The best events in Raleigh in November 2026

November in Raleigh has a hinge in it. The first half still feels like fall. Football Saturdays, leaves finally turning, the kind of weather you move here for. Then one Saturday in the third week, the whole city flips into the holidays at once.

That Saturday is November 21 this year, and, as normal it carries a heavy event load. The Raleigh Christmas Parade comes down Fayetteville Street at 9:30am. The American Indian Heritage Celebration runs all afternoon out at the art museum. And the Chinese Lantern Festival opens in Cary that evening. Or you can save that for another night and head to the tree lighting festival in North Hills instead (we really like that one).

You could do all three. It’d be a long day, and you’d finish it standing in front of a lantern dragon lit up over the lake. Worth it. We do have a separate post on Christmas and Holiday events in Raleigh which we will be updating over the next couple of days.

Two things to know before you plan. November 1 is a Sunday this year, so the City of Oaks Marathon lands on the very first day of the month. And Thanksgiving falls on November 26, which makes the last week short and the Saturday after it busy.

Last updated: October 4, 2026

What’s happening in Raleigh in November 2026?

The 82nd ABC11 Raleigh Christmas Parade runs down Fayetteville Street on Saturday, November 21 at 9:30am, and it’s free. The same day brings the 31st American Indian Heritage Celebration to the North Carolina Museum of Art from 11am to 4pm, also free, and the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival opens at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary that evening for a run through January 10, 2027. Earlier in the month the City of Oaks Marathon takes over downtown on November 1, NC State hosts Duke and Syracuse at Carter-Finley on November 7 and 14, and the ACC men’s and women’s soccer championships finish at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on November 12 and 15.

November 1-8

Martin Marietta City of Oaks Marathon, Nov 1

• When: Sunday, Nov 1. Check the race site for wave times.
• Where: Downtown Raleigh, with the course running out through Dix Park and the greenways.
• Cost: Paid registration, priced by distance.
• Website: cityofoaksmarathon.com

The City of Oaks Marathon is Raleigh’s hometown race, and the course runs through the parts of the city you’d actually want to show someone. Four distances are on offer, so the weekend works whether you’re chasing 26.2 or just want a morning out: the full marathon, the half, the Old Reliable 10K and the Acorn 5K. The courses are USATF certified, the marathon is a Boston qualifier, and the charity partner is the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

If you’re spectating rather than running, the Dix Park stretch is the one to stand on. Skyline behind the runners, room to move, and you can walk to coffee afterward at Flowers Cottage Cafe (a new favorite of ours)

Carolina Ballet’s Dracula, closing Nov 1

• When: Final performances Sunday, Nov 1.
• Where: Fletcher Opera Theater, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E South St, downtown Raleigh.
• Cost: Ticketed.
• Website: carolinaballet.com

Carolina Ballet’s Dracula closes on November 1, so this is the last weekend of a run that started back on October 15. It’s staged in the Fletcher Opera Theater, which is the smallest of the three rooms at the Martin Marietta Center and the reason this one feels closer than a big-house ballet.

Moonlight in the Garden, Nov 5-7, 13-14 and 20-21

• When: Preview Night is Thursday, Nov 5. Then Friday and Saturday, Nov 6-7, Nov 13-14 and Nov 20-21. Evenings, after dark.
• Where: JC Raulston Arboretum, 4415 Beryl Rd, Raleigh.
• Cost: Ticketed. Proceeds support the arboretum.
• Website: jcra.ncsu.edu/moonlight

Moonlight in the Garden lights the JC Raulston Arboretum up after dark across six November evenings. There are live bands, food trucks, fire pits and hot apple cider along the paths, and every ticket goes back into running the arboretum.

Go on one of the earlier dates if you want the leaves still on the Japanese maples. The last weekend overlaps the Christmas Parade, so the 20th is easier than the 21st.

Read more about the garden in our JC Raulston Arboretum guide.

First Friday, Nov 6

• When: Friday, Nov 6, from 5pm.
• Where: Downtown Raleigh, centered on Fayetteville Street and the Warehouse District.
• Cost: Free.

First Friday is the monthly evening when downtown galleries, studios and shops stay open late, and November’s edition is when people start their holiday shopping without admitting that’s what they’re doing. It’s free to wander, and the route covers Fayetteville Street, Martin Street and the Warehouse District. Read our full First Friday guide.

Fall Arts Fair, Nov 7

• When: Saturday, Nov 7.
• Where: Fred Fletcher Park, 820 Clay St, Raleigh.
• Cost: Free.
• Website: raleighnc.gov/arts

The Fall Arts Fair puts the work of Raleigh’s bookmakers, fiber artists, glass artists, jewelers, painters, photographers, potters and printmakers out on the lawn at Fred Fletcher Park, with live music and food trucks alongside. The City of Raleigh Arts Commission runs it through the Sertoma Arts Center, and it’s free to walk through.

This is the one to hit if you want to buy something handmade and local before the holiday rush starts. Prices are direct-from-the-maker, not gallery.

Taste of China Festival, Nov 7

• When: Saturday, Nov 7, 11am to 5pm.
• Where: Downtown Cary Park, 327 S Academy St, Cary.
• Cost: Free.
• Website: tasteofchina.org

The Taste of China Festival is one of the largest cultural celebrations in North Carolina, pulling 20,000 to 30,000 people for a day of authentic Chinese and Asian food, lion dancing, traditional arts and family activities. It’s run by the Chinese American Friendship Association of North Carolina, and it returns in 2026 to Downtown Cary Park.

Come hungry and come early. The food lines get long by 1pm and some of the better stalls sell out before the afternoon performances finish.

BBQ, Blues and Brews, Nov 7

• When: Saturday, Nov 7.
• Where: Downtown Fuquay-Varina, around 801 Durham St.
• Cost: Free to attend, food and beer priced separately.
• Website: fuquay-varinadowntown.com

BBQ, Blues and Brews is the Fuquay-Varina Downtown Association’s November street festival, and it does exactly what the name promises: pitmasters, live blues, and a beer garden down the middle of downtown Fuquay. Local nonprofits take booth space alongside the food vendors, so it doubles as a community fundraiser.

November 9-15

ACC soccer championships, Nov 12 and 15

• When: Semifinals Thursday, Nov 12. Finals Sunday, Nov 15. Kickoff times set once the brackets are decided.
• Where: First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, 201 Soccer Park Dr, Cary.
• Cost: Ticketed.
• Website: theacc.com

Both ACC soccer tournaments finish in Cary this year. The men’s and women’s semifinals are on November 12 and the finals on November 15, all at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, with the earlier rounds played on campus sites. It’s one of the better value tickets in Triangle sport, and the standard of play at this stage is high.

The Jury Experience – The Deadly Boat Ride, Oct 17

• When: Sat Oct 17; 4:30pm & 7pm
• Where: Meredith College Auditorium
• Cost: $48+
• Tickets

What a fun new Raleigh event that you get to participate in.  You’ve been called for jury duty. Step into a thrilling courtroom drama where the audience is the jury. Listen to testimonies, analyze evidence, and ultimately decide… guilty or not guilty?

Art Bash, Nov 14

• When: Saturday, Nov 14, from 6pm.
• Where: Artspace, 201 E Davie St, downtown Raleigh.
• Cost: $175, which covers food, drinks, art activations and access to the live art bid.
• Website: artspacenc.org/art-bash

Art Bash is Artspace’s annual fundraiser, and the 2026 edition marks their 40th anniversary. The night runs across the galleries with exhibitions, private and live collecting opportunities, art experiences, gourmet bites and a curated live art bid, and the money goes to their arts education and artist programming across North Carolina. This is a dress-up night, not a drop-in. Buy ahead, it’s a ticketed fundraiser rather than an open gallery evening.

November 16-22: the weekend everything starts

Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting Celebration, Nov 20

• When: Friday, Nov 20.; 5:30pm – 8pm
• Where: Moore Square, 201 S Blount St, downtown Raleigh.
• Cost: Free.
• Website: downtownraleigh.org/dra-programs/tree-lighting

The Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting Celebration kicks the holiday season off the night before the Christmas Parade, and since moving to Moore Square it comes with a pop-up holiday market attached. Expect live performances, vendors, photos with Santa and the tree lighting itself as the centerpiece.

Doing this on the Friday and the parade on the Saturday is the best holiday weekend Raleigh puts on. Both free. More tree lightings across the region in our Triangle tree lighting guide.

82nd ABC11 Raleigh Christmas Parade, Nov 21

• When: Saturday, Nov 21, from 9:30am.
• Where: Downtown Raleigh. Starts on Hillsborough Street at St. Mary’s Street and ends at Lenoir Street.
• Cost: Free.
• Website: shoplocalraleigh.org

The Raleigh Christmas Parade bills itself as the largest Christmas parade between Atlanta and DC, and it draws around 60,000 people to the streets. Expect marching bands, dance teams, giant balloons and superheroes over roughly two and a half hours, on a 1.4-mile route that starts on Hillsborough Street at St. Mary’s, turns down Salisbury and Morgan, runs the length of Fayetteville Street and finishes at Lenoir. ABC11 televises it from 9:30am to noon if you’d rather watch in the warm.

Get there by 8:30 if you want a spot near the start on Hillsborough. The Fayetteville Street stretch fills last, so head south if you’re running late. Use a parking deck, street parking is gone by 8. Here is our guide to the Raleigh Christmas Parade with tips on how to have a great time!

Video of Raleigh Christmas Parade 2021

30th Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration, Nov 21

• When: Saturday, Nov 21, 11am to 4pm.
• Where: North Carolina Museum of Art, East Building and Gipson Plaza, 2110 Blue Ridge Rd.
• Cost: Free.
• Website: ncmuseumofhistory.org/aihc

The American Indian Heritage Celebration has closed out American Indian Heritage Month in North Carolina for more than 25 years, and it’s free. Demonstrations, presentations and performances come from North Carolina’s tribal communities, covering artistic, scientific, historic and cultural contributions going back 14,000 years. The NC Museum of History presents it, but it’s being held at the art museum while the History building is closed for renovation.

The full schedule goes up closer to the date. The art museum grounds suit this better than the old site did, because there’s room for the dance circle outdoors.

North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival opens, Nov 21

• When: Opens Saturday, Nov 21. Nightly 6pm to 10pm through Jan 10, 2027, closed Christmas Day. Twilight sessions enter at 4:30pm.
• Where: Koka Booth Amphitheatre, 8003 Regency Pkwy, Cary.
• Cost: Ticketed. Under 2 free. Discounts for military, seniors 55 and over, and college students with ID on Sunday through Thursday evenings, not Fridays, Saturdays or holidays.
• Website: boothamphitheatre.com

The North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival is in its 11th year and it’s become the thing people drive in from neighboring states to see. Chinese artisans build all-new large-scale silk lantern displays around the lake at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, with cultural performances nightly, and the walk takes 45 to 75 minutes end to end. It runs from opening night on November 21 straight through January 10, 2027.

Buy ahead. Nights sold out last season, and they don’t always have tickets at the gate. Book a twilight session if you want photos without a crowd in them, because the lake reflections are better before full dark.

Read more in our complete Chinese Lantern Festival guide

Holiday Shop & Stroll, Nov 21, 2026

• Where: North Hills
• Time: 12pm – 4pm

Enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season while you shop for everyone on your list. Spend $150 and receive a FREE $25 North Hills Gift Card – one per person, while supplies last. Use our North Hills gift guide to help.

Christmas at North Hills tree lighting, Nov 21

• When: Saturday, Nov 21, 4pm to 7pm.
• Where: North Hills Commons, 4191 Main at North Hills St, midtown Raleigh.
• Cost: Free.
• Website: visitnorthhills.com

The North Hills tree lighting starts the Christmas at North Hills series, and the tree itself is 41 feet. There’s live entertainment, kids’ crafts and a vendor village through the afternoon, then caroling as Santa arrives to switch the lights on.

It’s a late-afternoon event, which makes it the easiest way to bolt something onto Christmas Parade day without wrecking the kids. Combined with the above Holiday & Shop and the fun atmosphere on the streets and in the North Hills restaurants, I found this North Hills Christmas experience to be quite magical. Here’s our guide on how to enjoy Christmas in North Hills.

Pullen Park After Dark: Merry & Brights, Nov 21, 2026

• Where: Pullen Park
• When: November 29th; 6:30pm – 9pm
• Cost: $20
• Website 

Stroll around the shimmering lake and take in the dazzling lights. Dance under the stars to live music on the event lawn. Ride the carousel (we’ve got a reindeer!). Take a lap on the holiday train. Play some reindeer games. Make and mail holiday postcards. Visit the North Pole and more! Beer, wine, and food will be available for purchase from the Pullen Café, along with local food trucks and breweries. 21+ only event

Carolina Ballet presents Jewels, Nov 19-22

• When: Thursday, Nov 19 to Sunday, Nov 22.
• Where: Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E South St.
• Cost: Ticketed.
• Tickets

Jewels is Balanchine’s three-act ballet, and each act gets its own composer and its own mood. Carolina Ballet stages it in Memorial Auditorium, the big room, which suits a piece built to look expensive.

Knock Knock at Raleigh Little Theatre, Nov 18-29

• When: Wednesday, Nov 18 to Sunday, Nov 29.
• Where: Raleigh Little Theatre, 301 Pogue St, near the NC State campus.
• Cost: Ticketed.
• Website: raleighlittletheatre.org

Knock Knock is Raleigh Little Theatre’s Theatre for the Very Young production, built for the youngest audiences and staged as an interactive adventure through an apartment building. It was originally commissioned by the Alliance Theatre, and it runs through the Thanksgiving break, which makes it useful if you have small kids and a long weekend to fill.

November 23-30: Thanksgiving week

. Eat Turkey. Drink Wine. Maybe some Beer. Watch Football. Spend time with loved ones. Is that all your focusing on during this Thanksgiving week? Are you brave enough to travel during what is the busiest travel week of the year – for flights anyway. Here are places to eat for Thanksgiving in Raleigh if you don’t want to cook! Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26 this year. And don’t forget Giving Tuesday in Raleigh

Be sure to read our Holiday travel tips and you can see our lovely Thanksgiving getaway to Boone two years ago for some of your own ideas! Consider Western North Carolina for your holiday travel – we love Boone, Bryson City, and the Biltmore Estate for the Holidays!

Small Business Saturday, Nov 28

• When: Saturday, Nov 28.
• Where: Across Raleigh. Downtown, Five Points, North Hills and Raleigh Iron Works all take part.
• Cost: Free to browse.
• Website: shoplocalraleigh.org

Small Business Saturday lands on November 28, and Raleigh’s shopping districts each do their own version of it: maker markets, pop-ups, extended hours, and usually a Santa somewhere. Shop Local Raleigh coordinates a lot of it, and the individual districts announce their own lineups in early November.

To help you with supporting local. Here are a few guides on holiday shopping in Ralegh, independent bookstores in Raleigh, holiday shopping on Hillsborough St, antique and thrift stores in Raleigh, and Christmas markets in Raleigh.

Great Raleigh Trolley Holiday Tours, Nov 28 – Dec 23, 2025

• Where: Tap Yard, Mordecai
• When: November 28 through December 23rd
• Cost: It depends on the tour option, see below
• Website (tickets on sale Nov 1 for newsletter subscribers/ Nov 4 general public)

Another hugely popular thing to do in Raleigh for Christmas is to enjoy a themed ride on the historical Great Raleigh Trolley. This year there are five Holiday tour options for all ages to satisfy your Christmas cheer including Santa Express, Cocoa & Caroling tour, Christmas spirits and Christmas past with Heather Leah, a holiday bar cruise.

Happening all month

North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival, Nov 21 to Jan 10

• When: Nightly 6pm to 10pm from Nov 21, closed Christmas Day.
• Where: Koka Booth Amphitheatre, 8003 Regency Pkwy, Cary.
• Cost: Ticketed.
• Website: boothamphitheatre.com

The North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival opens on November 21 and runs nightly into the new year, so it covers the back half of this month and all of December. Full details are in the November 16-22 section above, including ticket tiers and the twilight session.

Holiday lights and ice skating

• When: Fenton Nov 6, 2026 – Feb 7, 2027
• Where: downtown Raleigh, and Fenton in Cary.
• Cost: Ticketed for skating.
• Website:

The light displays around downtown usually open the weekend of the Christmas Parade, and Skate the Square at Fenton in Cary opens Nov 7 and runs all the way to Feb 7, 2027. Skate the Square in Fenton really does have a magical atmosphere, but the rink is really small and the ice not great for smooth skating!

Read more in our Raleigh holiday lights guide and THE RINK ice skating guide (Not confirmed, but I don’t think this is happening this year due to the relocation of Red Hat!)

Every week in Raleigh

• Midtown Farmers’ Market, North Hills. Saturday mornings.
• State Farmers Market, 1201 Agriculture St. Open daily, and the Christmas tree lot starts up late in the month.
• First Friday, Nov 6. Downtown galleries and studios.
• Dix Park, open daily. Best skyline view in the city and it’s free.

Concerts and live music in Raleigh this November

Dates and lineups move. Check with the venue before you buy. Red Hat Amphitheater is closed for the season.

Lenovo Center

• Nov 3: Motionless In White
• Nov 8:  Cash Money & No Limit Tour (8pm)
• Nov 22: Gabriel Iglesias
• Nov 30: Christmas Together with Amy Grant

Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts

• Nov 1: Carolina Ballet, Dracula (2pm, closing matinee)
• Nov 4: Danielle Jensen, author event (7pm)
• Nov 5: Indigo Girls (7pm)
• Nov 6-7: NC Symphony, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, Meymandi Concert Hall (8pm both nights)
• Nov 7: Brincos Dieras (8pm)
• Nov 7: Jorge Luis Chacin (8pm)
• Nov 8: NC Master Chorale, America 250 (3pm)
• Nov 13-14: NC Symphony, How to Train Your Dragon in concert, Meymandi Concert Hall (Fri 7:30pm, Sat 3pm)
• Nov 13-14: Carolina Youth Ballet, The Nutcracker (Fri 6pm, Sat 12pm and 3:30pm)
• Nov 13: A Magical Cirque Christmas (8pm)
• Nov 15: ELVIS: In Person, starring Matt Stone (7pm)
• Nov 19-22: Carolina Ballet, Jewels (Thu and Fri 7:30pm, Sat 2pm and 7:30pm, Sun 2pm)
• Nov 20-21: NC Symphony, Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1, Meymandi Concert Hall (8pm both nights)
• Nov 24: Criminal presents Don’t Worry, with Phoebe Judge (8pm)
• Nov 25-28: NC Symphony, Cirque Holiday Pops, Meymandi Concert Hall (Wed 4pm, Fri and Sat 3pm and 7:30pm)
• Nov 29: A Motown Christmas (3pm)
• Nov 29: Professor Brian Cox, Emergence (7:30pm)

The Ritz

• Nov 1: Sammy Rae & The Friends
• Nov 2: Movements, Happier Now USA Tour
• Nov 4: Saosin, 20 Years of Self-Titled
• Nov 5: Ashley Cooke, The Baby Blues Tour
• Nov 6: Madeon presents Victory Live
• Nov 7: Judah & The Lion
• Nov 8: Yebba
• Nov 10: Switchfoot with Anberlin, Forever Now Tour
• Nov 11: Slaughter To Prevail
• Nov 12: The Elovaters
• Nov 13: Level Up
• Nov 14: Orville Peck, Man Turned Mule Tour
• Nov 18: Periphery, A Pale White Dot US Tour
• Nov 21: Imminence, Axis Mundi Tour
• Nov 25: Pouya, The Foreverglades Tour
• Nov 29: Syd, Beard Tour

DPAC, Durham

• Oct 30 to Nov 1: Mrs. Doubtfire, from $50
• Nov 5: Waiting to Exhale in Concert
• Nov 6: Little Big Town with Waylon Payne
• Nov 8: Reality Ministries Talent Show
• Nov 10-15: Death Becomes Her, Broadway at DPAC, from $55
• Nov 17: BEAT, playing the music of King Crimson
• Nov 19: NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet
• Nov 20: A Drag Queen Christmas, hosted by Nina West
• Nov 25 to Dec 6: ‘Twas the Night Before, by Cirque du Soleil

Sports in Raleigh this November

The Hurricanes are defending Stanley Cup champions this season after winning in June, so home tickets are moving faster than in past years.

• Nov 1: Carolina Hurricanes vs Winnipeg Jets, Lenovo Center (1pm)
• Nov 1: Denver Summit FC at NC Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park
• Nov 7: NC State vs Duke, Carter-Finley Stadium (Military Appreciation)
• Nov 12: Carolina Hurricanes vs Seattle Kraken, Helsinki, Finland (NHL Global Series, 12pm ET, not at Lenovo Center)
• Nov 12: ACC men’s and women’s soccer semifinals, First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary
• Nov 14: NC State vs Syracuse, Carter-Finley Stadium (Senior Day, last home game of the regular season)
• Nov 14: Carolina Hurricanes vs Seattle Kraken, Helsinki, Finland (NHL Global Series, 1pm ET, not at Lenovo Center)
• Nov 15: ACC men’s and women’s soccer finals, First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary
• Nov 16: WWE Monday Night RAW
• Nov 19: Carolina Hurricanes vs Montreal Canadiens, Lenovo Center (7pm)
• Nov 21: Carolina Hurricanes vs Edmonton Oilers, Lenovo Center (1pm)
• Nov 28: Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators, Lenovo Center (7pm)

One to read twice: the November 12 and 14 Hurricanes games count as home games but they’re being played in Helsinki for the NHL Global Series. Nothing is happening at Lenovo Center on either date, and both start at lunchtime here.

Candlelight concerts and Fever experiences this November

Candlelight nights run two shows back-to-back at the same venue, an early and a late, so you can make one a date and still be home by ten.

• Nov 13: Candlelight: Coldplay and Imagine Dragons, The Rialto, 5:30pm, from $32
• Nov 13: Candlelight: 90s Hip-Hop on Strings, The Rialto, 7:45pm, from $36.50
• Nov 14: Candlelight: Neo-Soul Favorites, The Rialto, 5:30pm, from $31.50
• Nov 14: Candlelight: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac, The Rialto, 7:45pm, from $31.50
• Nov 14: The Jury Experience, The Deadly Boat Ride, Jones Auditorium at Meredith College, about 60 minutes, from $48
• Nov 19: Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer, Merrimon-Wynne House, 6:30pm, from $41
• Nov 19: Candlelight: Tribute to Dolly Parton, Merrimon-Wynne House, 8:45pm, from $62.50

More on the format, the venues and which programs are worth the late slot in our Candlelight concerts guide.

 Common questions about Raleigh in November

Stay Connected to Raleigh

We have a holiday bucket list with many more ideas for ways to enjoy the festive season in Raleigh. It’s available to all members of our email community. It’s free and I regularly share free checklists, guides, insider tips, personal stories, fun finds and the best events in Raleigh you don’t want to miss. Join below 👇

Hotels in Downtown Raleigh

If you visit Raleigh from out of town for any November events, here are our recommendations for accommodation in Downtown Raleigh.

• Residence inn Downtown Raleigh – fantastic location and big suites
• StateView Hotel – hidden away in a forest on NC State’s Campus
• Sheraton Raleigh Downtown Hotel – great location on Fayetteville St
• Casso Hotel – fantastic boutique hotel with Raleigh personality in a great location
• Check out 10 of our short-term rental favorites
• More Airbnb properties

If you are visiting from out of town and have a few extra days, here are some guides to help you plan out your days exploring Raleigh:

• 24 hour itinerary guide for Raleigh
• 48 hour itinerary guide for Raleigh NC
• A sophisticated 2-day itinerary for Raleigh (great to do with visiting friends)
• 22 of our favorite downtown Raleigh restaurants
• 5 of the best rooftop bars in Raleigh

What events in Raleigh do you have planned for November? Leave a comment if we’ve missed something you know of!