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Missing N.C. Powerball winning ticket worth $200,000
09/03/2010 04:33 PM
Powerball genericNorth Carolina lottery officials say time is running out for the holder of a winning Powerball ticket to claim their $200,000 prize.

Investigation, suspensions overshadow season's start for UNC fans
09/03/2010 03:52 PM
Students, administrators and alumni say the investigation overshadows their enthusiasm for the season's start.

Video shows Pinecrest, Union Pines brawl
09/03/2010 03:45 PM
Pinecrest vs. Union Pines brawlHighSchoolOT.com has obtained amateur video of the brawl that happened between Pinecrest and Union Pines on Friday Aug. 27.

One killed, one injured in Harnett County home invasion
09/03/2010 03:18 PM
Harnett County shootingOne person was killed and another injured Friday afternoon during a home invasion near Lillington, Harnett County Sheriff Larry Rollins said.

N.C. makes plans for more budget cuts
09/03/2010 02:38 PM
State Budget graphicIn a memo to the leaders of all state departments Thursday, the North Carolina state budget director advised them to plan for spending reductions of up to 15 percent in the next budget cycle.

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Symphony to Play Free Concert at The Walt
08/31/2010 08:28 AM

Raleigh has a new outdoor amphitheater, and the North Carolina Symphony will be there this September to help break it in. The orchestra, led by Maestro William Henry Curry, will wave goodbye to summer and kick off its bold new concert season with “Pops in the City,” a free concert in Raleigh Amphitheater, Sunday, Sept. 12, at 7:00 p.m. Families and friends can bring a picnic, grab a lawn seat in the heart of downtown Raleigh and prepare for a musical world tour. First, in collaboration with the Independent’s Hopscotch Music Festival, Minneapolis-based multi-instrumentalist Dosh opens at the performance beginning at 5:45 p.m. with his electronic blends of folk keyboard and experimental sampling. Then the Symphony takes over with a globe-trotting symphonic showcase. The lineup first transports concertgoers to the golden age of classical music, including Handel’s joyous Overture to Music for the Royal Fireworks—a powerhouse selection to launch the Symphony’s debut in the...



Tom Petty/ZZ Top Coming to TWC
08/29/2010 05:00 AM

On Saturday, September 18, Tom Petty will be in Raleigh after all, as he returns to the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek. ZZ Top opens. This is a “rescheduled” event, so if you had tickets to the earlier-planned show, Ticketmaster should have contacted you by now. If you don’t have tickets, they are on sale now....



Lady Antebellum Coming to Cary
08/29/2010 03:08 AM

On Thursday, September 23, Lady Antebellum will return to the area. This time it is a headlining date at Cary’s Booth Amphitheater. Tickets are on sale now....



Rathskeller To Reopen
08/28/2010 03:15 PM

The Ramshead Rathskeller, a Chapel Hill landmark in the hearts and fatty tissues of many to drink from The Well, will open by the end of the year. Apparently the restaurant will be under new ownership, which is, reportedly, a good thing. The restaurant closed for a while about a decade ago, then closed again in 2008. Perhaps the restaurant should be called the “Cats”keller because it seems to have nine lives. map it...



Vampire Weekend Coming to The Walt
08/28/2010 02:47 PM

On Sunday, October 17, Paul Simon Vampire Weekend will play the downtown Raleigh amphitheater. Slowcore fave Beach House opens. Tickets went on sale yesterday, but as of this posting, tickets in the center of the 26th row are still available....



Welcome to RaleighFree!

Our goal is to provide you with information about the wide variety of free things to do in Raleigh, NC. With the many parks, museums, and other attractions, there's enough to keep most people busy and happy for quite a while. Browse our links, and check back soon, more content is coming online quickly.

History of Raleigh

Oak Tree Raleigh is also known as the "City of Oaks," mainly because of the numerous oak trees that adorn the entire city. Yet aside from these functions, the city is also North Carolina's capital and Wake County's seat. According to a count for July 2006, Raleigh's population is estimated to be around 353,604, thus making the capital one of America's rapidly expanding cities. In fact, Raleigh ranks fourth in the "List of Best Big Cities in 2006" by Money Magazine. Of course, anyone who is familiar with the city's history is not at all surprised by such a remarkable development. Since Raleigh is among the selected US cities intentionally developed to be a state capital, it can easily be said that the city is destined for expansion and progress.

Long before becoming a state capital, the city was called as the "Wake Crossroads," a name that gives a clear idea regarding the city's geographical function. At that time, Raleigh served as a place where travelers from either north or south could rest and maybe have a drink in one of its taverns. The place was eventually chosen to be North Carolina's capital in 1788. According to some accounts, "Wake Crossroads" was selected since it was within a 10-mile radius of Isaac Hunter's Tavern, a place popular among legislators at that time. But it was in 1792 when Raleigh was formally established as North Carolina's capital.

Sir Walter Raleigh That same year, the North Carolina General Assembly bought a lot from a local businessman and started making plans for Raleigh, which was by the way, modeled after Philadelphia, the US capital state at that time. The city got its name from Sir Walter Raleigh, who sponsored the Colony of Roanoke. The aforementioned assembly held its first meeting in the capital in December 1794. A month after that, the legislative body officially granted Raleigh a charter along with an "Intendant Police" (Mayor) and seven commissioners. John Haywood was Raleigh's first "Intendant Police."

Although Raleigh was lucky to be spared from destruction during the Civil War, the city remained little in size until streetcar lines were introduced in the 1920s. Since then, Raleigh began to grow, eventually transforming into one of the state's commercial hubs. A railroad was also constructed to link the city to neighboring communities. By the end of the Second World War, Raleigh had undergone many significant developments, particularly in its infrastructure. What used to be a rural community evolved into a bustling urban center. The development of the city's infrastructure is largely attributed to the founding of the North Carolina State University School of Design in 1948. But the construction and existence of the Research Triangle Park in the 1959 also brought big changes to the city. With a 7,000 acre land area, the RTP is the world's biggest research park, comprising Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. With its high-tech facilities, the RTP is also among the global leaders in scientific research and development.

As education is essential to any improvement of a city, Raleigh also has many universities and colleges. Aside from the North Carolina State University, other schools in the capital include Shaw University, St. Augustine's College, Meredith College, Wake Tech Community College, and Peace College. Both St. Augustine's and Shaw were founded towards the end of the 1860s, as schools for the freed slaves after the Civil War. Shaw was the premier university founded for that particular purpose in the country. In 1874, the Estey Hall was added to provide higher learning to women of African-American ethnicity.