If you’re looking for things to do this fall, check out these incredible Raleigh events.

Autumn is the season for celebration. Our communities come together during this time to celebrate our diverse cultures, the harvest, and Southern traditions. Here are some of the biggest festivals happening this fall in Raleigh.

September 17

The 7th Annual Asia Fest will start on September 17, 2022 at 10:00 AM at the Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary. This is a family-friendly event, and you can expect delicious food, cultural booths, arts and crafts, stunning live performances, and a thrilling dragon boat race.

Address: Koka Booth Amphitheater, 8003 Regency Pkwy, Cary, NC 27518
Admission: $8, but kids under 12 and seniors over 65 are free

September 18

The largest and most diverse festival of Latin American culture in the Triangle, La Fiesta del Pueblo starts on Sunday, September 18th at noon. There will be family-friendly activities, live music, performances, visual and folk art exhibits, and educational booths to enjoy. The Grammy-nominated Mexican band Grupo Mojado is headlining.

Address: City Plaza, 400 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, NC 27601
Admission: Free

September 24

Farm Aid is a music festival and a non-profit organization whose mission is to keep family farmers on the land. Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to carry out its mission. This year, Willie Nelson headlines with John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow, and a fully star-powered lineup. There will also be speakers about climate change and diversity within the industry.

Address: Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Rd., Raleigh, NC 27610
Admission: from $75, available for purchase online

September 24

Festa Italiana Raleigh is a celebration of Italian culture in Raleigh where the majority of net proceeds go to local charities. Starting at 11:00 AM on Saturday, bring a friend and enjoy Italian entertainment, cooking demonstrations, merchandise—and of course, Italian food and wine. There will be a kids’ area and a raffle as well.

Address: Downtown Raleigh, Tucker St. and N. Boylan Ave., Raleigh, NC 27603
Admission: Free

September 24

A Cary Downtown Farmers Market event, the Farmers Fall Festival celebrates the harvest season with local farmers bringing in their autumn bounty. There will be live music, arts and crafts, locally-made food and craft beer, as well as a mid-day pie eating contest.

Address: 3028 Winfred Dell Ln., Cary, NC 27511
Admission: Free

September 30 – October 1

The 8th Annual Triangle Rotary Oktoberfest kicks off on Friday, September 30th at 5:00 PM with a full schedule of events. Enjoy German beer and live music from Black Forest Band while you try your hand at Schlagen-Hammer (competitive nail driving), Mass Krug Stemmen (competitive stein hoisting), and the yodeling contest. Don’t miss the weiner dog races and parades on day two, and be sure to stick around for the crowing of Mr. and Miss Oktoberfest.

Address: Koka Booth Amphitheater, 8003 Regency Pkwy, Cary, NC 27518
Admission: from $20 in advance, from $25 at the Box Office. Kids under 15 are free, $5 discount for seniors 60+ and military with ID.

October 1

Join Fuquay-Varina in the annual celebration of their community at the Celebrate Fuquay-Varina Festival. Starting Saturday, October 1st at 10:00 AM, you can enjoy food trucks, craft beer, arts and crafts, and a free kids zone. There is live entertainment scheduled throughout the day from local magicians, mind-blowing acrobatics routines, BMX stunt shows, and a historical walk with the mayor at 1:00 PM.
Address: Downtown Fuquay-Varina, S Main St. between Vance St. and Academy St.
Admission: Free

October 8

All are welcome at Cary’s Hum Sub Diwali Festival of Lights celebration, which starts on October 8th at 10:00 AM. The theme is Deepotsav, A New Chapter Unfolds. Enjoy delicious food, entertainment, and Indian cultural arts, and stick around for the breathtaking Diwali fireworks.

Address: Koka Booth Amphitheater, 8003 Regency Pkwy, Cary, NC 27518
Admission: Free

October 13 – 23

The North Carolina State Fair returns on October 13! Bring everyone and get ready for a week of country competitions, carnival rides, irresistible food, and much more in this celebration of North Carolina agriculture and tradition. Enjoy live music from homegrown bands as well as arts, crafts, and dance. Learn about soil and water conservation, and the NC Forest Service, and stop by the Mobile Dairy Classroom to learn everything you need to know about dairy farming. There are so many activities, you’d better check them out on the North Carolina State Fair website!

Address: North Carolina State Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Rd., Raleigh, NC 27607
Admission: Tickets purchased in advance: free for kids 5 and under, $5 for kids 6-12 and seniors 65+, $10 for adults
Tickets purchased at the gate: free for kids 5 and under, $7 for kids 6-12 and seniors 65+, $13 for adults, $8 for adults with military ID (only available at the gate)

Admission does not include carnival ride tickets.

October 15

On Saturday, October 15th, head over to Dorthea Dix Park for a huge day of fall fun at Falling for Local. Enjoy hay rides, live music, lawn games, and a pumpkin patch as well as other kid-friendly activities. Eat tasty food from local food trucks and vendors, and sample locally-made beer and cider while you shop from over 100 local businesses.

Address: The Big Field at Dorothea Dix Park, 101 Blair Dr., Raleigh, NC 27603
Admission: Free

November 18 – January 8

The North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival is back and ready to take your breath away. Expect 40 brand new displays comprising hundreds of parts and thousands of LED lights. These captivating, larger-than-life lanterns are made with incredible craftsmanship and are sure to stun with their artistic beauty. The festival runs from November 18th to January 8th, and a variety of tickets are available. There will also be cultural arts performances every night.

Address: Koka Booth Amphitheater, 8003 Regency Pkwy, Cary, NC 27518
Admission: From $11, kids under 2 are free

November 18 – 19

Indigenous people are still here! This is the message and theme of the 27th Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration. Join the community for an education day on Friday and a celebratory festival on Saturday. Enjoy demonstrations, presentations, and performances that highlight the traditional and contemporary artistic, scientific, historic, and cultural contributions of American Indians in North Carolina for over 14,000 years.

Address: North Carolina Museum of History, 5 E. Edenton St., Raleigh, NC 27601
Admission: Free

Raleigh has a long tradition of hosting some of the best theater and dance performances in the state. Here’s what’s coming up on the calendar.

September 14 – 25

Welcome to opening night of The Murder at Haversham Manor where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines), this Olivier Award-winning comedy is a hilarious hybrid of Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes.

Address: Theater Raleigh Arts Center, 6638 Old Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC
Admission: from $30, available for purchase in advance

September 16 – October 2

This isn’t your grandmother’s Austen! Bold, surprising, boisterous, and timely, this Pride & Prejudice for a new era explores the absurdities and thrills of finding your perfect (or imperfect) match in life. The outspoken Lizzy Bennet is determined to never marry, despite mounting pressure from society. But can she resist love, especially when that vaguely handsome, mildly amusing, and impossibly aggravating Mr. Darcy keeps popping up at every turn? Literature’s greatest tale of latent love has never felt so theatrical or so full of life than it does in this effervescent and freewheeling adaptation. Because what turns us into greater fools… than the high-stakes game of love?

Address: Raleigh Little Theater, 301 Pogue St, Raleigh, NC 27607
Admission: from $23, available for purchase in advance

September 22 – 25

Featuring live music by the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. At The Concert, see the company premiere of Jerome Robbins’ gleeful look into the secret thoughts and fantasies of a concert audience, along with three additional ballets! Frederic Chopin’s mesmerizing score will be played from the stage by acclaimed concert pianist William Wolfram.

Address: Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E South St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Admission: ticket prices vary due to Ticketmaster pricing, purchase in advance

September 30 – October 16

Let the Right One In, the play, centers around Oskar, a bullied, lonely teenage boy who lives with his mother, and Eli, a young girl who has just moved in next door. A spate of sinister killings have rocked their town. Oskar notices that Eli doesn’t go to school and never leaves her home by day. Get ready for some chills and thrills in this hauntingly beautiful vampire myth and coming-of-age story.
Please note this show contains very mature language and adult themes.

Address: Theater in the Park, 107 Pullen Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607
Admission: $28.96 for adults, $23.60 for seniors 60+, students, and military, $20.38 for groups of 10 or more

October 11 – 16

In Sister Act, after witnessing a murder, a divine disco diva is put into protective custody in a convent with a crumbling choir. Based on the hit movie, the nuns raise their voices in song to find the true power of sisterhood.

Address: Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E South St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Admission: ticket prices vary due to Ticketmaster pricing, purchase in advance

October 13 – 30

Dracula and The Red Death return to the stage for Halloween, with music composed by J. Mark Scearce. Choreography and live music bring to life two famous and chilling stories at the Fletcher Opera Theater.

Address: Fletcher Opera Theater, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E South St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Admission: ticket prices vary due to Ticketmaster pricing, purchase in advance

October 26 – November 6

From the celebrated and award-winning composer Dave Malloy comes Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, an electropop opera based on a scandalous slice of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Young and impulsive, Natasha Rostova arrives in Moscow to await the return of her fiancé from the front lines. When she falls under the spell of the roguish Anatole, it is up to Pierre, a family friend in the middle of an existential crisis, to pick up the pieces of her shattered reputation.

Address: Theater Raleigh Arts Center, 6638 Old Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC
Admission: from $32.50, available for purchase in advance

Whether you’re a sports fan or trying to get more active this fall, these events are for you.

October 13 – 16

Join Lauren Rosella or a beautiful weekend Women’s Wellness Retreat in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. The Inn at Blue Mountain is a 4,000 square foot Cape Cod-style home on 2 acres of wooded countryside adjacent to the larger grounds of Blue Mountain Brewery. The brewery is easily accessible via a private walkway. In addition to comfortable, well-appointed sleeping quarters, a fully-stocked kitchen, and game room with pool table, the Inn features a welcoming wrap-around porch, large outdoor deck and patio areas, fire pit, hot tub, tiki bar, and gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
As of this writing, there are just two spots left for this retreat.

Address: Lauren Rosella Fitness, 5715 Fayetteville Road Raleigh, NC, 27603
Admission: $200

October 10 – 16

Visit the Prestonwood Country Club for a week of golf, community events, and charitable giving during Championship Week. Enjoy a full schedule of events from the October 10th open qualifier to the October 16th final round. Additional events include Executive Women’s Day, 5K at the SAS Championship, and the ever popular Food Truck Friday.

Address: Prestonwood Country Club, 300 Prestonwood Pkwy, Cary, NC 27513
Admission: from $25 per day, available for advance purchase

October 22

A competition “for the rest of us,” the Festivus Games started in 2011 with the idea that everyone is an athlete—we all just have different ability levels, and 95% of us aren’t pure-Rx firebreathers. Grab a teammate and get ready to sweat, laugh, and cheer as you compete in a variety of fitness challenges. Teams can be mixed or same sex. Teams are divided into the following divisions: Novice, Intermediate, and Masters 45+.

Address: G.I. Gym, 3125 Gresham lake rd #112, Raleigh
Admission: $160/team, includes team entry and one event shirt for each athlete if you register by 09/25

October 29

The Day of the Dead 5K is a race that celebrates tradition, community, and diversity. The race combines a 5K run with a community festival, with food, drinks, art, music, and dancing. The run will also include two altars where attendees can leave flowers and messages for loved ones who have passed on. There will be prizes from local businesses for top runners, best costumes, and the race’s famous dance-off costume contest.

Address: 106 South Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Admission: from $35, register in advance

November 19 – January 16

Come enjoy the thrill of ice skating in a winter wonderland created in the heart of downtown Raleigh! The RINK presented by UNC Health features a natural ice skating rink with stunning views of the Raleigh skyline. Not into ice skating? That’s okay. The RINK also features Cozy Stations with outdoor lounging furniture, heat warmers, fire pits for warming up. Enjoy the snack bar with hot cocoa, beer, wine, and sweet treats and try cornhole and giant Jenga.

Address: Red Hat Amphitheater, 500 S McDowell St, Raleigh
Admission: $11 including skate rental, $6 for non-skaters, available for purchase online or at the Duke Energy Center box office

Craving some art in your life? How about some natural history? These are the biggest events coming to Raleigh’s museums this fall.

September 17

BugFest is back! The largest bug-centered event of its kind in the United States, BugFest educates and engages the public in science and the natural world. You’ll enjoy more than 100 exhibits, crafts, games and activities as you interact with entomologists and other scientists while learning about the fascinating world of arthropods.

This year, BugFest spotlights the myriapods, the group that includes millipedes and centipedes. How many legs do they really have? One species of millipede has 1,306!

Address: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W Jones St, Raleigh
Admission: Free

September 23

Find your spirit for adventure and giving at Marbles Imagination Ball. Hosted by the Marbles Children’s Museum, the gala for grown-ups features creative food and drinks, legendary live music, exciting games of chance, awe-inspiring decor and flair, and a one-of-a-kind auction. Every dollar raised at Marbles Imagination Ball helps us reach kids from all backgrounds with marbles’ bold approach to play-based learning.

Address: Marbles Kids Museum, 201 E Hargett St, Raleigh
Admission: $125 for individual tickets, $600 for a group of four, available for purchase online

October 8 through January 22

Featuring more than 50 paintings by iconic artists including Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Paul Cézanne from the world-renowned Phillips Collection, A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection brings artists famous for their depictions of light, color, and modern life to the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Address: North Carolina Museum of Art, 2110 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh
Admission: Free for members. Nonmembers: $20 for adults, $17 for seniors, $14 for youth ages 7-18, free for children 6 and under, free for college-age young adults

October 28

From international superstars like Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, and Taylor Swift to contemporary North Carolina artists like Rhiannon Giddens, Rissi Palmer, and Kasey Tyndall, The Power of Women in Country Music, highlights the past, present, and future of country music’s greatest female trailblazers. This empowering exhibition will be amplified with a special concert series, author series, family events and activities, and much more! This exhibit comes to the North Carolina Museum of History from the GRAMMY Museum® in LA.

Address: North Carolina Museum of History, 5 E Edenton St, Raleigh
Admission: Free

If your idea of a good time is eating some of the best food Raleigh has to offer, these are the events for you.

September 15

Kanki Japanese House of Steak and Sushi is excited to celebrate 50 years of food, fun and fire with their loyal customers. The menu will be a throwback featuring selections from their opening night in 1972. These throwback items include Stuffed Mushrooms, Shrimp Cocktail, Salmon Canapes, Gyoza Potstickers, a Retro Cocktail Special, and more! Reservations can be made through Kanki’s website.

Kanki has been locally owned and operated in Raleigh since their flagship location opened at Crabtree Valley Mall in 1972. Since then, due to popular demand, Kanki has opened two more locations—one in North Raleigh and one in Durham/Chapel Hill. Kanki is known for being the Triangle’s favorite place for celebrations.

Address: Kanki, 4325 Glenwood Ave., Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh
Admission: Admission is free, food and drinks are for purchase.

September 25

What’s better than a half a mile of food trucks and restaurants spread out over 11 city blocks? Not much! Come enjoy more than 50 food trucks from across the state of North Carolina at Downtown Raleigh’s Foodtruck Rodeo. There will be seating for over 1,000 people, and this event will happen rain or shine. Service dogs are welcome, but please leave all other furry friends at home.

Address: Downtown Raleigh, Fayetteville St., Raleigh
Admission: Free

October 1

Come to the International Food Festival to enjoy food from 17 countries, including Cuba, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Thailand, Vietnam, the U.S., the Dominican Republic, and more! There will be live entertainment, games for kids, and a silent auction as well. Doors open at 11:00 AM.

Address: St. Ann Catholic Church, 4057 US 70 Bus.West, Clayton, NC
Admission: Contact Dave Smith: dtsmith333@yahoo.com or 919.255.0285

October 15

For more than 20 years, the North Carolina Wine Festival has brought local North Caroline wineries, artisans, music, food, and fun together into one great event. Enjoy live music from Chairmen of the Board, The Shakedown, and The Patrick Rock Band! Since last year, the North Carolina Wine Festival has worked to improve attendee experience. Expect more space between wineries and artisans and an expanded VIP area.

Address: Koka Booth Amphitheater, 8003 Regency Pkwy, Cary, NC 27518
Admission: from $40, available for purchase online

November 6

Come see how easy it is to find healthy plant-based foods in Raleigh at Raleigh Veg Fest. Find local sources of eco-friendly and cruelty-free products. Learn about the science behind the benefits of a plant-based diet. Featuring expert speakers, cooking demos, vendors, and animal rescues—with entertainment and activities for the whole family!

Address: Moore Square Historic District, 200 N Blount St Raleigh, NC 27601
Admission: Free

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