The Big List

Durham Art Guild's members' showcase fills the Truist Gallery with work from 130-plus regional artists — free to wander through early September.

Raleigh's Caribbean carnival week wraps in a Saturday parade down a new downtown Fayetteville Street route, with mas bands, soca, and island food; watching the parade itself costs nothing.

Drop in with hooks and yarn for a laid-back crochet meetup with the Raleigh Crochet Group — beginners genuinely welcome, no instruction required.

An afternoon of live tunes on the House of Many Porches patio at Dix Park, with food and drinks on hand for an easy weekend hang.

Giant puppets, stilts, and live original music under the trees at Forest Theatre — Paperhand's 26th annual summer show runs weekends through late September.

A monthly librarian-led book discussion, this time on Patti Callahan Henry's Once Upon a Wardrobe — print copies waiting at the library if you need one.

A free monthly poetry club for adults who want to read, dissect, and talk through a shared collection together.

Bring your own scrapbook and photos and the library supplies extra craft materials for an afternoon of memory-keeping, solo or with family.

A drop-in printmaking craft session — carve a simple linocut design and stamp it onto your own tote bag to take home.

A morning dance performance and demonstration from the Dance Collective, right in the library.

Author Rosanna Chiofalo talks through the inspiration behind The Sunflower Girl over light refreshments with fellow readers.

The internet's best cat video reel is back on the big screen at Carolina Theatre, with extra Durham showtimes running through late August and proceeds helping local cats.

Old-school bluegrass with modern edges from some of the Triangle's sharpest pickers, in the cozy confines of a Garner coffee house.

A quiet, intimate songwriter show — Texas storyteller Jaimee Harris and North Carolina's Wes Collins trade songs in a set built for close listening.

A documentary screening following veterans and Black Box Dance Theatre building an original piece about trust and healing, with the artists staying after for a discussion.

Cary's 50th annual Lazy Daze fills Academy Street with juried arts and crafts vendors, live music, and food for a free day downtown.

Bring your own hook and yarn (or borrow some) for a weekend morning of casual crochet and conversation.

Day two of Cary's 50th annual Lazy Daze — juried arts and crafts vendors, live music, and food along Academy Street, free to attend.

Theatre Raleigh's monthly open mic in the Green Room, across from the main building -- singers, comedians, poets, whoever wants the mic, free to just watch too.

Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein on the big screen at Cary Regional, part of a 100th-birthday tribute to the director — free popcorn, registration recommended.

Decorate a picture frame with seashells and beads at Zebulon Library — a breezy summer craft night for ages 16 and up, registration requested.

Novelist Rebecca Hodge talks plotting versus pantsing and her indie-versus-traditional publishing experience — for aspiring writers 17 and up.

An open-air poetry reading at the Market — family-friendly, listeners and readers both welcome, no sign-up required to just show up and enjoy.

A free cello performance at North Regional Library — a short, easy way to catch some live music on a Sunday afternoon.

A free screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan at Cary Regional Library's movie club — a big screen and fellow fans.

A free stained glass demonstration and talk with artist Jason Blyskal at North Regional Library — a low-key evening for anyone curious about the craft.

A free introduction to wildlife and nature photography at Fuquay-Varina Community Library — tips on gear and technique for capturing animals and the outdoors.

A community drum circle at the Stone Houses — bring your own or borrow one, no experience needed to join the rhythm.

A free Labor Day weekend celebration of Black culture on Fayetteville Street — art, vendors, a Family Village, and music running well into the evening.

A monthly maker's market at Bond Brothers Beer Co. in Cary -- 40-plus local vendors, live music, and the brewery's own beer and wine on tap.

Free admission to a legitimately world-class collection — a whole gallery of Rodin bronzes — plus 4.7 miles of park trails threading past giant outdoor sculpture. The rare art museum where half the crowd shows up in running shoes.