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
Thursday, August 20, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Kids' Movie at Triangle Cinemas: Trolls | 10:00 am | FREE | Triangle Cinemas @ Six Forks |
| 50% off select bourbon | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | Discounted | Fortnight Brewing, Wake Forest |
| Free Wine Tasting on the Rooftop | 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | 10th & Terrace at Residence In Raleigh Downtown |
| 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 |
| NC Run Club | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Bottle Theory, Apex |
| Raleigh Uke Jam | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Church of the Nativity, 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 |
| Public Domain Movie Night | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | bmc brewing, Pittsboro |
| 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 |
| 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, August 21, 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 |
| Free Wine Tastings | 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm | FREE | Bottle Theory, Apex |
| Cary Night Market | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Cary Park |
| Fridays on the Front Porch | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill |
| Durham Foodie Fare | 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Durham Central Park |
| Dancing at Dix -- free square dancing (registration required) | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Gipson Play Plaza, Dix Park, Raleigh |
| Summer at The Springs: All Y'all Country All-Stars | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Holly Springs Cultural Center |
| NCMA Outdoor Films at Moore Square: Wicked: For Good | 6:00 pm | FREE | Moore Square, Raleigh |
| 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 |
| Front Porch Friday at Haven Farm | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Haven Farm, Knightdale |
| Live @ ATC: Velvet Beat | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | American Tobacco Campus |
| Groovin' in Garner: EnVision | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Garner Recreation Center |
| Dance with Raleigh International Folk Dancers | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Glen Eden Pilot Park, Raleigh |
| Bynum Front Porch Friday Night Music Series | 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Bynum Front Porch, Pittsboro |
| 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 11:55 pm | FREE | KōMANA Brewing Company, Cary |
| Movie Night | 7:00 pm | FREE | Raleigh Brewing, 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, August 22, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visit Cow Sanctuary | 8:00 am to 12:00 pm | $0-25.00 | Brajboro Cow Sanctuary, Chapel Hill |
| Durham Craft Market | 8:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Durham Central Park |
| Cary's Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Cary |
| Marbles Museum's Kick-off to Kindergarten for Rising Traditional Kindergartners (registration required) | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh |
| The Raleigh Market | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Raleigh Market (at N.C. State Fairgrounds) |
| Brightleaf Harvest Day | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Duke Homestead |
| Black History Walking Tour | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | $6.00-10.00 | Pope House, Raleigh |
| 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 |
| Vege-Palooza: Vegan and vegetarian tastings, samplings and cooking demonstrations | 11:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Weaver Street Market Raleigh |
| Family Saturday Series: A Wild Goose Chase: Puppets and Poetry | 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 |
| Cary Really Really Free Market | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Walnut Street Park, Cary |
| Annual Kirby Derby | 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Dorothea Dix Park |
| Glow Market | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | PourWorks Beer and Wine Shop, Raleigh |
| Saturdays in Saxapahaw Outdoor Concert Series | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | The Haw River Ballroom, Saxapahaw |
| Live Music | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Raleigh |
| Live Music Saturdays | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Durham |
| Durham Summer Concerts in the Park: Wilson Springs Hotel | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Forest Hills Park, Durham |
| Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Fortnight Brewing, Wake Forest |
| CaryLive! Concert Series: Delta Rae | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Downtown Cary Park |
| Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse Concert | 7:30 pm | FREE | Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse, Durham |
| Rhythm & Reels Movie: Mario Galaxy | 8:00 pm | FREE | Apex Nature Park |
| Open Mic/Karaoke Night | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Compass Rose Brewery, Raleigh |
Sunday, August 23, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visit Cow Sanctuary | 8:00 am to 12:00 pm | $0-25.00 | Brajboro Cow Sanctuary, Chapel Hill |
| The Raleigh Market | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Raleigh Market (at N.C. State Fairgrounds) |
| Cary's Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Cary |
| Durham Underground Market | 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | FREE | Durham Central Park |
| Sunday Morning Yoga | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Compass Rose Brewery, Raleigh |
| Sunday Brunch Music on the lawn of Weaver Street Market in Carrboro | 11:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | Weaver Street Market Carrboro |
| The Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo | 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Fayetteville Street, Downtown Raleigh |
| Morgan Street Sessions | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Morgan Street Food Hall & Market, Raleigh |
| Black Farmers' Market in Raleigh | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Southeast Raleigh YMCA |
| Sunday Board Games at Guildhall Games | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Boxyard RTP |
| Free air hockey tournament | 1:00 pm | FREE | Super Rad Retro Lounge Arcade Bar, Raleigh |
| Craft Club & Supply Swap | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | The Glass Jug Downtown Durham Taproom |
| Open Mic Night | 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Gizmo Brew Works, Raleigh |
| Bluegrass Open Jam | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Bond Brothers Eastside, Cary |
| Raleigh Concert Series: Carpe Diem Saxophone Quartet | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Fred Fletcher Park, Raleigh |
| Sundays at Sundown Live Music | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Southern Village, Chapel Hill |
Monday, August 24, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andia's Ice Cream: Buy one get one free sundae | All Day | Discounted | Andia’s Ice Cream, multiple locations |
| Coloring Vinyl Night | 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | KōMANA Brewing Company, Cary |
| Silent Reading Club | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | The Glass Jug Downtown Durham Taproom |
| Board Game Night | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Bottle Theory, Apex |
| Open Mic Night | 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Steel String Brewery, Carrboro |
| Early Karaoke | 6:00 pm | FREE | The Northside District |
| Cosmic Chuckles: Weekly Comedy Show | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Flying Saucer Raleigh |
| Game Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Crank Arm Brewing Company, Raleigh |
| 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 |
