The Big List
Everything we know about. We still think you should let us pick.
This weekend
- Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival
Two days of unlimited beer and bourbon tastings, barbecue from vendor tents, and live music at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary; kids 12 and under get in free.
Treat yourselfCaryFri, Jul 31 · 6:00 PM - Stuffed Animal Sleep Over
Kids bring a favorite stuffed animal for stories, songs, and crafts, then leave it for a library sleepover overnight - pajamas optional, free tickets go fast.
FreeNorth RaleighSat, Aug 1 · 2:00 PM - Zebulon Devil Dogz Home Games (fka Carolina Mudcats)
Devil Dogz host the Wilmington Sharks again at Five County Stadium -- cheap Coastal Plain League summer baseball on a Saturday night.
Keep it cheapZebulonSat, Aug 1 · 6:30 PM - Holly Springs Salamanders Home Games
Salamanders host the Martinsville Mustangs for Jeep Night at North Main -- cheap tickets, laid-back Coastal Plain League Saturday ball.
Keep it cheapHolly SpringsSat, Aug 1 · 6:30 PM - Zebulon Devil Dogz Home Games (fka Carolina Mudcats)
Devil Dogz close their inaugural season with Fan Appreciation Day against the Yorktown Coconuts at Five County Stadium -- cheap tickets, kids run the bases after.
Keep it cheapZebulonSun, Aug 2 · 6:30 PM - Holly Springs Salamanders Home Games
Salamanders close it out with Fan Appreciation Night against the South Wake Shakes at North Main -- cheap tickets, giveaways all game.
Keep it cheapHolly SpringsSun, Aug 2 · 6:30 PM
Anytime
- State Farmers Market
The Southeast's biggest farmers market, open rain or shine every day of the year — peaches by the flat in July, collards and sweet potatoes all winter, and a proper biscuit at the market restaurant when you're done.
Keep it cheapSouth RaleighOpen now - William B. Umstead State Park
Fifty-six hundred acres of real forest wedged between the city and the airport — hike the Company Mill loop past the old grist-mill stones, then cool off with a rowboat on Big Lake in summer.
FreeNorthwest RaleighOpen now - NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Free, four floors, and the only real Acrocanthosaurus skeleton on display anywhere — all under the giant glowing globe you can spot from the street. The default rainy-Saturday answer for anyone with kids.
FreeDowntownClosed now - Lake Johnson loop and paddle
West Raleigh's default after-work walk — a wooded three-mile loop with a boardwalk over the water, plus kayak and paddleboard rentals by the waterfront center in warm months.
FreeWest Raleigh - Lake Lynn boardwalk loop
A 2.8-mile loop where long wooden boardwalks run right over the lake — turtles, herons, and the best golden-hour reflections in North Raleigh. Park at the Ray Road community center.
FreeNorth Raleigh - NC Museum of Art & Museum Park
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.
FreeBlue Ridge RoadClosed now - Shelley Lake loop
The two-mile paved loop is North Raleigh's town square — herons at dawn, strollers by nine, and a long view down the water from the dam. Playgrounds at both ends for the kids.
FreeNorth RaleighOpen now