RALEIGH — As spring kicks into full swing, Raleigh’s newly revamped Dorothea Dix Park will be a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. The 308-acre site underwent a massive renovation last year that ranged somewhere between $90 million and $120 million and is open seven days a week from dusk until dawn. The new 18.5-acre Gipson Play Plaza opened last June after three years of construction. It includes a mega swing set that stretches 91 feet long, four multistory climbing towers, a waterfall and splash pad, and is right on the edge of downtown.
Lauren Danforth, senior manager of marketing and communications for Dix Park, said that while the park welcomes visitors year-round, spring is a particularly special time to enjoy all Dix has to offer outdoors.
“As the weather warms, we’ll have something for everyone this spring at Dix Park with lots of free activities, classes and events for all ages and interests,” she says. “We’re excited to bring back community favorites like Yoga in the Park, birdwatching and Learn to Ride a Bike. There will also be new offerings at Gipson Play Plaza like family Taekwondo and Music at the Market.”
Outdoor Yoga in the Park begins Monday, March 2, and is offered weekly from 6-7 p.m. It is free to attend, but space is limited, so don’t forget to register in advance. The class is yoga flow, which is a dynamic style of yoga that connects breath with continuous, fluid movements between poses. Flow enhances mindfulness, reduces stress and improves cardiovascular health. Participants must be at least 12 years old to attend, and minors must be accompanied by an adult.
The Stone Houses near the South Boylan Avenue park entrances are among the newest amenities at Dix Park and are where the three sessions of birdwatching will be held March 7, April 4 and May 9 from 8-10 a.m. The newly renovated historic houses include classrooms as well as the Superintendent’s House, Physician’s House and Gatekeeper’s Cottage, which were all built in the 1920s and renovated by the Dix Park Conservancy with funding from State Employees’ Credit Union and its foundation. This class will teach participants about the park’s resident and migrant birds, which include sparrows, woodpeckers, hawks and more, and help sharpen bird identification skills to practice birding by sight and by ear.
Raleigh has certainly become a biker’s paradise with all the newly added bike lanes and greenway trails. Thus, this spring’s Learn to Ride a Bike events on March 14, April 11 and May 9 will certainly be popular among visitors. This free event will take place at Gipson Play Plaza and teach all-ages bike skills such as how to ride a bike without training wheels and how to balance. Participants are provided with a balance bike (a bicycle without pedals or training wheels) and a helmet but are also welcome to bring their own helmet and bike, which Dix staff will convert into a balance bike for the program. This event is held in partnership with Oaks and Spokes, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming Raleigh into a city where walking and biking are safe, accessible and integral to everyday life.
Hungry guests can enjoy refreshments at Dix’s House of Many Porches Market. This is a grab-and-go market featuring salads, baked goods, sandwiches, pastries, wraps, specialty local goods and gifts, and Dix Park merchandise as well as tea, coffee, beer and wine. There are 22 picnic tables at Dix’s Picnic Grove along with several grills available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Get all the details for free programs and more spring events at dixpark.org.
