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Downtown Raleigh Alliance launches Virtual First Friday during Stay At Home Order


For Immediate Release
Media Contact
Katie Bailey Director of Marketing and Communications, DRA
katiebailey@downtownraleigh.org | (919) 821-6896 | (919) 796-6606

Downtown Raleigh Alliance launches Virtual First Friday during Stay At Home Order


RALEIGH, NC (April 2, 2020) – Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) announces a new way to celebrate First Friday Raleigh in light of the Stay At Home order in effect in North Carolina. This Friday, April 3, DRA will launch Virtual First Friday to bring the monthly celebration of Downtown Raleigh’s art and culture to the comfort of people’s homes, through musical performances and demonstrations from well-known local artists, live events from First Friday members, and more.

Virtual First Friday will incorporate many of the elements of a typical First Friday, providing attendees with a choose-your-own-adventure model to discover new experiences from First Friday venues. The night will officially kickoff with a live-streamed DJ set from Kristen Stoneman, aka DJ K Stones, at 5:30pm on FirstFridayRaleigh.com.

Following that, DRA-funded videos from local artists and musicians will be available to stream on the First Friday website and DRA YouTube channel. Confirmed musicians and artists are the following, though subject to change: Candice Yagmin, Hank Smith, Imani Pressley, Jade Marelle, Micah Hill, Paris Alexander, and Trey Charles.

Beyond the DRA-backed experiences, First Friday members are hosting their own virtual events, from a free Shred415 Raleigh workout and Zoom happy hour, to a community event with United Arts Council, from virtual gallery tours of Artspace, CAM Raleigh, and Centerpiece to a Meet the Winemaker event with DRINK. There's something for everyone to enjoy, just like every First Friday.

“We wanted to give Raleighites an excuse to celebrate Downtown Raleigh culture, even while we're staying at home for the safety of our community,” said David Moore, DRA Placemaking and Activations Manager. “We hope many will participate and use it as an example of how else they can continue experiencing DTR life from the confines of their living rooms.”

In order to continue supporting First Friday member businesses and downtown arts organizations, DRA has a list of restaurants and bottle shops that participants can order takeout or delivery from for their First Friday dinner and drinks, as well as a link to the North Carolina Artist Relief Fund, which is working to support creative individuals directly impacted by gig cancellations.

DRA will also be giving away a $100 gift card from a First Friday member to a participant who shares their Virtual First Friday photos on social media. To be entered to win, the participant must be: 1) Following @FirstFridayRal, 2) tag @FirstFridayRal in the post, and 3) use the hashtags #VirtualFirstFriday and #FirstFridayRaleigh.

The First Friday Raleigh website and social media channels will continue to update with relevant information leading up to the evening. For questions or to request an interview with staff, contact Katie Bailey at katiebailey@downtownraleigh.org or (919) 796-6606.