Things to do in Raleigh

🎄 Market Days is returning to The NC Triangle for the Annual Christmas Market — “A Vintage Noel” 🎄
The event will be on November 13–15, 2026 inside the Jim Graham Building at the NC State Fairgrounds for a magical holiday shopping experience you won’t want to miss!
Step into a festive atmosphere filled with the sights, sounds, and spirit of the season during this full sensory shopping experience featuring 130+ carefully curated vendors from across the region and all over the country.
Shop an incredible selection of:
✨ Vintage finds
🎁 Unique gifts
🏡 Holiday & home décor
👗 Boutique clothing & accessories
🕯️ Handmade goods
🍴 Specialty foods & seasonal treats
…and so much more!

82nd Raleigh Christmas Parade by Shop Local Raleigh on Saturday November 21
Start time:
- 9:30 A.M.
- 9:30 A.M. Street-Side in Downtown Raleigh
Parade Route:
- Begins on Hillsborough Street at St. Mary’s Street
- Proceeds to the State Capitol
- Turns right onto Salisbury St.
- Turns left onto Morgan St.
- Turns right onto Fayetteville St. and continues to Lenoir Street where it disbands
Length of Parade Route: Approximately 1.4 miles
Duration: The Parade will last about 2.5 hours.
The Raleigh Christmas Parade telecast TBD from 9:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.
Parade map, participant info, and additional details are available at https://grma.org/christmas-parade/
Photos by photo nc

🎃👻 READY FOR A NIGHT OF SCREAMS? .harvest IS WAITING! 👻🎃

If you’re looking for a Halloween adventure that’s a little more terrifying than your average fall outing, make your way to Haunted Harvest in Lillington, NC!*🌾💀

Set on a spooky farm at 544 Falcon Rd, Haunted Harvest features a haunted trail packed with live actors, creepy scenes, unexpected scares, and plenty of reasons to watch your back! 😱🌲

📍And it’s closer than you might think and worth the drive

🚗 From Raleigh: approximately 35–40 miles

So whether you’re coming from the Triangle or making a Halloween road trip from the coast, Haunted Harvest makes for a fun night out with friends, family, or anyone brave enough to enter the darkness! 🎃

🔥 Haunted Harvest
📍 544 Falcon Rd, Lillington, NC 27546
🌙 Haunted attraction & trail
🎭 Live actors
🎃 Fall/Halloween atmosphere

The question is… what are YOU willing to sacrifice?👀

🎃👻 READY FOR A NIGHT OF SCREAMS? @haunted.harvest IS WAITING! 👻🎃 If you’re looking for a Halloween adventure that’s a little more terrifying than your average fall outing, make your way to Haunted Harvest in Lillington, NC next weekend on Friday 🌾💀 Set on a spooky farm at 544 Falcon Rd, Haunted Harvest features a haunted trail packed with live actors, creepy scenes, unexpected scares, and plenty of reasons to watch your back! 😱🌲 📍And it’s closer than you might think and worth the drive 🚗 From Wilmington:approximately 85–90 miles 🚗 From Raleigh: approximately 35–40 miles So whether you’re coming from the Triangle or making a Halloween road trip from the coast, Haunted Harvest makes for a fun night out with friends, family, or anyone brave enough to enter the darkness! 🎃 🔥 Haunted Harvest 📍 544 Falcon Rd, Lillington, NC 27546 🌙 Haunted attraction & trail 🎭 Live actors 🎃 Fall/Halloween atmosphere The question is… what are YOU willing to sacrifice?👀 . . #Halloween #thingstodoinnc #thingstodowilmington #thingstodoraleigh #hauntedharvest

The Triangle Oktoberfest will be held Oct-2-3rd at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre. We have created the largest and most authentic German festival in NC to celebrate German culture in the Triangle and to support charitable organizations here in our community and abroad.
Schedule:
Friday, October 2nd from 5 PM to 10 PM
Saturday, October 3rd from 12 PM to 8 PM
Attendees can expect:
•50+ b**rs, including German favorites, seasonal b**rs, and features from local craft breweries
•Traditional Bavarian food from the Wandering Wolf, Annelore's German Bakery, A Place at the Table, and the Butcher's Market
•Over 100 Wiener Dogs
Tickets- https://www.triangleoktoberfest.org/event-info

Taste of Asia 2026 is coming to Raleigh October 3rd!
Get ready for a day filled with incredible flavors, vibrant performances, and unforgettable cultural experiences from across Asia!
🍜 Authentic Asian cuisine
🎭 Live cultural performances
👘 Traditional fashion show
🐉 Dragon boat-themed activities
🎨 Family-friendly fun
🛍️ 100+ food, artisan, and cultural vendors
Whether you're coming for the food, the entertainment, or to explore the rich diversity of Asian cultures, there's something for everyone!
📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026
🕚 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
📍 Moore Square, Downtown Raleigh
🎟️ FREE Admission

The Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival is happening Oct. 1-3, 2026.
Produced by PineCone and presented by pncbank, this FREE festival celebrating music, food, fun, and family-friendly entertainment.
The fun Kickoff Celebration is being held at NC State's Centennial Campus (©ncstatecentennial) on Oct. 1, then the fun continues at the downtown streets with multiple music stages, food trucks, art vendors, and more on Oct. 2-3.

🍺OKTOBERFEST IS TAKING OVER RALEIGH! 🍻
Here are the 2026 Raleigh-area Oktoberfest celebrations:

📅 SEPTEMBER 19
🍺 Taptoberfest — Tap Yard
🍺 Oktoberfest at Clouds Brewing — Downtown Raleigh

📅 SEPTEMBER 20
🍺 Sproktoberfest— Crank Arm Brewing
🍺Raleigh Brewing Oktoberfest— Raleigh Brewing Co.

📅 SEPTEMBER 25–27
🍺 Oktoberfest at Lonerider Wake Forest — Wake Forest

📅 SEPTEMBER 26
NC Oktoberfest – Prost Y’all — Downtown Raleigh
🎶 NC craft b**r • Food trucks • Local vendors • Live music • Stein hoisting • Pretzel eating contest
🍺 Raleigh Oktoberfest Bar Crawl— Downtown Raleigh
🍺 Gizmo Brew Works Oktoberfest — Northwest Raleigh
📅 OCTOBER 2–3
TRIANGLE OKTOBERFEST — Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
🍻 65+ German b**rs • Bavarian food • Polka band • Wiener dog races • Stein hoisting • Hammer-striking • Kids’ area

📅 OCTOBER 3
🍺 Oktoberfest Fall Festival — Lafayette Village
🐶 Dachshund races • Live music • Food • Seasonal drinks
🍺 Pourworks Oktoberfest — Pourworks
📅 OCTOBER 10
🍺 Apex Oktoberfest — Apex Town Hall Campus

📅 OCTOBER 17
🍻 Raleigh International W**e & B**r Festival – Ocktoberfest — Downtown Raleigh
🍺 Oktrophyfest — Trophy Brewing on Maywood

📅 OCTOBER 18
🍺 Peaktoberfest — Southern Peak Brewery, Apex

🎉 October 3rd Bed By 10 is coming to Raleigh: The Ultimate 30+ Clubbing Experience ! 🎉
Bed By 10 is a chance for ravers over 30 to relive the peak of the 80s, 90s & early 2000s clubbing scene! Expect crazy visuals and more as our resident DJ spins all the club classics 🚀
Venue: Alchemy, 606 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27603, United States
Time: 4pm - 9pm
Last Entry: 6pm
Good vibes only! Our event is designed for those who love to dance, socialize, and enjoy great music—all while being home and in bed by 10PM✨
Tickets-https://likeit-loveit.com/us/events/bed-by-10pm-alchemy-383/bed-by-10pm-is-coming-to-raleigh-453944202/

Register to join the 38th Annual Thad & Alice Eure Walk for Hope Walk & Festival at the Angus Barn. Happening on Sunday, October 11, 2026 from 10:00am – 2:30pm hosted by The Foundation of Hope
What the Walk Is-
For 38 years, the Walk for Hope has united thousands at the Angus Barn to take a stand against mental illness. Together, we’ve raised millions to fund groundbreaking research and advance treatments for conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, postpartum depression, schizophrenia, and anorexia.
Our mission is simple and bold: to conquer mental illness. Every step you take shows solidarity with those affected and brings us closer to hope and healing.
100% of all money raised by participants directly funds critical mental illness research!
Your Walk for Hope Registration Includes:
👟 5K Walk, 1-Mile Nature Loop, or just enjoy the festival
👕 2026 Walk for Hope T-shirt
🍔 Hot breakfast items & Angus Barn lunch
🍦 Two Roosters Ice Cream, Pepsi Beverages, and more
🎶 Live music from the Liquid Pleasure
🛝 Family festival with activities for all ages
🏅 Entry into prize drawings & giveaways
💙 The chance to fund life-changing mental illness research
Pricing
Adult: $70 thru 9/21/26 ($85 on event day)
Youth 6–18 / Full-time Students: $35 ($40 on event day)
Children 5 and under are FREE!