Art is in the air every May as nearly 70,000 people convene in Raleigh for the annual Artsplosure. It is one of North Carolina's most well-attended and well-respected outdoor art events. The festival is held in the Moore Square Park area in downtown Raleigh and features more than 250 visual and performance artists. The weekend-long celebration is typically held on the third weekend of May and is free to the public.
The Spring Hill House is a registered historical building and is currently the home of the North Carolina Japan Center. The institution is also part of the NC State University's Centennial Campus. Many layers of historical relevance are here for learning, as this museum was once the main house of a plantation. The building has undergone numerous structural changes, not the least of which was a full-scaled renovation in 2000 and 2001. The stories that are preserved and retold here all make up the long, far-reaching chain of events that link it all back to Raleigh's origins and development.