Saturday is the inaugural Destination Dix community festival, a free, family-friendly event that will celebrate Dorothea Dix Park adjacent to NC State’s Centennial Campus.
The day-long event—which will feature local bands, food trucks and carnival rides—is slated to begin at 10 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. Those who attend will also have the opportunity to share their vision for the future of the 308-acre property through interactive activities.
A total of 14 bands, including local favorites Chatham County Line and Bombadil, will perform throughout the day on three stages. Attendees can enjoy roaming street performers, aerialist, live artists and magicians.
Other activities and features include a Ferris wheel, tethered hot-air balloon rides, kids crafts and inflatables, a water zone with rides, a vision wall and lawn games. There will be shade tents and water-misting stations to help attendees escape this weekend’s projected 100-degree heat.
More than 100 vendors and 25 food trucks will line the park, former site of the Dorothea Dix campus that was purchased by the city of Raleigh from the state one year ago. There will be a beer and wine garden, a picnic area with tables and chairs and other places to rest throughout the day.
Onsite parking will be limited to those with parking permits, but there will be 11,000 free parking spaces and seven centralized parking locations throughout the city and on NC State’s main and Centennial campuses. All parking and shuttle services to the festival are free.
The event will impact traffic on NC State’s campus Saturday. Several park-and-ride locations (PDF file) have been designated by the city of Raleigh. They include:
- Cates Avenue, between Jeter and Jensen, on the south side of the Coliseum Deck.
- Varsity Drive and Main Campus Drive on the north side of the Venture Deck.
- Main Campus Drive, between Partners Way and Varsity Drive, on the west side of Partners Way Deck.
- Initiative Way, between Oval Drive and Oval Drive, on the west side of the surface lots.
For more information about the day’s activities, transportation plans and a map of the park, visit the Destination Dix website.
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