The weather is getting warmer and the festivals have begun, and if you’re looking for fun things to do in Raleigh in April, read on down below as we’ve got you covered.
We always love the energy of April: filled with good hope and the enthusiasm for embracing the vibrant Raleigh lifestyle we all love.
After making it through the long dark days of winter, it is time to get outside and party and embrace the fact that all the Raleigh events and festivals are back on.
Featured: Lebanese Cultural Festival
Experience the delightful taste of Lebanese cuisine and desserts, enjoy live music and traditional dance performances, watch a belly dancer, savor Lebanese beer and wine, and bring your family along for a fun-filled event with activities for kids.
- Where: 241 Horizon Dr, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27615
- When:
- April 20, 2024: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
- April 21, 2024; 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
For this post, let’s dive into what’s happening in Raleigh in this month of April. We can’t include everything and some events we don’t know about so please leave your ideas in the comments below for those reading this post!
And, get prepared for beyond April with our annual festival and events in Raleigh guide, our Raleigh Spring Bucket List our weekly events in Raleigh.
We also update our email community with more Raleigh events, news, cool finds and happenings, so be sure to join us. It’s FREE and the best way to keep connected. And you’ll get free printable checklists to help you plan a great year in Raleigh.
Week 1: April 1 – 7, 2024
First Friday, April 5, 2024
- Where: Downtown Raleigh (various locations)
- Website: downtownraleigh.org
Looking for events in Raleigh this weekend? First Friday is a great way to get to know the culture of downtown Raleigh.
We have a complete guide to First Friday in Raleigh including the new events for the month.
Bands, Bites, & Boats, April 5, 2024
- Where: Bond Park, Cary
- Time: 5-7pm
- Cost: Free
- Website
On the first Friday of every month, Bond Park Boathouse hosts musicians, food trucks, and after-hours boat rentals. What a great sunset experience to kick off the weekend.
- Band: Jason Adamo
- Bites: The Blue Window & Ty’s All Natural
- Brews: Brüeprint Brewing
Cary Founded, Grand Opening, April 5, 2024
- Where: Cary Founded Downtown Cary
- Time: 6-8pm
- Cost: Free but register
Enjoy wine, beer and non-alcoholic options as we celebrate our Grand Opening event in Downtown Cary! We’ll have a raffle that you can enter to win a Downtown Cary gift basket curated by local businesses and Art by Shalimar will be there. If you’re curious about the space and possibly joining the co-working space, this is your chance to check it out and see what the community will be like.
We’re members of Raleigh Founded and love it! We love that our membership also gives us access to Cary Founded, which we visit regularly. We have a guide to Raleigh Founded coworking space.
Makers Alley Grand Opening, Midtown, April 5, 2024
- Where: Makers Alley, Innovation District, Midtown
- Time: 4-6pm
- Cost: Free
- Website
Time to celebrate innovation, creativity, and the spirit of local entrepreneurship at the new Makers Alley district in North Hills. The official ribbon cutting will take place at 4:30pm.
There’ll be live music by Adam Pitts (a Raleigh fave), drinks by Standard Beer + Food, and the opportunity to meet the makers and entrepreneurs and see their products and creations before everyone else!
Dreamville Festival April 6 – April 7, 2024
- Where: The Big Field at Dorothea Dix Park
- Website: DreamvilleFest.com
Kicking off April with one of the biggest festivals of the year, J Cole’s annual Dreamville fest.
As one of the largest artist-curated music festivals in the country, you can expect a big weekend of incredible music by some of the best hip hop artists and R&B singers, including Usher and Drake!!
Read our full guide to enjoying Dreamville here.
Cary Taco ’N Taps Festival, April 6, 2024
- Where: Koka Booth Amphitheater
- When:12-5pm
- Costs: $39+
- Tickets: www.Carytacosntaps.com
Time to slip into South of the Border fiesta spirit. It’s an all you care to test event with Triangle’s Best Tacos and Mexican Food, the best dancing music from Triangle Area DJs, margaritas, piñata punching, contests and many other surprises.
Concerts & Sporting Events this week in April
- April 5, 2024: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals, PNC Arena, 7pm
- April 5, 2024: PineCone presents – Bella White, Martin Marietta Center, 7:30pm
- April 7, 2024: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, PNC Arena. 5pm
- April 7, 2024: Tina and The Stones, 7:30pm Martin Marietta Center
- April 7, 2024: SESSANTA: Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 7:30pm
Week 2: April 8-14, 2024
Opening Home Game: Carolina Mudcats, April 9, 2024
- Where: Five County Stadium, Zebulon,
- When: Fri., 7pm; Sat., 5pm; Sun., 1pm
- Website
Baseball is back! The first home game of the 2024 season schedule is set for Tuesday, April 9 against the Down East Wood Ducks at Five County Stadium.
Such a fun Spring/summer afternoon or evening out.
Midtown Beach Music Series, April 11, 2024
- Where: Midtown Park
- Time: 6-9pm
- Cost: $5
- Tickets
North Hill’s Midtown Beach Music Series kicks off for the spring for its 15th season with the North Tower Band. The live music series is on every Thursday until June.
This is a fun community event to enjoy live outdoor music with friends, neighbors, and co-workers. You may hear beach music and might think it’s for the older gen! Not at all! This event is for all ages. We attended last year and couldn’t believe how many young adults there were having an absolute blast tearing up the dance floor. This is such a fun Spring event in Raleigh.
- April 18: The Catalinas
- April 25: Liquid Pleasure
Peak City Pig Fest, April 12 & 13, 2024
- Where: Downtown Apex
- Time: Fri, 5pm-11pm; Sat 11am – 9pm
- Cost: Free
- Website
The 10th Annual Bone Suckin’ Sauce Peak City Pig Fest is an April event in Apex filled with pic pickin, a beer garden, live music and 40 teams facing off in a Kansas City Barbecue competition. 42 cook teams will compete for more than $12,000 in prize money cooking chicken, ribs, beef brisket and pork.
See our guide to Downtown Apex here.
Friday Night on White, April 12, 2024
- Where: White St, Downtown Wake Forest
- When: 6-9pm
- Cost: Free
- Website
Not to be ignored are our neighboring friends in Wake Forest. Their outdoor monthly event Friday Night on White returns with free concerts, food trucks, and festivities. It’s a great opportunity to shop the local stores in their cute downtown!
We went last year and were very impressed with the turn out, the community feel, and how much fun everyone was having! (see reel here) What a fun place to live! Here’s our Wake Forest neighborhood guide if you’re thinking of moving here and a guide to downtown Wake Forest.
Concerts & Sporting Events this week in April
- April 9, 2024: AJR – The Maybe Man Tour, PNC Arena, 7pm
- April 13, 2024: North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns, WakeMed Soccer Park, 7pm
- April 14, 2024: North Carolina FC vs. Birmingham Legion FC, WakeMed Soccer Park, 5pm
WEEK 3: APRIL 15- 21, 2024
This weekend, we’ll be enjoying a getaway to Rocky Mount Mills to stay in a tiny home!
Raleigh Earth Day 2024, April 19
- Where: Flower Field, Dorothea Dix Park
- Time: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Cost: FREE
- Website
Let’s work and create a more sustainable Raleigh. Head to Dorothea Dix this Earth Day to discover environmentally conscious vendors and organizations, alongside live music, games, and activities suitable for everyone. The event will culminate with a family-friendly movie screening.
Lebanese Cultural Festival, April 20 & 21, 2024
- Where: 241 Horizon Dr, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27615
- When:
- April 20, 2024: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
- April 21, 2024; 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Cost: Free
Experience the delightful taste of Lebanese cuisine and desserts, enjoy live music and traditional dance performances, watch a belly dancer, savor Lebanese beer and wine, and bring your family along for a fun-filled event with activities for kids. Don’t miss out on the chance to meet a fortune teller and participate in the festival’s raffle.
The Pit’s ‘Cuegrass Festival, April 20, 2024
- Where: Fayetteville St and Hargett St
- When: 12pm-6pm
- Cost: Free
- Website: CueGrass.com
The annual ‘Cuegrass festival hosted by The Pit Authentic BBQ in the Warehouse District is a celebration BBQ and Bluegrass (and beer!) Marbles Kids Museum will host a Kids Zone with extra games, inflatables, and activities.
READ MORE: Where to eat the best BBQ in Raleigh
SpringsFest, April 20, 2024
- Where: Holly Springs Towne Center
- Time: 1oam – 4pm
- Cost: Free
Gather together with the Holly Springs community. Springsfest is an annual outdoor festival featuring food trucks, live music, a beer garden, kid’s activities and a car show! Last year over 10,000 people attended.
Concerts & Sporting Events this week in April
- April 16, 2024: Benson Boone: Fireworks and Rollerblades World Tour, The Ritz, 7pm
- April 19, 2024: Dustin Lynch : Killed The Cowboy Tour With Special Guest Skeez, Red Hat
- April 20, 2024: North Carolina FC vs. New Mexico United, Wake Med Soccer Park, 7pm
- April 20, 2024: Hozier – Unreal Unearth Tour 2024, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Week 4: April 22-30, 2024
Gatsby’s Prohibition Party April 24-28, 2024
- Where: Theatre Raleigh Arts Center
- When: Various times
- Tickets
Step into the captivating world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and immerse yourself in the Roaring Twenties. Experience intrigue, drama, and red-hot rhythms amidst flowing champagne and bootleg liquor. Dance with Daisy Buchanan, hear firsthand accounts from Nick Carraway, and meet the enigmatic Jay Gatsby himself.
Dress in your finest twenties attire for this immersive adaptation of a literary classic. Don’t miss out on this dazzling journey back in time—it’s the twenties, Old Sport!
Brewgaloo April 26-27, 2024
- Where: Fayetteville St;
- When: Fri: 6-10pm, Sat 2-10pm
- Website: ShopRaleigh.org/brewgaloo
Time to kick-off the season with a frothy head at one of the best downtown Raleigh events!
The Friday Night Block Party features all-you-can-sample 3 oz pours. Tickets are $45.
The Saturday Street Festival is FREE to enter, and drinks are available for purchase in 3 oz samples (2 tickets) or by the pint (5 tickets). Drink tickets will be sold in bundles of 15 or 25.
READ MORE: Our guide to the Brewgaloo Festival
Historic Oakwood 34th Annual Garden Tour, April 27 & 28, 2024
- Where: Historic Oakwood
- Cost: $25
- Tickets: HistoricOakwood.org (must be purchased in advance)
Join a self-guided walking tour of (approx. 1.5mile) featuring Historic Oakwood’s fabulous gardens. We love their Christmas Candlelight Tour so are sure this will be equally fascinating.
This year’s add-on Fascinator/Boutonniere Making Experience is pollinator themed and we can’t wait to celebrate these amazing insects and plants by making one-of-a-kind headpieces and debonair boutonnieres
We’re excited to be experience this Raleigh April event for the first time this year! See you there!
Spring Daze Arts And Crafts Festival, April 27, 2024
- Where: Bond Park, Cary
- When: 9am – 5pm
- Website: TownOfCary.org
Grab a local brew and wander around browsing the stalls of more than 170 local artists from across North Carolina. You’ll find art-paintings, jewelry, sculptures and more.
There are plenty of food vendors, activities for the kids and a stage with local music all day. The Spring Daze Arts and Crafts Festival is one of our favorite festivals in the Triangle.
See Spring Daze in the following video:
READ MORE: Guide to Bond Park and Lake in Cary and read our full guide on how to enjoy the Spring Daze Arts and Craft Festival in Cary.
Raulston Blooms and Plant sale, April 27, 2024
- Where: JC Raulston Arboretum
- When: 10am-3pm
- Cost: Free for members and students with University ID, $5 for nonmembers, $10 per family
- Website
If you have not yet visited one of Raleigh’s best gardens, the JC Raulston Arboretum in West Raleigh, take this as your sign to go. This day is packed with garden and nature activities, shopping, and outdoor fun. Includes education displays, demonstrations, food trucks and NC Howling Cow ice cream (one of our favorite ice creams in Raleigh).
Press play to watch the video of the gardens.
Concerts & Sporting Events this week
- April 26, 2024: NEEDTOBREATHE: THE CAVES WORLD TOUR, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 7:30pm
- April 27, 2024: The Postal Service & Death Cab For Cutie: Give Up & Transatlanticism, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
- April 27, 2024: North Carolina Courage vs. Seattle Reign FC, WakeMed Soccer Park, 7pm
Ongoing events in Raleigh for APRIL 2024
Now Spring has sprung, there are many events happening throughout the month on a regular schedule.
- Shop & Play Saturdays is on at Phillip Farms in Cary until May 18, 2024. Enoy the weekly farmer’s market, and delicious local BBQ, ice cream, donuts, and more. And/or play in the family fun park. Your kids will be entertained for hours (you may be too!) 10am – 3pm
- Live at Lake Raleigh is a free, family-friendly concert series from local NC artists that is held on the picturesque shore of Lake Raleigh. Food trucks will begin serving at 5pm. Bring picnic blankets, lawn chairs, and non-perishable foods that will be donated to Feed the Pack’s food pantry. Check out how beautiful Lake Raleigh is!!
- April 4: Charly Lowry
- April 12: Laura Gonzqui
- Historic Yates Mill County Park will have corn grinding demonstrations and costumed tours every Sunday and Saturday until November. Register here. They also have a lot of wonderful programs in April the kids will love. See our guide on this wonderful Raleigh Park and a pretty trail to do after your tour.
- Tongue & Groove Open Mic is on every second Sunday (Start April 6) at the VAE Gallery downtown. Poets, musicians, storytellers jump onto the stage to co-create a night of ephemeral art. FREE!
- Pay what you want farmstand and Wine & Weeds every Wednesday at Raleigh City Farm. This is a great way to connect to Mother Earth and community!
- The free Live in the District Music Series is on every Thursday evening (6:30 -9pm) at Park West Village in Morrisville. Enjoy live performances from the best beach music artists in the state, along with local food trucks and your favorite craft breweries! Starts April 18 to May 23, 2024
- Wellness Wednesdays at North Hills offers fitness opportunities for local community during the spring. Midtown Park 6-7pm.
There you have it. Please share in the comments any other Raleigh events and festivals you are aware of for the month of April?
