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 8, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Reflections: Public Tour | 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm | FREE | Nasher Museum of Art, Durham |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Karaoke Night | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar + Arcade, Durham |
Wednesday, December 9, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holly Springs Small Business Network | 9:00 am to 10:30 am | FREE | Bombshell Beer Company, Holly Springs |
| Chapel Hill Food Distribution Event | 9:30 am | FREE | Eubanks Road Park and Ride Lot, 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 |
| Board Game Night | 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| Free Sensory Friendly Playtime and Movie at Marbles Kids Museum | 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh |
| Free Acro Yoga at Pullen Park | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Pullen Park, Raleigh |
| Crokinole | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Blackbird Brewery, Wake Forest |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| Music Bingo | 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Growler Grlz, Durham |
| 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 10, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stammtisch (German community night) with steins of German beers for pint prices | All Day | Der Nachbar Bottleshop & Taps, Durham | |
| Stroll Through History: Free Cemetery Tours at Historic Oakwood Cemetery | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh |
| Parktown Food Hub Open Distribution Day | 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm | FREE | Parktown Food Hub, 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 | |
| Music Bingo | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Fortnight Brewing, Cary |
| PineCone Old-Time Music Jam at Riparian Provision Company | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Riparian Provision Co., Raleigh |
| Opinionation | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Raleigh |
| Unisong: Guided Song Circle | 7:45 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Current Wellness, 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 11, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasting at Ten -- free coffee tasting at Counter Culture Coffee | 10:00 am | FREE | Counter Culture Coffee Headquarters and Training Center, Durham |
| Reflections: Virtual Tour | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Nasher Museum of Art, Durham |
| Ackland Art Museum: Extended hours during 2nd Friday ArtWalk | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill |
| Chime In Open Mic (poetry, storytelling songwriting) | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lanza’s Cafe, Carrboro |
| 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 | Koka Booth Amphitheatre | |
| Dance with Raleigh International Folk Dancers | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Glen Eden Pilot Park, Raleigh |
| Family Feud: House Party Edition | 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | The Common Market, Durham |
| 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 12, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-pack for $12 | All Day | Discounted | Carolina Brewery Pittsboro |
| Durham Craft Market | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Durham Central Park |
| Lowe's DIY-U Kids' Workshop: Holiday Trolley Car | 10:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | Lowe’s (multiple stores) |
| International Holiday Market | 10:00 am to 6:00 pm | FREE | City Plaza, Raleigh |
| 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 |
| Visit Raleigh Fire Museum 2nd Saturday of month (for free) | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Raleigh Fire Museum |
| Open Farm at Sunrise Community Farm Center | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | $8.00 | Sunrise Community Farm Center, Chapel Hill |
| JCPenney Kids Zone: free crafts for kids | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | JCPenney, participating locations |
| 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 |
| Apex Underground Market | 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | FREE | Sweetwater Apex |
| 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 |
| Second Saturday Plant Swap | 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm | FREE | Durham Beer Garden |
| The Irish Session | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Bond Brothers Eastside, Cary |
| North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival (price varies) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Koka Booth Amphitheatre | |
| A Stand-Up Comedy Game Show | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | The Beerded Lady Bottle Shop, Garner |
| 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 |
