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
Friday, May 15, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Open Nursery and Garden Days at Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Garden | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Plant Delights Nursery |
| Tasting at Ten -- free coffee tasting at Counter Culture Coffee | 10:00 am | FREE | Counter Culture Coffee Headquarters and Training Center, Durham |
| Got to be NC Festival | 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | NC State Fairgrounds |
| Cary Night Market | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Cary Park |
| Durham Foodie Fare | 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Durham Central Park |
| Teen Science Cafe at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Morehead Planetarium, Chapel Hill |
| Exhibit Opening- To Love and Live Free: The 1986 Mayoral Recall Fight and the Origins of Durham Pride | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Museum of Durham History |
| Third Friday Durham -- art receptions, exhibits and performances | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Durham City Center |
| Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Raleigh |
| Smithfield River Jam Concert Series: Jim Quick and Coastline Band | 7:00 pm | FREE | Neuse River Amphitheatre, Smithfield |
| Third Space Music Open Mic Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lanza’s Cafe, Carrboro |
| 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 |
| Video Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| 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, May 16, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham Craft Market | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Durham Central Park |
| Spring Open Nursery and Garden Days at Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Garden | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Plant Delights Nursery |
| Lowe's DIY-U Kids' Workshop: Garden Basket | 10:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | Lowe’s (multiple stores) |
| Wheels on Academy, including Touch-a-Truck | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Cary Town Hall |
| Got to be NC Festival | 10:00 am to 10:00 pm | FREE | NC State Fairgrounds |
| Free Yoga for Durham Residents | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Holton Career and Resource Center, Durham |
| Millbrook United Methodist Church Food Pantry | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Millbrook United Methodist Church, Raleigh |
| Open Farm at Sunrise Community Farm Center | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | $8.00 | Sunrise Community Farm Center, Chapel Hill |
| Artsplosure | 11:00 am to 7:00 pm | FREE | Fayetteville Street, Downtown Raleigh |
| Durham Greek Festival | 11:00 am to 8:00 pm | FREE | St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church |
| Family Saturday Series: Charles and Jackson Pettee -- Catch the Bluegrass Bug | 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 |
| Durham Really Really Free Market | 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm | FREE | Orchard Park, Durham |
| Visit Cow Sanctuary | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | $0-25.00 | Brajboro Cow Sanctuary, Chapel Hill |
| Pop-Up Raleigh Art & Vintage Market | 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Trophy on Maywood |
| 55th Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival | 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Rock Quarry Park, Durham |
| Irish Music Jam | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| Live Music | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Raleigh |
| Raleigh Twilight Market | 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Smoky Hollow, Raleigh |
| Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | The Beerded Lady Bottle Shop, Garner |
Sunday, May 17, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Open Nursery and Garden Days at Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Garden | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Plant Delights Nursery |
| 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 |
| Artsplosure | 10:00 am to 6:00 pm | FREE | Fayetteville Street, Downtown Raleigh |
| Got to be NC Festival | 10:00 am to 8:00 pm | FREE | NC State Fairgrounds |
| Durham Greek Festival | 11:00 am to 7:00 pm | FREE | St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church |
| Hillsborough Really Really Free Market | 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm | FREE | Gold Park, Hillsborough |
| Visit Cow Sanctuary | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | $0-25.00 | Brajboro Cow Sanctuary, Chapel Hill |
| Free air hockey tournament | 1:00 pm | FREE | Super Rad Retro Lounge Arcade Bar, Raleigh |
| Artspace Open Studio | 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm | FREE | Artspace, Raleigh |
| Live Music: Jenkins & the Rabbit | 2:00 pm | FREE | The Fall Line, Zebulon |
| Open Mic Jam | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Oaklyn Springs Brewery, Fuquay-Varina |
| Open Mic Night | 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Raleigh |
| Arts at St. Luke's: May Musicale | 4:00 pm | FREE | St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Durham |
| Bluegrass Open Jam | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Bond Brothers Eastside, Cary |
| The Sunday Set | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | The Durham Hotel |
| Cary Town Band Concert: Summer Sizzle | 5:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Cary Park |
| Sunday Open Mic at Moon Dog Meadery | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
Monday, May 18, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Free yoga at Dix Park (registration required) | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Harvey Hill at Dix Park |
| Early Karaoke | 6:00 pm | FREE | The Northside District |
| Open Mic Night | 6:00 pm | FREE | Steel String Brewery, Carrboro |
| Tap Yard Yoga -- pay what you can | 6:30 pm | Tap Yard, Raleigh | |
| Cosmic Chuckles: Weekly Comedy Show | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Flying Saucer 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 | 7:30 pm | FREE | Speakeasy, Carrboro |
| Air Hockey Tournament | 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar and Arcade, Raleigh |
Tuesday, May 19, 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 |
| Coffee & Connection | 9:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | The Williams House Craft Taproom, Cary |
| Tequila Tuesday | 11:00 am to 8:00 pm | Discounted | bmc brewing, Pittsboro |
| Free line dancing class | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | The Snow Approach, Hillsborough |
| 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 | 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 |
| Craft & Draft Tuesdays | 6:30 pm | FREE | Crank Arm Brewing, 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 |
| Game Night and $6 drafts | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | The Williams House Craft Taproom, Cary |
| Video Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Moon Dog Meadery and Bottle Shop, Durham |
| Karaoke Night | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Boxcar Bar + Arcade, Durham |
| Open Jam | 9:00 pm | FREE | Slims, Raleigh |
