6/15
Ally J
Just beat it! Channel your inner old soul and vibe to Ally J’s sultry and expressive R&B via Music on the Lawn at Heights House. heightshousenc.com
6/15
Lore
“Part smooth sailing, part careening chaos.” Change your tune and dive into the anarchic blues-grunge combo of Nashville-based duo Laura Reed and Laur Joamets via That Station’s Artist Notes at NC State’s Centennial Campus. Rock on! thatstation.net
6/15
Spaces for Queer Joy
Thursday—but make it gay and make it spark joy. Pop over to CAM Raleigh for this panel discussion with local DJs and event producers to chat the cruciality of having queer nightlife spaces for the LBGTQ+ community in Raleigh. camraleigh.org
6/16
Dierks Bentley: Gravel & Gold Tour
If you’re “a little found, a little don’t know where I am,” come a little closer to the road to gravel & gold as the country crooner kicks up some dirt at the Creek. walnutcreekamphitheatre.com
6/16
NiiTO x Johnathan Scales Fourchestra
Populate the “paper town” via the hometown stop of NiiTO’s 11-show tour. Let’s jam! thepourhousemusichall.com
6/16
Sacred Soul and Bluegrass Revue – Pinecone
Now that’s finger pickin’ good! Settle in for an evening evoking rural downhome NC tunes—think bluegrass, string band, quartet gospel and soulful rhythms reminiscent of Black churches across Eastern North Carolina. martinmariettacenter.com
6/16
The Token Straight Friend Ally Party
There’s always that one friend… Show your support for the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies via this Green Monkey Pride party. “Isn’t it time we celebrated our ally friends?!” greenmonkeyraleigh.com
6/16–17
The Southeastern Plant Symposium and Rare Plant Auction
One of the nation’s largest gatherings of plant lovers and experts is returning to Raleigh for two days of unbeleafable horticulture education and fellowship. You grow, girls (and boys)! jcra.ncsu.edu
6/16–18
Nate Jackson
Let the “laff tracks” commence. Join global comedy performer and Washington state native as he brings the sillies to the Goodnights stage. goodnightscomedy.com
Opens 6/17
Spiders: Fear to Fascination
Clear out the cobwebs! We’re giving eight thumbs up for the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ immersive and entertaining spider exhibition descending onto the scene this week. naturalsciences.org
6/17
Cumulus: A Day Party
Have your head in the clouds? Then float on over and cumulonim-bust a move at this daytime dance party feat. electronic dance tunes. between2clouds.com
6/17
Father’s Day Market
Need a last-minute gift for dad? Roll up to this Father’s Day market filled with the most dad-esque items (think bourbon, candles, outdoor apparel and more). Alexa, put the Home Depot theme song on blast. olderaleighdistillery.com
6/17
Official Pride Bar Crawl
Color the town via this crawl through some of Raleigh’s best bars and nightclubs—plus cheers with discounted rainbow-themed drinks and dance the night away to local DJs. Better shake what your mama gave ya! eventbrite.com
6/17
Pride Market and Drag Show
All are welcome at Hartwell’s Pride market benefiting the LGBT Center of Raleigh that promises to be bigger and better than last year’s event thanks to 20+ local vendors, food trucks and more. We’re def coming out! hartwellraleigh.com
6/17
Raleigh Retro Gamers Summer Expo
Got game? Get outta control via this DTR expo feat. a slew of gaming vendors, live music, food trucks and more. Let’s play! raleighretrogamers.com
6/17
Rebelution Good Vibes Summer Tour 2023
“Fade away” into the good vibes that are sure to be in order from one of the most popular reggae rock music bands in the country. Feeling alright, indeed! redhatamphitheater.com
6/17–18
Goathouse Refuge Art Show
Feline fine! Help connect cats with loving families and join the local Pittsboro animal shelter for a two day art show featuring local painters, sculptures, jewelers and more. goathouserefuge.org
6/18
GAG Yacht Club Tea Dance
If you like big decks and you cannot lie, get down with your bad self at Johnson Street Yacht Club’s second tea dance—a long-held gay tradition originating in 1966 in New York’s Fire Island Pines at the now-famous Blue Whale bar—of the summer. Who’s got the tea? @jsyachtclub
6/18
Luau Party
Crank it up, y’all! … And crack open a cold one in a fun Hawaiian costume for a luau lounge party that’s sure to tropic like it’s hot. crankarmbrewing.com
6/18
Soul Food: The R&B Picnic
Grub on food that’s “good for the soul” (essentially, mouthwatering Southern fare) amid vibey aesthetics and smooth R&B sounds. Sounds like a perf picnic, indeed! boothamphitheatre.com
6/18
Summer Solstice Mala Event
It’s hot girl summer… and what better way to flex the occasion than an outdoor yoga sesh celebrating the official start of the hot season. To boot, there’s a live DJ and a complimentary blue beauty spritz included. Oh, let the mat-ness begin! doseyogaraleigh.com
6/20
Mad for Madtoms
Cat(fish) got your tongue? Meet the Carolina Madtom, a federally endangered tiny catfish native to NC and exclusively found in the Neuse River Basin. Just keep swimming! naturalsciences.org
6/20
Moose Tracks 10,000 Scoops Challenge
Want the scoop? Moose Tracks is amping up the cool factor in the City of Oaks via 10,000 free (!) scoops of ice cream in DTR benefiting The Salvation Army of Wake County. How sweet! moosetracks.com
6/21
History at High Noon: Fifteen Hurricanes That Changed the Carolinas
Calling all storm chasers! Kick off hurricane season via some cloudy history with author and hurricane historian Jay Barnes. Ready to be rocked like a hurricane? ncmuseumofhistory.org
6/21
Live After 5
Get groovin’ for the third installment of DRA’s spring concert series feat. a handful of local performers, including Hard Tuck, Kate Rhudy, Joseph Terell, Chessa Rich and King Akira. See you after 5! downtownraleigh.org
6/21
Make Music Raleigh
Let’s make some sweet music. Roll up to streets, sidewalks and parks across the city for a samplin’ of sounds feat. Instrument Zoo, a preview of Raleigh’s Anniversary of Hip-Hop Music Celebration, World of Bluegrass festival and more. Play on! makemusicday.org
6/21
Summer Solstice Yoga
Breathe in, breathe out. Take advantage of the longest day of the year (aka the first day of summer!) with a sunrise yoga sesh at Flowers Field. dixpark.org
6/21–7/1
National Women’s Theatre Festival
There’s no need to feel upstaged. Grab a seat for this annual festival’s 8th season (!) feat. performances, workshops, community convos and other happenings all focused on females and other marginalized gender artists. The show must go on! womenstheatrefestival.com
