Fall brings many great events to Raleigh, N.C.! Those not only include signature events like PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass and the N.C. State Fair, but also fun festivals in Raleigh's surrounding towns. Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, Morrisville, Wendell, Rolesville and other Raleigh area towns offer up opportunities to get outside and take in some of the best of the towns—a good number of the events are great opportunities to try local beers and food trucks, hear live music and shop for local art, crafts and eatables. Plan to hit these festivals and events this fall 2019!
Celebrate Fuquay-Varina Festival
Sat., Oct. 5, in downtown Fuquay-Varina
A celebration of community, the annual Celebrate Fuquay-Varina Festival (held in the namesake town just 15 minutes south of Raleigh) will include live music, entertainment, craft beer, food and much more! Join thousands of friends as they celebrate the town's rich heritage and a smart, fun and creative community. Two music stages, a BMX stunt show and beer garden? Count us in!
Bass Lake Day
Sat., Oct. 5, in Holly Springs at Jefferson L. Sugg Farm at Bass Lake
Come out to Sugg Farm for the annual Bass Lake Day celebration, a festival of nature and environmental education. The festival includes interactive exhibits on falconry, bow hunting, native wildlife, fire safety, water quality, gardening and more, plus live music, crafts and games for the whole family!
92nd Annual Wendell Harvest Festival
Sat., Oct. 5, in downtown Wendell
The Wendell Chamber of Commerce presents the 92nd Annual Wendell Harvest Festival, returning to Historic Downtown Wendell! Festivities kick off at 10am with a parade through downtown, followed by the crowning of Little Ms. and Mr. Wendell. Enjoy the variety of unique vendors, food options and the beer garden. Test your skills in the cornhole tournament, and youngsters can't forget the Kids Zone area. Capping off Wendell’s annual celebration is a live musical performance by Black and Blue Experience at J. Ashley Wall Town Square at 7pm.
Beericana Craft Beer and Music Festival
Sat., Oct. 12, in Holly Springs at Jefferson L. Sugg Farm at Bass Lake
Beer isn’t the only highlight at Beericana (although 70 breweries, including most of the 30+ craft beverage brewers in the Raleigh area, will be in attendance). Live music is also one of the main attractions—the schedule features a string of amazing bands all day. During Beericana you can also enjoy tasty bites from some delicious food trucks including American Meltdown Gourmet Grilled Cheese, Baguettaboutit, Fuzzy’s Empanadas, Cousins Maine Lobster and more. Beericana offers great beer, food and music, and the "foam on top" is that a portion of the proceeds go to support the N.C. Craft Brewers Guild and other non-profits.
Diwali Celebration
Sat., Oct. 12, in Cary at Koka Booth Amphitheatre
Diwali, also known as The Festival of Lights, is a widely-celebrated religious and cultural event in India that marks the beginning of the New Year. Cary's annual Diwali celebration includes music, dance, Indian food and expressions of Indian art and culture. Explore the beautiful Indian culture and enjoy a fireworks show over Symphony Lake at the end of the evening!
Creepy Crabtree Celebration
Sat., Oct. 19 in Morrisville at Lake Crabtree County Park
Prepare to be spooked! Morrisville’s Creepy Crabtree Celebration is an annual Halloween-themed event featuring scary scavenger hunts, freaky crafts and gruesome games. Wear a costume to really get in on the fun!
Triangle Oktoberfest
Fri.-Sat., Oct. 18-19, in Cary at Koka Booth Amphitheatre
The area’s largest Oktoberfest celebration takes place every year in Cary with a huge, authentic German festival-style party. Enjoy Bavarian food (think bratwursts, beer cheese and pretzels), local and authentic German beers from Munich and live music from The Polka Brothers. Plenty of fun activities will be going on throughout the day, including a stein hoist, hammer striking competitions, wiener dog races and parade and a kid-friendly Kinder Platz fun zone with inflatables and face painting.
Park West Village Fall Festival
Thurs., Oct. 24, in Morrisville at Park West Village
Bring the kids for a night of trick-or-treating, hayrides and a free, outdoor screening of a kids’ Halloween movie at Morrsville's Park West Village area. Be sure to dress to impress for a chance to win the costume contest for both kids and families, and don't forget to bring a blanket or chairs for the movie (begins at dark or, roughly, 6:30pm).
Hollyfest
Sat., Oct. 26, in Holly Springs at Jefferson L. Sugg Farm at Bass Lake
Holly Springs's annual community celebration, Hollyfest, includes live entertainment, a variety of vendors, a Kids Zone, food of all types and more! In an effort to celebrate the people, places and services that the community has to offer, the annual festival will feature local artists, businesses, food vendors and entertainment. Pro tip: Get a jump start on your holiday shopping at the Arts & Crafts Alley and Harvest Market!
Fall FunFest
Sat., Oct. 26, in Rolesville at Main Street Park
Take a trip out to Rolesville to celebrate the change of the season at their annual Fall FunFest. With a variety of vendors, including local artists and live performances from Crush, it’s sure to be a great time. Don’t forget to dress your kids for the costume contest!
BBQ, Blues & Brews
Sat., Nov. 9, in downtown Fuquay-Varina
All great things North Carolina can be found at downtown Fuquay-Varina’s BBQ, Blues & Brews festival, a celebration of our state’s great food and drink scene. Sample BBQ from a competitive group of some of the region’s top pit masters and imbibe on local craft beers, all while enjoying live blues music. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early in order to sample the BBQ—it’s all so good there’s no way it’ll last that long! The event is free to the public, but tasting tickets can be purchased for $10 on the day of the event.
North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival
Nov. 22, 2019-Jan. 12, 2020, in Cary at Koka Booth Amphitheatre
Grab your friends and family and head to see the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival, where hundreds of lanterns and more than 15,000 LED lights make up more than 20 incredible glowing displays. Check out our event guide from last year here (updated details coming soon there!).
