Things to do in Raleigh
Things to do in Raleigh, newest first: events, festivals, parks and family days out, with dates, times and the organizer's own link.
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Pullen Park Holiday Express 2026: dates, tickets, resale
Holiday Express at Pullen Park runs Dec. 1-17, 5 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets sold out after the Oct. 15 sale; resale is at face value on Ticketmaster only.
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Things to do
Things to do in Raleigh this month: October 2026
Raleigh, late October 2026: Halloween trunk-or-treats Oct. 29-31, the City of Oaks Marathon Nov. 1, the Christmas Parade Nov. 21 and Messiah Dec. 4-5.
Greenways
Parks and trails in Raleigh
Raleigh has more than 200 parks and over 100 miles of greenway trails, open dawn to dusk. The Neuse River Trail runs 27.5 miles. Parks office: 919-996-3285.
Father's Day
Father's Day in Raleigh 2027: events, car shows, brunch
Father's Day 2027 is Sunday, June 20. Free things to do with Dad in Raleigh, from the science museum to the greenways, and where to look for 2027 events.
Halloween
Halloween events in Raleigh 2026
Halloween 2026 in Raleigh: free trunk-or-treats Oct. 29-31, Haunted at the Pines Oct. 30, Pumpkin Palooza at Pullen Park and Fear Fest for teens.
Free
Free things to do in Raleigh: museums, parks, trolls and more
Free things to do in Raleigh: the N.C. Museum of Art and its park, the science museum, the Capitol, Dix Park's trolls and playground, and the greenways.
N.C. State Fair
N.C. State Fair 2027 dates: Oct. 14-24 in Raleigh
The 2027 N.C. State Fair runs Oct. 14-24 at the Raleigh fairgrounds. See the 2026 prices, free days and parking, and the 910,584 final turnout.
City of Oaks Marathon
City of Oaks Marathon 2026: race day, start times, packet pickup
City of Oaks Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 1: 7 a.m. start at 400 Glenwood Ave., road closures from 3 a.m. to 1 p.m., parking decks and Oct. 30-31 packet pickup.
Artsplosure
Artsplosure, the Raleigh Arts Festival: dates, map, what to know
Artsplosure, the Raleigh Arts Festival, fills Fayetteville Street on the third weekend of May with about 175 artists and two stages. 2027 dates not yet out.
St. Patrick's Day
Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade 2027: date, route, parking
Raleigh's St. Patrick's Day Parade steps off at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 13, 2027, on Hillsborough Street. Streets on the route close at 8 a.m.
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Nutcracker
The Nutcracker in Raleigh 2026: Carolina Ballet dates, times
Carolina Ballet's Nutcracker plays Raleigh Memorial Auditorium Dec. 10-24, 2026, with live music. Every show time, plus youth Nutcrackers Nov. 13-14 and Dec. 5.
Arts
Arts and exhibitions in Raleigh: October 2026
Arts in Raleigh, October 2026: Ancient Nubia at the NCMA to Jan. 10, Dracula's last weekend, Jewels Nov. 19-22, Messiah Dec. 4-5 and Burning Coal's Seafarer.
Things to do
Things to do in Raleigh this weekend, Oct. 23 to 25
The N.C. State Fair's final weekend, Kooky Spooky at Marbles Friday, the last Haunted Trolley tours, Carolina Ballet's Dracula and free Halloween fun Saturday.