The Triangle events calendar features free and cheap things to do every day in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and elsewhere in the Triangle. Think there's nothing to do? Look at this list to get some ideas. You'll find concerts, festivals, fitness events, and much more.
Click each title to see more information about the event or deal. You can also view the whole month (click "By Month") or see a specific date (click By Day).
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Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Triangle on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and it's also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
You might also be interested in one of these more specific calendars:
- Free things to do this week in the Triangle
- Free and cheap kids' events in the Triangle
- Live music around the Triangle
- Free museum days
- Triangle brewery calendar
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walgreens Senior Day: 20% off for rewards members age 55+ | All Day | Walgreens (multiple locations) | |
| Blades and Badges Day at Skate Fenton: first responders and military get $3 off (check website for hours) | All Day | Discounted | Fenton, Cary |
| Tequila Tuesday | 11:00 am to 8:00 pm | Discounted | bmc brewing, Pittsboro |
| Mystery Pint Night: Pull to Win | 3:00 pm | FREE | Oak City Brewing Company, Knightdale |
| Illuminate Art Walk in Downtown Raleigh | 4:45 pm | FREE | Downtown Raleigh |
| "Glue & Good Intentions" Vision Board Night | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Ment Beverage Co., Durham |
| Pints and Pups Adoption Event | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Ponysaurus Brewing Co., Raleigh |
| North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival (price varies) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $16.74-30.64 | Koka Booth Amphitheatre |
| Adult Coloring Night | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing at Golden Belt, Durham |
| Bond Brothers Run Club | 6:00 pm | FREE | Bond Brothers Beer Company |
| Beer & Banjos in Raleigh | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard, Raleigh |
| Survey Says: Family Feud Night | 7:00 pm | FREE | Bombshell Beer Company, Holly Springs |
| Music Bingo | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| Video Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| Tricycle Trivia | 7:00 pm | FREE | Crank Arm Brewing, Durham |
| BEERthoven: Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle with guest artists (pay what you can) | 7:30 pm | Atomic Clock Brewing Co., Durham | |
| Movie Nights | 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Ponysaurus, Durham |
| Karaoke Night | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar + Arcade, Durham |
| Open Mic with a Live Band | 9:00 pm to 11:59 pm | FREE | Slims, Raleigh |
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board Game Night | 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| Board Game Night | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | PourWorks Beer and Wine Shop, Raleigh |
| Book Club at Bird's Nest | 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Blackbird Brewery, Wake Forest |
| Free Acro Yoga at Method Road Park (indoors) | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Pullen Park, Raleigh |
| Live Jazz in the Study | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Peck & Plume, Cary |
| North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival (price varies) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $16.74-30.64 | Koka Booth Amphitheatre |
| Clue and Brew: Scavenger Hunt | 6:30 pm | FREE | Oak City Brewing Company, Knightdale |
| Raleigh Drum Circle and Hoop Jam | 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Method Road Park, Raleigh |
| City Soul Cafe Open Mic | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | $10.00 | Terminal 8 Bar & Lounge, Raleigh |
| Karaoke Night at The Backyard Bar | 8:00 pm to 10:30 pm | FREE | The Backyard Bar, Apex |
| Weekly Skee Ball Tournament | 8:00 pm to 10:30 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar + Arcade, Durham |
| Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery | 8:00 pm to 11:45 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| Open Mic Week | 8:00 pm | FREE | Abbey Road Cary |
| Beer Pong Tournament | 8:30 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar and Arcade, Raleigh |
Thursday, January 8, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siler City History Club | 10:30 am to 11:30 am | FREE | First Baptist Church, Siler City |
| Throwback Thursday | 3:00 pm | Discounted | Oak City Brewing Company, Knightdale |
| Parktown Food Hub Open Distribution Day | 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm | FREE | Parktown Food Hub, Durham |
| North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival (price varies) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $16.74-30.64 | Koka Booth Amphitheatre |
| Doodle & Drink | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Ment Beverage Co., Durham |
| Music Bingo | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Fortnight Brewing, Cary |
| Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| Air Hockey Tournament | 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar + Arcade, Durham |
| Jazz Jam Open Mic | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Bond Brothers Eastside, Cary |
| Thursday Karaoke | 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Tap Yard, Raleigh |
| Skee Ball Tournament | 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar and Arcade, Raleigh |
Friday, January 9, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free food giveaway with Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Hopkins Chapel Baptist Church, Zebulon |
| Reflections: Virtual Tour | 2:00 pm | FREE | Nasher Museum of Art, Durham |
| Staff Pick Showdown | 3:00 pm | FREE | Oak City Brewing Company, Knightdale |
| Teen Science Café at Daily Planet | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Nature Research Center (North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences), Raleigh |
| 2nd Friday ArtWalk in Chapel Hill and Carrboro | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | |
| North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival (price varies) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $16.74-30.64 | Koka Booth Amphitheatre |
| Acoustic Open Mic Nights at Esmeralda's Cafe in Durham | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Esmeralda’s Cafe, Durham |
| Pitch It PowerPoint Night | 6:30 pm | FREE | Raleigh Brewing, Raleigh |
| Plant Bingo | 6:30 pm | $5.00 | Oaklyn Springs Brewery, Fuquay-Varina |
| CoLab: Paint, Paint, Pass -- Uncomfortable Together | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | CoLab, Raleigh |
| Bounce and Brews DJ Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| Karaoke Bingo Nights | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | KōMANA Brewing Company, Cary |
| Hoppy Hour Cinema Movie Series | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | The Glass Jug Downtown Durham Taproom |
| Video Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| Comedy Open Mic | 7:00 pm | FREE | The Common Market, Durham |
| Karaoke with Harryoke | 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Bombshell Beer Company, Holly Springs |
| Stand-up Comedy Open Mic | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Durty Bull Brewing Company, Durham |
| Karaoke with Mega Mike | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Crank Arm Brewing Company, Raleigh |
Saturday, January 10, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham Craft Market | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Durham Central Park |
| Right-Sizing Your Stuff: How to Use Your Space Better | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Laurel Hills Community Center, Raleigh |
| Bluegrass Jam at Bynum Front Porch | 10:00 am | FREE | Bynum Front Porch, Pittsboro |
| Weekend Nature Walk in Durham Parks | 10:30 am to 11:30 am | $1030.00-1130.00 | Rock Quarry Park, Durham |
| 10th Anniversary Party and Bonfire | 11:00 am to 7:00 pm | FREE | Oak City Brewing Company, Knightdale |
| JCPenney Kids Zone: free crafts for kids | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | JCPenney, participating locations |
| Visit Cow Sanctuary | 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | $0-25.00 | Brajboro Cow Sanctuary, Chapel Hill |
| Seed Swap at Durham Co-Op Market | 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm | FREE | Durham Co-Op Market |
| New tour at NC State Capitol -- learn about the ancient Greek & Roman symbols | 12:00 pm | FREE | North Carolina State Capitol, Raleigh |
| Hockey Pre-Game and Tailgate: Canes vs. Kraken | 12:00 pm | FREE | Raleigh Brewing, Raleigh |
| Repair Cafe in Chapel Hill | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Seymour Center, Chapel Hill |
| Rainbow Exchange Vendor Market | 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Speakeasy, Carrboro |
| Three Kings Day Parade | 1:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Cary |
| Saturday Comedy Improv Jam Meetup | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| Life on the Land | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Historic Yates Mill County Park |
| MLK: Celebrating the Legacy Through the Arts | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | W.D. Hill Recreation Center, Durham |
| Puzzle Swap | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Raleigh Brewing, Raleigh |
| The Irish Session | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Bond Brothers Eastside, Cary |
| Christmas Tree Burning Parties | 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | Steel String Brewery, Pluck Farm (Mebane) |
| Under the Silver Moon Lantern Parade | 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | Downtown Cary |
| Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Fortnight Brewing, Wake Forest |
| North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival (price varies) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $16.74-30.64 | Koka Booth Amphitheatre |
| Live Music | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Southern Peak Brewery, Apex |
| Town of Carrboro's Poets Party | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Drakeford Library Complex, Carrboro |
| Speakeasy's Price is Right Trivia, Queer Cabaret and Dance Party | 7:00 pm | FREE | Speakeasy, Carrboro |
| Live Music: Robert Hunter | 7:00 pm | FREE | Oaklyn Springs Brewery, Fuquay-Varina |
| Karaoke Night | 7:00 pm | FREE | Old North State Food Hall, Selma |
| Cold Brew Comedy Series | 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm | $11.16 | Lanza’s Cafe, Carrboro |
| Live music: Mike Paris, John Gillespie, The Raven and The Remedy | 7:30 pm | FREE | Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse, Durham |
