The Town of Cary is presenting several Black History Month programs in February of 2026. The theme this year is “The Brilliance of Resilience.” Some of the events are free and some are ticketed.
Learn about more Black History Month events throughout the Triangle.
Please make sure to follow each link to register.
Events at Cary Arts Center
A Night of Jazz, R&B and Funk with Chip Shearin
Saturday, February 14, 2026
7 p.m.
Cary Arts Center
101 Dry Avenue, Cary, NC
$35 to $40
Visionary bassist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chip Shearin has left his mark on music history, from his iconic bassline on the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” to touring and recording with legends like Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson, and Dizzy Gillespie. As President of the National Black Musicians Coalition, Shearin continues to shape the future of music while producing for major brands and for film and television. His bass hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and his influence spans the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to the Smithsonian.
The Willie Hinton Collection — RISE: The Story of Love and Resilience
Saturday, February 28, 2026
7 p.m.
Cary Arts Center
101 Dry Avenue, Cary, NC
$14 to $20
An interactive, educational multimedia experience presented in celebration of Black History Month. Blending dance, theater, and music, the show explores the intersection of mental health, spiritual well-being, and self-care, offering the arts as a powerful tool for healing and connection.
This performance is more than a show; it’s a call to reclaim healing through heritage and the expressive power of the arts.
Youth Advocacy Summit
Saturday, February 28, 2026
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cary Arts Center
101 Dry Avenue, Cary, NC
Free, but registration is required
Ages 8-18
Calling all changemakers!
Put your ideas into action at the Town of Cary’s Annual Youth Advocacy Summit and learn how to make a positive impact on your school, community, and the world! Through a series of interactive workshops, panel discussions, and hands-on activities, you’ll learn the basics of social impact storytelling, civic engagement, collaboration, and self and community care while making friends and exploring opportunities for further engagement and leadership.
Events at Page-Walker Arts & History Center
Christopher Evans: “Within the Light-Finding the Balance”
January 7 to March 7, 2026
Page-Walker Arts & History Center
119 Ambassador Loop, Cary, NC
Free
North Carolina native Chris Evans creates deeply personal art inspired by his childhood, culture, and community. For him, creating art is a necessary expression, fueled by emotion and instinct. His work questions conventions, stirs emotions, and encourages viewers to experience art freely. Show runs through March 7.
Events at Downtown Cary Park
Cooking Demo: SoulFULL Celebrations
Friday, February 6, 2026
6 to 8 p.m.
Downtown Cary Park, 327 S Academy Street, Cary, NC
Academy Pavilion
Free (Registration required)
Chef Amelia Irene will demonstrate how to bring nostalgia to your next gathering while providing a health supportive party menu that is plentiful in flavor and fun! We will explore the emotional connection to food and how celebrations create lasting memories that are rooted in tradition and food! The menu will include a signature mocktail, dips, and party staples of the 70’s that have been updated with healthier alternatives.
The Future of Black History
Saturday, February 21, 2026
1 to 3 p.m.
Downtown Cary Park, 327 S Academy Street, Cary, NC
Academy Pavilion
Free
“The Brilliance of Resilience” is this year’s Future of Black History Month program theme, celebrating the power, creativity, intellect, and legacy of Black resilience throughout American history. This event brings together community members, students, educators, and leaders for an afternoon of reflection, inspiration, and collective empowerment.
Keynote Speaker, Dr. Yohuru Williams is a nationally recognized historian, prolific author, and sought-after commentator whose work focuses on the Civil Rights Movement, social justice, and education reform. His dynamic storytelling and nuanced historical insight make him one of the most respected scholars and orators of our time.
Art Cart inspired by Black History
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
12 to 3 p.m.
Downtown Cary Park, 327 S Academy Street, Cary, NC
Academy Pavilion
Free
Let your creativity bloom with our Art Cart in the Park! Explore a world of artistic possibilities with our free offerings. Whether it’s Park Art, where we provide exciting crafts for everyone to enjoy, or Art Your Way, where kids can unleash their imagination with a variety of supplies, there’s something for every budding artist! Come join the artistic fun and let your creativity soar in the heart of the Park.
Game Night with Black and Nerdy Gamers
Friday, February 27, 2026
6 to 10 p.m.
Downtown Cary Park, 327 S Academy Street, Cary, NC
Academy Pavilion
Free
Black and Nerdy Gamers (BANG) take over Academy Pavilion for a Black History Game Night full of trivia, music bingo, and some of your favorite nerdy games—all celebrating Black people and Black culture.
The Cary Theater
A Raisin in the Sun (1961 version)
February 15, 2026
12 p.m.
The Cary Theater
122 E Chatham Street, Cary, NC
$8.53
This lauded drama follows the Youngers, an African-American family living together in an apartment in Chicago. Following the death of their patriarch, they try to determine what to do with the substantial insurance payment they’ll soon receive. Opinions on what to do with the money vary. Walter Lee (Sidney Poitier) wants to make a business investment, while his mother, Lena (Claudia McNeil), is intent on buying a house for them all to live in — two differing views of the American Dream.
The Color Purple (1985 version)
February 19, 2026
7 p.m.
The Cary Theater
122 E Chatham Street, Cary, NC
$8.53
An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie’s abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing “Mister” Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Based on the novel by Alice Walker.
Mornings with the Arts Film Series — Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts
February 21, 2026
11 a.m.
The Cary Theater
122 E Chatham Street, Cary, NC
$8.53
This illuminating documentary explores the life of a unique American artist, a man with a remarkable and unlikely biography. Bill Traylor was born into slavery in 1853 on a cotton plantation in rural Alabama. After the Civil War, Traylor continued to farm the land as a sharecropper until the late 1920s. Aging and alone, he moved to Montgomery and worked odd jobs in the thriving segregated black neighborhood. A decade later, in his late 80s, Traylor became homeless and started to draw and paint, both memories from plantation days and scenes of a radically changing urban culture.
Art Class Inspired by Bill Traylor
February 21, 2026
1 p.m.
The Cary Theater
122 E Chatham Street, Cary, NC
$13.99
Join us as we take a closer look at the meaningful work of Bill Traylor. We will study his drawings and paintings, discussing his use of simple figures to depict memories and tell important stories. We will then create our own paintings on cardboard in the style of Bill Traylor. Materials provided.
A Conversation and Book Signing with Mark Curry
February 22, 2026
3 p.m.
The Cary Theater
122 E Chatham Street, Cary, NC
$16.78
Mark Curry is an American rapper who signed with Bad Boy Records in 1997 and rose to prominence as part of the label’s golden era. He is best known for his appearance on the iconic hit “Bad Boy for Life” alongside Sean “Puffy” Combs and Black Rob, and for his contributions to several major Bad Boy projects before departing the label in 2005.
Dancing with the Devil: A Conversation with Mark Curry is an intimate, unfiltered fireside chat with the former Bad Boy recording artist as he reflects on his decade inside the music industry. Curry will speak candidly about working with Sean “Puffy” Combs, the realities of how major record labels operate, and the darker, often unseen side of the business. He will also discuss his memoir Dancing with the Devil and his involvement in the Netflix documentary Sean Combs: The Reckoning.
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:
More Black History Month Events
Check out a list of Black History Month events and sites in the Triangle, or see a few of them here. More are being added all the time.
Leave a Reply