The African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County is an annual celebration of African American culture as expressed through art, music, food and community.
Art is in the air every May as nearly 70,000 people convene in Raleigh for the annual Artsplosure. It is one of North Carolina's most well-attended and well-respected outdoor art events. The festival is held in the Moore Square Park area in downtown Raleigh and features more than 250 visual and performance artists. The weekend-long celebration is typically held on the third weekend of May and is free to the public.
The Got to be NC Festival is slated for every May and is held at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The festival lives up to its title, as it aims to celebrate North Carolina's cultural heritage.
With such a wide variety of influences to choose from, the food, art, and curios for sale are all equally important in relation to each other as well as the overall cultural identity of the area. It's a fun, multicultural gathering that tells many of North Carolina's stories in such a truly memorable and interactive way.
Hopscotch Music Festival is an annual 3-day music festival in downtown Raleigh featuring local, national, and international bands in a variety of genres — rock, hip-hop, metal, dance, punk, alt-country, classical, noise, drone, folk and more. More than 130 acts play in multiple venues within a walkable footprint in downtown Raleigh, with artists performing on an outdoor main stage and in many local clubs.
The Krispy Kreme Challenge is a good-natured charity event that is held every February at North Carolina State University. The proceeds of this festival go to benefit the North Carolina Children's Hospital.
The event involves participants starting at the NC State Belltower on Hillsborough Street, running two miles to the Krispy Kreme store of Raleigh, eating one dozen doughnuts, and then running back to the Belltower in under one hour. An event that is obviously more fun for spectators than participants, the benefits for the area hospital is what it's really all about.
The North Carolina State Fair attracts an impressive 800,000 people every year, making it the largest annual event in North Carolina. Over the course of the 11-day festival, arts, agriculture, cultural exhibits and an amusement fairway all offer something fun to do and see every minute that you are there. Also, the event always features performances by nationally recognized talent.
More than 700 athletes, 500 coaches and nearly 600 volunteers meet every June for the Special Olympics North Carolina Midsummer Tournament. Add in the large number of family members as well as friends and supporters and you've got an event of epic proportions. These very special kids work so hard all year long for this opportunity to shine in their sport of choice, and the continued support and love from the community is inspiring not only for them, but for their families, teachers, and friends as well.