Touch-a-Truck at Sanderford Road
2026-04-25 11:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Sanderford Road Community Center, 2623 Sanderford Rd, Raleigh, NC, 27610
Receive a free, hands-on experience with vehicles of all kinds at Sanderford Road’s annual Touch-A-Truck event.
This interactive, family-friendly event allows children and adults to see, touch, and safely explore their favorite trucks and heavy machinery.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet the individuals who operate these vehicles while protecting, serving, and improving the Raleigh community.
This event will also include a “No Horn Hour” to ensure that guests with sensitive hearing can comfortably experience the vehicles.
Details
Location: Sanderford Road Park
Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (No Horn Hour, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.)
Ages: All
Cost: Free

Stitching Stories Reimagined Opening
2026-04-25 12:00 - 17:00 | DIX Park, 1030 Richardson Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27603
Celebrate the arrival of Stitching Stories Reimagined to Dix Park. This traveling public art exhibit from Arise Collective showcases stories of addiction, abuse, COVID-19, and resilience, by using mosaic walls and mirrors to foster empathy, advocacy, and healing. Mix and mingle at the Greg Poole, Jr. All Faiths Chapel before viewing the community-initiated piece at 1100 Umstead Drive (near the chapel).

First Friday Market and Movie
2026-05-01 17:00 - 21:00 | Moore Square, 200 S. Blount St., Raleigh, NC, 27601
Raleigh Parks’ Moore Square, in partnership with @Get2KnowRaleigh, welcomes back the First Friday Market & Movie Night series for the 2026 season.
This free monthly event brings the community together for local vendors, food trucks, live music, and a featured outdoor movie in the heart of downtown Raleigh.
Join us on the first Friday of each month from May through November, with the market and food trucks beginning at 5 p.m., live music at 5:30 p.m., and the movie starting around 7:15 p.m.
2026 First Friday Movie Lineup

May 1 – The Incredibles (2004)
June 5 – Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
July 3 – Hamilton (2020)* “Celebrate America 250!”
(movie will begin at 6 p.m.)
Aug. 7 – Zootopia 2 (2025)
Sept. 4 – Remember the Titans (2000)
Oct. 2 – Ghostbusters (1984)
Nov. 6 – Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)* (movie will begin at 6:30 p.m.)

Details
Market & Food Trucks: 5 – 9 p.m.
Live Music: 5:30 p.m.
Movie: 7:15 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: Free
Presented in partnership with Get 2 Know Raleigh. Movie sponsored by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance.

First Friday Craft Night
2026-05-01 18:00 - 21:00 | City of Raleigh Museum, 220 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC, 27601
Swing by and get creative!
We’ll have free crafting and collaging supplies ready for you to play, experiment, and make something uniquely yours. Plus, the City of Raleigh Museum is joining the First Friday fun with extended hours!
Details
Location: City of Raleigh Museum
Date: Friday, May 1
Time: 6 – 9 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: Free

Green Road Family Sneaker Ball
2026-05-01 18:30 - 21:00 | Green Rd Community Center, 4201 Green Rd, Raleigh, NC, 27604
Mark your calendars for a fun-filled family sneaker ball!
This family-friendly event is sure to knock your socks off! Come dressed in semi-formal attire and your coolest kicks.
This event will have an awesome DJ, games, arts and crafts, and food trucks. Let us see your sneaker game while you dance the night away.
Location: Green Road Community Center
Ages: All
Cost: Free
Register on RecLink

Celebrate Bike Month at Chavis with Oaks and Spokes
2026-05-06 16:00 - 18:00 | John Chavis Community Center, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
Get ready to ride, roll, and have a blast! Join Oaks & Spokes, Wake County Safe Routes to School, and John Chavis Memorial Park for an exciting Community Bike Rodeo and Traffic Garden Event.
This fun-filled afterschool celebration brings together active movement, safe streets, Bike Month, and Bike & Roll to School Day.
At the Kids Bike Rodeo, children will build confidence on two wheels while learning important bike safety skills. They’ll zoom through an obstacle course and explore a Traffic Garden, a child-sized streetscape where kids can practice road safety through hands-on play and imagination.
Details
Location: John Chavis Memorial Park
Ages: All
Cost: Free
No Registration is Required

Lost Raleigh: Exploring the Oak City's Architectural History Book Launch
2026-05-08 18:00 - 20:00 | City of Raleigh Museum, 220 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC, 27601
Don’t miss an unforgettable evening with the authors of Lost Raleigh: Exploring the Oak City’s Architectural History, Ian F. G Dunn and Mary Ruffin Hanbury!
This book is a comprehensive look at the city’s cultural and architectural past and a plea to protect and preserve the landmarks that make our cities unique, connecting us to our shared history. Grab your copy, get it personally signed, and walk away with an exclusive, limited edition bookmark absolutely free.
Details
Location: City of Raleigh Museum
Ages: All
Cost: Free

Dr. M.T. Pope House Presents: Black Joy in the Springtime
2026-05-09 14:00 - 15:00 | Pope House Museum, 511 S Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC, 27601
Music played a central role in American family life during the 19th and early 20th centuries, long before the advent of television and cellphones.
African American households embraced music as a powerful means of self-expression. Through gospel, jazz, blues, and classical music, African Americans found a way to share their stories, joys, and sorrows. ‘Black Joy in the Springtime’ beautifully highlights this rich musical heritage at one of Raleigh’s historic African American homes. Enjoy a delightful musical performance by Shenette Swann.
Details
Location: Pope House Museum
Date: Saturday, May 9
Time: 2 – 3 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: Free

REFUGE Film Screening and Panel
2026-05-09 18:30 - 20:30 | City of Raleigh Museum, 220 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC, 27601
Join us for a screening of the 2023 documentary REFUGE.
The film follows a former white nationalist leader as he begins to confront his beliefs after connecting with a Muslim refugee doctor and the community in Clarkston, Georgia. Through their experiences, REFUGE looks at the roots of hate and what it can take to move past it.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with local and national experts on how people and communities work through division, build trust, and find common ground.
Learn more about the REFUGE Film Screening and Panel

Details
Location: City of Raleigh Museum
Date: Thursday, May 7
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: Free
Register for Tickets via Eventbrite

Live After 5
2026-05-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Moore Square, 200 S. Blount St., Raleigh, NC, 27601
We’re excited to welcome select Live After 5 performances to Moore Square as part of Downtown Raleigh’s summer concert series, presented by Downtown Raleigh Alliance.
Join us for free live music, food trucks, and an unforgettable evening downtown. Shows begin at 7 p.m.
Live After 5 Moore Square Dates and Lineup

May 14: Fireside Collective
June 4: River Shook
July 30: Fancy Gap
August 13: Harvey Street

Learn more about Live After 5
Details
Location: Moore Square Park
Dates and Time: Select Thursdays at 7 p.m.
Ages: Family-friendly
Cost: Free

Shakespeare in the Parks: As You Like It - Sunday
2026-05-17 14:00 - 15:30 | Fred Fletcher Park, 820 Clay St, Raleigh, NC, 27605
Free outdoor Shakespeare comes to Raleigh!
All the world’s a stage! This fourth annual free-to-the-public event brings Shakespeare’s madcap story of love, mistaken identity, and finding oneself, As You Like It, to five locations around the Triangle. When the spirited Rosalind is exiled by her usurping uncle, she dons a male disguise and flees to the forest, only to find it crawling with fellow refugees—including her crush, the farmer-poet Orlando.
What follows is a masterclass in romantic chaos as Rosalind, acting as “Ganymede,” mentors a lovesick Orlando in the art of wooing while juggling mismatched shepherds and searching for her long-lost father. Through wit, bad poetry, and high-stakes matchmaking, the group of outcasts proves that reconciliation is possible, and that finding love is the greatest adventure of all. Set in a fictionalized North Carolina and infused with local music, this abridged version is the perfect way to experience the magic of Shakespeare under the open sky or on your busy schedule.
Tickets are free but reservations are recommended.
Location: Fred Fletcher Park
Performance Time: 2 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: Tickets are free, but reservations are recommended.
Reserve Your Tickets

Top Greene’s “Adornment of Grace” Hat Show Contest
2026-05-17 15:00 - 18:00 | John P. (Top) Greene, 401 MLK Jr Blvd, Raleigh
Come out and show off your best hat at Top Greene. This special Hat Show honors and celebrates Black culture and the rich tradition of hat-wearing through style, creativity, and self-expression.
Please join us for The Hat Show Contest, a celebratory event honoring creativity, style, and cultural expression on Sunday, May 17, from 3 – 6 p.m.
We will feature a special guest, Dr. Donna Corbett, and The Mary Corbett Hat Collection will showcase a timeless collection of her mother’s vintage hats, highlighting the enduring elegance and cultural influence of classic millinery.
From refined silhouettes to bold statements, this presentation honors the legacy of style passed from one generation to the next, and Erica Kendrick, a ceramic artist, sculptor, and educator
Best Hat Contest
Everyone who attends will be entered into the contest and have the opportunity to showcase their hat for a chance to win a FREE 3-hour rental at Top Greene.
Bring your confidence, your culture, and your crown — because the hat makes the statement. Come out, show love, and help us make this a night to remember!

Details
Location: John P. Top Greene African American Cultural Center
Ages: All
Cost: $15 (All attendees are automatically entered into the contest)
Buy tickets on RecLink

Plant Swap
2026-05-23 11:00 - 13:00 | City of Raleigh Museum, 220 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC, 27601
Calling all plant lovers! Join us for an exciting plant swap event.
Bring your favorite house and garden plants or homegrown vegetables to trade with fellow plant enthusiasts. We ask that you bring only healthy, pest-free plants to ensure everyone’s enjoyment. This event is free and open to the public!
Details
Location: City of Raleigh Museum
Date: Saturday, May 23
Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: Free

Big Screen Bash
2026-05-29 19:00 - 22:00 | Lions Park Community Center, 516 Dennis Avenue, Raleigh, 27604
Bring you game face, your lawn chair, and your summer spirit-let’s make memories under the summer sky at our Big Screen Bash!
Families will enjoy a variety of competitive and carnival-style games, including tug-of-war, relay races, classic carnival games, and bingo.
As the sun sets, folks will gather in the gym for a showing of Zootopia 2 on the big screen, complete with drinks and snacks to close out the evening in comfort and style!
Be sure to bring chairs, blankets, and your own food and beverages. Drinks and snacks provided will be limited. Spots are limited!
Details
Location: Lions Park Community Center
Age: All
Cost: $5
Register on RecLink

Annual International Children's Day
2026-05-30 10:00 - 15:30 | City of Raleigh Museum, 220 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC, 27601
oin us for the 4th Annual International Children’s Day! Enjoy books, crafts, and performances!
Learn more about the Annual International Children’s Day!
Location: City of Raleigh Museum
Ages: All
Cost: Free

A New Nash Bash
2026-05-30 14:00 - 18:00 | Nash Square, 200 S McDowell St, Raleigh, 27601, United States
Big Ideas, Big Party, and Big Opportunity to shape the future of Raleigh’s Historic Nash Square – Join Us!
Raleigh’s historic Nash Square is receiving new love and attention through the Nash Square Public Realm planning project.
Join us at Nash Square on Saturday, May 30, from 2 to 6 p.m. for a family-friendly public block party, where you can review initial design concepts based on public engagement to date and provide feedback on the future of this vital public space.
The City’s design team, led by Raleigh Parks staff and consultant Reed Hilderbrand, is developing a long-range plan to guide the future of the park and its surrounding edges. The team brings together a wide variety of subject matter experts, city departments, local partners, and communities to envision the future of this shared space.
Our goal is to hear from as many Raleigh residents as possible that live, work, or play in and around Nash Square!
Details
Location: Nash Square & Whiskey Kitchen
Date: Saturday, May 30
Time: 2 – 6 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: Free
Learn more about a New Nash Bash

Summer Concert Series
2026-05-31 18:00 - 20:00 | Fred Fletcher Park, 820 Clay St, Raleigh, NC, 27605
Join us for this installment of the Pullen and Fletcher Park free summer concert series!
Each summer, local artists donate their talent and time to put on a great free show for the community. On select Sundays from now until Aug. 16, we will host groups performing a variety of different genres that will help set the tone for an awesome evening at these two beautiful facilities.
Fred Fletcher Park
805 Washington Street, Raleigh, NC
May 31 – SWAG
June 7 – Blue Notes Jazz Band
July 12 – Invitation
July 19 – Thelonius
July 26 – Capital
Aug. 2 – The Holly Springs Community Band
Aug. 9 – Triangle Sax Ensemble
Aug. 23 – Carpe Diem Saxophone Quartet
Pullen Park
520 Ashe Ave, Raleigh, NC
June 21 – Eat a Peach
June 28 – Triangle Taiko
Aug. 16 – Bull City Trio
Details
Sunday Evenings
Time: 6 – 8 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: Free
Know Before You Go

Please bring your own blanket or chair
Performers may change without notice
Concerts are free, but tips are encouraged
At Pullen Park, food will be available for purchase at the cafe
At Fletcher Park, please bring your own food and beverages
Pullen Park Amusements are open until 8 p.m.
It may be canceled for inclement weather. For updates, contact 919-996-6468
