JUL 17–19, 2026 · Issue No. 29

This Weekend in the Triangle

Your weekend planning starts here. Every Thursday we curate the family-friendly events worth your Saturday and Sunday across Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill — sorted by day, with the free options flagged and a rainy-day filter for when the forecast turns. Skim the picks, then build the rest of your weekend below.

Curated by Nina, a Triangle mom of 15 years · every event verified against the venue's own page

Big weekend ahead — 95 things to do across the Triangle, 37 of them free.

95 events

Saturday.

July 18 · 54 events

Durham Farmers’ Market

Pavilion at Durham Central Park

UCAN Gardeners as Teachers 2026

Catawba Trail Farm

Walk-In Saturday at Welcome Tattoo

9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Once Upon A Child Raleigh's School Uniform Event

6411 Triangle Plantation Drive Unit 107

Theatre Raleigh

9 AM - 11:30 AM

Drafts of the Bull: Craft Beer and Food Tour

Entrance of Brightleaf Square

Sat. & Sun., 9:30am-12:30pm

Master Strokes 2026 - Two-Day Weekend Art Workshop for Adults

HSNC Learning Center

W.E. Hunt Recreation Center

Walking Tours of Oberlin Village

Oberlin Village

Summer Solstice Berry Forage with Daniel Woody

Exact location to be sent in advance.

Mini-Retreat for Caregivers & Healthcare Professionals: Pause, Play, Reset

Mini Acres Farm

Sat., 10:30am-12:30pm

Superfun Saturday 2026

Halle Cultural Arts Center

Sat., 11am - 4pm

Triangle Pop Up – Maker’s Market

Third Saturday - Monthly Volunteer Workday

Sat., 11am-2:30pm

Silver Soldering Intro

Sat., 11am-noon

Oak & Iron Impact Series

Metal Yoga: Ozz-yasa

Chapel of Bones

12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Hispanic Heritage Fiesta at Shakori Hills Arts Center in Pittsboro Sept. 12

Shakori Hills Arts Center

12:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Okra Jamboree at The Plant in Pittsboro

Free Music on Mangum at Durham Beer Garden

Durham Beer Garden

Sunday.

July 19 · 40 events

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Two Roosters celebrates 11 Years on National Ice Cream Day

see location nearest you

9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Chirstmas in July at NC State Fairgrounds

Kerr Scott Building

Behind the Habitats at Bass Lake

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Behind the Habitats at Bass Lake

900 Bass Lake Road

Hot Wax on Tap, Drop-In Candle Making

Crank Arm Durham Sunday Dog Walk

Crank Arm Durham

Sun., 10am-6:30pm and Mon., 7:30am-6pm and Tues., 10am-4pm

Pearls of Wisdom Charter School Conference

Raleigh Convention Center

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Guest Star: Art

Marbles Kids Museum

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Marbles Kids Museum

11:00 am - 6:00 pm

Once Upon A Child Raleigh's School Uniform Event

6411 Triangle Plantation Drive Unit 107

Sunday Funday Market

Sun., 11am-midnight

National Daiquiri Day

11:00 AM - 11:20 AM

Guest Star: Fitness

Marbles Kids Museum

11:00 AM - 11:45 AM

Superpower Dogs 3D

Marbles Kids Museum

12:00 PM - 12:45 PM

Marbles Kids Museum

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Science Solvers

Marbles Kids Museum

12:30pm to 2:30pm

Sewing Level 1: Visible Mending - Denim

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM

The Blue Angels 3D

Marbles Kids Museum

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Mini Birthday Party

Marbles Kids Museum

2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

World Cup Watch Party at NCSU Witherspoon Student Center

Also this weekend.

1 event

Times vary with date

$85. Ages 14+. Students under age 18 require accompaniment by a parent or guardian

That's 95 events — refresh Thursday for next week's list.

Don't do this every week

Get the weekend list before you need it.

Every Thursday at noon — three picks, the weather call, and the parking intel. The list you just scrolled, but curated and in your inbox before you even start wondering.

While you're planning —

Shortcuts to the kind of weekends we specialize in.

Free Stuff Today This Month Rainy-Day Spots Outdoors All Guides

New to the Triangle? Start with the Club

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best free thing to do this weekend in Raleigh?: It depends on the weather, but the dependable free picks are the Downtown Cary or Raleigh farmers markets on Saturday, library storytimes, and the NCMA's grounds and Family Studio. Our Free Stuff page pulls every no-cost event for the current weekend.
Are there indoor options if it rains?: Always. Marbles Kids Museum, the Museum of Natural Sciences, and every Wake, Durham and Orange county library branch run weekend programs. Use the rainy-day filter above to see only the indoor events.
How often is this weekend list updated?: We curate it every Thursday for the upcoming Friday–Sunday, then keep pulling in new events and removing cancellations through the weekend itself. So a Saturday-morning check is still worth it.
What's the difference between this page and the This Week page?: This page is the editor-curated Friday–Sunday plan with hand-picked highlights. This Week is the broader rolling seven-day list, including weeknights, with lighter curation.