Looking for things to do in the NC Triangle this summer?
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.
June
American Dance Festival
One of the largest and most influential modern dance festivals in the world celebrates its 92nd annual season with more than 25 choreographers and dance companies taking part in 42 performances across Durham this summer. Dancers from both emerging and long-standing companies like Pilobolus, Paul Taylor Dance Company and makegroup will perform at Reynolds Industries Theater, Page Auditorium, ADF‘s Scripps Studios and in von der Heyden Studio Theater at the Rubenstein Arts Center. Don’t miss your chance to bring your kiddos to its Children’s Saturday Matinee series, too!
Out! Raleigh Pride
An integral part of Raleigh’s downtown culture, this annual family-friendly event promotes diversity, awareness and inclusiveness for the LGBTQ+ community complete with live entertainment, local vendors and artists, great food, a KidsZone and a beer garden.
North Hills Kids
Treat your little ones to a monthly summer series of interactive and entertaining opportunities for children to come together to learn, exercise and socialize in an outdoor environment at North Hills’ Midtown Park.
Southeast Crab Feast
Enjoy all-you-can-eat blue crabs, a side of fish and chips and music in a family friendly environment at Lake Wheeler Park. Proceeds support cancer research and treatment organizations such as St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society, among others.
July
Pre-Fourth of July Patriotic Celebration
Celebrate the Fourth of July at this annual event, which focuses on the meaning and history of the country’s Independence Day, at the Cary Arts Center. The Cary Town Band honors our founding fathers and mothers with works by “Star Spangled Banner” composer John Philip Sousa, among others.
Festival for the Eno
One of the region’s premier Fourth of July celebrations with music on four stages, craft artists, local foods and a beer garden – all on the banks of the Eno River at Durham’s West Point on the Eno city park to benefit efforts to preserve this beautiful natural area.
July Fourth Celebration
Celebrate patriotism and civic pride with Durham Parks & Recreation and the Durham Bulls. Attend the baseball game at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and enjoy a dynamic fireworks show following the game.
Fourth of July Fireworks
Get to Southern Village’s Southern Community Park early with your blankets and chairs for a good spot at the Fourth of July fireworks hosted by Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture. Event parking opens at 7 p.m. with the fireworks display beginning around 9 p.m.
Summer Fest
Celebrate Independence Day in downtown Pittsboro with music, games, food trucks and more. Hosted by the Pittsboro Business Association, activities include a beard and mustache contest, cornhole games and a dunking booth.
Blueberry Fest
Visit Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm and pick as many berries as you can for charity. For every 25 pounds of blueberries picked, a pound of fresh berries will be donated to TABLE, a nonprofit that provides hunger relief and nutrition education services to children living in Orange County. The event also includes a pig pickin’ with farm-fresh fixings and wine and cider from Botanist and Barrel Tasting Room, which will also donate 5-percent of sales to TABLE.
Acme Tomato Fest and Tomato Day at the Farmers Market
This 24th annual festival features dozens of tomato varieties prepared nearly every way imaginable at the Carrboro restaurant. The Carrboro Farmers Market also celebrates peak tomato season with a raffle, live music, special themed merchandise and samples of fresh, locally grown tomatoes.
Playmakers Repertory Company’s Summer Youth Conservatory Musical
See some of the best high school talent around perform in the company’s Summer Youth Conservatory musical. The professional company’s regular season takes place September through April.
GalaxyCon Raleigh
Celebrate comic books, pop culture, sci-fi, fantasy, gaming and anime at this four-day festival of fandom at the Raleigh Convention Center. Meet some of your favorite celebrities, artists, writers, voice actors and entertainers, plus enjoy afterparties, swag, pose for photo ops and more. Some of this year’s celebrity guests include Ben Schwartz, Susan Sarandon and members of the cast the “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Twilight” franchises.
August
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival
This quintessentially Southern festival features more than 60 beer offerings, 40 bourbon brands and all forms of barbecue – from whole-hog pulled pork to ribs to brisket and all the fixin’s you can imagine – over two days at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. Admission includes a sampling glass to enjoy all the beer and bourbon your heart desires; a souvenir glass; lawn games like cornhole and giant Jenga; live rock, blues and bluegrass music; seminars with master distillers, brewmasters and pit masters; and exhibits of hot sauces, barbecue accessories, cookware and more.
Uproar Festival of Public Art
This three-week festival features 60 works of outdoor art displayed around the downtown areas of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough. The festival encourages community engagement with art, so you can vote for your favorite pieces. The results of the public voting will be used alongside an expert jury panel to award cash prizes to selected artists.
Paperhand Puppet Intervention
Every weekend in August through early September, the Saxapahaw-based puppet troupe performs a larger-than-life outdoor show at The Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill. Additional September dates take place at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. Now in its 27th year, this series of shows inspires and promotes social change.
Outsouth Queer Film Festival
The Carolina Theatre hosts this signature event, the second-largest film festival in the Southeast and the largest cultural arts event serving the LGBTQ+ community in the Carolinas, with screenings of shorts, documentaries and feature films that celebrate a worldwide glimpse of today’s LGBTQ+ life.
CaribMask Carnival
Celebrate the 13th anniversary of this spectacular, colorful and energetic festival at City Plaza in downtown Raleigh. Founded by the Raleigh/Durham Afro-Caribbean Association in 2012 to create a deeper appreciation for AfroCaribbean culture, performers and bands parade down the street in elaborate costumes jamming to music traditional to their countries – more than 15 will be represented – while attendees enjoy great acts, artisan vendors and tasty, culturally significant foods.
Black August in the Park
This 10th annual festival at Durham Central Park connects people of African descent and inspires them to assert their value and engage in social and cultural change. The event is reminiscent of a Black family reunion or a homecoming, with an additional emphasis on providing a platform for, and elevating the causes of, social justice organizations.
Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival
Enjoy this annual two-day arts and crafts festival with almost 300 featured artists, a beer garden, live music, children’s activities and various food and drink vendors at Cary Town Hall Campus.
Old-Fashioned Farmers’ Day
This 50th annual event in Siler City includes working farm animals, displays of equipment and tools as well as family-friendly live entertainment, games, food and ice cream.
September
Hopscotch Music Festival
Celebrating its 15th year this September, this three-day music festival returns to downtown Raleigh with its memorable performances and fan-friendly atmosphere. Music across multiple genres – from rock, hip-hop and folk to metal and electronic – will be on tap from both national and local acts.
Hoppin’ John Fiddlers’ Convention
This festival returns to Shakori Hills Community Arts Center in September, featuring band and instrument contests, concerts, square dances, workshops, showcases, film screenings, jam sessions and children’s activities, with on-site camping available.
Hillsborough Hog Day
Indulge in a celebration of all things pork, with delicious food, live music and family-friendly activities during this annual tradition that’s taken place for more than 40 years in Orange County, with profits going to support children’s projects, schools and nonprofits within the community.
Pepperfest
Warm up your taste buds! North Carolina’s spiciest outdoor food festival, hosted at The Plant, takes place on Lorax Lane in Pittsboro every September. Don’t miss out on local craft vendors and live music while trying pepper-themed dishes, cocktails and hot sauces made with locally grown sweet, hot and smoky peppers.
Centerfest
Presented by the Durham Arts Council, this is the longest-running street arts festival in North Carolina and the largest arts and community festival in Durham. The two-day event showcases paintings, photography, sculptures, jewelry, crafts and more by juried artists as well as entertainment, food and fun for the whole family in downtown’s City Center.
Need more summer fun? Follow us on Instagram or check out our online calendar for all the upcoming Triangle events to explore!
