When Memorial Day weekend arrives in Raleigh on the third weekend of May, it’s the time when the city feels its first bright pulse of summer — but it’s not a time to rejoice, rather a time for reflection and retrospect. On this cherished three-day weekend, given to us by the public holiday, Memorial Day, on Monday, 25th May, many of us are looking to make the most of the extended time off, as well as take time out to remember our fallen ancestors.
Whether you want to spend mornings wandering leafy hiking trails, or sip craft beers to live music, Raleigh knows how to balance reflection with celebration — honoring the meaning of the holiday while embracing the first days of summer. In this guide, we share the biggest events and popular things to do in Raleigh on Memorial Day weekend, so you can make it a weekend to remember.
And remember, many bars, breweries, and restaurants have live music and promotions over Memorial Weekend, so be sure to check out your favorite hangout to see what’s on or visit our events guide for May for more fun things to do.
Memorial Day Weekend Events
Historic Oakwood Cemetery Remembrance Ceremony
Every year, the Historic Oakwood Cemetery hosts a meaningful Remembrance Ceremony on Memorial Day (May 25) to honor those who have served and passed from the community. Held in the cemetery’s Field of Honor, the event brings together residents, veterans, as well as families and friends of those who have fallen, to pay respects and remember together. It begins at around 4:00pm, and features touching tributes, reflections, and live music.
Walk along the Field of Flags
Also taking place on the 25th May for Memorial Day, the annual Field of Flags display will be erected at Raleigh Elks Lodge, 5538 Leadmine Road, which features hundreds of American flags placed in neat rows across a field outside the lodge, each one placed to honor the service and sacrifice of military veterans and heroes and dedicated to the name of the fallen. It’s not only a powerful visual tribute but marks the beginning of a time for reflection as it stays on display through to Independence Day on July 4th.
Town of Cary Remembrance Ceremony
Over in Cary, their remembrance ceremony takes place at Veterans Freedom Park on Monday, 25th May, between 2:30pm and 3:30pm. More details are yet to be confirmed, but they usually have an esteemed military guest speaker from North Carolina. See the website for more details.
Pay your respects at the Garner Veterans Memorial
The town of Garner has a profoundly moving memorial set on the banks of Lake Benson Park. The Garner Veterans Memorial features granite walls etched with the names of local service members from the Garner area who gave their lives for their country. On Memorial Day, there is an official ceremony from 9:30am to 10:30am, where there will be an opportunity to lay wreaths and join in a quiet service together and contemplate our past and future. After the service, walk along the Walkway of Honor, which features etched bricks with the names of Veterans from all branches of service who gave their lives in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Watch the Durham Bulls vs Nashville at the Athletic Park
Memorial Day Weekend also falls during the MLB season. Head over to Durham to watch the Durham Bulls play a home game against Nashville at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. See more details and get tickets here. And you can read more about How to Enjoy a Night at the Durham Bulls Baseball.
Dorothea Dix Park Guided Trolley Tour
Also unique for Saturday, 23rd May, there will be a Raleigh Trolley Tour of Dorothea Dix Park with Adam Robinson, which takes you on a 2-hour trip around the park to learn about its history and about what’s to come. The tour starts at 12:00pm and is free to join, but spaces are limited, so you must register online. Registration opens on May 9th at 12:00pm. See more details and register here.
Opening night of Summerfest with the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra
Memorial Day marks the first night of the Koka Booth Amphitheatre’s annual Summerfest, kicking things off with a concert from the NC Symphony Orchestra, which will be performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1. See more details and get tickets here.
Free Yoga at NC State University
On Monday, 25th May, celebrate Memorial Day with a free yoga class at NCSU’s Centennial Campus from 17:15 to 18:05 p.m. Free to everyone and no registration required, but you do need to bring your own mat. Details here.
NC Museum of Art, Western North Carolina Art and Craft Showcase
Another great way to celebrate arts and culture on Memorial Weekend (May 23) is by attending the Western North Carolina Art and Craft Showcase, a one-day market that celebrates the traditions of craft makers from Western North Carolina. Browse collections of ceramics, textiles, woodwork, jewelry, prints, and more at the NCMA from 11:00am – 4:00pm in the East Building. It’s free to attend. See more details here.
Read our guide to the NC Museum of Art
Southern Creatives Gift & Craft Show Market
If your Memorial Day weekend calls for a shopping spree, head to the Southern Creatives Gift and Craft Show at Triangle Town Center shopping mall for some artisan finds on Saturday, 23rd May, between 12:00pm and 5:00pm. Held on the lower level of the mall, this monthly indoor market brings together local makers under one roof — from candle makers to jewelry designers to bakers and painters. It’s less of a frantic mall crawl and more community gathering. Because vendors change each month, there’s always something new to discover. You never quite know what you’ll leave with! See more details here.
Funny Marco at Raleigh Improv
With four sets over Memorial Weekend, Marco Summers, also known as Funny Marco, is bringing his deadpan humor to Raleigh. Marco is well known for sketch comedy and improv comedy on social media, as well as celebrity interviews on his YouTube series “Open Thoughts.” Now, he is bringing his distinct humor to the stage on his Open Thoughts comedy tour, which will be showing at Raleigh Improv on Friday, 22nd, and Saturday, 23rd May. See more details and get tickets here.
The Original Raleigh Ghost Walk
Another tour that’s available for Memorial Day Weekend is the Original Raleigh Ghost Walk by Triangle Walking Tours, which takes place on a Friday and Sunday evening. For one hour, this ghost tour takes you to discover Raleigh’s ghostly entities lurking in the sewers, haunted antebellum mansions, and more. The Ghost and Urban Legend Walk is not just a collection of ghost stories but also tells the facts behind the fiction of some of Raleigh’s creepiest tales. See more details and get tickets here.
Downtown Raleigh Coffee Culture Walking Tour
If you’re new to Raleigh or you’d like to get better acquainted with the coffee scene here, then this walking tour with coffee connoisseur Greg Whitt is a great way to get introduced to the locally owned coffee shop scene in the City of Oaks. On this tour, learn about how Raleigh’s coffee history was first cultivated (pun intended) and enjoy samples from a variety of spots in East Raleigh. The tour takes about 90-minutes and involves just over a mile of walking. Sign up here.
Live music at Gizmo Brew Works, RTP
Gizmo Brew Works, a craft brewery and taproom at the Research Triangle Park, has live music every Saturday in its beer garden! For Memorial Day Weekend, local bands and musicians will be taking the stage, and there will also be food trucks on-site and beer specials. It’s free to attend and watch the music. Bands are yet to be announced.
NC Sugar Rush
For something more uplifting, NC Sugar Rush will take place on Sunday, 24th May, from 12:00pm – 6:00pm in City Plaza, Downtown Raleigh. This annual event celebrates all things sweet and features a vendor market with 20+ stalls serving up desserts and sweet treats. It’s free to attend and also has live music and DJs. If you have a sweet tooth, this is the perfect event to sample sugary goodies.
Animazement
Animazement is the annual celebration of anime and Japanese culture. This three-day fan-run convention takes place at the Raleigh Convention Center over Memorial Day weekend, and celebrates everything Japanese visual culture, including anime and manga to video games, and J-pop/J-rock.
Things to Do
Tour Mordecai Historic Park
While we’re looking back this weekend, why not take the opportunity to explore some of Raleigh’s biggest historic sites? Uncover the deep roots of North Carolina’s history at Mordecai Historic Park, which was once the largest plantation in Wake County. This leafy enclave preserves more than two centuries of local stories and has tranquil, manicured gardens, as well as outbuildings and shaded lawns to relax on.
Mordecai House, which dates back to the late 1700s with later nineteenth-century additions, is available for guided tours between 10:00am and 3:00pm, and lasts for 50 minutes. You’ll wander through rooms furnished with original pieces and hear about the generations who lived there. Afterwards, stroll at your own pace between buildings and gardens and pause for reflection under ancient oaks.
Visit the Joel Lane Museum House
Another historic landmark worth visiting is the birthplace of North Carolina’s capital, the Joel Lane Museum House, which was built in 1769 and is the oldest surviving home in Wake County. Joel Lane played a pivotal role in Raleigh’s founding, selling 1,000 acres of his sprawling plantation to the State of North Carolina to lay out the new capital city.
Go for a hike or bike ride
Memorial Day Weekend is also the beginning of summer, so it’s a good chance to lace up your shoes or hop on two wheels and make use of Raleigh’s over 100 miles of greenway trails, linking lakes, hardwood forests, and quiet neighborhoods away from traffic chaos.
For cyclists, May is National Bike Month in Raleigh, and the paved stretches around Raleigh will be decorated with new murals, and there will be cycling events and activities throughout the month, so it’s a good time to break out your Lycra if you’re a bike enthusiast. if you want to embark on an epic bike adventure, check out our bike ride along the American Tobacco Trail. We also love the Art to Heart trail from the NC Museum of Art to Downtown Raleigh.
If you prefer solid ground under your feet, there are many great hiking trails in Raleigh. We love the shaded trails at William B. Umstead State Park. There is a hiking group, the Raleigh Ski and Hiking Group, who hike in Umstead Park every Friday and Sunday morning. Check the website to sign up for their Memorial Day Weekend walk if you want some company.
Read more:
- Best Bike Trails, and Bike Clubs Around Raleigh
- Kid-Friendly Trails in Raleigh (To Walk or Bike)
- Fantastic Raleigh Trails (for Hiking, Biking, Running, or a Gentle Stroll)
Take a kayak or SUP out on a lake
If the sun is shining and feels balmy on your skin, why not trade pavements for paddles? Within minutes of downtown Raleigh, you will find plenty of glassy lakes that offer a calm and tranquil counterpoint to Memorial Day Weekend cookouts and block parties. We personally love Lake Johnson Park, which sits near NCSU’s campus. Here you can take a kayak or stand-up paddleboard out on the lake or take a bike ride around its shores. Early mornings are best: it’s when the mist hovers low, and most people are still in bed, taking advantage of the holiday mode, and the only soundtrack is the dip of your paddle in the water.
Farther north, Falls Lake State Recreation Area has a larger body of water and a wilder feel. Rather than a kayak or SUP, here you can rent a paddleboat or launch your own non-powered boat from one of the launch pads, or head to a public swimming beach for a dip. The Robertson Millpond Reserve is a unique and eerie paddle through the cypress swamp. Read more: Best Places To Go Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Raleigh, NC
Stay in a historic Bed and Breakfast
If you want to take advantage of the three-day weekend but can’t go away, then why not book yourself into a staycation? On a weekend where history and quiet contemplation are at the forefront, don’t stay in a cookie-cutter hotel surrounded by screaming children, but in a historic B&B, which offers a more chilled, intimate experience.
Many bed and breakfasts have fewer than 10 rooms and are packed with historic charm – the perfect setting for Memorial Day Weekend. Most are tucked into leafy neighborhoods, feature lovingly restored antique furniture, and offer that Southern hospitality that Raleigh is known for. Wake to the scent of freshly baked bread and sweet tea in the morning and spend your day reading a book on a wraparound porch or in the B&B’s library or get out and explore Raleigh’s sights. You don’t have to go far to enjoy a chilled experience in the Triangle area. Read more: Best Bed & Breakfasts in The Triangle for Southern Charm & Local Hospitality
Go Camping
We have spent many Memorial weekends camping with friends at Lake Kerr. ITs the perfect way to get away without the insane Memorial Day weekend prices and crowds – although do make sure you reserve in advance as it is still a holiday weekend. Spend your weekend immersed in nature, fishing, lake swimming, boating, grilling out, watching the sunrise and set, maybe a moonrise, card games, s’mores and conversations with friends around a campfire. Gosh I’m packing the tent right now!
We love camping at Kerr Lake (an hour away) and Lake Gaston (90 minutes). Here are more places to camp near Raleigh – tent or RV.
Visit Historic Yates Mill County Park
For a blend of nature and history, head to the relaxing Historic Yates Mill County Park, which features a fully restored water-powered gristmill dating back to the mid-18th century, and the only surviving operable gristmill in Wake County. The park has easy-going, shaded trails around a twenty-acre millpond, where you will find quiet tranquility away from Memorial Day Weekend crowds. You can take guided tours of the mill, and sometimes there are live corn-grinding demonstrations, or just sit back and listen to the sounds of the water-driven machine.
Best way to finish a visit? Head over to the Howling Cow Creamery for one of Raleigh’s best ice creams. Howling Cow is an NC State ice cream that is student operated and located on the dairy farm that produce the milk for the dairy products! You can enjoy it while watching those cows roam the field.
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“Your weekly newsletter is a lifesaver for me. Yesterday we didn’t know what to do, I just check your list of events for the weekend, and we ended up in Cary at the Carolina Circus Festival. We had a great time so thanks a lot for all your good work 😊 we really appreciate you” Subscriber
Caroline,
I simply cannot imagine anyone saying something unkind to you or your husband. I can FEEL your happy and generous energy through the emails. As Michelle Obama said “go high when they go low.” I do that too, especially when I receive a hurtful comment about my special needs son. Thank you for helping us find joy in the City of the Oaks (although sometimes, admittedly, it is really expensive – i.e. bed & breakfasts in Raleigh). I think Raleigh is not a city for the economically challenged but it doesn’t make me love it any less! Have a great weekend!
Thank you so much for your kindness and support! I’ve learned not to take the unkind stuff personally – people are just projecting their hurt, it rarely has anything to do with me. And if it does, then it’s a great opportunity for me to grow! I am sorry you have experienced unkindness towards your son. I agree with Michelee Obama’s comment – it’s a valuable reminder, so thank you! I want her back in the White House!!! We will continue to share Raleigh and look for more budget friendly ways to do so! Thank you again and have a brilliant week!
You do a fantastic job! Thank you so much! Especially love all the free events and happenings you find.
You are welcome Deede. Thank you for following along!