Memorial Day 2025 in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and surrounding areas, will feature many events, both to commemorate our fallen military personnel, and to just celebrate the beginning of the summer.
Memorial Day is Monday, May 26, 2025, and Memorial Day Weekend starts Friday, May 23.
We will be adding freebies and discounts for military personnel as soon as they’re announced. Also, please scroll down for our full calendar for Memorial Day Weekend 2025 in the Triangle.
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Memorial Day Weekend Ideas
Memorial Day Themed Guided Tours at Bennett Place
Bennett Place Historic Site, at 4409 Bennett Memorial Road, Durham, NC, is offering Memorial Day Themed Guided Tours on May 3, 10, 17 and 24, 2025, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. The tour is $2 for ages 13-64, and $1 for children and seniors.
Following the end of the American Civil War, grieving families and friends across the nation mourned their loved ones by decorating their graves in remembrance. The tradition took root and became Memorial Day.
Experience a guided tour of Bennett Place grounds to learn more about the history of the holiday and several Americans who died in military service. The grounds tour includes a guided walk along our Memorial Line, a temporary rope installation designed to visualize and commemorate the human cost of war.
Visitors are welcome to contribute to the Memorial Line by adding notes, artwork, or names of loved ones who died in military service.
Town of Cary
The Town of Cary is holding a Memorial Day Remembrance on Monday, May 26, 2025, at 2:30 p.m., at Veterans Freedom Park, 1517 N. Harrison Avenue, Cary, North Carolina. The ceremony will feature remarks from Cary Town Council, special guest speaker Paul Berry, and patriotic music from Cary Town Band. Attendees are invited to visit the Freedom Tower Monument at the park and partake in complimentary refreshments before and after the ceremony.
Limited seating will be available, but you’re encouraged to bring your own lawn chair.
Town of Garner
The Town of Garner’s Memorial Day Observance will take place Monday, May 26, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., at the Garner Veterans Memorial in Lake Benson Park, 921 Buffaloe Road, Garner.
Town of Apex
Apex’s Memorial Day Ceremony takes place Monday, May 26, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., at the Downtown Service Memorial, 220 N Salem Street, Apex, North Carolina.
Knightdale
The Town of Knightdale will hold a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 26, 2025, at 11 a.m., at the Knightdale Veterans Memorial at Knightdale Station Park, 810 N First Avenue, Knightdale, North Carolina.
Free Flags
Ace Hardware is giving away American Flags for Memorial Day on Saturday, May 24, 2025. No purchase required. While supplies last. These are 8″x12″ stick flags, suitable for placing on a grave, field, or garden as a tribute to a fallen serviceman or servicewomen.
JAWSFest
Head to the Midway of Chapel Hill to kick off the summer with JAWSFest on Sunday, May 25, 2025. You can expect a flea market, watching Jaws movies, live music, a mechanical shark, a dunk tank and more. Some of the participating businesses are Local 506, The Baxter, and Lapin Bleu.
Taste of Soul
Enjoy a wide variety of food, plus music and vendors, at Taste of Soul. It takes place at Durham Central Park, 501 Foster Street, Durham, North Carolina, on Saturday, May 24, 2025, from 3 to 8 p.m. Admission is free. Just pay for your food and drink.
Sundays at Sundown Concert
On Sunday evenings, Sundays at Sundown Music Series takes place on the Green at Southern Village, 600 Market Street, Chapel Hill. There’s no cover charge. The band on Sunday, May 25, 2025, is The Triangle Jazz Orchestra.
Six Sundays in Spring
Wake Forest’s Six Sundays in Spring features Blackwater Band on Sunday, May 25, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road, Wake Forest, North Carolina. Free to attend.
Hiking
Please check out our list of some of the best hikes in the Triangle, our photo guide to hiking eight N.C. State parks, and our photo guide to North Carolina waterfalls.
NC Sugar Rush Dessert Market
On Sunday, May 25, 2025, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., head to City Plaza in Downtown Raleigh to satisfy your sweet tooth. NC Sugar Rush is a dessert-only food market. Look for ice cream, Italian Ice, cupcakes, funnel cakes, candy apples and more.
Memorial Day Weekend Freebies and Discounts
Check back soon. We’ll be adding the freebies and discounts as they’re announced.
Sullivan’s Steakhouse: Sullivan’s Steakhouse is offering two Sullivan’s Signature Angus Burger & Fries for only $26. Valid May 23 to 26, 2025, for Memorial Day weekend. Only available for online orders at sullivanssteakhouse.com.
Checkers & Rally’s: Available on an ongoing basis, Checkers & Rally’s is offering a combo for $4 that includes choice of a cheese double or spicy chicken sandwich, a side of fries, a 12-oz. drink and a cinnamon apple pie.
These are some of the businesses that had deals or freebies in past years, so we’ll be on the lookout.
- Auntie Anne’s
- Cinnabon
- Jamba
- Hooters’
- Outback Steakhouse
- Marco’s Pizza
- Olde Raleigh Distillery
- Hickory Tavern
- Krispy Kreme
- Olive Garden
- Bonefill Grill
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