The top 13 things to do in Raleigh this weekend, Oct. 16-18
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Our curated list of the best things to do the weekend of October 9th - October 11th. You've worked hard this week-go have a little fun.
Eat something deep fried and ride the ferris wheel! The NC State Fair is heading to town. Food and agriculture take the stage at the NC State Fair. Not only can your homemade Cheerwine jelly win a ribbon from the home preservation competition, but you could walk away with a pretty penny for your goat or steer. The State Fair is about celebrating food and agriculture in North Carolina while creating healthy competition and has hundreds of (rather unhealthy) foods, from deep fried cookie dough to your traditional corn dogs. There are also a wide variety of carnival games and rides for you to enjoy! And you definitely won't want to miss taking your picture with the largest pumpkin in NC, too! (Photo via @raleighfoodpics)
Treat Yourself to Chocolate and Hot Jams at Videri's Third Thursday
Videri Chocolate Factory is inviting you to their place every third Thursday for music, chocolate and surprise collaborations. Maybe you'll even get to meet Willy Wonka. If you're a chocolate lover then you're probably already familiar with the chocolate creations from Raleigh's own Videri Chocolate Factory. Now in addition to tasty treats, they're bringing you Third Thursdays, a sweet monthly event series. One Thursday a month, they're bringing local music and acts, new chocolate tastings and unique pairings together for a tasty time.
Check their Facebook for specific event details each month. (Photo via @orlandoparkerjr)
Sing Happy Birthday to Cala Vera
Help Cala Vera celebrate 4 years with $4 margaritas and tunes from DJ Keith Ward. Oh, and it wouldn't be a party without piatas full of prizes! Your Thursday just got better! Turn this Thursday into Tequila Thursday and help Cala Vera celebrate 4 great years! They'll be serving up $4 El Jimador margs, DJ Keith Ward will be spinning Latin tunes starting at 8p and you'll have the chance to work off some stress by taking your best shot at the piata. (Photo via @kaitlin.willow)
Laugh Out Loud at Dangling Loafer
We know you need a good laugh more often than once a month, but it's hard to pass up a cheap show. The Dangling Loafers perform stand up comedy once a month at Kings Barcade. "On the third Friday of every month, the Dangling Loafers put on a stand-up show at the Kings Barcade-and it'll probably be the highlight of your month if you enjoy a good chuckle. You'll laugh a lot, and you'll definitely laugh hard (i.e. be careful when taking a sip of your drink during the middle of a joke, you might spray it everywhere while laughing). They bring in at least one featured comedian every month, along with some of the top notch local comedians! The show runs from 8-9:30 pm, so don't be late!
By the way, this is great date idea for settling those first date jitters and for people who are already coupled up and just want to wind down with some comic relief after a tough week! (Photo via @raleighfoodpics)
Kick Off Art It Up with a Seafood Boil
When a three-day arts festival comes to town, you've gotta fuel up! Do it up big at the Raleigh Brewing Company + NC Fresh Catch Seafood Boil and live art demo! The second Art It Up festival is taking over Hillsborough Street over the weekend and you can't have a huge arts festival without a kickoff party. That's where NC Fresh Catch and Raleigh Brewing Co. come in. They're teaming up for a block party and seafood boil in RBC's parking lot featuring fresh wild-caught shrimp, clams, andouille and smoked polish sausage, sweet corn, red potatoes, garlic, onions, cabbage. While you're digging in, large-scale live art demos will be happening on site. So large a paving roller is needed.
Tickets for the seafood boil can be purchased here for $14 (individual) or get together a foursome and grab a bucket for $50. Bonus, NC Fresh Catch emphasizes sustainable sourcing. Seafood, sausages and produce are bought directly from NC fishermen and farmers. (Photo via @snackcow)
Art It Up on Hillsborough Street
A three day arts festival is taking over Hillsborough Street around State's campus. Celebrate with art vendors, dance and theatre performances, education, food and fun. Raleigh, get ready for the 2nd Annual Art It Up festival to hit Hillsborough St. from Meredith College all the way to Irregardless Cafe. The weekend holds something for all tastes and price points-many events are free to attend, but there's also plenty of opportunities to purchase art!
Festival highlights include: an open dance rehearsal for A Christmas Carol at Theatre in the Park, an open house and salon sale at Pullen Arts Center, performances of Skippyjon Jones in Stewart Theatre (tickets needed), The Rivals at Raleigh Little Theatre and Belleville, the first production by Sonorous Road Productions, the new black box theatre on Oberlin Road.
Another don't miss performance is by the Rural Academy Theatre. They'll be performing at the NCMA on Saturday night, but they'll take the stage in the lush Stafford Commons outside of the new Talley Student Center on NC State's campus for free at 7p Sunday, October 18.
Check out the full schedule here. (Photo via @charles_phaneuf)
You've never had pancakes like this, that's for sure. Enjoy a breakfast by the PancakeBot in honor of the opening day of the NCMA's M.C. Escher exhibit. Too pretty to eat? Nah. "Celebrate art with the most inspiring breakfast pancakes you've ever seen! What exactly is a PancakeBot? The PancakeBot was dreamed up by inventor Miguel Valenzuela and his daughters during their morning ritual of whipping up breakfast together. They started getting fancy with intricate designs and eventually Miguel came up with idea to create a sort of 3-D printing pancake machine out of LEGOs. Now, after a Kickstarter campaign and a lot of hard work, the PancakeBot is dream turned reality. Grab a ticket to the PancakeBot Brunch for a breakfast buffet of custom Escher pancakes, bacon, fruit, beverages and more. Inventor Miguel Valenzuela and his daughter Lily will be on hand to design and create Escher-inspired pancakes! Tickets are $15 per person, kids under 2 are free.
Note: Admission to The Worlds of M. C. Escher not included in ticket price. (Photo via @coderkid)
Explore M.C. Escher's World at the NCMA
Get a glimpse inside the world of mathematical and artistic genius M.C. Escher at the NCMA's incredible exhibit The Worlds of M. C. Escher: Nature, Science, and Imagination.The NCMA really outdid themselves on this one! The exhibit is the most comprehensive exhibition on M.C. Escher EVER. The show takes a deeper dive on art that is often referenced in pop culture (think Night at the Museum< and Inception), but rarely given the attention it actually deserves. At 130 works, this show definitely does the trick! With works from the beginning of his career to the end, you get a real sense of the range and the development in his artistic perspective. Many of the pieces have never been displayed before, so hop this opportunity to see them while you can!
A ticket to The Worlds of M. C. Escher: Nature, Science, and Imagination also gets you entry into Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester and the Creative Mind. (Photo via @offlinemedia)
Jam Out at the American Roots Festival
The American Roots Festival brings an all-star music line-up in a mix of genres for a two day festival. Get ready for Eric Church, Willie Nelson, Modest Mouse, The Roots, Edward Sharpe and more! Since 1991, this venue has brought some of the biggest and baddest names in the music biz to Raleigh. The lawn is incredible-lay down a blanket, lounge and listen to the excellent sounds of this amphitheater space. Pre-show picnicking is encouraged, and there are tons of drinks and yummy snacks for sale inside.
Rain or shine, the show always goes on at Walnut Creek! They only schedule performances in the warmer months, though, so don't miss your chance to check out their awesome line-up this year. Tickets are available online! (Photo via @seanchaidh7)
Eat Your Greens at Triangle Veg Fest
Eat your veggie heart out at the Triangle Veg Fest! With over 70 vendors, food samples, cooking demos, yoga sessions, kids activities and live music, there's a little something for everyone! Even the carnivores can find something to love about the Veg Fest. First of all, FREE admission and FREE food samples! If you're a true veggie fanatic, there will be a lot to do, eat and see: 70+ vendors, live cooking demos, speeches from renowned Veg authors, celebs and advocates and food! The first 300 attendees receive a FREE tote bag full of samples and coupons! Last year attendees hit 4,000, so arrive early if you really want the tote.
There will also be multiple yoga sessions (bring your yoga mat) and a kids' activity area. Make sure you wander into Market Hall inside City Market for the indoor displays. (Photo via @fruitaholic__)
Sip Hops for Hope at the Cask Off
Find fierce competition and delicious beer at Hops for Hope. Ten teams join forces with ten breweries to compete for the best brew. What's your role in all of this? Master taste tester of course. "Tr na ng is hosting the Triangle's first ever "cask-off" to support Children's Flight of Hope. Here's how it works: 10 teams pair up with a brewery, each put their unique spin on a cask of beer, ticket holders sample and vote for the best! Tickets are $10 at the door.
All proceeds go to help Children's Flight of Hope, which provides free air transportation for critically ill and injured children. (Photo via @mydtraleighlife)
The summer concerts at NCMA represent one of the Triangle's longest-running and most selective outdoor music series. Grab a seat in the expansive stone amphitheater and soak up the energy. Each year when summer draws near, the NCMA amphitheater plays host to a summer-long music festival that features some of the world's finest singer-songwriters and outstanding musical ensembles from around the world. Throughout the series, thousands will grab a seat on the beautiful stone or in the surrounding woods, soak in the setting sun, and enjoy the sounds wafting from the nation's largest museum venue. From June until September, you'll find a variety of well curated acts, and occasionally, NCMA will show a movie afterwards that complements the show.
Tickets are normally less than $30 and can be found online through the Museum Box Office at (919) 715-5923, or in person during regular hours. Doors open 90 minutes before the show starts, get there early to secure a good seat! (Photo via @andreavillanes)
Join the Sunday Ramble in Midtown Park
Raleigh Head over to Midtown Park for sweet Sundays filled with bluegrass, BBQ and beer. Midtown Park in North Hills is wooing Raleighites with a sweet Sunday bluegrass series featuring some of the area's best pickers, plus BBQ, beer and a kids component too! For maximum comfort, bring your lawn chairs, blankets and coolers (but no outside alcohol) to lounge on the lawn.
(Photo via @midtownevents)
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