In Brief - Raleigh

TIME ZONE: Eastern
AREA CODE: 919
FOUNDED: 1792
POPULATION: 403,892
GET AROUND: Capital Area Transit and The R-LINE (buses)
AIRPORT: Raleigh-Durham International
WEBSITE: www.visitraleigh.com

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BY THE NUMBERS

30 The number of rooms in the grand Victorian North Carolina Executive Mansion, built in 1891, which includes six bedrooms and 12 bathrooms

100 approximate minimum age (in years) of preserved houses in the Historic Oakwood district

11 year-round and seasonal microbrews available from Raleigh's own Big Boss Brewing Company

5,000 number of years of artistic heritage on display at The North Carolina Museum of Art

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NEWS FLASH

Rembrandt in Raleigh /// With approximately 50 paintings, one of the largest collections of original Rembrandts to ever be shown in the United States is coming to Raleigh. Rembrandt in America; Oct. 30-Jan.22; www.ncartmuseum.org

The Boys are Back in Town /// After admitting only females for more than 150 years, Peace College becomes William Peace University and opens its doors to males in the fall of 2012. Check out its leafy downtown campus, with pre-Civil War buildings set amid a 20-acre oak grove. www.peace.edu

Final Flight /// Researchers from North Carolina State University sent a group of Arabidopsis plants into space on the final mission of the Atlantis shuttle, testing the effects of microgravity on plant-growth to pave the way for a future mission to Mars. www.ncsu.edu

Easy Being Green /// Delighting joggers, bikers and outdoorsmen alike, Raleigh’s greenway system — which currently encompasses 69 miles of trail — is set to expand to over 110 miles over the next two years.

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CULTURE CALENDAR

Oct. 13-23
NORTH CAROLINA STATE FAIR
This 150-plus-year-old fair attracts more than 800,000 visitors per year with a dazzling variety of rides, games and exhibits. Oh yeah, and food — if you can dream it, North Carolinians can fry it, like the Krispy Kreme bacon cheeseburger. Elephant ears and thrill rides aren’t your thing? Take in musical performances by the likes of George Jones and hometown hero Tift Merritt, catch the nightly fireworks display or check out the fair’s countless agricultural exhibits. www.ncstatefair.org

Oct. 13-30
DRACULA AND THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
In this hair-raising hybrid, Dracula meets Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death for some “spooky, off the-wall fun” (Triangle Arts & Entertainment) at the Fletcher Opera House Theater. Decadent costumes, creepy sets and expert dancing bring these macabre tales to life — or afterlife. J. Mark Scearce’s music is performed by a live orchestra, with the Tonynominated Broadway and television star Alan Campbell returning as Dr. Seward in Dracula. www.carolinaballet.com