A year full of major festivals and celebrations lies ahead in Raleigh, N.C.! These events serve an important purpose—they mark history and sense of pride, plus they showcase talent, creativity and culture, delicious foods and beverages (and some surprises, too!).

Make plans now to spend a day or a weekend in the Raleigh area around these trip-worthy events in 2025!

A note: Some of the dates for these events have not yet been announced, but we can generally know what month they fall in (and some major events—concerts, for example—haven't been announced at all yet). We'll update this page as information comes in!

 

January

Po' Ramblin Boys with Laura BoosingerJan. 10, 2025 (postponed to Jan. 17 due to weather)
Tennessee’s Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, a bluegrass band with the sort of origin story that seems more mythic than factual, bring high-energy bluegrass and old-school charm to Raleigh to kick off PineCone's 2025 Down Home Concert Series at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts.

More Down Home Concert Series events: Iris DeMent with Anna Egge (Jan. 31); The Steel Wheels with Travis Stuart (Feb. 21); BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet (Feb. 28); Tim O'Brien and Jan Fabricius (March 7); Willie Watson with Zoe & Cloyd (March 21); Scythian (April 12); Della Mae with Laurie Lewis and Alice Gerrard (May 16); and the North Carolina Heritage Awards (June 7). 

North Carolina Vintage Bazaar, Jan. 18-19, 2025
One of the Tar Heel State's biggest vintage clothing market and thrift convention events, the Vintage Bazaar brings together sellers of all genres, eras and styles of vintage clothing at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds.

24th Annual African American Cultural CelebrationJan. 25, 2025
An annual, statewide kickoff to Black History Month, for more than 20 years the African American Cultural Celebration has brought together authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, scholars and more, all around a central theme to highlight the contributions that African Americans have made to North Carolina’s history and culture. Held on Bicentennial Plaza outside of North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

The Basketball Jones (with Bomani Jones), Jan. 31, 2025
The always-entertaining Bomani Jones leads a night of jokes, stories and conversations about college basketball on Tobacco Road in this live show at The Rialto in Raleigh. 

Triangle Restaurant WeekJan. 27-Feb. 2, 2025
A week-long celebration of culinary excellence, Triangle Restaurant Week sees some of the area's best restaurants offer up special, three-course menu options at fixed pricing, a great opportunity for residents and visitors alike to return to an old favorite dining spot or discover a new one.

Restaurant

North Carolina Opera presents Florencia en el Amazonas, Jan. 31 and Feb. 2, 2025
The first ever Spanish language production from North Carolina Opera, this magical and mysterious opera weaves a tale of love and transformation set against the backdrop of the Amazon River.

Also from North Carolina Opera: The Marriage of Figaro, April 4 and 6.

 

February

Krispy Kreme ChallengeFeb. 1, 2025
One of America's most unique running events (and toughest eating events!), the Krispy Kreme Challenge requires competitors to run five miles, eat a dozen doughnuts at the halfway point and hit the finish line in under one hour. For the curious, those doughnuts total 2,400 calories and 144 grams of fat—but who's counting! 

Krispy Kreme Challenge

Astronomy DaysFeb. 1-2, 2025
From comet crafts to solar observing, lectures to rocket launches, space enthusiasts of all ages will find something to do at one of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences' most popular annual events.

American Aquarium: Roadtrip to RaleighFeb. 6-8, 2025
Raleigh-based alternative country band American Aquarium, known as one of the 21st century’s ultimate road-warrior acts, brings their annual, much-anticipated Road Trip to Raleigh show to downtown Raleigh's Lincoln Theatre for three nights of packed shows in front of a hometown crowd.

American Aquarium

Jonathan Van Ness, Feb. 7-8, 2025
Emmy-winning television personality and "Queer Eye" superstar Jonathan Van Ness comes to Raleigh Improv for a night of unfiltered, anything-goes comedy. 

Katt WilliamsFeb. 16, 2025
Comedy legend (and Emmy-winning actor) Katt Williams brings his Dark Matter Tour to Raleigh's Lenovo Center.

 

March

Carolina Ballet presents Alice in WonderlandMarch 13-30, 2025
In this world premiere ballet from guest choreographer Gianna Reisen, audiences will welcome the impossible and go down the rabbit hole with Alice as she travels through Wonderland.

More of Carolina Ballet's spring seasonBoléro (Feb. 6-23); Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto (April 24-27); Swan Lake (May 15-18).

North Carolina Symphony presents The Music of Queen, March 14-15
A one-of-a-kind tribute to one of the most iconic bands in history, a full rock ensemble will join North Carolina Symphony for hits including “Somebody to Love,” “Under Pressure,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions” and many more.

Also on the Symphony schedule: Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (Feb. 21-22); The Ring Without Words (Feb. 28-March 1); Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 (March 7); Brass Transit: The Music of Chicago (May 2-3); Carnival of the Animals (May 31) and more. 

Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade, March 15, 2025
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 (with a start location at the North Carolina State Capitol). 

Art in BloomMarch 19-23, 2025
One of the can't-miss events of the year at the North Carolina Museum of Art, Art in Bloom is a five-day festival of art and flowers. More than 50 floral interpretations inspired by the museum's galleries are created on-site by world-class designers and showcased throughout the museum's West Building (note: tickets typically sell out). 

visitors inside museum gallery look at display of pink flowers in glass vases

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds, March 21 and 23
One of the best weekends of the year for sports fans can be experienced at Raleigh's Lenovo Center, as the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's First and Second rounds will take place with eight teams battling for two spots in the Sweet 16. 

March Madness NCAA Basketball 2016

 

April

Carolina Hurricanes final regular season home gamesApril 2, 12 and 13, 2025
Currently sitting near the top of the standings in the NHL's Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes' final three home games are likely to play a pivotal role in their Stanley Cup quest. They'll battle the Washington Capitals (April 2), the New York Rangers (April 12) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (April 13) at Lenovo Center.

Dreamville FestivalApril 5-6, 2025
Curated by platinum-selling rapper J. Cole, this two-day, multi-stage music festival (and one-of-a-kind celebration of local culture, food and art) at downtown Raleigh's Dorothea Dix Park will be bittersweet this year: the 2025 event will be the fifth and final Dreamville Festival. The music lineup is yet to be announced, but tickets are on sale now expected to sell out well in advance.

Dreamville Festival 2022

Tacos 'N TapsApril 12, 2025
This all-you-can-taste beer and tequila festival takes you south of the border for foodie fun—tacos, margaritas, 80-plus beers, mariachi bands and other live music, piñata punching, contests and other surprises await at Koka Booth Amphitheatre.

Carolina Mudcats Opening WeekApril 4-6, 2025
Who's ready to root, root, root for the home team? The Carolina Mudcats—affiliate of Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers—will be swinging back into action in April with a new season of minor league baseball in Zebulon, N.C.

Fest in the WestApril 5, 2025
Celebrate Cary's rural past at this day filled with food trucks, local breweries, pie-eating contests, kids activities, live music and more. Empty plates, full bellies and a satisfied crowd is a sure thing, plus festival-goers head home with souvenir beer cups!

Peak City Pig Fest, expected April 2025
Live music, a beer garden, a barbecue competition (sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society) and more make for one of Apex's tastiest events of the year.

ESL One Raleigh, April 11-13, 2025
Twelve teams from around the world will compete in Dota 2—the iconic battle arena game first released in 2013—for a $1 million prize pool at the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh. This event marks ESL One's first return to the U.S. in more than six years (and a big crowd is expected to see it live!).

Town of Cary's Pimento Cheese FestivalApril 12, 2025
This tasty, free-to-attend event held at Downtown Cary Park this year puts one of the South's best delicacies front and center: pimento cheese! Food trucks, local vendors, live music, trivia, the annual pimento cheese sculpting contest and more will round out a full day's schedule for this event. 

Nikki Glaser, April 12, 2025
Having kicked off 2025 with a hosting gig at the 82nd annual Golden Globes, Nikki Glaser brings an evening of bold jokes, hilarious observations and no-holds-barred comedy to Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts

More can't-miss events music and comedy events at the Martin Marietta Center: Judy Collins (Feb. 14); Raleigh Blues Festival (Feb. 21); Los Tigres Del Norte (March 22); Danae Hays (April 5); Jim Henson's Labyrinth (April 28); Gillian Welch & David Rawlings (May 3); Samara Joy (June 5); Ali Siddiq (June 20) and more.

Tyler Childers, April 15, 2025
A powerhouse in modern Americana thanks to a soulful voice and vivid storytelling, Tyler Childers will kick off outdoor concert season at Raleigh's largest open-air venue—Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek—in April. 

Billy Strings, April 17-19, 2025
The "Future of Bluegrass" himself, Billy Strings returns to Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre for a three-night run (he played three sold-out shows at the same venue in 2023 and 2022). 

Craig Robinson, April 17-19, 2025
Best known for his role as Daryl on NBC's "The Office," comedian and musician Craig Robinson comes to Raleigh Improv where he'll perform five shows over three nights. 

More shows coming to Raleigh Improv: Bill Bellamy (Jan. 31-Feb. 2); James "Murr" Murray (Feb. 21-22); Ashley Gavin (March 20-22); Jess Hilarious (April 4-5); Russell Peters (July 10-12) and more.

15th Annual North Carolina 'Cuegrass FestivalApril 19, 2025
What could be finer than a jam-packed day of drool-worthy barbecue from The Pit, plenty of local brews and toe-tappin' bluegrass music on Fayetteville St. in downtown Raleigh?

Cuegrass

HerbFestexpected April 2025
Those who love to cook will love HerbFest (the longest-running herb festival in the country!). Stroll through downtown Wake Forest's charming White St. and shop organic, non-GMO herbs and vegetables, plus heirloom tomatoes and peppers and beautiful perennials specific to the area.

BrewgalooApril 25-26, 2025
N.C.'s largest craft beer festival—featuring 100 breweries, 50 food trucks and drawing 30,000 people—Brewgaloo takes over downtown Raleigh for two days each April. 

Brewgaloo

Spring Daze Arts and Crafts FestivalApril 26, 2025
Featuring more than 170 local artists, Bond Park's Spring Daze Arts and Crafts Festival has showcased art—paintings, jewelry, sculptures and more—plus food vendors, children's activities and all-day live music for more than 30 years now.

Raulston Blooms!April 26, 2025
A beautiful time of year for one of the biggest annual events at JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University, Raulston Blooms! includes an exceptional plant sale, garden talks, demonstrations, food trucks, ice cream and more.

Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, April 27, 2025
One of the most widely influential and celebrated acts in bluegrass and roots music, performing with guest star Willie Watson at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre.

 

May

Meet in the Street FestivalMay 3, 2025
A day filled with food, fun and entertainment in historic downtown Wake Forest for more than 40 years running, Meet in the Street pulls together all-day live music plus an additional stage of entertainment with dancers, martial arts, magicians and more. 

44th Annual Apex PeakFestMay 3, 2025
Salem St. in historic downtown Apex comes alive with more than 20,000 visitors during PeakFest, the towns largest annual event, featuring all-day live music, all the arts and crafts you can imagine, entertainment for kids and food vendors that bring their best State Fair-style goodies.

Marbles KIDS FOOD FESTIVAL presented by The Creative Kitchen, May 3-4, 2025
Who says you can't play with your food? Expected to be one of the biggest kid-friendly events of the year in the Raleigh area, this new two-day event will feature hands-on cooking demonstrations and give kids the chance to meet real chefs, taste ingredients from around the world and use innovative tools to learn about foods that fuel the body.

Holly Springs International Food Festival, expected May 2025
Celebrating a variety of food, beverages and entertainment representing more than a dozen countries, visitors are also invited to bring blankets and chairs for lawn seating outside the Holly Springs Cultural Center to enjoy live entertainment—polka, jazz, Bollywood dancing and more!

Pearl JamMay 11, 2025
This iconic rock band needs no introduction. In support of their three-time Grammy-nominated album "Dark Matter," the band comes to Raleigh's Lenovo Center in May. 

More music coming to Lenovo Center: Mary J. Blige (Jan. 31); Brooks & Dunn (March 27); Fantasia & Anthony Hamilton (April 5); Disturbed (April 14); Linkin Park (May 6); Rauw Alejandro (May 23); Tyler, The Creator (July 12); Ghost (July 15) and more to be announced.

Got to Be NC Festivalexpected May 2025
Putting the best of N.C. food and beverage on display, the Got to Be NC Festival offers tons of eating opportunities, live music, a huge collection of antique tractors, a carnival for children and more activities (plus free parking and admission) at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds.

Teddy Swims, May 17
Following the success of his chart-topping hits and sold-out tours, soulful sensation Teddy Swims brings his powerful vocals and heartfelt performances to Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh this spring.

More music coming to Red Hat Amphitheater: Warren Zeiders (April 25); Coheed and Cambria (May 13); Trivium + Bullet For My Valentine (May 18); The Driver Era (June 20); HAUSER (June 27); "Weird Al" Yankovic (July 24); Goo Goo Dolls (July 26) and more to be announced.

Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts FestivalMay 17-18, 2025
One of the Southeast's premier arts festivals, Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival attracts more than 80,000 people to downtown Raleigh during the third weekend of May each year. Celebrating fine visual art and live music since 1980, the festival puts more than 180 artists' work—using countless mediums—on display for all to see and enjoy during the free festival.

AnimazementMay 23-25, 2025
Get in on the action at Animazement, a three-day Japanese animation and culture celebration over Memorial Day weekend that draws 15,000 attendees to the Raleigh Convention Center. Cosplay is a huge draw: guests are encouraged to dress up as their favorite characters simply for fun, or to participate in contests showcasing their talents!

Animazement

NC Sugar Rushexpected May 2025
One of the sweetest events of the year, NC Sugar Rush is an all-dessert food truck rodeo held in downtown Raleigh's City Plaza. 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 to keep the kids entertained.

UNC Health Championship, May 29-June 1, 2025
As part of the Korn Ferry Tour—the playing field where future golf stars compete to earn their PGA Tour cards—the UNC Health Championship will return to the Donald Ross-designed Raleigh Country Club again this year, featuring four days of fan-friendly competition.

 

June

The Soccer Tournament, June 4-9, 2025
One of soccer's most electrifying events of the past couple of years returns bigger and better to WakeMed Soccer Park this summer. This six-day, high-stakes, winner-take-all event puts $1 million on the line (for both a men's and women's tournament!).

Raleigh Little Theatre presents The Color PurpleJune 6-29, 2025
This musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (and the popular 1985 Steven Spielberg film) spotlights Celie, a downtrodden young woman whose personal awakening over the course of 40 years forms the arc of this epic story.

Raleigh's International Food Festival, June 7, 2025
Celebrate Raleigh's diverse community and welcoming spirit by trying food, beer and wine from more than 100 local vendors (plus listen to live music and see more entertainment) from around the world. Nearly 40,000 attendees are expected in downtown Raleigh's City Plaza for the event.

Capital City Juneteenth CelebrationJune 14, 2025
First held at Dorothea Dix Park in 2021 as a celebration and commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the United States, this event features speakers, artists, historic interpreters, music and more.

N.C. Hops Festivalexpected June 2025
Sip, shop, dine and groove for two days at the N.C. Hops Festival at Midtown Park. More than 100 local beers, ciders and seltzers will be on hand to sample, and live music, local makers and food trucks will help round out an event worthy of raising a glass to.

13th Annual Out! Raleigh Prideexpected June 2025
Out! Raleigh Pride is the area's annual, family-friendly street festival that celebrates the LGBT community and its allies. Organized each year by the LGBT Center of Raleigh, the festival's speakers, performers and vendors (and a Kids Zone) bring eight hours of fun and family to downtown Raleigh's Fayetteville Street district.

Out! Raleigh Pride

 

July

City of Raleigh July 4th Celebration at Dix ParkJuly 4, 2025
Pack a picnic and head to Dorothea Dix Park to enjoy music and field games before settling in for Raleigh's biggest annual fireworks display.

The Town of Cary Presents: Independence Day Celebration, July 4, 2025
Relax under the pines at Koka Booth Amphitheatre for the Town of Cary Independence Day Celebration. Music from the Cary Town Band, plus a patriotic performance by the North Carolina Symphony, precede fireworks over beautiful Symphony Lake to cap the evening. 

Rod Stewart, July 8, 2025
British rock legend Sir Roderick David Stewart—one of the best-selling musicians of all time—brings his One Last Time tour to Raleigh's Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

More music coming to Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek: Rüfüs Du Sol (May 9); Keith Urban (May 31); Riley Green (June 14); Avril Lavigne (June 17); Styx & Kevin Cronin + Don Felder (July 9); Thomas Rhett (July 31); Nelly with Ja Rule and Eve (Sept. 13) plus more to be announced.

Nate Bargatze, July 18, 2025
Fresh off the release of his third Netflix special in late 2024, Nate Bargatze today is one of the biggest comedians in the world. He'll perform at Lenovo Center in Raleigh as part of his Big Dumb Eyes tour this summer.

GalaxyCon RaleighJuly 24-27, 2025
A four-day festival for fans of pop culture, superheroes, science fiction, anime and more, GalaxyCon Raleigh features celebrity guests, comic book creators, artists and cosplayers--altogether an incredible 30,000 attendees at the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh to participate in all things geek!

Supercon

 

August

Sir Walter Milerexpected August 2025
One of America's best (and fastest) track events, the Sir Walter Miler, is a free-admission event featuring an elite field of men and women runners and allows fans onto the track at Meredith College to scream and cheer as athletes look to set some of the fastest mile times of the year in the U.S. 

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival, Aug. 1-2, 2025
Beer sipping, bourbon tasting, music listening and barbecue eating at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre—what's not to love?

Theatre Raleigh presents Waitress, Aug. 6-24, 2025
This beloved Broadway musical arrives on stage in Raleigh this year, featuring unforgettable music and lyrics by Grammy winner Sara Bareilles. Adapted from the 2007 film, the story centers on Jenna, a baker who dreams of escaping her job, small town and rocky marriage.

CaribMask CarnivalAug. 16, 2025
A festival to promote diversity, equality and create a deeper appreciation for Afro-Caribbean culture in the Raleigh area, CaribMask is expected to return for an 12th annual event in downtown Raleigh in 2025. In previous years, a parade of bands, flag ceremony, live music and tons of food and drinks have kept a joyful crowd of more than 15,000 people plenty happy.

Packapalooza, expected August 2025
This annual, all-day block party and street festival, drawing more than 80,000 attendees, caps off North Carolina State University's Wolfpack Welcome Week at the start of another academic year. The free and open-to-the-public event features more than 300 vendor booths lining Hillsborough St., along with food, games, arts and crafts, visual and performing arts and more. Music will take center stage to close out the evening.

Packapalooza

Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts FestivalAug. 23-24, 2025
For more than 40 years, the Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival has put local artists and craftsmakers 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.

16th Annual African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake Countyexpected August 2025
An annual celebration of African American culture expressed through art, music, food and community, this two-day downtown Raleigh festival showcases local, national and international artists, performers, food vendors and area business owners.

 

September

Hopscotch Music FestivalSept. 4-6, 2025
The 15th annual Hopscotch Music Festival—time and time again named as one of America's can't-miss independent music events—will once again be back and ready to jam in the center of the City of Oaks in 2025. Last year a total of 120 performers played across 10 downtown Raleigh venues, with headlining acts that included Waxahatchee, Faye Webster, St. Vincent, Indigo De Souza and a whole lot more.

Hopscotch City Plaza

BugFest, expected September 2025
Experience more than 100 exhibits, crafts, games and activities at BugFest, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences' annual event that lets you interact with entomologists and other scientists while learning about the fascinating world of bugs. 

Asia Fest, expected September 2025
Presented by Asian Focus at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, the 9th annual Asia Fest will be a celebration of Asian cultures with live stage performances, games for the kids, global street food vendors and much more (including the Raleigh area's only dragon boat race!).

La Fiesta del Pueblo, expected September 2025
A tradition for more than 30 years now, La Fiesta del Pueblo, a Hispanic cultural event held in the Fayetteville Street district of downtown Raleigh, draws nearly 20,000 attendees each year and showcases music, art, dance performances, educational booths, children's activities and food from different regions of Latin America, all in celebration of the diversity of Latin-American culture.

 

October

Raleigh Wide Open Bluegrass, Oct. 3-4, 2025
This brand new event will feature multiple free stages of music, food and fun in downtown Raleigh—stay tuned for a musician lineup!

Playthrough Gaming ConventionOct. 4-5, 2025
A two-day gaming extravaganza at the Raleigh Convention Center, Playthrough showcases the latest games offers attendees the chance to battle it out in tournaments, participate in a cosplay showcase, explore an escape room, visit exhibitors, attend main stage panels and enjoy lots of free-to-play options for board, PC, arcade, retro console and virtual reality games.

Falling for Localexpected October 2025
A festival for autumn lovers at Dorothea Dix Park, Falling for Local features live music, local makers, craft beer, food trucks, games for kids, hay rides, free pumpkins and more.

97th Annual Wendell Harvest Festival, expected October 2025
A tradition dating back to 1927, the Wendell Harvest Festival features a parade, more than 100 craft vendors, a beer garden, games for kids and adults and live music (fun for the entire family!).  

Triangle Oktoberfest, expected October 2025
The Raleigh area's biggest Oktoberfest celebration, Triangle Oktoberfest at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary provides plenty of family-friendly activities including live music, storytelling, dancing and traditional Bavarian food and fare (plus local and authentic German beers on hand).

SAS ChampionshipOct. 10-12, 2025
See some of golf's best at the SAS Championship, a PGA Tour Championships event. Held annually at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, the event is widely recognized as one of the most important events of the year, and also features a Pro-Am event, the ever-popular Food Truck Friday and a 5k Saturday race for the whole community to get involved.

N.C. State FairOct. 16-26, 2025
The largest annual event in the state, the N.C. State Fair draws one million visitors through the gates each October. Eleven days of high-flying rides, deep-fried foods, live music, stunt shows and other entertainment (including nightly fireworks) has been a can't-miss event for generations of families—the 2025 version of the N.C. State Fair marks the 157th year of the event!

N.C. State Fair

Raleigh's International Wine & Beer Festival, Oct. 18, 2025
In downtown Raleigh's City Plaza, more than 25 international wine suppliers—from Armenia to New Zealand—will gather to provide sample tastings (food trucks, desserts, a dance party and more will also keep you busy!). 

Hum Sub Diwali, expected October 2025
Always drawing a big crowd, Cary's Diwali celebration includes music, dance, theater performances, a handicraft bazaar, Indian food vendors, sponsor booths, an exhibition of Indian art and culture, activities for children, demonstrations and so much more at Koka Booth Amphitheatre!

HollyFest, expected October 2025
This annual, family-friendly event held at the beautiful Jefferson L. Sugg Farm at Bass Lake celebrates the town of Holly Springs, featuring local artists, businesses, food vendors, children’s activities and local entertainment.

 

November

Moonlight in the Garden, expected November 2025
A magical lighting exhibition that's suited for the entire family, Moonlight in the Garden at JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University is a once-per-year opportunity to see the nationally acclaimed gardens artfully illuminated by colorful lights. Each evening of the ticketed event is paired with live music, food trucks, hot apple cider, fire pits and marshmallows to roast!

North Carolina Chinese Lantern FestivalNovember 2025 through January 2026
Perhaps the most-attended holiday event in the Raleigh area for nearly a decade now, the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival puts hundreds of larger-than-life lanterns on display at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre, creating an incredible, colorful adventure for you to walk through during the holiday season. In all, the lanterns and more than 15,000 LED lights make up 40 distinct displays.

Chinese Lantern Festival 2022

81st Annual Raleigh Christmas Parade, expected November 2025
The largest parade of its kind between Atlanta and Washington, D.C.—filled with marching bands, dancers, giant balloons, super heroes and more—marches through downtown Raleigh for two hours along a 1.4-mile route that draws a crowd of 60,000 spectators.

American Indian Heritage Celebration, expected November 2025
Musicians, dancers, artists, storytellers and authors from N.C.'s eight state-recognized tribes will gather for this popular family event at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. For all ages, the celebration is a firsthand opportunity to learn about the state’s American Indian culture, past and present. Activities include craft demonstrations, hands-on activities, games, foods and much more.

American Indian Heritage Celebration in Raleigh, N.C.

The Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration at North Hills, expected November 2025
The annual lighting of a 41-foot-tall Christmas tree, a visit from Santa Claus, trackless train rides for kids, live music and plenty of vendors on hand make this celebration an equally great event for families and a fun date idea. 

THE RINK presented by UNC HealthNovember 2025 through January 2026
Enjoy the thrill of ice skating in a wintry village created in the heart of downtown Raleigh! THE RINK features a natural ice skating rink with stunning views of the Raleigh skyline, cozy lounging stations with heat warmers and fire pits, a snack bar, games, photo opportunities and more.

More skating rink fun: Fenton and Downtown Cary Park have both hosted skating rinks for the holidays in previous years and are expected to again in 2025.

THE RINK presented by UNC Health

Holiday Express at Pullen Parkexpected November/December 2025
This year-round favorite destination for families gets dressed up for the holiday season, festively decorated with thousands of lights. The major attractions? A rideable, miniature train that meanders through and around the park plus a carousel that keeps kids of all ages happy for hours. 

 

December

NCAA Men's Division I Soccer ChampionshipDec. 12 and 15, 2025
A champion will be crowned at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary to close out the college soccer season—the semifinals and final matchups played in front of as many as 10,000 fans!

Raleigh Little Theatre presents Cinderella, expected December 2025
Having celebrated its 40th year at Raleigh Little Theatre in 2024, the musical comedy Cinderella is a holiday sugarplum for the whole family. Just the right mixture of comedy and romance, plus a visually stunning set and costumes, make this fairy tale a favorite holiday tradition in Raleigh.

Downtown Raleigh Illuminate Art Walk, expected December 2025
Downtown Raleigh comes to light with Illuminate, a self-guided, light-based art walk. This free, five-week activation transforms public spaces with a large-scale interactive installation, light-based sculptures and projection art. 

Wendell Wonderlandexpected December 2025
A perfect chance to experience historic downtown Wendell lit up for the holidays, with a visit from Santa Claus, trolley rides through town, lighting of the town tree, live music, hot chocolate, food trucks, a craft market and more. The Lake Myra Christmas light show—one of the East Coast's most dazzling displays—will also be in full swing, featuring more than 400,000 lights—and it's all free!

Boylan Heights ArtWalkexpected December 2025
For 32 years and counting, the Boylan Heights Art Walk has featured more than a hundred artists and craftspeople selling a wide range of glasswork, jewelry, woodwork, clay work and ceramics, photography and prints, multimedia, painting and other art from the neighborhood’s porches, yards and sidewalks (in of the area's prettiest neighborhoods!).

State Capitol Tree Lighting Ceremonyexpected December 2025
With luminaries lighting the Capitol grounds and local choral groups filling the air with seasonal songs, the lighting of the tree at the North Carolina State Capitol building is a sign for many that the holiday season is officially here. After the lighting of the tree, stick around to tour the inside of the Capitol, covered in wreaths and draped in garland.

State Capitol Tree Lighting 2017

Theatre In The Park presents A Christmas Carolexpected December 2025
This iconic theater production, having wowed more than a million guests since its inception, celebrated its 50th year of holiday laughs in 2023, closing out a half-century of performances for Theatre In The Park executive director Ira David Wood III as Scrooge. Wood III handed over the keys to his son, Ira David Wood IV, in 2024 to carry on the tradition of this beloved musical comedy that many consider to be the ultimate Raleigh holiday event.

54th Annual Oakwood Candlelight Tour, expected December 2025
Historic Oakwood, a community of homes, many of which are dated to the mid-1800s to early 1900s, has its own small town feel. Elegantly decorated for the holidays, you can step inside about a dozen private homes, staffed with docents who tell the rich history of this Century Victorian neighborhood.

North Carolina Master Chorale presents Joy of the Seasonexpected December 2025
The North Carolina Master Chorale, hailed by critics as the area's premier choral ensemble and the recipient of a Raleigh Medal of Arts award, has performed choral masterworks with orchestra since 1942. Joy of the Season celebrates its 24th anniversary this year, a Raleigh holiday tradition that fills Meymandi Concert Hall with nearly 200 voices, guest choirs, a brass ensemble, Meymandi's pipe organ and the Master Chorale’s newly established Youth Choir.

Carolina Ballet presents The Nutcrackerexpected December 2025
Filled with grace and grandeur, Carolina Ballet's holiday classic is a can't-miss tradition for locals, visitors, families and friends. After 25 years, artistic director Zalman Raffael unveiled an updated version of this production in 2022, featuring new choreography, sets, costumes and more that continue to dazzle audiences.

First Night RaleighDec. 31, 2025
First Night Raleigh, a downtown Raleigh New Year's Eve celebration for more than 25 years, is an all-day event with more than 100 performances (music, dance, theater, comedy and more) across 35 venues. Tons of kids' activities, a 90-foot-tall Ferris wheel and a countdown to midnight (where, yes, a giant acorn drops from the sky as the clock strikes 12) and celebratory fireworks highlight a full day of festivities.

First Night Raleigh

 

Photo credits: Header photo, Julian Bajsel; Krispy Kreme Challenge, North Carolina State University; American Aquarium, Derek Allman; NCAA Basketball Tournament, Michael Robson; Dreamville, Garrett Poulos; 'Cuegrass, Empire Eats; Brewgaloo, Garrett Poulos; Animazement, animazementphotos; Out! Raleigh Pride, Keenan Hairston; GalaxyCon Raleigh, Fisticuffs Photography; Packapalooza, North Carolina State University; Hopscotch, Michael Robson; N.C. State Fair, Justin Kase Conder; Chinese Lantern Festival, Michael Robson; American Indian Heritage Celebration, D. Kent Thompson; State Capitol Tree Lighting, Michael Robson; First Night Raleigh, Sandra Davidson

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