• ICYMI: Cary’s Chinese Lantern Festival
  • A New Natural Wine Bar in Durham
  • Things to Do in the Triangle This Week
  • Op-Ed: Changes to Durham’s Land Use Regulations
  • A History of Snow Storms in Raleigh

Good morning, readers.

A few weeks ago, my partner and I headed to Cary to check out the Chinese Lantern Festival with some of his coworkers. In its ten years, the festival has grown to feature 20,000 lights and draw 250,000 people.

It was our first visit and, of course, I had already read Jasmine Gallup’s story for the INDY on the incredible amount of work that goes into putting on the festival—which meant I had plenty of facts to throw out as we wended through Koka Booth’s wooded paths, taking in the elaborate, glowing structures. 

As we walked through a tunnel of classic lanterns: “They’re mostly made of silk!” As someone in our group marvelled at a towering butterfly spreading its wings over a pond: “It weighs 14 tons!” 

Whether or not you’ve attended this year’s festival—which continues through January 11—read more below about how it all comes together and the lanterns on display. I was particularly impressed by a color-changing bonsai tree and cranes with moving wings. 

—Sarah W.

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The latest from INDY, plus other stories around the state you’ll want to read. Handpicked every day by INDY Editor-in-Chief Sarah Willets.

Pour One Out

A new natural wine bar in Durham aims to feel like “popping over to a friend’s house who knows a lot about wine,” Elliott Harrell writes for the INDY.

INDY Selects

A holiday sketch show, a play about the Red Scare, a dance party goodbye to PS37, and more events we recommend across the Triangle this week.

Credit: Illustration by Nicole Pajor Moore

What A New UDO Will and Won’t Do

A city council member on how rewriting the Unified Development Ordinance will—and won’t—change development in Durham.

If you’d like to advertise your business to The Daily’s 20,000-plus subscribers, please contact [email protected].

STATE: The Assembly reports on why insurance premiums are rising and what to do if you lose Medicaid or private health coverage.

STATE: Have you seen social media posts saying North Carolina drivers can no longer use their phones even at red lights? WRAL debunked the posts.

EDUCATION: Duke has announced its updated diversity policy as the Trump administration seeks to ban DEI across higher education and government, The Chronicle reports.

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  • The Carrboro-Chapel Hill Community Holiday Parade is tomorrow morning.
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  • We may not have gotten many flakes today, but Raleigh has a history with notable snowfalls, including the “Hard Winter” of 1783 and, of course, snowpocalypse of 2014, per WRAL.
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