Flea Market
On Saturdays and Sundays, crowds of people walk between rows and rows of tables, tents and booths, rummaging through collectibles and trying to find antique jewelry, handmade furniture or rare books.
And when something catches their eyes, often the potential buyer and salesman will haggle over the price — a quarter here, a few dollars there.
Grace Yang, a junior in accounting, said she went to the market the Saturday morning of this past weekend. Yang, who tries to head over to the Fairgrounds once a month, said she mainly goes for the fresh fruit, but that there are other appealing sales as well.
“There’s vintage stuff, cheap jewelry, toy cars,” Yang said. “If you’re a pack rat you’ll really like it.”
And even though Yang said most items are tagged with a cheap price, there’s a way to get those same items for less money.
“You can haggle for anything,” she said. “The mangos were eight for $5, but I asked them to throw in another. I’ve knocked off two dollars for jewelry. Never pay full price for anything.”
Farmers’ Market
The Farmers’ Market vendors sell an assortment of brightly colored fruit, vegetables and flowers.
But according to Cameron Shore, a sophomore in architecture, the market also represents quintessential North Carolina.
“It’s a good place to pick up the way to speak in the Carolinas,” Shore said. “And the smell of fresh vegetables — I could wear it like a perfume.”
Shore said he used to go to the market almost every weekend with his family to pick out fresh vegetables.
“I’ve probably been 100 times,” Shore said. “It’s enjoyable times.”
At the market, vendors sell their produce outside, on tables and kiosks — though protected from the sun’s rays by a shelter.
But they don’t sell solely fruit and vegetables — honey, candles and on some days, even ice cream can be found.
And though, Shore said, the fruit can be a bit costly, he tries to go every once in a while.
“You can pick out some cheap things sometimes,” he said.
In preparation for Halloween, Shore said he plans to head over to the market to buy a pumpkin.
Lake Johnson
Paddleboats and kayaks cruise over tranquil Lake Johnson — some float under the park’s wooden bridge, and still others veer toward the far side of the lake, away from Avent Ferry Road.
But those on the lake aren’t the only ones at the park — bikers, runners and those who wish to walk at a leisurely pace can follow the trails that twist through the woods surrounding the lake.
“There’s a killer running trail,” Grace Yang, a junior in accounting, said. “I went running there a lot last year. You can go off the trail if you want a harder work out.”
Yang said she has also taken a cruise on the paddleboat with her boyfriend.
“It’s so pretty, especially during the fall,” she said. “Like on a cool day like [Sunday], it would have been great to go out there.”
NC Museum of Art
Paintings, photographs and sculptures — splashes of color, stories from the past contrasted in black and white — line the walls of the North Carolina Museum of Art.
These pieces are not just from North Carolina artists. Presented for viewing are cultures and talent from around the world.
Ben Tuttle, a sophomore in graphic design, said he goes to the museum of art about once a month — either by himself, with family or friends.
“It’s probably the best museum in North Carolina to go to for both contemporary and old art,” Tuttle said. “I usually stick to the first floor, where the contemporary art is.”
The museum, which gains new exhibits throughout the year, hosts not only art events — such as the Monet exhibit this past winter — but also films and concerts. The Avett Brothers, a band scheduled to play at the Pack Howl concert this October, held a sold-out show at the museum in June.
“They do a pretty good job of bringing art to North Carolina,” Tuttle said.
NC Museum of Natural Science
There are dinosaurs downtown.
They stand a few feet from the Capital building and directly across from the Museum of Natural History — they hover over men and women, adults and children.
These dinosaur fossils and replicas are housed inside the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science.
Cameron Shore, a sophomore in architecture who has been to the museum about 10 times, said the dinosaur exhibits are part of the reason he returns.
“I go with my best friends,” Shore said. “We like to make dinosaur noises.”
But these dinosaurs aren’t the museum’s only attractions, according to Shore.
“Mmm, science!” he said. “They’ve got some whales that hang float above you and make whale sounds, those are pretty awesome. They have a lot of cool exhibits.”