9/22
Willard Wine Dinner: South Africa
Switch up your next alfresco evening with South African fare via The Willard’s four-course wine and dine experience featuring the culinary craft of executive chef James Cundiff (paired with six Southern African wines, natch!). thewillardraleigh.com
9/22–25
Aries Spears
Spear some time to see Chicago native and comedian/actor Aries Spears bring the laughs to Raleigh Improv. improv.com
9/22–25
Jerome Robbins’ The Concert
Dance your way to Carolina Ballet to view Robbins’ captivating study of the secret thoughts and fantasies of a concert audience (juicy!), along with three additional ballets. How on pointe! carolinaballet.com
9/23
iDKHOW and Joywave
You’ll want to “travel at the speed of light” to The Ritz to see these two perform. … We DKHOW you could miss it! ritzraleigh.com
9/23
Marbles Imagination Ball
Having a ball doesn’t have to be reserved for the kiddos! Mark your calendars for Marble’s 11th annual “Grown-Up Gala,” an event intended to raise funds so every child “has the chance to imagine, discover, learn and play.” With fun decor, games, live music and an auction, this fundraiser is sure to be beyond your imagination. Play on! marbleskidsmuseum.org
9/23
Nothin’ Special
No biggie, but Between2Clouds is hosting a mini-electronic music fest in downtown Cary feat. three stages of melodic music, a curated art gallery and a projection mapping installations—and it’s gonna be a vibe. between2clouds.com
9/23
Oktoberfest at Compass Rose
Hail to the ale! North Carolina’s largest taproom is celebrating Oktoberfest with the release of its Wunderfest on tap, live accordion music, and fresh pretzels and brats. It almost sounds too gut to be true! compassrosebrewery.com
9/23
Pluto Gang
You’ll be “better out here” if you see Pluto Gang at The Pour House—with special guest Late Notice to boot! thepourhousemusichall.com
9/23–24
Opening Weekend: Pictures at an Exhibition
Picture this: Music Director Designate Carlos Miguel Prieto leads the NC Symphony in Ravel’s impactful orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Get ready to have your mind blown. ncsymphony.org
9/23–25
Raleigh Balloon Festival
Pop on over to the popular fest for hot air balloons, food and retail vendors, kid-friendly activities, and nightly balloon glow and tethered rides that’ll have you floating on the edge of your seat—literally. balloonglowtour.com
9/23–10/29
Tweetsie Railroad Ghost Train
All aboard… if you dare! Tweetsie Railroad is being transformed into a haunted attraction complete with a ghost train, decorations and other scary spectacles. Saddle up for spooks! tweetsie.com
9/24
Adventure Awaits Festival
Care for a quest? Explore a world of medieval magic—think dragons, castles and knights—and make sure to don your most debonair attire. Adventure sir-tainly awaits! raleighnc.gov
9/24
Bond Brothers 5K
Allow us to jog your memory. The Bond Brothers 5K is back with a 3.1-mile course, followed by a block party with brews—natch. bondbrothers5k.com
9/24
Evening of Pawsibilites
Celebrate Second Chance Pet Adoptions 35th birthday with a pawsome night of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, raffles, silent and live auctions, a pet costume contest, and more. secondchancenc.org
9/24
Farm Aid
Get ready to rock out with your (country) boots out. Fan-fave Farm Aid (est. in 1985 to help keep family farmers on the land) is back for the first time since 2014—and bigger and better than ever, staging founders Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp, NTM Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow, Chris Stapleton and more. farmaid.org
9/24
Triangle Fermentation Festival
Whatcha know about fermentation? Head to Botanist & Barrel for a fun afternoon of demonstrations, presentations, hands-on workshops, food tastings and a vendors market. Batch, please! botanistandbarrel.com
9/24
Festa Italiana
There’s no reason to be upsetti when you have spaghetti, so get your fill of Italian culture via food vendors, music, art and the like at the fourth annual Festa Italiana in DTR. Mamma mia! festaitalianaraleigh.com
9/24
Lunge Forward Triangle Walk & Celebration
It’s time to take another step against lung cancer. For the 16th year, the Triangle LUNGe Forward Walk & Celebration will feature activities fit for the whole fam, as well as opps to take action and provide help and hope to those impacted by lung cancer. boothamphitheatre.com
9/24
Makers Market
If you haven’t checked out Fenton yet, Triangle Pop-Up’s Makers Market is the perfect excuse! Shop from local vendors lining Fenton Square while jamming to live music—and afterward, hit up one of the development’s new restaurants! fentonnc.com
9/24
NC State vs. UCONN
Wolf sniffs out husky. #WITH gopack.com
9/24
Yoga and Mimosas
Will bend for alcohol. Crab your crew and head to Hummingbird for an hourlong vinyasa flow class by Unita Yoga—followed by free mimosas (!). We’ll cheers to that! hummingbirdraleigh.com
9/24
Yoga on the Patio at Brookside Bodega
What’s up dog? Get your Zen in with a stretch sesh 90-minute yoga session led by Jessie of Yoga Vibes at Brookside Bodega. … When paired with a bottle of vino, the chill vibes are sure to keep going all day long. brooksidebodega.com
9/24–25
The Raleigh Market
This fan-fave market is closing out its last weekend before the NC State Fair with a bang—think 300 vendors, food trucks and a pop-up vintage clothing market (!). theraleighmarket.com
9/25
Break the Cycle
Spend the day behind bars (handlebars, that is), at The Women’s Center’s second annual Break the Cycle event to benefit homeless women—plus enjoy an afterparty with music, drinks and food trucks. Oh, wheel, yeah! wcwc.org
9/25
Centro’s Quinceañera Drag Queen Brunch
Hey, queens. Don your most dashing quinceañera fit for a drag queen show, drinks and brunch at Centro. Tickets benefit Poder NC, a nonprofit that “builds people power in the growing Latinx community in North Carolina.” centroraleigh.com
9/25
Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo
Roll out for good eats! The final DTR Food Truck Rodeo of the season will feature 40 food trucks lining Fayetteville Street—and um, don’t forget you can drink in the streets now too! Talk about a perfect Saturday. downtownraleighfoodtruckrodeo.com
9/25
Equal Parts
Sip, sup and support Planned Parenthood at William & Company’s cocktail fundraising event. We’re always down to cheers to a great cause! @willcobar
9/25
Fall Fest
Feeling gourd? Kick off the fall season at Seven Saturdays Taproom’s with live beats, beer, eats from Bomb A$$ Sandwich Co. and games. You really autumn check it out. rndbrewing.com
9/25
Fall Oyster Roast
No need to be clammy! Get roasted at Trophy Brewing’s first oyster roast of the season. Aw, shucks. trophybrewing.com
9/27
Alice in Chains + Breaking Benjamin
There’s “no excuse” not to catch genre-breaking grunge rockers Alice in Chains bend the boards with Breaking Benjamin and Bush at Walnut Creek. livenation.com
9/27
Architects
You’ll want to see Architects at The Ritz before they’re “gone with the wind.” ritzraleigh.com
9/27
Candle Making Workshop with Usu Company Candles
Get lit… and watch the sun go down atop The Willard rooftop as you sample, select and build a scent for a one-of-a-kind candle creation crafternoon—while sipping on a complimentary glass of wine or bubbly, natch. thewillardraleigh.com
9/27
Canes vs. Lightning
Find out what happens when lightning strikes in a hurricane for the preseason opener at PNC. nhl.com
