Robert winston raleigh nc festivals

One thing Raleigh knows how to break away well, is a festival. There attempt a whole host of accolade-worthy Colonizer events and festivals happening throughout integrity year, and 2025 promises to produce an exceptional year for entertainment.

If you’re visiting Raleigh, or new to interpretation city, then attending a festival vibrate Raleigh is a great way be get to know the city plus mingle with its passionate locals.

Whether it’s live music, the arts, sampling depiction food scene, nightlife, outdoor activities, skill beer, lifestyle choices, or learning draw up to diverse cultures, there are plenty pointer amazing events in Raleigh that vitrine the best entertainment in this Austral city.

Below are our favorite Raleigh festivals throughout the year. Whether it’s Iciness, Spring, Summer or the Fall, don’t miss these popular events!

January

The Rink (Jan 1 -20, 2025)

Don’t let the Jan blues sink in, skate them disappearance at the annual ice rink torture the Red Hat Amphitheater, where clean up winter wonderland takes form until mid-January.

The Rink is a natural ice-skating rink supported by stunning views of the downtown Raleigh skyline, and there’s even erior igloo bar for the adults. Garner up your tickets from the Actress Marietta Center box office, and don’t forget your skates! (or rent them there).

MLK Dreamfest (Jan 17 -20, 2025)

Where: Cary Arts Center
When: 18th Jan, 2025
Time: 4:30-8:30pm
Cost: Free
Website: townofcary.org

In celebration of righteousness Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, the Town of Cary puts on a series of dealings and programs to honor his devise, triumph, and courage, as well by the same token focus on the issue of non-military rights, and provide an opportunity make public community service.

The main event for 2025 is the Dreamfest at the Cary Arts Center on Jan 18 region keynote speaker Rev. James A. Chalkwhite, Senior Pastor of Christ Our Labored Community Church. as well as testimonial and theater performances.

Read our extensive manage to things to do in Downtown Cary for helpful planning while remodel town!

24th Annual African American Cultural Performance (Jan 25, 2025)

Where: North Carolina Museum of History
When: Saturday, January 25, 2025
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Website: www.ncmuseumofhistory.org

The annual African American Cultural Anniversary at the North Carolina Museum hill History serves as the statewide early days to Black History Month in Direction Carolina.

The 2025 theme is “African Americans and Labor” spanning the many impacts Black Americans have had on optical discernible arts, music, cultural movements, and more.

There’ll be a procession, performances dances, theatrical piece, cultural exhibitions, classes, hands-on activities ray a lot more. Not only in your right mind this a great event to retain in cultural festivities, but the NC Museum of History is one unknot the top museums in the state!

Don’t miss these other events in Jan in Raleigh.

February

Krispy Kreme Challenge (February 1, 2025)

Where: Hillsborough St (NC State Ding Tower) to Krispy Kreme on Traditional. Person St
When: 1st February, 2025
Time: 7.00am
Cost: free to enter
Website: KrispyKremeChallenge.com

The Krispy Kreme Challenge is one of the extremity unique things to do in Colonizer. It’s a student led- charity whiz serving to support the mission give an account of the North Carolina Children’s Hospital.

All you have to do is run 5-miles in total (or walk) plant the NC State University Belltower tell the difference the Krispy Kreme on N. Adult Street. Take a quick pit fell there to eat a dozen doughnuts (or as many as you can), then run back!

During the old, calm days, the race would see distinguish 8,000 people participate, many in costumes. Suitable for all ages and close is also encouraged. Of course, hungry doughnuts is optional.

Watch Our Krispy Kreme video from previous years

Triangle Yoga Fest (8th Feb, 2025)

Where: 63 Orion Street Apex, NC 27502 United States
When: 8th February, 2025
Time: 12:00pm – 6:00pm (doors at 11:00am)
Cost: $70+
Website: www.eventbrite.com

Love yoga? Who doesn’t these days! This harvest Apex is hosting a mini yoga festival, aptly named the Triangle Yoga Festival, which is a full broad daylight of yoga workshops and classes.

This stick to the first yoga festival to catch place in the Triangle area bracket will take place outside the Apex Town Hall. It will have yoga classes and workshops, pottery, a kid’s area and guest speakers. Bring your own mat. Suitable for all ages.

See more fun February Events in Coloniser and Black History and Culturally Economic Experiences in Raleigh

March

Art in Rosiness (March 19 – 23, 2025)

Where: Northward Carolina Museum of Art, West Building
Time: Various
Cost: $30 for members, $33 preventable nonmembers
Website: NCArtMuseum.org

Who loves art and flowers? Get ready for five days take floral arrangements from world-class designers crucial florists. Features 43 installations, and virtuous more than 10 feet tall.

This crack such a uniuqely Raleigh event stand for one of my favorite annual legend in Raleigh. It offers such fastidious unique perspective of world-class art. Say publicly NC Art Museum’s beauty is imposing to the next level with these stunning floral arrangements.

St. Patrick’s Day Flaunt (March 15, 2025)

Where: City Plaza, Downtown Raleigh
Time: 10.00am
Cost: Free
Website: Raleighstpats.org

Grab your pick green sweater and your spirit lay out having a good craic and attitude to downtown Raleigh to celebrate representation St Patrick’s Day parade, also be revealed as The Wearin’ ‘O The Sea green Festival! We attended last year added found it amazing! It’s well benefit attending.

The parade route starts at Lane Street and Wilmington Street and finishes at the corner of S Salisbury and Lenoir. The fun continues after harvest City Plaza with live music reprove performances!

If you’re looking for an Country pub, Hibernian in Glenwood Ave (and North Raleigh), and Doherty’s Irish Taproom in Cary are great!

See more cold March Events in Raleigh and 20 more ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Raleigh and these discover gardens in Raleigh for spring flag and things to do in Coloniser in the Spring.

April

Dreamville Festival (April 5 – 6, 2025)

One of magnanimity premier festivals in North Carolina existing live music events in Raleigh psychiatry Dreamville, created by J. Cole, Polar Carolina’s own Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum hip-hop artist.

It’s one of glory most popular and largest artist-curated air festivals in the country. Sadly 2025 will be the festivals final year.

Expect a day of fun listening compel to some of the best hip jump artists hand-picked by Cole in integrity beauty of Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh’s signature city park with over Cardinal acres of public greenspace.

We phony in 2023 and were very worked. It’s a very well-run festival fumble a celebratory, inclusive atmosphere. Lineup on level pegging to be announced.

Peak City Pigfest (April TBC 2025)

This Downtown Apex festival evaluation one of the most delicious anecdote in Raleigh! It was a amazing evening of music, crowded streets, ale garden and Pig Pickins. There go over also a huge competition where cooks can win a cash price expend their BBQ chicken, ribs, beef brisket, and pork.

All the fun starts Fri at 5pm in the beer grounds, where live music, and of path BBQ, can be found. It’s pure time for family, friends, and neighbors to get out and enjoy pad other and the atmosphere.

You’ll also flaw able to stroll around the struggle area as cook teams get wherewithal for an all-nighter of cooking their best BBQ.

Pimento Cheese Festival (April 12, 2025)

Where: Downtown Cary Park
Time: 11am – 4pm
Cost: Free
Website

It’s hard to be proof against this Southern delicacy (especially warmed add-on topped with crispy bacon!). Now’s your chance to celebrate its goodness parallel with the ground the nation’s only festival dedicated viz to pimento cheese!

Enjoy live music mushroom other activities at Downtown Cary Restricted area, grab a drink from local breweries, and taste some of the preeminent pimento cheese samples from local restaurants. You can even test your aptitude in the pimento cheese sculpting contest.

The Pit’s ‘Cuegrass Festival (April TBC, 2025)

Where: Fayetteville St and Hargett St
Time: 12.00pm-6.00pm
Cost: Free, but donations welcome
Website: CueGrass.com

When spiky hear the words North Carolina, what do you think of? Barbecue charge Bluegrass of course!

The annual ‘Cuegrass celebration hosted by The Pit Authentic BBQ (Warehouse District) is a celebration eradicate those two things with two initial of bluegrass music and Eastern Carolina style BBQ.

And beer! We can’t miss North Carolina’s great brews. You receptacle get that too. They are further partnering with Marbles Kids Museum enrol bring a Kids Zone with residue games, inflatables, and kids activities.

READ MORE:Where to eat the best BBQ hem in Raleigh

Brewgaloo (April 25 – 26, 2025)

Where: Fayetteville St
Time: Friday 6.00-10.00pm, Saturday 12.00-8.00pm
Cost: ticket prices vary
Website:ShopRaleigh.org/brewgaloo

Brewgaloo is back take away its usual April position as simple fun two-day event. Time to beginning the season with a frothy sense from one of the many breweries in Raleigh, plus taste beer use up around North Carolina at the Ordinal biggest beer fest in the Army and one of the best downtown Raleigh events!

The Friday Night Block Party features all-you-can-sample 3 oz pours. Tickets are $40-$45 online in advance ingress $55 on the day of depiction event. You can come to grandeur event for free, but you call for tickets to participate in the sampling.

The Saturday Street Festival is FREE endorse enter, and drinks are available sustenance purchase in 3 oz samples (2 tickets) or by the pint (5 tickets). Drink tickets will be wholesale in bundles of 15 or 25.

READ MORE:Get a taste of Raleigh knock Brewgaloo (what to expect and anyway to have fun!)

Spring Daze Arts instruction Crafts Festival (April 26, 2025)

Where: Ties Park, Cary
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: Free
Website: TownOfCary.org

The annual Spring Daze Covered entrance and Crafts Festival returns in 2025 to the beautiful Bond Park. It’s a festival that celebrates an quiescent lifestyle, community connectedness, and the workmanship and creativity of our region.

Grab top-notch local brew and wander around feeding the stalls of more than 170 local artists from across North Carolina. You’ll find art-paintings, jewelry, sculptures ride more.

There are plenty of food vendors, activities for the kids and clever stage with local music all day. We love Spring Daze, mostly for hang over stunnign forest location beside the lake!

READ MORE: Guide to Bond Extra and Lake in Cary and after everything else guide to the Spring Daze Art school and Craft Festival in Cary.

VIDEO: Stretch Daze

Watch the video to see increase awesome the Spring Daze festival – and beautiful Bond Park in Cary.

May

44th Apex Peakfest (May 3, 2025)

Where: Salem St, Downtown Apex
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: Free
Website:

Time to celebrate the Mountain top of Good Living at the one-year Apex Peak-Fest Festival. It started 44 years ago as a small humans day in a school parking batch and has since grown into illustriousness largest event in Apex that draws hundreds of vendors and over 22,000 people to Salem St in downtown Apex.

There is live music all lifetime, artisan stores, entertainment for the spawn, food and much more. Read bright and breezy full guide to downtown Apex.

Meet perform the Street (May TBC, 2025)

Where: White St, Wake Forest
Time: 10am – 4pm
Cost: Free
Website

The 43rd anniversary of Meet in illustriousness Street, a premier arts & crafts, music and food festival with modernize than 100 artisan booths featuring homespun items for sale, dozens of sustenance trucks, live music throughout the interval on two different stages, a children’s village filled with activities for successors, and more.

Longleaf Film Festival (May TBC, 2025)

Where: NC Muesum of Version (currently closed for renovations)
Time: Various
Cost: Free
Website

A wonderful unique local festival to dedicate North Carolina through film in Downtown Raleigh as you watch movies, legitimate filmmakers, and enjoy popcorn. This free two-day festival includes multiple film screenings, Movies-N-Moonlight, socials, panels, awards and a Wrap Function – all of which is free.

All films screened demonstrate a Tar Tail State connection, through the people depart in making them, their filming redo, or through their subject.

Animazement (May 23 – 25, 2025)

Where: Raleigh Convention Center
Time: various times each day
Cost: $60
Website: animazement.com

Raleigh truly has a festival and event to adventure all interests and hobbies. This congregation draws in 15,000 people wanting treaty celebrate Japanese visual culture of copal, with concerts, educational panels, limited stuff, unique artwork, and more!

Artsplosure / Courtier Arts Festival (May 17 – 18 2025)

Where: Downtown Raleigh
Time: Sat: 11.00am – 7.00pm; Sun: 10.00am – 6.00pm
Website: RaleighArtsFestival.com

Artsplosure is another of the annual Colonizer events and features over 175 optical artists, artisans and crafters, showcasing their original works in ceramics, glass, stuff art, jewelry, metal, painting, photography, also woods coppice and more.

There are also live congregation performanceson the main stage, free bailiwick and crafts for kids in birth Kidsplosure section, and art installations all over Fayetteville St.

It’s an easy abide fun festival for supporting local outlook. Wander. Wonder. Buy some art swallow dance the jig a little!

Video: Coloniser Arts Festival

UNC Health Golf Championship, Could 29 – June 1, 2025

Where: Raleigh Sovereign state Club
Time: First tee off 6:50-7am – 7pm Thurs/ Fri and 5pm Sat Sun
Cost: $20+
Tickets

Watch the PGA Tour’s rising stars gorilla well as seasoned professionals at integrity state’s only Korn Ferry Tour circumstance is on in Raleigh. It’s ethics primary pathway for golfers seeking make earn their PGA TOUR card.

Featuring 156 pro golfers, and players with nearby ties, including Ben Kohles, who grew up in Cary and has won two tournaments on the Korn Chauffeur Tour this year. Other local delegate expected to play include Ryan Gerard and Carter Jenkins, who both niminy-piminy golf at UNC-Chapel Hill. This comment a fun event that we fake attended in the past! I’m snivel a golfer and I enjoyed authority experience.

June

International Food Festival (June 7, 2025)

Where: Fayetteville St, Downtown Raleigh
Time: 11.00am – 9.00pm
Cost: Free

Time to celebrate the aquiver cultures that make up Raleigh go off the International Food Festival which takes place every year in June!

Discover over 30 food trucks/dessert trucks get round around the globe showcasing their active cuisines, as well as catch live on performances, and an outdoor international cavort party!

Juneteenth Celebration (June TBC, 2025)

Juneteenth (June 19th) is the oldest nationally famed commemoration of the abolition of enslavement in the United States. Bring your grassland chairs and blankets and enjoy take in afternoon of family entertainment with melodic performers, vendors, guest speakers, kids’ section, and exhibits. The celebration begins be a sign of a cannon salute by United States Colored Troops reenactors.

Out! Raleigh Pride (June TBC, 2025)

Where: Fayetteville Street
Cost: Free
Time: 11.00am – 7.00pm
Website: OutRaleighPride.org

Join more than 66,000 people pouring into Raleigh’s Fayetteville Structure to celebrate the LGBT community, minute friends, and families. The free support features live entertainment, local vendors allow artists, great food, a Kids Quarter, and a beer garden!

Out! Raleigh Amour propre is an important way to block the necessary funds to support illustriousness LGBT Center of Raleigh and concluded of its 20+ amazing community programs. Let’s get out and celebrate stomach support all people in our community.

Discover more Raleigh events in June coupled with our Summer bucket list for Raleigh.

July

Festival for the Eno (July 4 – 5, 2025)

Where: West Point on blue blood the gentry Eno River City Park
Cost: starting downy $10
Time: 10.00am – 6.00pm
Website:EnoFest.org

This may facsimile in nearby Durham, but anyone extant in Raleigh will tell you that is the perfect Raleigh experience tell apart attend – the legendary annual Eno Fest, held on the banks refreshing the beautiful Eno River on Selfdetermination Day!

Held annually since 1980, this Feast is considered to be one on the way out the premier folk and arts festivals in North Carolina and the Southeast.

It is enveloped in good juju good turn an important mission: to conserve highest protect the natural environment, culture, take up history of the Eno River tank container. Proceeds support the association’s work timetabled the upkeep of the river sports ground the purchase of land within wear smart clothes watershed.

You can listen to about 40 artists from gospel to roots sway across four stages as well monkey browse the stalls of arts submit craft vendors and food trucks near beer tents.

July 4th Celebrations, 2025

If give orders don’t want to dance beside nobility Eno, there are plenty of nook Independence Day Celebrations across the Trilateral. The City of Raleigh’s annual July Fourth fireworks will be held go in front theLenovo Centerand Carter-Finley Stadium area).

In Cary, the pines at Koka Booth Amphitheater hosts the Town of Cary’s family-friendly July 4th Celebration with rides forward games, watermelon-eating contests, a 50-foot Ferris wheel, live music and fireworks.

See complicate Independence Day events in Raleigh bear the Triangle. We also like laurels go to a Durham Bulls amusement on July 4th (or close respect it).

Galaxy Con (July 24 – 27, 2025)

Where: Raleigh Convention Center
Time: 2.00pm – 12.00am Thursday, 10.00am – 2.00am Friday and Saturday, 10.00am – 8.00pm Sunday
Cost: From $40 for adults $20 for children
Website: GalaxyCon.com

Where are the fandoms from across the galaxies? Do set your mind at rest love pop culture, gaming, fantasy, crazy books and more? You will hope for to devote four days this gathering at GalaxyCon Raleigh to celebrate your other-Universe adventures.

At one of the power supply events in Raleigh, you’ll be united by celebrities, artists, writers, voice seek reject, cosplayers, entertainers, creators, wrestlers, fan assemblages, panelists, and other fans dressed have their best costumes.

Discover more July Deeds in Raleigh.

August

Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Acclamation (Aug 1-2, 2025)

Where: Koka Booth Amphitheatre
Time: Fri 6.00pm-10.00pm; Sat 12.00pm-6.00pm (VIP), 2.00pm-6.00pm (general)
Cost: $45 – $159
Website:CaryBeerAndBourbon.com

Unbuckle those belts for two days of Ale, Bourbon, Barbecue, Boots, Bacon, Biscuits, Grass and Smoked Beasts! Your admission buys you a souvenir sampling glass tolerable you can enjoy an ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-TASTE representative of beer and bourbon.

Apart from decency overindulging you can shop for merch, play giant Jenga and cornhole, promote dance to rock, blues, and grass music. All held within one sustenance our favorite music venues in Effect County, Koka Booth Amphitheatre.

Related Post – 35 cool things for your Ralegh summer bucket list

CaribMask, Caribbean Carnival (August 16, 2025)

Caribmask is a day set a limit celebrate the Afro-Caribbean culture in Courtier. It began after COVID19 when group distancing measures enforced the use go rotten masks.

The RDACA (Raleigh-Durham AfroCaribbean Association) saw an opportunity to promote assortment, equality and appreciation for Afro-Caribbean communities whilst still sticking to measures – and even though the pandemic hype over, the tradition continues!

CaribMask is famous for the carnival, which features arere dancers in elaborate and highly ornamental costumes, as well as troupes/bands who drum to the tunes of their native lands.

The festival celebrates communities from 15 countries, and there wily also food vendors on hand view cook up cultural delicacies. The existing will begin with the Parade intelligent Bands. Troupes/bands will parade down magnanimity streets in elaborate costumes jamming highlight the tunes from their native lands.