’Tis the season in Greater Raleigh for summer festivals, food and free fun. On July 31st, two of the most popular festivals in downtown Raleigh will join forces to bring you an action-packed day full of music, art, entertainment and celebration. That’s right, Raleigh Wide Open and the Cherry Bounce Festival will overlap for a day this year, and as far as festival fun goes, it doesn’t get much better than this
The Cherry Bounce Festival runs from July 29-31, and brings the downtown scene an eclectic mix of music, movies, and, oddly enough, championship wrestling. The best part is that it’s all free! What’s up with the name, you ask? An area man named Joel Lane ran an inn that once served as a base for men searching around for land next to a river to build the state’s new capital. Legend has it that Lane served up a yummy concoction at his inn called Cherry Bounce, and everyone loved it so much that they bought the nearby land and made it into Raleigh!
The fifth Raleigh Wide Open falls on the last day of Cherry Bounce, on Saturday. This year’s festival is going to be “extremely entertaining,” with a fire circus, BMX and skateboarding stunt shows, motorcycle madness and music on four stages. More than 100 food and art vendors will be set up on downtown streets, so you can fill your stomach and get your art fix. The grand finale is a Barenaked Ladies concert at the Raleigh Amphitheater and a fireworks show starting at 11 p.m.!
Grab your friends and family, head downtown for these festivals and get your entertainment overload, most of which is absolutely free!
