The first weekend of September brings festivals, outdoor movies, live music, markets, family activities and plenty of free things to do across Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and the surrounding Triangle.

Weekend highlights include the African American Cultural Festival in downtown Raleigh, First Friday celebrations, Cary Public Safety Day, the Black Farmers’ Market, outdoor concerts and several community markets. Use this DoRaleigh Weekend Event Guide to start planning your September 4–6 adventures.

Friday, September 4, 2026

Kick off the weekend with First Friday festivities, free tastings, outdoor movies, concerts and community gatherings throughout the Triangle.

• Hardee’s 66-Cent Sausage Biscuit: Participating Hardee’s locations | $0.66
• Tasting at Ten: 10 a.m. | Counter Culture Coffee Headquarters and Training Center, Durham | Free
• Free Wine Tastings: 4:30–6:30 p.m. | Bottle Theory, Apex | Free
• First Friday Market & Movie: “Remember the Titans”: 5–9 p.m. | Moore Square, Raleigh | Free
• Friday Night Tasting Party: 5–7 p.m. | Weaver Street Market Raleigh | Free
• Fridays on the Front Porch: 5–8 p.m. | Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill | Free
• First Friday in Downtown Fuquay-Varina: 5–9 p.m. | Downtown Fuquay-Varina | Free
• Artspace First Friday: 5–10 p.m. | Artspace, Raleigh | Free
• One Tribe Drum Circle: 5:30–7 p.m. | Stone Houses at Dix Park, Raleigh | Free
• Wine Tasting with Jac Brown and Tryon Distributing: 5:30–7 p.m. | Taylor’s Wine Shop | Free
• Bands, Bites and Boats featuring My Cousin Skinny: 5:30–7:30 p.m. | Fred G. Bond Metro Park, Cary | Free
• First Friday with Live Music, Vendors and Food Trucks: 5:30–8:30 p.m. | Oak City Brewing Company, Knightdale | Free
• Live Music in the Beer Garden featuring Ian McMahan: 6–8 p.m. | The Glass Jug Beer Lab, RTP | Free
• First Friday at Eno Arts Mill: 6–9 p.m. | Eno Arts Mill, Hillsborough | Free
• First Friday with Little Raleigh Radio featuring The Veldt: 6–9 p.m. | City of Raleigh Museum | Free
• Movie Night: “Hamilton”: 6–10 p.m. | Downtown Cary Park | Free
• PLAYlist Concert Series featuring Africa Unplugged: 6 p.m. | Durham Central Park | Free
• First Friday Gallery Walk: 6–9 p.m. | Various Raleigh locations | Free
• Live Music: 6–9 p.m. | Gizmo Brew Works, Raleigh | Free
• Front Porch Friday: 6–10 p.m. | Haven Farm, Knightdale | Free
• First Friday Cemetery Tour: 6 p.m. | Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh | $10
• Plant Bingo: 6:30 p.m. | Oaklyn Springs Brewery, Fuquay-Varina | $5
• Raleigh International Folk Dancers: 6:30–10 p.m. | Glen Eden Pilot Park, Raleigh | Free
• First Friday Block Party: 7–11 p.m. | The Raleigh Times Bar | Free
• Karaoke Bingo Night: 7–11:55 p.m. | KōMANA Brewing Company, Cary | Free
• Movie Night: 7 p.m. | Raleigh Brewing, Raleigh | Free
• Michael Blakey Live: 8–10 p.m. | Sonark Farms, Hillsborough | Pay what you choose
• Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic: 8–11 p.m. | Durty Bull Brewing Company, Durham | Free
• Pub Karaoke: 10–11:59 p.m. | West 94th Street Pub, Durham | Free

Saturday, September 5, 2026

Saturday’s schedule features the African American Cultural Festival, farmers’ markets, historic tours, family workshops, live music and cultural experiences.

Saturday Morning Events

• Museums on Us at Marbles Kids Museum: All day | Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh | Free for eligible Bank of America customers and employees
• Hardee’s 66-Cent Sausage Biscuit: Participating Hardee’s locations | $0.66
• Carrboro Cookout: 7 a.m.–noon | Carrboro Farmers’ Market | Free
• Cars and Coffee Morrisville: 8–11 a.m. | Imperial Center, Durham | Free
• Visit Cow Sanctuary: 8 a.m.–noon | Brajboro Cow Sanctuary, Chapel Hill | $0–$25
• Durham Craft Market: 8 a.m.–noon | Durham Central Park | Free
• Home Depot Kids Workshop—School Bus Organizer: 9 a.m.–noon | The Home Depot, multiple locations | Free
• Old-Fashioned Farmers’ Days: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Silk Hope Farm Heritage Park, Siler City | $5
• The Raleigh Market: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | N.C. State Fairgrounds, Raleigh | Free
• Free Pickleball Class: 10–11:30 a.m. | NetSports, Morrisville | Free
• Youth Aviation Academy Program: 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | John Chavis Memorial Park, Raleigh | $10; registration required
• Black History Walking Tour: 10–11 a.m. | Pope House, Raleigh | $6–$10
• Saturday Slowdown Market and Open Farm Day: 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | RambleRill Farm, Hillsborough | Free
• Open Farm: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Sunrise Community Farm Center, Chapel Hill | $8

Saturday Afternoon Events

• Cary Public Safety Day: 11 a.m.–2 p.m. | Downtown Cary | Free
• African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. | Fayetteville Street, downtown Raleigh | Free
• Historic Raleigh Trolley Tours: 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | Mordecai Historic Park, Raleigh | $6–$10; four departure times
• Guided Tours of the N.C. State Capitol: 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. | North Carolina State Capitol, Raleigh | Free
• The Market at NCMA: 11 a.m.–4 p.m. | North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh | Free
• Field and Factory Tour: 11:15 a.m. | Duke Homestead, Durham | Free
• Labor of Love Adoption Event: Noon–2 p.m. | Compass Rose Brewery, Raleigh | Free
• Come Out and Play Sculpture Show: Noon–7 p.m. | JimGin Farm | Free
• Mahjong 101: 1 p.m. | The Chapel at Dix Park, Raleigh | Free
• Carrboro Really Really Free Market: 2–4 p.m. | Carrboro Town Commons | Free
• Field and Factory Tour: 2:15 p.m. | Duke Homestead, Durham | Free
• Labor of Love Fest—Day Party and Concert: 4–9 p.m. | Black Wall Street, Durham | $10

Saturday Evening Events

• Live Music: 5–8 p.m. | Gizmo Brew Works, Raleigh | Free
• Live Music Saturdays: 5–8 p.m. | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham | Free
• Backroads Live: 6–9 p.m. | Durham Beer Garden | Free
• Live Music: 6–9 p.m. | Fortnight Brewing, Wake Forest | Free
• Live Music: 6:30–9 p.m. | Southern Peak Brewery, Apex | Free
• Live Music: 7 p.m. | Bearded Bee Brewing Company, Wendell | Free
• Karaoke: 7–10 p.m. | Crank Arm Brewing, Durham | Free
• Fall Film Series: “Zootopia 2”: 7:30 p.m. | Durham Central Park | Free
• The Dan Davis Group Live: 8–10 p.m. | Sonark Farms, Hillsborough | Pay what you choose
• Open Mic and Karaoke Night: 8–11 p.m. | Compass Rose Brewery, Raleigh | Free

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Close out the weekend with brunch music, cultural markets, yoga, open mics and outdoor concerts across the Triangle.

Sunday Morning and Afternoon Events

• Museums on Us at Marbles Kids Museum: All day | Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh | Free for eligible Bank of America customers and employees
• Hardee’s 66-Cent Sausage Biscuit: Participating Hardee’s locations | $0.66
• Visit Cow Sanctuary: 8 a.m.–noon | Brajboro Cow Sanctuary, Chapel Hill | $0–$25
• The Raleigh Market: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | N.C. State Fairgrounds, Raleigh | Free
• African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County: 10 a.m.–10 p.m. | Fayetteville Street, downtown Raleigh | Free
• Sunday Morning Yoga: 10–11 a.m. | Compass Rose Brewery, Raleigh | Free
• Pop-Up ARTernative Market: 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Chapel of Bones Coffee, Raleigh | Free
• Sunday Brunch Music: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Weaver Street Market, Carrboro | Free
• Cary Underground Market—Bands and Vendors: Noon–4 p.m. | Bond Brothers Beer Company, Cary | Free
• Morgan Street Sessions: Noon–4 p.m. | Morgan Street Food Hall & Market, Raleigh | Free
• Pages and Pints with Finn and Ollie: 1–5 p.m. | Bearded Bee Brewing Company, Wendell | Free
• Kanikapila Ukulele Meetup: 1–3 p.m. | KōMANA Brewing Company, Cary | Free
• Open Play American Mahjong: 1–3:30 p.m. | Hops & Flower, Durham | Free
• Black Farmers’ Market: 1–4 p.m. | Durham Technical Community College, main campus | Free
• Free Air Hockey Tournament: 1 p.m. | Super Rad Retro Lounge Arcade Bar, Raleigh | Free
• Open Mic: 2–5 p.m. | Oaklyn Springs Brewery, Fuquay-Varina | Free
• Open Mic Night: 3–6 p.m. | Gizmo Brew Works, Raleigh | Free

Sunday Evening Events

• Salsa in the Garden with DJ Synko: 4–7 p.m. | Durham Beer Garden | Free
• Beats & Bars Music Trivia: 4–9 p.m. | The Durham Hotel | Free
• Bluegrass Open Jam: 4–7 p.m. | Bond Brothers Eastside, Cary | Free
• Wake Forest Unplugged: 5–7 p.m. | E. Carroll Joyner Park, Wake Forest | Free
• Concerts in the Park featuring ACE Party Band: 5:30 p.m. | E. Carroll Joyner Park, Wake Forest | Free
• Sunday Garner Community Drum Circle: 7–8:30 p.m. | Lake Benson Park, Garner | Free
• Sundays at Sundown Live Music: 7–9 p.m. | Southern Village, Chapel Hill | Free

Plan Your Triangle Weekend

Whether you are looking for a family-friendly festival, a free outdoor movie, live music, a farmers’ market or an evening out with friends, the Triangle offers plenty of choices this weekend.

Admission prices, schedules and event details may change. Check with the event organizer or venue before traveling, especially when advance registration may be required.

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Published by Bryan Tomlinson | BTDesigns.pro |

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