April
NC Sci Fest
Through April 30
Explore the wonders of science across North Carolina during this monthlong celebration featuring hands-on activities, demonstrations and interactive experiences for all ages. In the Triangle, events take place at venues including Chapel Hill’s Morehead Planetarium & Science Center, Raleigh’s Marbles Kids Museum and Durham’s Museum of Life and Science.
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
April 16-19
Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies brings this internationally renowned four-day festival to downtown Durham for the 28th year. Catch more than 60 nonfiction film screenings; attend parties, panels and exclusive sessions with filmmakers; and meet industry professionals and cinephiles from around the globe.
Earth Day Festival
April 19
Celebrate sustainability and expand your environmental awareness at Durham Central Park during this free, all-ages annual event. The 2026 International Earth Day theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” spotlights collective action for environmental change. Enjoy music, Earth-friendly activities, educational resources and food vendors throughout the day.
Spring Daze Arts & Crafts Festival
April 25
Celebrate Spring at Bond Park in Cary, discovering works from more than 170 local artists. Enjoy live performances, good eats and hands-on activities for all ages.
May
Spring Chicken Festival
May 2
Flock to downtown Siler City for the eighth annual celebration of all things chicken. Three blocks of Chatham Street come alive with music, inflatables, craft vendors and a mouthwatering array of food trucks. It’s feather-ruffling fun for the whole family!
Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festivals of Music & Dance
May 7-10
Camp out, groove and enjoy four days of family-friendly live music, arts and entertainment at Shakori Hills Community Arts Center featuring artists like Donna the Buffalo, Rising Appalachia, Lila Iké and more.
Artsplosure Raleigh Arts Festival
May 15 & 16
Experience one of North Carolina’s longest running Arts Festivals. This two-day event features a juried Art Market with nearly 175 artists from across the country alongside live performance, children’s activities and large-scale installations.
Got to Be NC Festival
May 15-17
Join in on this annual event at the NC State Fairgrounds, featuring food, wine and beer from throughout North Carolina, rides and games, farm animals, music and one of the American Southeast’s largest displays of antique tractors and farm equipment.
Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival
May 16
Immerse yourself in African and African American arts, culture and tradition at Rock Quarry Park with Durham Parks & Recreation. Now in its 56th year, the festival pays tribute to the local students who founded it in 1969. Enjoy a full day of live music, arts and crafts, ethnic cuisine and fun activities for the whole family. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and join the festivities!
American Dance Festival
May 27-July 25
One of the largest and most influential modern dance festivals in the world celebrates its 93rd annual season with more than 20 choreographers and dance companies taking part in more than 45 performances across Durham through late July. Dancers from both emerging and long-standing companies like Pioneer Winter Collective, Paul Taylor Dance Company and Charlotte Ballet will perform at Reynolds Industries Theater, Page Auditorium, ADF‘s Scripps Studios, The Carolina Theatre, Jewish for Good 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!
Summer Fest in Pittsboro
May 31
Gather in downtown Pittsboro for this free seasonal celebration – a beautiful afternoon of outdoor fun for all ages featuring interactive kids activities, live music, vendors, food trucks and more.
June
Small Town Pride
Commemorate Pride with this monthlong celebration, including the Chapel Hill Pride Promenade at downtown Chapel Hill’s Peace & Justice Plaza June 6, Carrboro’s Pride Piper Walk and Carrboro Orgullo Pride Celebration June 26.
North Hills Kids Series
June 16, July 21 & Aug. 18
Treat your kiddos to fun, interactive opportunities to learn, exercise and socialize during this monthly summer series at North Hills’ Midtown Park.
Out! Raleigh Pride
June 26 & 27
Celebrate diversity, inclusion and 14 years of one of the largest and most vibrant pride festivals in North Carolina. This two-day event raises both awareness and funding to support the LGBT Center of Raleigh and all of its essential community programs. Friday evening, adults 18 and older are welcome to enjoy entertainment and vendors; Saturday, family-friendly festivities include food trucks, a Kids Zone, artists, live music and more.
July
Downtown Cary Patriotic Celebration
July 3
Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary at the Cary Arts Center with a moving patriotic performance by the Cary Town Band.
July Fourth Celebration With the Durham Bulls
July 4
Celebrate Independence Day in Durham with a baseball game at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park followed by a colorful fireworks display. The park’s gates will open after the seventh inning based on availability for those who would like to view the fireworks from inside the ballpark. Additional recommended viewing spots outside the ballpark include behind Diamond View 3, by Burt’s Bees outside of the north parking deck, the Tobacco Road Sports Cafe and Ponysaurus Brewing.
July Fourth Drone Show in Chapel Hill
July 4
Bring your blankets and chairs to Chapel Hill High School and enjoy the county’s first-ever reimagined Independence Day show, featuring sensory-friendly drones instead of traditional fireworks.
ACME Tomato Fest and Tomato Day at the Farmers Market
July 11
This 25th 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.
GalaxyCon Raleigh
July 23-26
Venture into the world of all things comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, gaming and anime at this four-day festival dedicated to fandom at the Raleigh Convention Center. Meet beloved entertainers, from celebrities and voice actors to writers and artists – and join in the fun with after-parties, photo ops and more.
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival
July 31 & Aug. 1
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 fixins 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.
August
OutSouth Queer Film Festival in Durham
Aug. 13-16
Attend the Carolina Theatre’s signature annual event – and the second largest LGBTQ+ film festival in the Southeast – in celebration of modern LGBTQ+ life worldwide through the art of film and filmmaking.
Raleigh’s CaribMask Carnival
Aug. 15
Now in its 13th year, this energetic festival at downtown Raleigh’s City Plaza celebrates Afro-Caribbean culture, featuring vibrant parades of bands and performers from more than 15 countries, plus a diverse selection of vendors and tasty cultural cuisines.
Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival
August 22 & 23
Explore this annual two-day arts and crafts festival celebrating its 50th year, at the Cary Town Hall Campus with more than 250 featured artists, a beer garden, live music, the Kid Collectors Market and more than 25 food and drink vendors.
Durham’s Black August in the Park
Aug. 28-30
People of African descent connect at this annual festival at Durham Central Park each year, celebrating their value and engaging in social and cultural change. This event is reminiscent of a homecoming, with an additional emphasis on elevating social justice organizations.
September
Hopscotch Music Festival
Sept. 10-12
Check out some of the hottest local and national acts across several genres including rock, hip-hop, folk and metal throughout downtown Raleigh’s vibrant music venues during this three-day, must-see festival.
Hillsborough Hog Day
Sept. 11-12
Celebrate the final week of summer with live music, handmade crafts, local food vendors, a classic car show, a 5K run, a barbecue cook-off and more during this two-day festival in Hillsborough’s River Park.
Eno River Association’s 60th Anniversary Celebration
Sept. 12
The Festival for the Eno has brought the community together for nearly 50 years, celebrating music, art, creativity and care for the river. This year, West Point on the Eno will be closed for construction following Tropical Storm Chantal, so the festival is evolving! Carry on the spirit of the festival at Durham’s Carolina Theatre and DPLEX Plaza.
PepperFest
Sept. 13
Experience this 19th annual spicy outdoor food festival held on Lorax Lane in Pittsboro, hosted at The Plant. 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.
Hoppin’ John Fiddlers’ Convention in Pittsboro
Sept. 17-19
Head to Pittsboro’s Shakori Hills Community Arts Center for three full days celebrating traditional music with band and instrument contests, live performances, square dances, singing, clogging, film screenings, workshops and more, plus convenient on-site camping available.
CenterFest Arts Festival
Sept. 19 & 20
Durham Arts Council presents 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.
October
Triangle Oktoberfest
Oct. 2 & 3
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.
Mooresfield Bluesgrass Festival
Oct. 10
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.
North Carolina State Fair
Oct. 15-25
For more than 170 years, the North Carolina State Fair, held at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, has brought together the best of our state’s culture, agriculture and fall fun. Take in the views from the Ferris wheel, snack on fried Oreos and see which giant fruit or veggie took home the blue ribbon.
Barktoberfest
Oct. 24
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, explore local vendors and more.
November
Root Fest
Nov. 7
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.
NC Chinese Lantern Festival
Mid Nov. through mid Jan.
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.
December
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.
Need inspiration for weekend plans? Follow us on Instagram for the latest events, local favorites and more in the Triangle!
