Fayetteville Street in Raleigh, NC at Night

Fayetteville Street is a major street in downtown

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

. It is a north-south

thoroughfare A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way as a transit route through regularly trafficked areas, whether by road on dry land or, by extension, via watercraft or aircraft. On land, a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a multi-lane highway ...

that connects the

State Capitol This is a list of state and territorial capitols in the United States, the building or complex of buildings from which the government of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia and the organized territories of the United States, exercise its ...

to the

Raleigh Convention Center The Raleigh Convention Center is a convention and exhibition facility in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina that opened in September 2008. The architect was Tvsdesign with the participation of local firms O'Brien/Atkins Associates and Clearscapes. ...

and the

Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts is the main venue for the performing arts in Raleigh, North Carolina. The naming rights to the center currently are held by Duke Energy (formerly Progress Energy), which purchased them from the city in ...

. It is the City of Raleigh's ceremonial center, hosting parades, special events, and seasonal celebrations. In the 2000s, an effort by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance was made to separate downtown Raleigh into five smaller districts: Fayetteville Street, Moore Square, Glenwood South, Warehouse (Raleigh), and Capital District (Raleigh). The Fayetteville Street district is home to a variety of downtown Raleigh businesses, shops, restaurants, bars, and other attractions, as well as government buildings and offices.

History

Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina

Fayetteville Street was the main thoroughfare south of the state capitol in the early 20th century, but by the 1950s, parallel streets had become more heavily traveled. In 1977, the street was closed to traffic and converted to a pedestrian mall in an attempt to revitalize the downtown area. It was returned to vehicular traffic in 2006, in a renewed and more successful revitalization effort. In 2008, the

Fayetteville Street Historic District The Fayetteville Street Historic District in Raleigh, North Carolina is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The District includes the 100-400 blocks of Fayetteville Street, the 00-100 blocks of the south ...

was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Fayetteville was named to honor

General Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutio ...

. On May 30, 2020, during the George Floyd protests in Raleigh protesters marched up Fayetteville Street. Later in the day, the protests turned violent and many storefronts along Fayetteville Street were vandalized.

Celebrations

Fayetteville Street hosts the annual Holidays Parade in Raleigh on the Saturday before Thanksgiving Day. The street also plays host to other city-sponsored events such as the City's

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

celebration called ''First Night'' and the Raleigh Wide Open - an annual event celebrating the reopening of the street. Private-sector sponsored events also draw spectators to the City's ceremonial core: Brewgaloo,

Hopscotch Music Festival Hopscotch Music Festival is an annual three-day music festival in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. With more than 120 bands, Hopscotch is known for adventurous lineups, memorable performances, and a fan-friendly atmosphere. From ...

, Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo, SPARKcon, Pickin' In The Plaza, etc.

Attractions

North Carolina State Capitol The North Carolina State Capitol is the former seat of the legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina which housed all of the state's government until 1888. The Supreme Court and State Library moved into a separate building in 1888, and the ...

* City of Raleigh Museum *

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) is the largest museum of its kind in the Southeastern United States. It is the oldest established museum in North Carolina, located in Raleigh. In 2013, it had about 1.2 million visitors, and i ...

North Carolina Museum of History The North Carolina Museum of History is a history museum located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. It is an affiliate through the Smithsonian Affiliations program. The museum is a part of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives ...

PNC Plaza PNC Plaza is a skyscraper in Downtown, Louisville, Kentucky and located at 500 West Jefferson Street. Owned by Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank, the 31-story, high structure was designed by architect Welton Becket and was completed in 1971. A notable ...

Wake County Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...

Courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

WTVD-TV WTVD (channel 11) is a television station licensed to Durham, North Carolina, United States, broadcasting the ABC network to the Research Triangle area. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, it maintains pr ...

studios (

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

) *

* Central Station,

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

* Element Plant-Based Gastropub

References

Neighborhoods in Raleigh, North Carolina Streets in North Carolina Shopping malls in Raleigh, North Carolina Transportation in Raleigh, North Carolina {{RaleighNC-stub