Record-Breaking Music Festival, $205K Jobs & Convention Center Glow-Up | Good Morning Wake County - Good News

Downtown Raleigh drew 155,000 people to a music festival in one weekend, a healthcare company just opened with jobs averaging $205K, and new convention center renderings show what downtown's about to become. Your daily dose of good news from Wake County with Steve Rhode.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival Record Attendance: https://abc11.com/post/2025-raleigh-wide-open-music-festival-gets-record-breaking-attendance/18059223/
• Weatherby Healthcare Opens North Hills Hub: https://www.wral.com/lifestyle/health/weatherby-healthcare-new-hub-wake-county-october-2025/
• Raleigh Convention Center Expansion Renderings: https://www.wral.com/news/local/raleigh-convention-center-expansion-pics-october-2025/

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Episode Transcript

(00:01):
All right, I got my coffee in hand.
Let's do this. Picture downtown Raleigh with
155,000 people filling every corner over one weekend.
I think about it. Music spilling out on 4 stages,
food trucks lined up, the whole city showing up.

(00:21):
A healthcare company that just landed in North Hills with jobs
averaging 205 grand and Convention Center renderings
that show that downtown's about to become.
Wait for it. Hey, I'm Steve Road, and here's
your good morning. Good news.

(00:42):
Hey, Wake County. Well, I'm glad you're here
again. Let's get into it and stick
around. Don't forget I got a dad joke
for you at the end. It's safe for all those kiddos
and cars. Look, starting your day with
good news doesn't fix everything, but it reminds you
that while problems are real, sois progress.

(01:02):
So are people doing good work. So is hope.
The news cycle is designed to make you anxious, and this is
designed to make you feel connected.
Your morning sets your day's tone, so why not start with
evidence that good things actually do happen?

(01:23):
All right, so if you were anywhere near downtown a couple
weeks ago, you felt it. The Raleigh Wide Open Music
Festival just wrapped up October3rd and 4th.
And here's the thing, 155,000 people showed up.
That's not a typo. You heard that right, 155,000.

(01:46):
That's the biggest crowd in festival's history for free.
Outdoor stages, 40 performers doing bluegrass, Americana,
gospel folk, the whole spread. Food trucks everywhere, local
art vendors set up, and just people everywhere.
It's the kind of weekend where you run into half your

(02:07):
neighborhood and nobody minds the crowds because everyone's
just there for it, You know? I mean, you love to see that
kind of thing. That's Wake County showing up.
All right, hold on. This next one, though.
So North Hills just landed another big one.
Wetherby Healthcare. They're a medical staffing

(02:29):
company, just opened a new hub in One North Hills tower.
And here's what gets me about this.
They're bringing 150 jobs. But these aren't just any jobs.
These are $205,000 a year jobs. That's the average salary, 205

(02:52):
grand. I mean, come on, That's nearly
three times the Wake County average.
And they're already hiring. The president said they're
forward hiring, which I guess means they're bringing people on
before they even need them because they know they're about
to grow. They work with 34 clients across

(03:13):
North Carolina. They help place specialty
healthcare providers where hospitals need them.
And so far, they've helped over 300,000 patients get care.
And now they're expecting to generate $400 million in revenue
for Wake County. You know what?
This is the third major company this year to choose North Hills.

(03:37):
Third one. I'm starting to think North
Hills is just where the action has to be.
All right, last one. This one's going to make you
proud of what's coming. The city just dropped new
renderings of the Raleigh Convention Center expansion.
And OK, I got to say it, it looks impressive.

(03:58):
When it's done, the whole complex will be almost 800,000
square feet. That's a massive upgrade.
Modern design, world class amenities, clean bathrooms.
And here's where it really matters.
This is what it really means. Thousands more visitors coming
to downtown, filling up restaurants, booking hotel

(04:21):
rooms, spending cash walking into local shops.
The folks at Visit Raleigh are saying this is going to
strengthen Raleigh's position asa nationally competitive
destination, and it's part of the whole downtown
transformation. There's a 600 room Omni Hotel
coming, Red Hat Amphitheater is getting upgraded, the Martin

(04:44):
Marietta Center is getting improved.
It's all kind of just happening all around the same time frame.
I'm genuinely curious what downtown's going to feel like in
a year or two when this is all done.
It might be different energy, but darn it's going to be
awesome. Makes you think about what's

(05:05):
possible when a city decides to invest in itself.
Oh hey, before I let you go, youready for your dad joke?
What do you call a sheep who cansing and dance?
Lady Baba? Hey, if you want more
information on any of these stories, be sure to check the

(05:26):
episode description. I've got the links to everything
right in there. And hey, if you're enjoying
this, be sure to follow the podcast on whatever platform
you're listening on. And while you're there, leave a
five star review. It really helps more people find
good news. All right, that's what I got for
you. That's what's going on right
here in Wake County. If you're into true crime, well,

(05:49):
check out my other podcast, TrueCrime Cases You Haven't Heard.
Just go over to truecrimeunheard.com.
All right, I'll catch you next time.
See you neighbor.