Illuminate Art Walk Sip n' Stroll Tour

I'm excited to guide tours of the Illuminate Art Walk again this year! However, there is one key change from last year: the tours are not being sponsored this year, so they will operate on a PAY-WHAT-YOU-WANT basis rather than being free.

At the end of the tour, I'll invite you to contribute what you feel the experience was worth to you. CASH OR VENMO PAYMENTS ONLY please! I usually receive $15 to $20 per adult. Your support makes these tours possible and is greatly appreciated!

Although the tours are pay-what-you-want, advance registration is REQUIRED. I need to monitor the number of people on the tour, and I also need to be able to communicate with you if the tour needs to be cancelled due to the weather.

THIS TOUR REQUIRES A MINIMUM NUMBER OF SIGNUPS IN ORDER TO RUN! If the minimum number is not reached, the tour will be cancelled. You will receive either a tour confirmation email with some last minute details or a cancellation email through Eventbrite no later than 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of the tour. Please check your email the day before the tour and please read any email that you receive about the tour through Eventbrite!

PLEASE NOTE: This is not the same tour as last year! While some of the artists and themes are the same, most of the pieces on the tour will be different from the ones that were on display last year. The two dinosaurs that were on last year's tour will be included, but even they will be decorated differently than they were last year!

Downtown Raleigh comes to light every holiday season with the Illuminate Art Walk! Since the winter of 2020, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance has brought energy to Fayetteville Street-and beyond–with large-scale, interactive, and light-based art pieces.

This tour will allow you to see and explore all of the new art on Fayetteville St. in 2025! A highlight of this year's celebration is Trumpet Flowers, created by Amigo & Amigo, and brought to life by Wireframe Public Art. The piece invites you to explore a vivid, interactive world of light and sound, inspired by the charm of vintage gramophones.

The tour will start outside the NC Court of Appeals Building, which is located at 1 W. Morgan St. Specifically, we will start at the corner of Fayetteville and Morgan Sts., across the street from the State Capitol Building. We will be starting on the west side of Fayetteville St. next to the green dinosaur, Trish the Triceratops!

The tour route is just a few blocks long. We will essentially be going from one end of Fayetteville Street to the other. The end point of the tour is approximately three blocks away from the starting point.

This tour leaves the starting point quickly! If you are late, you can catch up with us by heading south down Fayetteville Street. We will cross the street when we leave the starting point, so we will be on the left side of the street (i.e. the east side) as you head south on Fayetteville St. We will eventually cross back over to the other side of the street, but you will most likely find us on the left side.

The Illuminate Art Walk tours are approximately 1 hour long, but may be slightly shorter or longer depending on the size and speed of the group. There will not be any restroom breaks or stops for food/drinks.

This tour will take place entirely within the downtown Sip n' Stroll district! But you do not need to buy a drink to participate in the tour -- this is not a pub crawl!! While we will not be making any specific stops for drinks, please feel free to arrive early and purchase a drink at a participating establishment before the tour starts. The Anchor Bar and the Raleigh Times are two bars that are relatively close to the starting point. For a list of all the establishments that participate in the Sip n' Stroll program, please click HERE.

PLEASE NOTE: You are not permitted to bring your own alcohol to this event! All alcoholic beverages must be purchased from a participating establishment and must be in a specific Sip n' Stroll plastic cup with a date & timestamp, so you also cannot use a koozie with your beverage because the details on the cup need to be visible throughout the tour.

Anyone who is under the age of 21 is more than welcome to participate in the tour, but WITHOUT an alcoholic beverage!

Once the tour starts, we will not be stopping for any drinks along the route, so please make sure that you have a beverage at the start of the tour if you want one!

Street parking in Raleigh is free all day on Saturdays and Sundays is also free on weekdays and Fridays at most locations after 6:00 pm. If you prefer to park in a deck, there are several decks and parking lots in the area to choose from. I recommend parking in a city-owned deck because they are free all day on Saturdays and Sundays. They are also free on weeknights after 7:00 pm, which is helpful if you will be staying downtown after the tour. In addition, five city-owned Downtown Raleigh decks offer free 2-hour parking during the week. Please click this link for more information: Parking | Getting Around | Downtown Raleigh, NC

The three closest city owned parking decks are all located on south Wilmington St. -- 117, 233, and 429 S. Wilmington St.

You can also find a list of places to park downtown at https://raleighnc.gov/apps-maps-and-open-data/services/find-parking

I am looking forward to exploring the art installations with you!