Raleigh Wide Open, produced by PineCone, will feature performances from Americana, folk, gospel, and bluegrass artists over the course of three days, from Thursday, Oct. 2 through Saturday, Oct. 4.

Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James has died in a plane crash in North Carolina. Authorities reported the crash on Thursday afternoon involved a small plane with three people aboard.

The Hopscotch Festival returns to Raleigh for its 15th anniversary this week, featuring My Morning Jacket, Earl Sweatshirt and many local and national acts. In this illustrated guide, WUNC's music reporter Brian Burns, a regular at Hopscotch since it started in 2010, takes us through how he gets the most out one of the Triangle's most beloved events.

John Hutton starts each portrait with an egg-shaped frame, adding facial features, hair, and shoulders in a four-step process. Hutton's technique is detailed in his new book, "How to Draw the Presidents & First Ladies," published by the White House Historical Association. He believes anyone can learn to draw by following patterns.

The Kirby Derby has been running since 2002 and has become a Raleigh tradition. See all the elaborate costumes and cars from the event this past weekend.

Donovan Zimmerman is the co-founder and executive director of Paperhand Puppet Intervention. He joined Morning Edition host Eric Hodge.

A North Carolina judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the 1983 N.C. State men's basketball team. The team, known as the "Cardiac Pack," sought compensation for the use of their names, images and likenesses. They claimed the NCAA misappropriated their publicity rights for more than 40 years.

The online bookstore is run entirely by the volunteers at Friends of the Durham Library, a nonprofit that has worked with the library since at least the 1980s, Shayne Goodrum, FODL's former president, said.

Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

North Carolina alt-country indie rock band Wednesday is an exemplar in evocative songwriting. On Sept. 19, they will release their sixth and most ambitious full-length, "Bleeds."