Looking for things to do in the Triangle this fall?
There’s always a great festival, market, celebration and more on tap. Mark your calendar for our top local picks this season in Wake, Durham, Orange and Chatham counties.
Kaiju-Quest Film Series
Select Wednesdays through Nov. 19
This series celebrates the Japanese film genre by bringing all the greatest monsters, including Godzilla, Mothra, Megaguirus and some of Ray Harryhausen’s colossal creations, to the big screen at the Carolina Theatre on select Wednesdays.
Retro Film Series
Select Days through Dec. 12
This weekly series, which brings double features of classic movies back to the big screen at the Carolina Theatre, celebrates 27 years this season.
October
Pumpkin Patch Express
Saturdays and Sundays in October
Celebrate fall every Saturday and Sunday in October – take a train ride on the Ellerbe Creek Railway at the Museum of Life and Science, pick the perfect pumpkin to decorate and take home, then enjoy seasonal crafts and carnival games.
Triangle Oktoberfest
Oct. 3-4
Take part in family-friendly activities, traditional Bavarian food and authentic German-style beer at central North Carolina’s largest Oktoberfest event, hosted by Apex Sunrise Rotary Club and Cary MacGregor Rotary Club at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. This celebration includes polka music, competitions to showcase your strength and kid-friendly games. All proceeds benefit local charities.
Falling for Local
Oct. 4
Enjoy local live music and business demos at Dorothea Dix Park during this family-friendly event in collaboration with Shop Local Raleigh and Dix Park Conservancy. Experience loads of fall fun with hayrides, lawn games, local vendor booths and a pumpkin patch. Support area entrepreneurs by dining at a few of the dozens of local food trucks and sipping craft beer.
Moorefields Bluegrass Festival
Oct. 11
The 70-acre Hillsborough property (which includes the 1785 home owned by Revolutionary war leader Alfred Moore) hosts a family-friendly festival with food trucks and live music by Slippery Hill, GrassStreet, Pickard Mountain, Nixon, Williams & Gage, Drive Time and others.
Slingshot Festival
Oct. 10-12
Join this showcase of music, innovative art and technology featuring artists from around the world at The Fruit.
Diwali Celebration
Oct. 11
Cary’s celebration of the five-day festival – which celebrates the victory of light over darkness – at Koka Booth Amphitheatre features musical, theatrical and dance performances, a craft bazaar, Indian food, art and more. The event is sponsored by Hum Sub Inc., United Arts Council and the Town of Cary.
NC Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate Festival
Oct. 12
Explore the unique shops of Lafayette Village in Raleigh as you sample wines, cheeses, and chocolates. Live music and local vendors set up in the courtyard and guests are welcome to bring lawn chairs to enjoy the fun atmosphere.
N.C. State Fair
Oct. 16-26
Carnival rides, games and funnel cakes galore: the largest event in our state showcases the finest of North Carolina at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. Highlights include a livestock show, horticultural exhibits, live music, motorsports derby, nightly fireworks and more.
Festifall Arts Market: Carolina Day
Oct. 18
Browse artists’ booths and enjoy performances throughout downtown Chapel Hill during the arts-focused block parties on West Franklin Street in October hosted by Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture.
Barktoberfest
Oct. 25
Durham Parks and Recreation partners with Beyond Fences, an organization that provides free pet services and supplies to neighbors in need, to host an afternoon of howling good times for furry friends and their owners at Durham Central Park. Compete in costume contests, take a photo booth picture with your pups, go on a walk through the park, enjoy local brews and eats, visit the pet market and learn about local foster and adoption organizations. Don’t forget to bring canned dog food to contribute to the food drive.
Pittsboro Street Fair
Oct. 25
Buy from local food vendors, sip craft beverages and enjoy a jam-packed lineup of live music at the Rotary Club of Pittsboro’s annual street fair. Follow the sounds of lively music downtown to find the expansive market of local artists sprawled out between Hanks and Salisbury streets, to shop for unique jewelry and decor.
Wren Halloween Fest
Oct. 31
Don a creative costume and gather the family for an afternoon of Halloween spirits at Wren Memorial Library. Now in its fourth year, the Wren Halloween Fest invites community members to sew their Frankentoys from stuffed animal parts, play a variety of carnival-style games and snack on candy while enjoying spooky movie screenings.
November
2025 Art Auction & Fundraiser
Nov. 1
The theme of El Futuro‘s fifth annual fundraiser, “Expresiones,” focuses on cultural pride and mental health’s intertwined dynamics and emphasizes the healing power of cultural practices. Enjoy dinner, drinks, live music, art and connection with El Futuro at The Rickhouse.
Festifall Arts Market: Día de los Muertos
Nov. 1
Join for a street market featuring artisan vendors, music, performances and more in celebration of Día de los Muertos on West Franklin Street, hosted by Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture.
Root Fest
Nov. 1
Kick off the first Saturday of Carrboro Farmers Market‘s winter hours with a fun-filled celebration of root vegetables. Enjoy vendor specials, educational displays, root vegetable recipe samples, trivia, a raffle and more.
Fool’s Faire
Nov. 8
Steel String Brewery brings its annual Renaissance festival back to the fields at Pluck Farm. This event for all ages offers an opportunity for attendees to build their own foam weapons and try their hand sparring with a knight. In addition, dress up in your best medieval fit and enter the cosplay contest, listen to live music, visit the birds of prey showcase, gather around a bonfire, and enjoy mead, barbecue, vegan fare and more.
Durham Pottery Tour
Nov. 8-9
The 12th annual celebration of our local pottery scene and its craftspeople showcases sculpture, jewelry, and functional and decorative wares crafted from a range of materials and methods.
Durham Art Walk Holiday Market
Nov. 22-23
Kickstart the holiday season as the Durham Arts Council hosts this annual tour featuring local artists, live music, food and fun at a number of different sites around the city.
NC Chinese Lantern Festival
Nov. 15-Jan. 11
Experience the magical illuminated lanterns of Tianyu Arts & Culture at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. Hundreds of intricate, decorative lanterns illuminated with thousands of lights create a colorful setting that draws thousands of visitors from across the state each year. This showcase of Chinese culture also includes martial arts, traditional dance, drum performances and acrobatics.
Tails at Twilight
Nov. 22
The Animal Protection Society of Durham hosts its annual gala at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. This one-of-a-kind fundraiser supports the thousands of homeless animals served by APS every year, and includes a silent and live auction of unique items and experiences interspersed with fun and heartwarming tales. Tickets include a three-course dinner with drinks and unforgettable, moving stories of the lives of rescued furry friends.
Durham Art Guild 71st Annual Juried Exhibition
Nov. 26 – Jan. 2026
The Durham Art Guild’s Truist Gallery hosts this exhibition of submitted works in various mediums and scales chosen and voted upon by DAG jurors.
Gallop & Gorge 8K
Nov. 27
Join the 21st edition of this Thanksgiving Day turkey trot – the third and final race in the Le Tour de Carrboro series. The 4.97-mile course winds through Carrboro’s downtown and residential areas, beginning and ending in front of Weaver Street Market. Bring the kids to take part in free Little Turkey races on the Libba Cotten Bikeway following the Gallop & Gorge awards presentation.
December
Holiday Express
Dec. 2-18
Pullen Park will be transformed into a whimsical world of holiday spirit, imagination and inspiration! Take a train ride on the famous Holiday Express, hop into a life-size snow globe, visit Santa in his mobile workshop, learn how to become an elf and much more. Tickets will be sold ($17 plus tax) via Ticketmaster on Oct. 14, with the randomized queue opening at 8:45 a.m. and the sale starting at 9 a.m.
Holidays in the Park & Santa Train
Select nights in December
Dash your way through an enchanting rainbow light tunnel at the Museum of Life and Science’s largest annual fundraising event and holiday tradition. Sip complimentary hot chocolate and climb aboard the Ellerbe Creek Railway for an illuminating nighttime train ride to the North Pole to visit Mr. and Mrs. Claus and their elves.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Community Holiday Parade
Dec. 6
Join Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture, Downtown Chapel Hill and the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro for a festive, entertaining, safe and inclusive community parade to celebrate the winter holiday season. Stake out your curbside spot and watch more than 40 arts, cultural and community groups parade down Franklin Street.
Hillsborough Light Up the Night Parade
Dec. 7
This holiday parade through downtown Hillsborough includes local bands, businesses, dance troupes and more. The evening concludes with a tree lighting at Old Courthouse Square.
A Carolina Inn Holiday
Dec. 7&14
Get in the festive spirit with brunch with Santa, cookie decorating, holiday tea and markets at The Carolina Inn throughout the month of December.
A Christmas Carol
Dec. 10-14
Enjoy a masterful musical production of the Dickens classic produced by Raleigh’s Theatre in the Park.
This musical comedy adaptation of the Christmas classic has won numerous awards since 1974. Photo by Catherine Davis Photography
The Nutcracker
Dec. 11-24
This familiar holiday classic is performed by Carolina Ballet’s cast of professional dancers with a unique twist thanks to magnificent sets and refreshed choreography and costumes at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.
Reindeer Run 5K
Dec. 13
Put on your antlers and most festive running gear for the 20th annual race in Pittsboro. Younger runners may enjoy the three-quarter-mile fun run around Central Carolina Community College’s campus.
Durham Holiday Parade & Fun Fest
Dec. 13
Watch dynamic floats and cheer on hometown bands, drill teams, schools, community groups and more as they make their way down Main Street in downtown Durham. Also enjoy holiday performances, food and non-food vendors and a visit from Santa.
Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour
Dec. 13-14
Close to a dozen houses in Raleigh’s Historic Oakwood neighborhood open their doors to visitors. The Society for the Preservation of Historic Oakwood docents are stationed in each home, which date from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s in styles like Queen Anne and Craftsman, to teach attendees about each location’s history.
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