Features

Vote now for the Wake Living Readers' Choice Awards

Vote Now: 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards

The Readers’ Choice Awards are back! Honor the Best of Raleigh, Wake Forest, and Knightdale in dozens of categories, all decided by YOU! Voting is open for the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards — the contest that lets you show your appreciation for the local businesses and organizations that help make life great in the community.... Read More

FAQs — 2025 Wake Living Readers’ Choice Awards

It’s time for the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards! Wake Living’s most popular feature, the awards that generate lots of buzz and thousands of votes each year. New to the Readers’ Choice Awards? No worries, we’ve put together this FAQ just for you! What exactly are the Readers’ Choice Awards? Exactly what they sound like: a... Read More
cases of stacked water bottles at Hank's Downtown Dive in Cary

Help Victims of Hurricane Helene

Businesses and individuals in the Triangle are banding together to help Western North Carolina and other areas affected by Hurricane Helene. We will update this list of ways to help as we learn of new opportunities. Please keep in mind people are asked not to collect and transport supplies into the region unless they are... Read More

The Pet Parade 2024

We at Wake Living love our pets, and from all the amazing photos we received for this year’s Pet Parade, we can tell you do, too! Thank you to all of our readers for taking the time to go online and submit your furry family members. Pets are so special, and we loved shining a... Read More
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Food + Dining

An Old Fashioned Fall Day

The Old Fashioned is a versatile cocktail that prominently features the whiskey complemented by fresh ingredients that highlight the season. This variation speaks to the flavors of the fall: cinnamon, brown sugar, black walnuts, and Granny Smith apples, all coming together for a crisp, refreshing cocktail to be enjoyed at the bar, by a fire,... Read More
Sweet potato donut holes with sugary exterior

Sugar and Spice Sweet Potato Doughnut Holes

Did someone say fresh, warm, doughnut holes? These lovely morsels feature warm, autumn spices including allspice, cinnamon, and cardamom. And, since they are made with sweet potatoes, they’re almost healthy, right? We love making these bite-sized treats at home because we can enjoy them by the handful and not feel guilty. Now you can too!... Read More
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Life + Style

Erica Chats: Go Ahead and Spoil Them!

Aren’t pets just the best? They bring an abundance of joy to our lives, reduce stress, and never leave our side when they sense we aren’t doing well. They even take on some of their owners’ personalities over the years, which can be hilarious once we realize that side-eye mimics the sass of their owner!... Read More

Erica Chats: The Triangle Ice Cream Tour

Is your family as crazy about ice cream as mine is? The Triangle area is filled with ice cream spots that have gained national recognition while delighting the palates of locals. Here are some of my top picks from all around the Triangle. And if you can’t indulge in ice cream, don’t worry. We’ve got... Read More
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Home + Garden

Garden Adventurer: Peony Patience

This time of year, the poster child for patience is a potential backyard peony grower. That’s because many of the peonies now for sale come in the form of tubers, which can take a few years to mature enough to put on bodacious bloom shows in the spring. But, boy, are they worth the wait!... Read More

Garden Adventurer: Grow a Joe

Planting weeds might not seem like the best way to create a visually inspiring garden, but I do heartily endorse one snappy exception: Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium sp. aka Eupatorium sp.). This herbaceous perennial named after Joe Pye, a Colonial-era Native American medicine man, can make an impressive splash in the landscape with its size... Read More
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travel

Staunton: The Gem of the Shenandoah Valley

Staunton, Virginia — known as the Queen City of the Shenandoah Valley — can best be described as a Hallmark movie come to life. Surrounded by rolling hills and scenic farmland, this fantastically walkable town is known for its magnificently preserved architecture, idyllic main street, and proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Over the years,... Read More

Road Tripping for Success

Since 2019, my husband George and I have logged over 50,000 fun miles traversing the beautiful continental United States. We have traveled in SUVs, rental cars, a 1982 Volkswagen Westfalia, and a 2020 Dodge Ram ProMaster conversion van. Getting out on the road is life-changing; each trip has rewards and challenges. You will realize how... Read More
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On Trend

On Trend: The Sandwich Method

For a style hack that’s simple, saves time, and requires nothing more than the staples already in your closet, think sandwich. We may not be talking about an actual meal made with two slices of bread, but this is the analogy that guides the transformative Sandwich Method of dressing. The technique for building a balanced... Read More

On Trend: Fondue

Some ’70s food trends should stay in the past (looking at you, Jell-O salads), but the customizable, social experience of fondue deserves a comeback! Embracing her passion for creating incredible “Cheeseperiences,” Aya Dorsey — owner of Meat & Graze charcuterie company in Boxyard RTP — provides a relaxed retro experience we can’t wait to dip into. “For... Read More
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