North Carolina: Dreamville Festival
Hi, y’all! Happy festival season! From Coachella to Stagecoach, I feel like every time I hop on Instagram there’s someone new standing infront of a ferris wheel or concert display. Speaking of festival season, earlier this month my boyfriend and I, Lu, spent a few days in Raleigh North Carolina for the Dreamville Festival. Here’s a little recap of our mini weekend getaway.
The First Ever Dreamville Festival
This festival was held in Dorthea Dix Park by rapper J. Cole, a North Carolina native. It featured artists from his record label, Dreamville, as well as appearances from Big Sean, SZA, 6LACK, Teyana Taylor, and more. It was the first of its kind, with more than 40,000 people attending in its first year! This festival was originally supposed to happen in September 2018, but was later postponed due to Hurricane Florence.
Dreamville fest was an all-day event, with a bunch of food trucks, pop-up bars, and art and activity throughout the venue. Murals and work of art were scattered throughout the park to highlight work from local artists. Murals featured paintings of J. Cole, Nipsey Hustle, and Mac Miller. I was pretty blown away by the attention to detail in this festival, in particular the memorials for Mac Miller and Nipsey Hustle.
The festival kicked off at noon with two stages at opposite ends of the park- an artist performing on each stage every 30 minutes. There was something so beautiful about this festival, to see so many people of color together, celebrating culture, good music, and vibing together. It was definitely one for the books.
Our Stay
Instead of grabbing a hotel, we chose to Airbnb it. We didn’t go for your typical guest house or one-bedroom loft, we decided to shake things up and try our first tiny home experience together. Our cozy, Tiny House in the Trees was perfect, it had everything we needed. It’s funny because Lu is 6’5 and my only concern was him not being able to fit comfortably. To my surprise, even he could move around without having any issues. Our first day took us some time to adjust— but soon after, this tiny space did feel more like home.
Lu and I are very close but I think this experience brought us closer (literally). The kitchen is on one side and the bathroom is on the opposite side of the tiny home, with only a few steps in between. During our stay, we were able to communicate more and appreciate the little things. We had so much fun in our tiny home and are already planning our trip with the next. Our Airbnb was only a few minutes from the city, and our hosts Jarret and Mira were so sweet (if you're reading this, hi guys!)
Food and Drinks in North Carolina
Within an hour of us landing in NC, our Uber driver asks, “Where y’all from?” in her thick southern accent. She instantly gave us recommendations on what restaurants and bars to check out and we comprised a little list from the help of locals and Yelp.
Dames Chicken & Waffles:
The ACTUAL best fried chicken and waffles I’ve ever had. The restaurant was PACKED, but SO worth it. The average wait time is about 45 minutes, so I advise you walk down the street and grab a coffee while you wait. Their menu is pretty straight forward with over 10+ chicken and waffle combinations. Each combo comes with your choice of side, choice of waffle, and “shmear” (butter/sauce). I opted for a side of mac-n-cheese (for obvious reasons) and Lu went for the spicy collard greens. Guys. My mouth is literally watering as I write this. The chicken was so flavorful, crispy but still juicy, and the waffles literally melt in your mouth. No wonder the locals were raving about this place. I’d definitely come back, although I’d probably stop by right when they open up to avoid the long lines and wait times.
Pour Taproom-DurhaM
If you’re looking to grab a few beers without having to wait for the bartender to notice you, this is the place for you. This beer bar is a pretty self-sufficient. WIth more than 40 beers on tap, it’s like walking into beer heaven. How it works: You wear a wrist band that has a chip, the chip activates the tap line to pour your choice of beer, and you’re only charged the amount of beer that’s poured. You’re free to blend IPAs, ciders, sours, etc. They also have a vairety of glassware and provide descriptions for each beer.
This beer bar is in the center of town, within walking distance of a few restaurants and bars and is the perfect place to stop by and see/taste what North Carolina has to offer.
It’s a Sourthern thing: Kitchen & Bar:
Just minutes from Pour Taproom, this restaurant and bar is the perfect spot for brunch and mid-day bites. We stopped in for a few appetizers and drinks and ordered the charred jalapeño and sweet corn hush puppies and an order of their crispy wings. The wings were so good we ended up ordering more. No shame in our game.
Although we spent four days in North Carolina, we made the most out of our stay and loved every second of it. This festival was truly like no other and I can’t wait to experience more next year. Lu and I have another trip coming up in May and are super excited about it. Here’s a hint, it’s known as “The Long Star State”.
Looking to getaway? Check out my travels for more.