Attendees at the August 20, 2026 Line meetup event at Life Time Alston Town Center. Credit: Sarah Day Owen Wiskirchen

Line readers, Line journalists, and Assembly leaders gathered in the cafe at Life Time Alston Town Center on Thursday night to talk local news, community, and see inside the new space on the west side of Cary.

We heard from readers about different topics for The Line, including Holly Springs’ community-led movements and history, ideas to better serve newcomers, and more.

Line editor Sarah Day Owen Wiskirchen, Wake County editor Jane Porter, as well as The Assembly’s newsletter editor Drew Hill, Chief Audience Officer Elizabeth Walters and Chief Operating Officer Jed Williams were among staff in attendance for casual discussions with readers. 

Life Time Alston Town Center’s team offered free chair massages and dynamic stretching with attendees. The “athletic country club” opened in February in the growing area near NC-55 and I-540 of west Cary. It’s among the new, larger clubs built by Life Time. 

Future events for The Line will be announced for different parts of Western Wake, from casual, meetup-style gatherings like last night to more produced, journalism IRL events.

Have an idea for a future event or location? Contact us at line@theassemblync.com

Sarah Day Owen Wiskirchen is the head of newsletters for The Assembly Network and editor of The Line.