16th to give an illustrated talk about his world travels in pursuit of artful butterflies and insects. Mingle with Chris and other guests for an interactive discussion about his work, inspirations and technique. There will be wine, light hors d’oeuvres and a glimpse into this artist’s passion for the living world.
The event will take place on Thursday, July 16th from 5:30-7:30pm. Space is limited and tickets cost $35 per person. Call 919-447-4065 by July 14th to reserve your spot.
As part of the event, The Umstead Hotel and Spa is offering a special rate for all Art + Nature Lecture attendees of $129. To make a guestroom reservation, call the hotel (919-447-4050) and mention booking code “BUGS0709”.
Marley’s exhibit will be on display through mid-August, and art tours are available upon request.
Space Savers Moving to Crossroads
Space Savers, the 5-store, North Carolina organizing supply outfit, will move it’s Cary store this Fall from Kildaire Road to Cary’s Crossroads Plaza. They will be taking the space formerly occupied by Coconuts, in the center of the complex.
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