Rhiannon Giddens — the Pulitzer Prize-winning musician, historian, writer, Beyoncé collaborator and North Carolina native — is bringing a new music festival to Durham next spring.

Why it matters: The three-day music festival, called Biscuits & Banjos, will celebrate all the influence of Black music and art on distinct American styles of music, like country, blues, jazz and bluegrass.

• The festival will also be the first reunion of the Carolina Chocolate Drops — an influential bluegrass band Giddens co-founded — since 2014.

Zoom in: The festival will be held throughout Durham, including venues like the Durham Performing Arts Center and the Carolina Theatre, from April 25-27.

• The initial lineup includes Giddens, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Taj Mahal, Christian McBride, Rissi Palmer, New Dangerfield, Leyla McCalla and The Legendary Ingramettes. More acts will be added in the coming months.
• The programming will also include discussions on literature and foodways, as well as a celebrity chef bake-off, Giddens said in a video release.

Context: The festival falls on the 20th anniversary of the Black Banjo Gathering — an event highlighting the influence of Black artists on the creation of American roots music, like bluegrass.

• It was that event where the idea for starting the Carolina Chocolate Drops with Don Flemons and Justin Robinson originated, launching one of the most influential artistic careers the state has seen in the past two decades.
• Giddens' work, both with the Carolina Chocolate Drops and as a solo artist, has earned her multiple Grammys as well as a MacArthur "genius grant." She's worked throughout her career to draw attention to the African origins of the banjo and the ways Black musicians shaped the country and folk genres.

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IV fluids from as far away as China are being imported to the U.S. to alleviate nationwide shortages stemming from hurricane damage to a key manufacturing plant in North Carolina.

Why it matters: Hospitals now have 50% more IV fluid available to them than immediately after Hurricane Helene swamped Baxter International's North Cove manufacturing site in Marion, per the Health and Human Services Department. But health providers expect shortages to last weeks longer.

State of play: The first IV fluids imported from Baxter facilities in other countries reached the U.S. on Saturday, HHS said.

Meanwhile, pre-hurricane staffing levels will resume at Baxter's North Carolina plant this week, the company said on Monday.

• The more than 2,500 employees will work alongside more than 1,000 contractors who are helping bring the facility back up to speed. But the company does not yet have a timeline for when pre-hurricane production levels will be restored.
• Progress on restoring the physical facilities "has exceeded our expectations in many respects," the company wrote in its Monday memo.

Yes, but: Hospitals are preparing to weather IV fluid shortages for a while longer.

• The Indiana Hospital Association, for instance, said it could take weeks for hospitals to get their allocated IV fluids, despite importations and Baxter's North Carolina facility ramp-up.

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🌾 Plantd, a North Carolina startup making building materials out of grass, has inked a big deal with D.R. Horton, the nation's largest homebuilder. (News & Observer 🔒)

🏞️ The closure of the Blue Ridge Parkway due to damage from Hurricane Helene is causing a downturn in visitors to towns like Sparta, which are still trying to attract visitors this fall. (WUNC)

🏫 Broken HVAC systems are still plaguing some public schools in Durham. (INDY Week)

👀 Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson revised his lawsuit against CNN and a former Greensboro porn shop employee, removing his request for $50 million in damages. (WRAL)

• State law prohibits plaintiffs from stating damages of more than $25,000.

The James Beard Award-nominated chef Oscar Diaz's Durham takeover continues with the opening of a new all-day cafe and eatery called Aaktun.

Why it matters: Diaz and the group behind the Mezcalito restaurants are forging a fruitful partnership across downtown Durham, with three separate businesses either open or in the process of opening.

• That includes the popular and creative dinner spot Little Bull, Aaktun and the under-construction taco joint Tataco.

The latest: Aaktun opened this week at 704 Ramseur St., serving a daytime menu of coffee, sandwiches and pastries and a lunch menu that includes small bites like papaya salad, poke, sandwiches and burgers.

• In the evening, the menu evolves to include chicken skewers, ceviche, Temaki rolls as well as jerk chicken, hanger steak and a range of seafood.

Driving the news: The restaurant continues Diaz's playful exploration of combining the Mexican-American staples of his youth with cooking techniques from around the world, especially Asian cuisines.

What they're saying: Diaz said his cooking is influenced by his love for DJing, a musical act that splices together influences from different sources to make something unique.

• "I look at food the same way I look at music — everything can be remixed to create something unique, curing the craving for something enticingly original," he said in a statement.

Zoom in: Located across the street from Ponysaurus and next to Mezcalito, Aaktun will also have an extensive bar in its dining room that will complement the nighttime scene that has developed on the east side of downtown.

• The restaurant promises to unveil a late-night menu and extend its hours until 2am starting in November.

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We're on the hunt for the most decked-out Halloween houses in the Triangle.

Send us photos — or an address so we can grab photos ourselves — of the homes with spooky decorations worthy of recognition. We may feature it in an upcoming newsletter: [email protected].