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
Monday, October 20, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC Countdown to College: Application fees waived for many NC colleges and universities | All Day | FREE | |
| North Carolina State Fair | All Day | $5.00-13.00 | NC State Fairgrounds |
| Total Tot Time: free play program for kids up to age 5 | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | W.D. Hill Recreation Center, Durham |
| Día de Muertos Ofrenda at Duke Chapel | 10:00 am to 8:00 pm | FREE | Duke University Chapel |
| Monday Night NFL Football Watch Party | 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Crank Arm Brewing Company, Raleigh |
| Halloween Yappy Hour with Chatham Animal Rescue | 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm | $10.00 | Carolina Brewery Pittsboro |
| Durham Beer Garden: 75¢ wings (dine-in only) | 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $0.75 | Durham Beer Garden |
| Open Mic Night | 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Steel String Brewery, Carrboro |
| Cornhole Tournament at Raleigh Brewing | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Raleigh Brewing, Raleigh |
| Cosmic Chuckles: Weekly Comedy Show | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Flying Saucer Raleigh |
| Adult Coloring Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | KōMANA Brewing Company, Cary |
| Game Night | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Crank Arm Brewing Company, Raleigh |
| Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| Carrboro Open Mic at Speakeasy | 8:00 pm to 11:59 pm | FREE | Speakeasy, Carrboro |
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Citizen Day at NC State Fair (ages 65+ get in for free) | All Day | FREE | NC State Fairgrounds |
| NC Countdown to College: Application fees waived for many NC colleges and universities | All Day | FREE | |
| North Carolina State Fair | All Day | $5.00-13.00 | NC State Fairgrounds |
| Sculpture in the Garden (free with $5 suggested donation) | 9:00 am to 5:00 am | FREE | North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill |
| North Hills Kids: Bubbles & Books | 9:30 am to 11:30 am | FREE | The Commons at North Hills, Raleigh |
| Día de Muertos Ofrenda at Duke Chapel | 10:00 am to 8:00 pm | FREE | Duke University Chapel |
| Campfire Storytime | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Blooming Daisy Homestead, Spring Hope |
| Incredible Science | 1:30 pm | FREE | North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh |
| Window on Animal Health | 1:30 pm | FREE | Nature Research Center (North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences), Raleigh |
| Book Club: The Hunting Party | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Southern Peak Brewery, Apex |
| Pints & Pups | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Ponysaurus, Durham |
| 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 |
| Artful Evenings: Live Art on Tuesdays at JB Duke Hotel | 6:00 pm | FREE | JB Duke Hotel, Durham |
| Beer & Banjos in Raleigh | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard, Raleigh |
| Beginner/Improver Line Dancing Classes | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | $10.00 | Mystic Farm and Distillery, Durham |
| Crafts & Drafts | 6:30 pm | FREE | Crank Arm Brewing Company, Raleigh |
| Mystery Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Ment Beverage Co., Durham |
| Music Bingo | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| Beer & Banjos Carrboro | 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Speakeasy, Carrboro |
| Video Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| BEERthoven: Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle with guest artists (pay what you can) | 7:30 pm | Atomic Clock Brewing Co., Durham | |
| Open Mic | 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm | FREE | Yonder: Southern Cocktails & Brew (Hillsborough) |
| Weekly Swing Dancing and Lesson at Back Studio Stomp in Durham (pay what you can) | 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm | Back Studio Stomp, Durham | |
| International Jazz Open Jam: Gaston Reggio Group | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Neptune’s Parlour, Raleigh |
| Terror Tuesdays: Halloween 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, October 22, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC Countdown to College: Application fees waived for many NC colleges and universities | All Day | FREE | |
| North Carolina State Fair | All Day | $5.00-13.00 | NC State Fairgrounds |
| Sculpture in the Garden (free with $5 suggested donation) | 9:00 am to 5:00 am | FREE | North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill |
| Total Tot Time: free play program for kids up to age 5 | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | W.D. Hill Recreation Center, Durham |
| Día de Muertos Ofrenda at Duke Chapel | 10:00 am to 8:00 pm | FREE | Duke University Chapel |
| Storytime in the Pumpkin Patch | 10:30 am | FREE | Highland United Methodist Church, Raleigh |
| Board Game Night | 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| Free Walking Tour of Chapel Hill | 1:00 pm | FREE | Morehead Planetarium, Chapel Hill |
| Incredible Science | 1:30 pm | FREE | North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh |
| Window on Animal Health | 1:30 pm | FREE | Nature Research Center (North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences), Raleigh |
| Market Bunch Kids' Activities | 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Carrboro Farmers’ Market |
| "Pay What You Can" Farm Stand at Raleigh City Farm | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Raleigh City Farm |
| Board Game Night | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | PourWorks Beer and Wine Shop, Raleigh |
| Horror Trivia Night | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Drakeford Library Complex, Carrboro |
| Wine + Weed (learn about plants and farming) | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Raleigh City Farm |
| Improv Theatre | 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | Fair Game Beverage Co., Pittsboro |
| Wine Down Wednesday -- live music, plus wine specials | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | La Vita Dolce at Southern Village |
| Bring Your Own Craft Night | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Raleigh Brewing, Raleigh |
| Ballroom Dancing with Live Music | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | $8.00 | Pullen Community Center |
| Monthly Pinball Tournament | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar + Arcade, Durham |
| Hammered Trivia | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Sneaky Penguin Brewing Company, Raleigh |
| Open Mic with Adam Lee Decker | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Growler Grlz, Durham |
| Stitch N' Bitch Craft Night | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Steel String Brewery, Carrboro |
| 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 |
Thursday, October 23, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smithfield Foods Hunger Relief Day at NC State Fair: Donate 6 cans of food and get in for free | All Day | FREE | NC State Fairgrounds |
| NC Countdown to College: Application fees waived for many NC colleges and universities | All Day | FREE | |
| North Carolina State Fair | All Day | $5.00-13.00 | NC State Fairgrounds |
| Sculpture in the Garden (free with $5 suggested donation) | 9:00 am to 5:00 am | FREE | North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill |
| Stroll Through History: Free Cemetery Tours at Historic Oakwood Cemetery | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh |
| Día de Muertos Ofrenda at Duke Chapel | 10:00 am to 8:00 pm | FREE | Duke University Chapel |
| Free slider at Dave's Hot Chicken | 11:00 am to 9:00 pm | FREE | Dave’s Hot Chicken, participating locations |
| Incredible Science | 1:30 pm | FREE | North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh |
| Bricks & Brews | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Raleigh |
| Parktown Food Hub Open Distribution Day | 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm | FREE | Parkwood United Methodist Church |
| Durham Night Market | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | American Tobacco Campus |
| Clayton Harvest Festival | 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Horne Square (Clayton) |
| Live music on rooftop of Westin Raleigh-Durham | 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | Westin Raleigh-Durham |
| Southern Peak Halloween Costume Fun Run | 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Southern Peak Brewery, Apex |
| Bright Black: Scented Reading Club | 6:00 pm | FREE | Bright Black, Durham |
| Live Music: Davis Tucker | 6:00 pm | FREE | Bearded Bee Brewing Company, Wendell |
| Open Mic (music and poetry) | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | The Common Market, Durham |
| Game Night | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | The Beerded Lady Bottle Shop, Garner |
| Vinyl Nights | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| Pluck Farm Open Mic Night | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Steel String Brewery, Pluck Farm (Mebane) |
| Crossroads Plaza Weekly Fall Music Series: Monica Kennedy | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Crossroads Plaza (Cary) |
| Thursday Night Music: Heads Up Penny | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Angier Depot Square |
| Witches Night Out on the roof of The Durham | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | The Durham Hotel |
| Line Dancing Classes and Open Dance | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | $10.00 | Mystic Farm and Distillery, Durham |
| Spirits of Wake Forest: ghost walks in Downtown Wake Forest (multiple start times) | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | $20.00 | Wake Forest Town Hall |
| Comics Book Club Meeting | 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 |
| Level Up and Sip | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Crank Arm Brewing, Durham |
| Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| Free Square Dance Fun Nights with Cary Cross Trailers | 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | First United Methodist Church, Cary |
| 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 |
Friday, October 24, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC Countdown to College: Application fees waived for many NC colleges and universities | All Day | FREE | |
| North Carolina State Fair | All Day | $5.00-13.00 | NC State Fairgrounds |
| Sculpture in the Garden (free with $5 suggested donation) | 9:00 am to 5:00 am | FREE | North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill |
| Día de Muertos Ofrenda at Duke Chapel | 10:00 am to 8:00 pm | FREE | Duke University Chapel |
| Junior League of Raleigh's 41st Annual Shopping SPREE! | 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm | $12.00-15.00 | Raleigh Convention Center |
| Incredible Science | 1:30 pm | FREE | North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh |
| Trick or Treat Downtown in Fuquay-Varina | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Fuquay-Varina |
| Boo Bash! (costume parade, trick or treat, more) | 3:00 pm | FREE | Lightbridge Academy, Durham |
| Trunk or Treat with Hillsborough Police Department | 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Hillsborough Police Station |
| Pumpkin Flotilla at Bond Park | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Fred G. Bond Metro Park |
| Haunted Hill Halloween event in Chapel Hill: trunk or treat, ghost stories, and a movie -- The Addams Family | 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Chapel Hill Community Center Park |
| Halloween Event at Weaver Street Market Carrboro: Stories Under the Stars (costume contest, entertainment, treats) | 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | Weaver Street Market Carrboro |
| Friday Market & Movie Night: Inside Out 2 | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Moore Square, Raleigh |
| Clayton Harvest Festival, including Trunk or Treat | 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Horne Square (Clayton) |
| Boo 'n' Brew Halloween Train Ride (3 start times) | 5:15 pm to 8:45 pm | $18.61 | New Hope Valley Railway |
| Bike Night | 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Red Moose Brewing Company, Pittsboro |
| Teen Science Cafe at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Morehead Planetarium, Chapel Hill |
| 10th Annual Zombiepalooza | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Cary Park |
| Vinyl Night | 6:00 pm | FREE | Sneaky Penguin Brewing Company, Raleigh |
| Free Wine Tasting | 6:00 pm | FREE | Local 919, Raleigh |
| Discover India: Costumes of India | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Cary Arts Center |
| Ghostly Spooktacular | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Green Road Community Center, Raleigh |
| Duke Homestead's Halloween Phantasmagoria | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | $15.00 | Duke Homestead |
| Chime In Open Mic (poetry, storytelling songwriting) | 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Lanza’s Cafe, Carrboro |
| Spirits of Wake Forest: ghost walks in Downtown Wake Forest (multiple start times) | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | $20.00 | Wake Forest Town Hall |
| Haunted Walk at Bond Park | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $5.00 | Fred G. Bond Metro Park |
| Halloween Party | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Lonerider Brewing Company |
| Live Music: The Roosevelt Room Band | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Lonerider Brewing Company |
| Free Outdoor Movie Night: Ghostbusters | 7:00 pm | FREE | The Mason Jar Lager Company, Fuquay-Varina |
| Live Music: Heather Rogers | 7:00 pm | FREE | Oaklyn Springs Brewery, Fuquay-Varina |
| 3rd Annual Chelsea Theater Halloween Horror: Film, live music, costume contest, more... | 7:00 pm | $12.00-15.00 | Chelsea Theater, Chapel Hill |
| Bounce and Brews DJ Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| Haunted Trolley at Mordecai Park (3 tours) | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $15.00 | Mordecai Historic Park, Raleigh |
| Live Band Karaoke (ticket includes one cocktail) | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $10.00 | Mystic Farm and Distillery, Durham |
| Video Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| Live Music | 7:00 pm | FREE | Growler Grlz, Durham |
| Karaoke Under the Stars | 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | The Glass Jug Beer Lab, RTP |
| 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 |
| A Good Time: Stand-Up Comedy Showcase | 8:00 pm | FREE | Vault Craft Beer, Raleigh |
| Karaoke Bingo Nights | 9:00 pm | FREE | KōMANA Brewing Company, Cary |
