🖼 Downtown’s New Gallery
The North Carolina Museum of Art Winston-Salem (NCMA WS) opens its new downtown gallery tomorrow, July 16!
NCMA WS Downtown
Background: NCMA WS closed its main campus for renovations in December 2025, with plans to reopen in late 2028 or early 2029. The new location lets the museum continue showing artwork and hosting events for the community.
The Space: Expect a retail shop, gallery space, and mezzanine with plenty of seating. Team member Jacob can’t wait to spend an afternoon working from there.
Art: The first exhibition, “Unboxed: Art Beyond the Museum,” features works by NC-based artists from NCMA WS’s Portable Gallery outreach program. Tomorrow’s opening party is sold out, but the gallery is open every Wednesday through Sunday. Good news: entry is free!
Upcoming: Mark your calendar for these events hosted in the new space!
Open Studio | Thursday, July 23 | 5-7 PM | Join this new adults-only art meetup to create blind contour portraits.
Vinyl Lounge | Thursday, July 23 | 7-10 PM | Bring your own records and listen to analog sound with fellow music lovers.
Artist Talk | Thursday, July 30 | 6 PM | Hear from exhibiting artists about how art helps them tell their stories.
🚨 Rare opportunity. Three private offices open up August 1 at Flywheel Coworking. This is your chance to have a dedicated workspace that's not your kitchen table. What you get:
A private office with no long-term lease or overhead
The energy of a community, with a door you can close when it's time to focus
24/7 access, garage parking pass, fitness center access, and more
Tour this week and get the keys before they're gone.*
🗓 Events
Saturday, July 18
Beat the Heat 5K - Compete in this popular evening race at the Fairgrounds, then celebrate at the finish line with free pizza, subs, and beer. 6 PM*
Launch Party - Southern Drift Brewing Co. (formerly Radar Brewing) introduces its new brand with brewery tours, draft specials, and vendors. 12-11 PM
Flower Show - Every room at Körner's Folly gets a floral makeover! Explore the historic home with a themed tour and learn about floriography, the language of flowers. Runs through Sunday.
Art in the Park - Turn textures from manhole covers, grates, and other street surfaces into wearable art at NCMA WS’s printmaking workshop in Merschel Plaza. Free to attend, registration required. 10 AM - 1 PM
Open Mic - Calling all musicians, poets, and comedians! Take the stage at Chad’s Chai’s monthly open mic. 7-9 PM
Crossroads of History - Discover the history of Revolutionary War-era Lewisville at the Historic Nissen House. 11 AM
Sunday, July 19
Comedy Night - The lineup and venue are a total mystery. Don't Tell Comedy emails you the location the morning of the show! 8:30 PM
Chai Workshop - Dive into the history of chai and create your own blend at Chad's Chai. Presented by the Vecino Center. 2 PM
Monday, July 20
Storytime - Bring your kids to The Bookhouse for stories and songs! Coffee and tea are $1 off. 10:30 AM
🗞 Other News
💵 Giveaway: Summer fun adds up! That's why Piedmont Federal Bank is giving away a $500 gift card to one lucky winner. Spend it on summer adventures, everyday expenses, or however you need it most. Enter here.*
🎭 Arts: The oldest community theatre in the Triad celebrates the grand opening of its new building, the Pirolo Joyce Center, with tours, food trucks, and door prizes this Saturday. The Little Theatre's new building features a 70-seat performance space, a rehearsal room, and a classroom for workshops.
📜 History: New Semiquincentennial Stroll dates announced! Take a walking tour through Winston-Salem’s history with MUSE WS’s executive director, exploring moments from its colonial roots to the present day.
️⚽️ World Cup: Spain and Argentina face off for the title this Sunday at 3 PM! Catch the action at the newly rebranded Southern Drift Brewing Co.’s watch party — tickets include food from African Avenue and 2 beers.
🎓 Education: North Carolina has a shortage of electricians. Forsyth Tech is helping address that issue with their new Summer Electrical Academy, a tuition-free program that gives high schoolers hands-on work experience, credentials, college credit, and a $2,000 completion stipend. (WFDD)
🛶 Recreation: Night Paddles return to Salem Lake! Reserve a kayak or bring your own to glide across the lake at night on Friday, July 31. Sign up soon; this event tends to sell out.
🛟 Yadkin Tubing Trip
Adventure time! Head to the Yadkin River for a slow, scenic float this summer.
Photo credit to North Carolina River Riders
What: North Carolina River Riders is less than an hour from Winston-Salem and offers 2.5-, 4.5-, and 6.5-mile float trips from May through October.
Plan Your Trip: Rent a tube, canoe, kayak, or even a Tube Tracker (tube/kayak hybrid). Bringing your own tube? They offer a shuttle service and will even inflate your tube for you.
Good to Know:
Water levels are low, so float times are running nearly twice as long as usual.
Wear water shoes or sandals with secure heel straps. You won't need to walk, but you can hop out in shallow spots to speed things up.
Expect to see more rocks and sticks than usual. North Carolina River Riders’ commercial tubes are built to handle river conditions, but if you’re bringing your own tube, you’ll want to research how resilient it is.
When: Open 7 days a week with trips departing every half hour from 9 AM to 3 PM.
👀 Poll results: You can only have one condiment on your hot dog. What are you choosing?
Ketchup - 33%
Mustard - 37%
Relish - 2%
Chili - 22%
Other - 6%
Our readers also said they’d choose sauerkraut, mayo, coleslaw, and even Sabrett’s Onions in Sauce for a New York-style dog.
SPONSORED
Upcoming Events
Move Better, Feel Better - Understand your pain, mobility limitations, or balance concerns during a free 20-minute screening with Personalized Physical Therapy and Wellness on July 21.
Junior League Recruitment Event - Meet current members and learn how they volunteer, train together, and tackle local causes at Medaloni Cellars on July 26.
🌀 The Wrap
⚽️ Our team members will be glued to their TVs watching the World Cup final this Sunday. Team member AK is even hosting a watch party!
🎾 Dill Dinkers announced that they’re offering free beginner pickleball lessons during their first week open!
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
* denotes sponsored content