Okay guys, are you ready for some awesome Raleigh events and festival fun this year? After a long two years of festival drought, we are ready to hit the streets of Raleigh, Wake County and the Triangle this year to celebrate life again!
One thing we love about living in Raleigh is the constant stream of really cool local festivals and events in Raleigh. We have the shady tree lined streets, urban landscapes, and awesome outdoor venues that cater to it.
Whether it's the arts, music, food, beer, lifestyle choices, and diverse cultures there are plenty of amazing Raleigh festivals and Raleigh events to celebrate!
We hope you enjoyed a quieter start to the year, because by mid-March the festival calendar starts ramping up and soon every weekend will be booked with celebratory experiences!
This is by no means an exhaustive list, merely a curation of what we think are some of the top unmissable festivals and events in Raleigh, NC, and the greater Triangle region!
NOTE: We will be updating this list. So be sure to join our free email community for latest updates and insider tips on Raleigh. Pop your name and email below:
We typically write from personal experience, so if we're sharing it with you, you can bet we've vetted it as a worthy festival or event to attend.
Some of these events in Raleigh we've listed below we have not yet attended, but they're high on our wish list and we know by feedback that they are high enough quality for those who are passionate about that particular event or topic.
Be sure to share some of your favorite Raleigh events and festivals not to miss in the comments section at the bottom! Have an event you want to submit? Check our submission guidelines and options here.
If you visit Raleigh for any of these festivals and events and need accommodation, the following reviews may help:
You may also find our 24 hour guide and 48 hour itinerary guide on the best things to do in Raleigh handy for your trip to Raleigh. And our post on getting around Raleigh may also be helpful.
Check the specific event website for more information on ticket prices, times, and parking options as it can vary widely and change each year. There are plenty of parking garages in the city, and parking is free on the streets on weekends!
Also, as live music events are constantly changing, we're not including the big music events for this year in this post. Be sure to check the Raleigh venues for their exciting lineup of live artists from the small to the big national acts. Venues include:
The Krispy Kreme Challenge is one of the most unique things to do in Raleigh, and possibly the most unique run in the USA. All you have to do is run 5-miles in total (or walk) from the NC State University Belltower to the Krispy Kreme on N. Person Street. Take a quick pit stop there to eat a dozen doughnuts, and then run back!
During the old, fun days, the race would see about 8,000 people participate, many in costumes. Suitable for all ages and walking is also encouraged. Of course, devouring doughnuts is optional.
See more Fun February Events in Raleigh and Black History and Cultural Experiences in Raleigh
Who loves art and flowers? Get ready for five days of floral arrangements from world-class designers and florists. Features 43 installations, and some more than 10 feet tall. Get Tickets here. Single tickets are $30 for members, $33 for nonmembers
Grab your favorite green sweater and your spirit for having a good craic and head to downtown Raleigh to celebrate the St Patrick's Day parade. The parade route starts at Lane Street and Wilmington Street and finishes at the corner of S Salisbury and Lenoir. The fun continues after in City Plaza with live music and performances!
See more fun March Events in Raleigh
Always drawing a big crowd, the annual Mid-Town Square Spring Festival held by Bond Brothers Beer Company is back this year in downtown Cary.
It's free admission and features local artists, live music, a DJ, food trucks, and the award-winning brews from Bond Brothers (which I love!) Wine and cider is also available and they have pretty decent gluten free beer.
It's family-friendly with a special Kids Zone too, so bring the whole family!
PODCAST: Breweries in Raleigh we keep returning to
One of the premier live music events in Raleigh is Dreamville, the creation of J. Cole, North Carolina's own Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum hip-hop artist. It's one of the most popular and largest artist-curated music festivals in the country.
Expect a day of fun listening to some of the best hip hop artists hand-picked by Cole in the beauty of historic Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh's signature city park. Dorothea Dix Park - Raleigh's largest city park with over 300 acres of public greenspace.
When you hear the words North Carolina, what do you think of? Barbecue and Bluegrass of course!
The annual 'Cuegrass festival hosted by The Pit Authentic BBQ in the Warehouse District is a celebration of those two things with two stages of bluegrass music and Eastern Carolina style BBQ. And beer! We can't forget North Carolina's great brews. You can get that too.
They are also partnering with Marbles Kids Museum to bring a Kids Zone with extra games, inflatables, and activities.
READ MORE: Where to eat the best BBQ in Raleigh
Beer lovers will know that it wasn't that long ago that they were reveling on Fayetteville St filled to the brim with good quality local brew. Why should we have to wait a year for that kind of fun?
Brewgaloo is back in its usual April position with a fun two-day event. Thanks to COVID it was on just six months ago on the tail end of summer in September. Time to kick-off the season with a frothy head from one of the many Raleigh breweries plus taste beer from around North Carolina at the 2nd biggest beer fest in the USA and one of the best downtown Raleigh events!
The Friday Night Block Party features all-you-can-sample 3 oz pours. Tickets are $45 online in advance or $55 on the day of the event.
The Saturday Street Festival is FREE to enter, and drinks are available for purchase in 3 oz samples (2 tickets) or by the pint (5 tickets). Drink tickets will be sold in bundles of 15 or 25.
READ MORE: Get a taste of Raleigh & NC at Brewgaloo (what to expect and how to have fun!)
The annual Spring Daze Arts and Crafts Festival is back in the beautiful Bond Park. It's a festival that celebrates an active lifestyle, community connectedness, and the artistry and creativity of our region.
Grab a local brew and wander around browsing the stalls of more than 170 local artists from across North Carolina. You'll find art-paintings, jewelry, sculptures and more.
There are plenty of food vendors, activities for the kids and a stage with local music all day. We have not yet done Spring Daze, but we have done Lazy Daze several times and love it (see further below in August).
READ MORE: Guide to Bond Park and Lake in Cary
Read more Raleigh events in April
Watch the video to see how awesome the Spring Daze festival - and beautiful Bond Park in Cary!
Time to celebrate the Peak of Good Living at the annual Apex Peak-fest festival. It started 41 years ago as a small community day in a school parking lot and has since grown into an event that draws hundreds of vendors and over 22,000 people to Salem St in downtown Apex.
There is live music all day, artisan stores, entertainment for the kids, food and much more!
READ MORE: A Guide to Downtown Apex (eat, play, shop)
Okay guys, are you ready for some awesome Raleigh events and festival fun this year? After a long two years of festival drought, we are ready to hit the streets of Raleigh, Wake County and the Triangle this year to celebrate life again! One thing we love about living in Raleigh is the constant stream .
32 Top Festivals & Events in Raleigh (for 2022) Read More »
Artsplosure is another of the annual Raleigh events and features over 175 visual artists showcasing their original works in ceramics, glass, fiber art, jewelry, metal, painting, photography, wood and more.
There's also live music performances on the main stage, free arts and crafts for kids in the Kidsplosure section, and art installations throughout Fayetteville St. It's an easy and fun festival for supporting local art!
Wander. Wonder. Buy some art and dance the jig a little!
Read more events in May
Arrive hungry at one of the popular festivals in Raleigh centered around food, and the biggest food truck rodeos in the country!
Spanning 11 city blocks in downtown Raleigh will be more than 50 food trucks from across North Carolina waiting to serve you up tasty treats from BBQ, poke bowls, tacos, funnel cakes, and more!
Join more than 66,000 people pouring into Raleigh's Fayetteville Street to celebrate the LGBT community, our friends, and families. The free event features live entertainment, local vendors and artists, great food, a Kids Zone, and a beer garden!
Out! Raleigh Pride is an important way to raise the necessary funds to support the LGBT Center of Raleigh and all of its 20+ amazing community programs. Let's get out and celebrate and support all people in our community.
Discover more Raleigh events in June
This may be in nearby Durham, but anyone living in Raleigh will definitely want to experience the legendary annual Eno Fest, held on the banks of the beautiful Eno River on Independence Day!
Held annually since 1980, the Festival for the Eno is considered to be one of the premier folk and arts festivals in North Carolina and the Southeast.
This is a festival enveloped in good juju and an important mission: to conserve and protect the natural environment, culture, and history of the Eno River basin. Proceeds support the association's work in the upkeep of the river and the purchase of land within its watershed.
You can listen to about 40 artists from gospel to roots rock across four stages as well as browse the stalls of arts and craft vendors and food trucks and beer tents.
If you don't want to dance beside the Eno, there are plenty of other Independence Day Celebrations across the Triangle. The City of Raleigh's annual July Fourth fireworks will be held around the PNC Arena and Stadium Complex (PNC Arena and Carter-Finley Stadium area).
In Cary, the pines at Koka Booth Amphitheatre hosts the Town of Cary's family-friendly July 4th Celebration with rides and games, watermelon-eating contests, a 50-foot Ferris wheel, live music and fireworks.
Click here to see more Independence Day events in Raleigh and the Triangle.
We also like to go to a Durham Bulls game on July 4th (or near to it).
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We visited this Downtown Apex festival last year and found a tent filled with loud music, crowded streets, beer garden and Pig Pickins and 42 cook teams competing for more than $12,000 in prize money cooking chicken, ribs, beef brisket, and pork.
Where are the fandoms from across the galaxies? Do you love pop culture, gaming, fantasy, comic books and more? You will want to devote four days this year at GalaxyCon Raleigh to celebrate your other-Universe adventures.
At one of the biggest events in Raleigh, you'll be joined by celebrities, artists, writers, voice actors, cosplayers, entertainers, creators, wrestlers, fan groups, panelists, and other fans dressed in their best costumes.
Discover more July Events in Raleigh.
Unbuckle those belts. Two days ahead of Beer, Bourbon, Barbecue, Boots, Bacon, Biscuits, Bluegrass and Smoked Beasts! Your admission buys you a souvenir sampling glass so you can enjoy an ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-TASTE sampling of beer and bourbon.
Apart from the overindulging you can shop for merch, play giant jenga and cornhole, and dance to rock, blues, and bluegrass music. All held within one of our favorite venues in Wake County, Koka Booth Amphitheatre.
If you don't know Koka Booth, it's located next to Symphony Lake among 14 acres of hardwoods and pines making it the PERFECT venue for live music and festivals.
Related Post - 35 cool things for your Raleigh summer bucket list
I like Cary's annual Spring Daze Arts and Crafts Festival. Now in its 40th year, this Cary festival is held across two days and features more than 300 artists from 16 states. There are also multiple stages of live local music, a beer garden and food trucks.
READ MORE: A weekend Getaway in Downtown Cary
What else is happening in Raleigh in August?
Earning notoriety as one of the country's top music festivals is the Hopscotch Music festival, known for its eclectic music representation covering almost every genre -rock, hip-hop, metal, folk, electronic, experimental, and more.
It's three days of music celebration with a spirit and atmosphere that has been likened to Mardi Gras.
Details for 2022 have not yet been released - stay tuned!
One of the most popular free events in Raleigh, IBMA World of Bluegrass is an urban bluegrass music festival that closes out the International Bluegrass Music Association's World of Bluegrass Week in Raleigh. NC.
During the two-day festival, Fayetteville Street is closed down and features five blocks and six stages of music stretching from Martin Street to the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.
The festival features the best performers and musicians in the national and international bluegrass scene each year, including some new up and coming artists.
The event also includes an amazing street festival complete with delicious food, a dance tent, a BBQ cook-off, an arts & crafts market and many other activities for all ages.
We finally went in 2021 and had a blast. Can't wait to attend this year as well.
Read our full post sharing the World of Bluegrass Festival in Raleigh experience.
The largest Oktoberfest in Central North Carolina is an authentic German festival focused on family fun, traditional Bavarian food and fare; and plenty of local and authentic German beers from Munich.
Of course, rest assured there will be Polka music to ramp up that Oompah vibe. And I can tell you from my Oktoberfest experience in the beer halls of Munich that it is a fun event you'll never forget. Raise your stein and get prosting!
The Cary Diwali festival includes music, dance, theater performances, a handicraft bazaar, Indian food vendors, sponsor booths, an exhibition of Indian art and culture, and activities for children.
It's a celebration that marks the victory of good over evil, light over dark and the beginning of the New Year. It is one of the most widely celebrated religious and cultural events in Raleigh.
Are you ready for a HUGE North Carolina event held right in the heart of Raleigh at the State Fairgrounds?
It is the largest annual event in North Carolina and last year, I felt every one of those million visitors that attended the 11-day fair.
Our tip is to arrive right on opening. We arrived before even the rides had started which gave us a great opportunity to roam freely and then be first in line for the rides. We had very little waiting time until around 1pm when all of Raleigh walked through the gates, and we walked right out! (and it meant we found parking in the side streets that was FREE!)
Bring plenty of cash as well. The NC State Fair will BLOW a hole out of your wallet. We'll have a post coming soon with all our tips for making it work.
As the biggest of the annual Raleigh events, it is a lot of fun with high-flying rides, deep-fried foods, live music, stunt shows and other entertainment (including nightly fireworks). It's definitely worth experiencing once.
Read More: The Ultimate Guide to the North Carolina State Fair
We enjoy this festival filled with local makers and creators stalls, beer tents, live music from local artists, and activities for the kids, such as hayrides and pumpkin patches. It's a great way to welcome in Fall while still soaking up the last warm rays of summer.
Buy your drink tickets in advance as the lines can get long. And note, last year the food truck lineup was ridiculous! People were waiting for a long time, and many trucks had run out of certain foods, so it may be a good idea to bring your own picnic lunch!
The North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival has exploded in popularity over recent years. So plan well and buy your tickets in advance.
The festival has hundreds of larger-than-life lanterns on display creating an incredible, colorful adventure for you to walk through during the holiday season.
More than 15,000 LED lights make up 20 distinct displays, including a 200-foot-long, 21-foot-tall mythical creature that sits on Symphony Lake.
We were quite impressed with Raleigh's Christmas Parade last year. It's incredible to see the extent people go to to present their businesses or creative ideas on dozens of floats that include marching bands, twirlers, elaborately costumed Mexican dancers, cowboys and cowgirls riding through, hotted up cars, vintage cars, and of course, Mr and Mrs Claus.
It is the largest Christmas Parade between Washington, DC and Atlanta and has been a much loved community event since it began in 1939.
The parade covers 1.4 miles beginning at Hillsborough Street at the intersection of St. Mary's Street and ending at the bottom of Fayetteville St.
If you live in one of the smaller Wake County communities, check to see what your municipality is offering by way of Christmas parades. We know Cary and Apex both have a fun filled Christmas parade event.
If you don't want to deal with the cold and crowds (60,000+), you can watch from home starting at 9:30 AM by tuning in to channel 11, or online at ABC11.com
WATCH: our IG Reel of the 2021 Christmas Parade
A great way to kick-off the holiday season is the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in Downtown Raleigh at the Duke Energy Center.
The tree will be surrounded by the Triangle Pop-Up holiday market and a stage with live performances. You can do some Christmas shopping, have photos with Santa, and dance to a few Christmas tunes.
Check your local municipality for their annual tree lighting celebration as well. North Hills and Cary have popular ones. (you can of course visit them all!)
Dorothea Dix provides the perfect backdrop for this magical holiday light show. Drive along a 1.3 mile route through the park to see art installations, illuminated trees, and festival light displays. Don't forget to look at the views of the Raleigh skyline as well.
And if you don't want to drive, they have evenings where you can walk or bike the route. Be ready to purchase your tickets in advance. It's a popular event.
May the Holiday Express Ticket Gods be with you! Tickets go on sale mid-July and you want to be ready. They sell out faster than a whip crack.
Pullen Park dresses up for the holiday season, festively decorated with thousands of lights and transformed into a holiday wonderland. There's typically s'mores, hot chocolates, photos with Santa, a miniature train ride through the park and a fun carousel ride.
The past two years were canceled so keep an eye out for this year's event and fingers crossed it's the year for its return. Mostly suited to families with younger kids.
READ MORE: Guide to Pullen Park
Get your tickets early for this classic of Raleigh events, the very popular walking tour of the Historic Oakwood Neighborhood for their annual Candlelight Tour.
We absolutely love it. It was created in 1972 in an effort to save the neighborhood from being torn down for new development.
Dozens of Victorian, Queen Anne, and Craftsman architectural style properties open their doors to visitors to see their stunning interior designs and elaborate Christmas decorations, as well as learning more about the history behind each house. This is one way to feel more connected to the Raleigh community and why it's so great!
You need at least 4-hours to visit every home. Start (or end) with a drink at Pelagic Beer and Wine on North Person St, one of the coolest neighborhood watering holes in Raleigh.
READ MORE: Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour and you can see our IG Reel for 2021's event here.
Another of the hugely popular Christmas events in Raleigh is the comedy adaptation of the Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol.
The show has been performed annually since 1974 and was named one of the "Top 20 Events in the Southeast." Cited as "one of the most successful shows in North Carolina theatre history,"
Be ready to snag tickets - they sell out fast. We're still trying!
First Night Raleigh, in downtown Raleigh, is North Carolina's largest New Year's Eve celebration!
Festivities begin with the early afternoon City Plaza outdoor musical performances and the Children's Celebration at 2pm. We usually leave after the 9pm fireworks as it gets too cold for us to wait until midnight.
The night is capped off with music on the outdoor Main Stage, the famous Raleigh Acorn Drop, and a spectacular fireworks show.
There you have it. What we think are the top festivals and events in Raleigh NC for 2022. Which one are you most excited for?