Local Event Guide

LOCAL EVENTS GUIDE

RALEIGH DURHAM

PLEASE NOTE: WE’RE AWARE THAT THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES ARE LIMITING MANY ASPECTS OF LIFE AS WE ALL PRACTICE SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL DISTANCING. DUE TO THE CURRENT OUTBREAK, MANY EVENTS HAVE EITHER BEEN CANCELLED, RESCHEDULED, OR CHANGED TO VIRTUAL EVENTS. PLEASE VERIFY ALL EVENTS PRIOR TO ATTENDING. THANK YOU.

SEPTEMBER SEPT 20 | PEPPER FEST High-end baskets with mason jars full of carefully curated pepper-themed dishes. There will be live music and social distance precautions. We are looking forward to a scaled down celebration of our cherished locally grown sweet, hot and smoky NC peppers. For more info visit: https://bit.ly/3jykXiM

OCTOBER OCT 10 | WINE CHEESE & CHOCOLATE EXPRESS FESTIVAL In light of COVID-19, we are delighted to bring you an “express” version of this popular festival! We will be offering a variety of Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate focused packages that will allow you to taste local and regional chocolates and cheeses that will make your palate scream with delight. Drive through and receive your package to take home with you! For more info visit: https://bit.ly/32MCXiz

OCT 10 - 11 | OKTOBERFEST We’ve got lots of reasons for you to grab your beer stein, put on your Lederhosen or your dirndl. The Harbour Towne Fest Band will provide a festive Bavarian atmosphere to Sugar’s annual Oktoberfest celebration. Take in the beautiful fall foliage, cool, comfortable mountain temperatures, and a weekend full of festival activities! For more info visit: oktoberfest.skisugar.com

NOVEMBER NOV 7 - 8 | WHIRLIGIG FESTIVAL People who can appreciate an arts fest with its own hometown twist. Catch more than 200 vendors, live entertainment and more fun. Try your hand at the free extreme challenges or see if you have what it takes to tackle the Whirligig-Warrior course. For more info visit: https://bit.ly/3cDkgCp

NOV 13 | CHINESE LANTERN FEST Booth Amphitheatre will once again be transformed into a magnificent setting with the return of the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival! All new displays this year! For more info visit: https://bit.ly/3jbF9Hw

LOCAL EVENTS GUIDE

RALEIGH DURHAM

PLEASE NOTE: WE’RE AWARE THAT THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES ARE LIMITING MANY ASPECTS OF LIFE AS WE ALL PRACTICE SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL DISTANCING. DUE TO THE CURRENT OUTBREAK, MANY EVENTS HAVE EITHER BEEN CANCELLED, RESCHEDULED, OR CHANGED

TO VIRTUAL EVENTS. PLEASE VERIFY ALL EVENTS PRIOR TO ATTENDING. THANK YOU. (. . .continued from 24)

DECEMBER DEC 3 | TREE LIGHTING FESTIVAL Get into the spirit of the holiday with the Town’s official kick-off to the holidays. Tree lighting, choirs sing and a special visit from Santa. Tree lighting starts at 6 pm! For more info visit: https://bit.ly/3hQ6aPQ

JANUARY JAN 30 | AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CELEBRATION Join the statewide kickoff to Black History Month at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. The 20th Annual African American Cultural Celebration will feature musicians, storytellers, dancers, chefs, historians, playwrights, authors, artists, reenactors, and more. For more info visit: https://bit.ly/2Gezthe

FEBRUARY FEB 2 | GROUNDHOG DAY Meet Sir Walter Wally the groundhog and get his prognostication for the next six weeks! The Shadow Ceremony is at noon on the Bicentennial Plaza, right in front of the Museum. Come out and see whether Wally can continue his climb up the Weather Channel’s prestigious list of top Groundhogs to Watch! For more info visit: https://bit.ly/3cF0aYM

FEB 13 | TRIANGLE RUSSIAN FEST Come and enjoy Russian culture and experience the unique folk and ethnic heritage of this part of the world! The all day festival includes Russian and Georgian folk games and dances and workshops for kids and adults. For more info visit: trianglerussianfest.com

MARCH MARCH 14 | ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE In celebration of the great St. Patrick as well as Irish and Celtic traditions and culture, a parade of dancers, bagpipes, musicians and more march through downtown Raleigh and afterwards continue a day of fun with a full line-up of live music and performances in Raleigh’s City Plaza. For more info visit: raleighstpats.org

LOCAL EVENTS GUIDE

RALEIGH DURHAM

PLEASE NOTE: WE’RE AWARE THAT THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES ARE LIMITING MANY ASPECTS OF LIFE AS WE ALL PRACTICE SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL DISTANCING. DUE TO THE CURRENT OUTBREAK, MANY EVENTS HAVE EITHER BEEN CANCELLED, RESCHEDULED, OR CHANGED

TO VIRTUAL EVENTS. PLEASE VERIFY ALL EVENTS PRIOR TO ATTENDING. THANK YOU. (. . .continued from 26)

MARCH 18 - 21 | ART IN BLOOM Art in Bloom is a four-day festival of art and flowers. More than 50 floral interpretations inspired by the museum’s galleries, some more than 10 feet tall, are created on-site by world-class designers. The event invites participants to attend presentations and workshops, dine at Iris and shop for one-of-a-kind gifts. For more info visit: https://bit.ly/3i51W6o

MARCH 26 - 27 | BEER, BOURBON & BBQ FESTIVAL Cary’s Favorite Festival is Back and Better than Ever. Get ready to enjoy all those pleasures that true Southerners live by – Beer, Bourbon, Barbeque, Boots, Bacon, Biscuits, and Bluegrass! For more info visit: cary.beerandbourbon.com

APRIL APRIL 23 - 24 | OLIVE PICKLE FEST If you are a fan of salt and brine, the Mt. Olive Pickle Festival is where it’s at. Not only can you sample delicious pickles, you can also enjoy a pickle eating contest, car show, and mascot race.For more info visit: ncpicklefest.org

APRIL 23 - 24 | BREWGALOO N.C.’s largest craft beer festival-featuring 100 breweries and 50 food trucks - Brewgaloo takes over

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LOCAL EVENTS GUIDE

RALEIGH DURHAM

PLEASE NOTE: WE’RE AWARE THAT THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES ARE LIMITING MANY ASPECTS OF LIFE AS WE ALL PRACTICE SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL DISTANCING. DUE TO THE CURRENT OUTBREAK, MANY EVENTS HAVE EITHER BEEN CANCELLED, RESCHEDULED, OR CHANGED

TO VIRTUAL EVENTS. PLEASE VERIFY ALL EVENTS PRIOR TO ATTENDING. THANK YOU. (. . .continued from 27)

downtown Raleigh. The festival allows you to sample beer from breweries located across the state. For more info visit: https://bit.ly/3kUVkcF

MAY MAY TBA | ARTSPLOSURE Since its first festival in April 1980, Artsplosure has presented scores of outdoor programs and large-scale festivals featuring thousands of established and emerging visual, performing, and interdisciplinary artists in numerous traditional and non-traditional indoor venues and outdoor settings. For more info visit: artsplosure.org

MAY 1 | STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL Celebrate the start of strawberry season and summer with the North Carolina Strawberry Festival, which also hosts a Little Miss pageant, a car and antique farm equipment show, and a carnival midway. For more info visit: carolinastrawberryfestival.com MAY 30 | NC SUGAR RUSH One of the sweetest events of the year, NC Sugar Rush is an all-dessert food truck rodeo held at Raleigh’s City Market. More than 20 vendors— offering a range of goodies from cotton candy to cupcakes to cherry pies—will be on hand, along with face painters, balloon artists and more! For more info visit: ncsugarrush.com

JUNE JUNE TBA | PIMENTO CHEESE FESTIVAL Food trucks will line Academy Street to serve their regular menus, along with new dishes featuring a southern delicacy: pimento cheese! Enjoy live music at the Downtown Park, grab a drink from local breweries, and taste some of the best pimento cheese samples from local restaurants. For more info visit: https://bit.ly/3i8xTuI

JUNE 18 - 19 | BLUEBERRY FEST Burgaw, NC hosts an annual blueberry festival, complete with a whole hog cook-off, blueberry recipe competition, and craft beer

LOCAL EVENTS GUIDE

RALEIGH DURHAM

PLEASE NOTE: WE’RE AWARE THAT THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES ARE LIMITING MANY ASPECTS OF LIFE AS WE ALL PRACTICE SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL DISTANCING. DUE TO THE CURRENT OUTBREAK, MANY EVENTS HAVE EITHER BEEN CANCELLED, RESCHEDULED, OR CHANGED

TO VIRTUAL EVENTS. PLEASE VERIFY ALL EVENTS PRIOR TO ATTENDING. THANK YOU. (. . .continued from 28)

area. They even feature running and cycling races if you want to burn off some of those delicious blueberry calories! For more info visit: ncblueberryfestival.com

JUNE 21 | TASTE OF SOUL Take the family for fresh lobster, shrimp, crab cakes, flounder, catfish, salmon croquettes and more. Kids activities, games and a DJ round out the fun. We’ll have something for everyone! For more info visit: tasteofsoulnc.com

JULY JULY 4 | 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS You can’t miss Raleigh’s Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza! Fireworks will be launched from property owned by North Carolina State University along Trinity Road, which is adjacent to Carter-Finley Stadium. This breathtaking show is a must-see and best enjoyed with lots of family and friends! For more info visit: https://bit.ly/30dRrrt JULY 17 | PEACH FESTIVAL Ok, we’re just going to say it. The peach is the best fruit of the summer, and the North Carolina Peach Festival celebrates it in all its sweet, tangy, juicy glory. Sample some of the best peach ice cream in all of North Carolina, and enjoy a parade, live music, and tons of activities for kids, including a Zorb track! For more info visit: ncpeachfestival.com

AUGUST AUG 8 | JERK FEST We are bringing you the very best Jamaican jerk alongside all your other Caribbean favorites. Take the family for Caribbean food, live music, a kids zone, bounce house, face painter and more. For more info visit: https://bit.ly/2S88dUd

AUG 21 | CARIBMASK CARNIVAL A festival to promote diversity, equality and create a deeper appreciation for Afro-Caribbean culture in the Raleigh area, CaribMask returns for its ninth annual event in downtown Raleigh in 2020. A parade of bands, flag ceremony, live music

LOCAL EVENTS GUIDE

RALEIGH DURHAM

PLEASE NOTE: WE’RE AWARE THAT THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES ARE LIMITING MANY ASPECTS OF LIFE AS WE ALL PRACTICE SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL DISTANCING. DUE TO THE CURRENT OUTBREAK, MANY EVENTS HAVE EITHER BEEN CANCELLED, RESCHEDULED, OR CHANGED

TO VIRTUAL EVENTS. PLEASE VERIFY ALL EVENTS PRIOR TO ATTENDING. THANK YOU. (. . .continued from 29)

and tons of food and drinks keep a joyful crowd of more than 15,000 people plenty happy. For more info visit: caribmask.com

AUG 28 | LAZY DAZE ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL For more than 40 years, the Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival has put local artists and crafts makers in the spotlight. Today, the Cary festival has grown to two days, features more than 300 artists from 16 states, has multiple stages of live music, a beer garden and plenty of food trucks to keep everyone happy. For more info visit: https://bit.ly/3cEZ0we

SEPTEMBER SEPT 3 - 6 | APPLE FESTIVAL The North Carolina Apple Festival is proud to celebrate the history and importance of the apple industry to our community. We work closely with the local growers and are happy that we have 14 local growers who participate in the Festival each year. Those who appreciate all things apples while mixing in free entertainment, arts and crafts, and festival-style food.For more info visit: ncapplefestival.org

SEPT 10 - 12 | GREEK FESTIVAL Each year, the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church continues the history and tradition of the Greek Festival. All the staff, dancers, chefs, bakers, set up and clean-up crews, etc., volunteer their time to make our festival an event to remembe! For more info visit: raleighgreekfestival.com

SEPT 18 | CREEDMOOR MUSIC FESTIVAL Music lovers and fair food aficionados converge onto Main Street in Downtown Creedmoor to enjoy the Annual Creedmoor Music Festival. The Festival features free kids’ activities, terrific food, handcrafted merchandise, and two stages offering all genres of music from top-notch local bands! For more info visit: https://bit.ly/2EF3qXk