In today’s newsletter, we have a cool new tool for checking your voter registration and tips for getting tickets to a perpetually sold-out seasonal event, but first: 

Raise your hand if you’re surprised that the North Carolina Legislature is returning for a special session.

Come on, y’all. Put your hand down. If you’ve been reading this newsletter, you know better.

NC’s Legislature has a tendency of messing about in the days before and after elections. C&P contributor Ryan Pitkin reports on their newly-called session. Ostensibly, it’s about gas prices. 

This is a Legislature that loves a sneak attack though. We’ll have our eyes out for any last-minute election law meddling or any other shenanigans. You should too. Follow along using the NC General Assembly’s official page.

In the meantime, check out this week’s 3 things happening in NC, which also includes a report on a controversial pre-election citizenship check and the return of Biketoberfest to the Queen City. 

Fuel grades and prices are shown on a gas pump at the Shell station along Hendersonville Road on May 12, 2026, in Arden. (USA Today via Reuters)

As the old song goes, “Welcome to the working week.” Here’s what’s in the Cardinal & Pine newsletter today: 

Wanda Bullard photographed these coneflowers (with a special guest) in her yard in Pembroke, NC. 

Do you have a View from NC to share? Send it to me!

An election worker in Raleigh in 2024. Get ready for this year’s elections with Cardinal & Pine’s 2026 Voting Guide. (Wileydoc via Shutterstock)

Friends, it is officially NATIONAL VOTER EDUCATION WEEK in America. 

At Cardinal & Pine, we take voting very seriously. More seriously even than we take college basketball and over-sauced pork plates. Those are very serious things. That’s why we rolled out our 2026 Voter Guide.

If you haven’t yet, check your voter registration right now—using Cardinal & Pine’s new tool. 

This allows you to verify you’re registered at the right place, find out what’s on your ballot, and get the important deadlines. 

Tap the button below (or tap here) and get the facts. This week, keep an eye on this part of the newsletter for more updates from Cardinal & Pine’s 2026 Voting Guide. 

You’re election-ready. 🙌 Now help a friend get there, too—forward this email before Nov. 3.

1. Helene debris ‘still a factor’ in NC wildfire risk, official says. WLOS

“October marks the beginning of the state’s fall wildfire season, which typically runs through mid-to-late December. North Carolina Forest Service officials say dry, windy conditions during that time can cause fires to spread more quickly.”

2. Popular TV show looking to film in North Carolina, South Carolina: How to apply. WBTV

“The long-running television series ‘American Pickers’ is seeking to film in the region in November.”

3. Strawberries in February: The cyclospora outbreak and the cost of convenience. North Carolina Health News

“Experts say this year’s record outbreak reveals strains on farmworkers, food inspections and disease tracking in a system where customers demand fresh produce all year round.”

4. ‘I just have to get a lot of North Carolina stories out of my system’: Wilmington director Parrish Stikeleather. WHQR

“Parrish Stikeleather is a North Carolina-born filmmaker, writer, and director based in Wilmington. A storyteller with deep roots in the state, he has written multiple feature-length screenplays and directed more than a dozen award-winning short films.”

(@cardinalandpine on Instagram)

But Billy, it’s too soon to start talking about holiday plans, you say. Nonsense. At least if you want to get tickets to this annual holiday attraction, it’s not.

Every year, Wilmington’s Airlie Gardens hosts a light show called Enchanted Airlie. This seasonal fundraiser sells out fast. 

Because it’s such a hot ticket, organizers are selling passes in the coming days. 

Get the details here. 

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Billy Ball. I’m an NC native and journalist. I tend to lean left on opinion, but I lean no way on facts. Today’s edition includes stories from Ryan Pitkin and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Crystal Niforos

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