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, December 1, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walgreens Senior Day: 20% off for rewards members age 55+ | All Day | Walgreens (multiple locations) | |
| The Lumina Theater in Southern Village: All Tuesday tickets are $6.25 | All Day | $6.25 | The Lumina Theater, Chapel Hill |
| Tuesday Toss: Roll the dice to decide your $5 draft fate | All Day | Discounted | Der Nachbar Bottleshop & Taps, Durham |
| Sculpture in the Garden (free with $5 suggested donation) | 9:00 am to 5:00 am | FREE | North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill |
| Durham Chess Enthusiasts | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Der Nachbar Bottleshop & Taps, Durham |
| Free line dancing class | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | The Snow Approach, Hillsborough |
| Run, Sweat, Beers RUN CLUB | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Growler Grlz, Durham |
| North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival (price varies) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Koka Booth Amphitheatre | |
| Adult Coloring Night | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing at Golden Belt, Durham |
| Poker Night | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | KōMANA Brewing Company, Cary |
| Bond Brothers Run Club | 6:00 pm | FREE | Bond Brothers Beer Company |
| Chess Club | 6:00 pm | FREE | Bearded Bee Brewing Company, Wendell |
| Pints and Pups Adoption Event with Hope Animal Shelter | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Ponysaurus Brewing Co., Raleigh |
| Craft and Draft Tuesdays | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Crank Arm Brewing Company, Raleigh |
| Beer & Banjos in Raleigh | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard, Raleigh |
| Astronomy on Tap | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Fullsteam Brewery ATC, Durham |
| Bounce and Brews DJ Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| Jeopardy! Bar League Trivia | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Edit Beer Co., Raleigh |
| Beer & Banjos Carrboro | 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Speakeasy, Carrboro |
| BEERthoven: Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle with guest artists (optional donation) | 7:30 pm | Atomic Clock Brewing Co., Durham | |
| Karaoke Night | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar + Arcade, Durham |
Wednesday, December 2, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sculpture in the Garden (free with $5 suggested donation) | 9:00 am to 5:00 am | FREE | North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill |
| Durham Community Day at Museum of Life + Science: free admission for Durham County residents | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Museum of Life+Science, Durham |
| 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 |
| Board Game Night | 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| Catalog Cupping -- Taste Counter Culture's menu | 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm | FREE | Counter Culture Coffee Headquarters and Training Center, Durham |
| Line Dancing Classes | 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm | FREE | Compass Rose Brewery, Raleigh |
| Free Acro Yoga at Pullen Park | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Pullen Park, Raleigh |
| Play chess with Durham Chess Club (all ages and levels) | 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Durham Food Hall |
| North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival (price varies) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Koka Booth Amphitheatre | |
| Free Community Dinner | 6:00 pm | FREE | The Church of Reconciliation (The Rec), Chapel Hill |
| Bring Your Own Craft Night | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Raleigh Brewing, Raleigh |
| Crank Arm Durham Wednesday Night Ride | 6:30 pm | FREE | Crank Arm Brewing, Durham |
| Raleigh Drum Circle and Hoop Jam | 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Pullen Park, Raleigh |
| Ballroom Dancing Social with Pullen Dance | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | $5.00 | Pullen Community Center |
| Wednesday Singer/Songwriter Sessions | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Speakeasy, Carrboro |
| Stitch N' Bitch Craft Night | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Steel String Brewery, Carrboro |
| DSSOLVR Durham Bingo Night | 7:00 pm | FREE | DSSOLVR Durham |
| Trivia Night | 7:00 pm | FREE | Raleigh Beer Garden |
| Salsa Night: Dance Lessons and Social | 7:30 pm to 11:30 pm | $10.00 | KōMANA Brewing Company, Cary |
| Weekly Skee Ball Tournament | 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar + Arcade, Durham |
| City Soul Cafe Open Mic | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | $10.00 | Terminal 8 Bar & Lounge, Raleigh |
| Open Mic Night | 8:00 pm | FREE | Abbey Road Cary |
| Beer Pong Tournament | 8:30 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar and Arcade, Raleigh |
Thursday, December 3, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stammtisch (German community night) with steins of German beers for pint prices | All Day | Der Nachbar Bottleshop & Taps, Durham | |
| Sculpture in the Garden (free with $5 suggested donation) | 9:00 am to 5:00 am | FREE | North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill |
| Bilingual Storytime | 10:30 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Nasher Museum of Art, Durham |
| Durham Beer and Banjos | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Old Mill Farm, Durham |
| Vinyl Nights | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival (price varies) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Koka Booth Amphitheatre | |
| Raleigh Uke Jam | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Church of the Nativity, Raleigh |
| Science Trivia | 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Nature Research Center (North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences), Raleigh |
| Music Bingo | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Fortnight Brewing, Cary |
| Opinionation | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Raleigh |
| Air Hockey Tournament | 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar + Arcade, Durham |
| Jazz: The Session | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Bond Brothers Eastside, Cary |
| Cosmic Cantina Karaoke | 8:00 pm to 11:59 pm | FREE | Cosmic Cantina, Chapel Hill |
| Skee Ball Tournament | 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar and Arcade, Raleigh |
| Karaoke hosted by Empress | 9:00 pm | FREE | Speakeasy, Carrboro |
Friday, December 4, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sculpture in the Garden (free with $5 suggested donation) | 9:00 am to 5:00 am | FREE | North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill |
| Tasting at Ten -- free coffee tasting at Counter Culture Coffee | 10:00 am | FREE | Counter Culture Coffee Headquarters and Training Center, Durham |
| 19th Annual St. Nicholas European Christmas Market | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | NC State Fairgrounds |
| First Friday in Downtown Fuquay-Varina | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Fuquay-Varina |
| Artspace First Friday: Live Art-Making and more | 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Artspace, Raleigh |
| First Friday Under the Stars -- Skywatching Event | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Three Bears Acres, Creedmoor |
| First Friday Gallery Walk in Raleigh | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Various locations |
| First Friday at Eno Arts Mill -- studio tours, live music, kids' activities, more... | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Eno Arts Mill, Hillsborough |
| North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival (price varies) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Koka Booth Amphitheatre | |
| Dance with Raleigh International Folk Dancers | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Glen Eden Pilot Park, Raleigh |
| Stand-up Comedy Open Mic | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Durty Bull Brewing Company, Durham |
| Pub Karaoke | 10:00 pm to 11:59 pm | FREE | West 94th Street Pub, Durham |
Saturday, December 5, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Museums on Us: Free admission to Marbles Kids Museum first weekend of month for Bank of America customers and employees | All Day | FREE | Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh |
| Cars and Coffee Morrisville | 8:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Imperial Center, Durham |
| Home Depot Kids Workshop: Holiday Train | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | The Home Depot, multiple locations |
| Sculpture in the Garden (free with $5 suggested donation) | 9:00 am to 5:00 am | FREE | North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill |
| Durham Craft Market | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Durham Central Park |
| Youth Aviation Academy Program (registration required) | 10:00 am to 12:30 pm | $10.00 | John Chavis Memorial Park (Raleigh) |
| 19th Annual St. Nicholas European Christmas Market | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | NC State Fairgrounds |
| Millbrook United Methodist Church Food Pantry | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Millbrook United Methodist Church, Raleigh |
| Visit Cow Sanctuary | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | $0-25.00 | Brajboro Cow Sanctuary, Chapel Hill |
| Saturday Slowdown Market and Open Farm Day | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | RambleRill Farm, Hillsborough |
| Open Farm at Sunrise Community Farm Center | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | $8.00 | Sunrise Community Farm Center, Chapel Hill |
| RTP Underground Market | 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | FREE | Hub RTP |
| Family Saturday Series: Joshua Lozoff: Life is Magic | 11:00 am | $5.00 | The Carolina Theatre, Durham |
| Historic Raleigh Trolley Tours (1-hour long; 4 start times) | 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | $6.00-10.00 | Mordecai Historic Park, Raleigh |
| Free Guided Tour of N.C. State Capitol (three start times: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.) | 11:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | North Carolina State Capitol, Raleigh |
| The Market at NCMA | 11:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh |
| Carrboro Really Really Free Market | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Carrboro Town Commons |
| North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival (price varies) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Koka Booth Amphitheatre | |
| Karaoke | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Crank Arm Brewing, Durham |
| Open Mic/Karaoke Night | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Compass Rose Brewery, Raleigh |
