Weekend best bets: Derby parties, festivals and more
One look at this list and it's clear -- festival season is here! Our calendar is overflowing with Triangle events this weekend, and the biggest problem is deciding what to do! Here's our guide.
Festivals
Ham and Yam - Head to downtown Smithfield for this 34th annual event on Saturday. There will be food vendors featuring country ham and sweet potatoes, bounce houses, pig natures and live music.
Midtown Music Fest - Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at this outdoor concert. Enjoy popular food trucks, craft beer, specialty cocktails, street performers, Cinco De Mayo face painting, flower crowns and a vendor village while experiencing acts on both stages. Admission is free.
Great Grapes Festival - This wine festival will feature 200 wines from more than 22 wineries, fun festival food and great live music. The fun happens on Saturday at Booth Amphitheatre in Cary.
Fest in the West - Celebrate Cary’s rural past at the 3rd annual Fest in the West festival on Saturday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. Hop on an antique tractor, have your photo taken dressed as a farmer, or compete in the annual blueberry pie eating contest. Admission is free.
Durham Greek Festival - Experience the fabulous flavors, sights, and sounds of Greece on Saturday and Sunday at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church. Live performances include the bouzouki band "Opa!" and traditional Greek folk dancing.
PeakFest – Apex’s annual street festival is Saturday. There will be live music, artists, vendors, fair food and entertainment for the kids.
Out! Raleigh – This eighth annual family-friendly event is Saturday in downtown Raleigh. There will be live entertainment, local vendors and artists, great food, a KidsZone and a beer garden. Admission is free. This festival is also a fundraiser to support the LGBT Center of Raleigh and its more than 20 community programs.
Meet in the Street - Downtown Wake Forest will hold this free street festival on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. There will be live music, a beer garden and more fun.
Strawberry Festival - Soapstone United Methodist Church in Raleigh is celebrating its fourth annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday with ice cream, pies and baked goods. There will also be vendor booths, a silent auction, food trucks and a visit by Strawberry Shortcake.
Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance – Steve Earle and the Dukes, Rising Appalachia, Donna the Buffalo and more than 50 other performers will share four stages over four days in rural Chatham County during this annual festival. Things wrap up this weekend.
Help others
Doughman - Durham's gastronomical quadrathlon is back for its 10th race on Saturday. Some of Durham's most beloved restaurants will be offering small plates for racers to eat before tagging team members to compete in this relay which includes a run, swim and bike ride, brisk sprints through the beautiful Bull City, a delightful "swim," and costumes. This year's race benefits the Durham Bike Co-op.
SPCA K9-3K Dog Walk and Woofstock – This annual North Carolina tradition brings animal lovers together for a fun walk and day of festivities with a very important purpose: Helping the SPCA of Wake County care for thousands of lost, abandoned, abused and unwanted pets, and giving them a second chance at happiness in a forever home. This year’s event is Sunday at the Booth Amphitheatre.
Portofino Derby Classic – This is one of the biggest Kentucky Derby parties in eastern North Carolina. The afternoon will include mint juleps, ladies’ hat contests, live horse demos and more. WRAL’s Gerald Owens will emcee and WRAL Out and About’s Kathy Hanrahan will serve as a fashion contest judge. The fun happens on Saturday at Portofino Equestrian Center in Clayton. Net proceeds will benefit cancer patients through the Johnston Health Foundation's Angel Fund.
View our full list of Derby parties here.
Lions, Tigers and Beer - Embark on a taste bud safari on Friday at the Conservators Center in Burlington. Mystery Brewing and Tabletop Media Group will host this event featuring six food and beer pairings from local chefs and breweries, as well as a walking tour to see all the animals. All proceeds from the event go to the Animal Care Fund at the Conservators Center.
St. Baldrick's Fundraiser - West 94th Street Pub will hold its St. Baldrick's Fundraiser Sunday. It will include a Balder Dash 5K, competitive run & non-competitive run/walk through the Third Fork Creek Trail in Durham and a head shaving event.
Susan G. Komen Triangle Race for the Cure – The 22nd Annual Triangle Race for the Cure is Saturday at The Frontier in Durham. There will be a 5K, 1-mile fun run and more. WRAL is a proud sponsor of this event.
Racing for Rescues – The annual Second Chance Pet Adoptions "Racing for Rescues" event is back at a new location – Dix Park. The event kicks off at 9 a.m. on Sunday and will include a food truck, a timed 5K with dogs and one without.
Star Wars
Durham Bulls Star Wars Night – May the fourth be with you Friday night as the team celebrates its annual Star Wars Night. Look for special uniforms and special guests. It is also food truck and fireworks night at the ballpark.
May the 4th Be With You - Explore new galaxies, ecosystems of distant worlds and cutting-edge technologies in a galaxy not so far away on Friday night at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences' Nature Research Center in downtown Raleigh. This adults-only event will use the force to separate the science from the fiction in the Star Wars universe. Tickets start at $15 in advance.
Geektastic 4! Bellydance Stage Show - Returning for its fourth year, this event will feature delightfully-geeky performances by dancers from across North Carolina, as well as talent from the East and West coasts.
In Saturday's show at the Durham Arts Council, they will be paying homage to Lord of the Rings, Zelda, Star Wars and more - with a bellydance twist!
May the 4th Be With You at Barley Labs - Barley Labs will host a Star Wars marathon, costume contests (prizes for best human and dog costumes) and more.
Food and shopping
Petey Pablo Beer Release Party and Concert – The rapper unveils his collaboration with Neuse River Brewing – Petey’s Pale Ale – during this event on Saturday at the brewery in Raleigh. He will also be performing a show. Tickets are $25 and include admission to the show and a T-shirt.
Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo – More than 50 food trucks from across the state will line Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh on Sunday for this rodeo. Admission is free.
Gizmo Brewing 5th Anniversary Party - This Raleigh brewery will be celebrating on Saturday with the release of its anniversary beer - Queen Bee, plus live music and food trucks.
Locally Made Market - Head to The Mayton Inn in downtown Cary on Sunday for this event featuring more than 35 local artisans.
The Patchwork Market – This monthly vintage market will take place Saturday at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham.
Progressive Pub Crawl – This crawl will visit three bars for a taste of nine special one-off beers on Saturday. Choose your starting point - Beer Durham, Geer St. Garden, or Pour Taproom, and progress to the other two locations. Tickets are $25.
Music, theater and art
Ben Folds with the NC Symphony - North Carolina's own Ben Folds plays with the symphony on Friday and Saturday nights at Meymandi Concert Hall.
Waitress – Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female creative team, this irresistible Broadway hit features original music and lyrics by six-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles. See it at Durham Performing Arts Center through Sunday.
Ani Difranco - The singer-songwriter plays Carolina Theatre of Durham Friday.
Old School Hip Hop Cookout - Raleigh's best DJs will be spinning classic hip hop and R&B at Coglin's in downtown Raleigh on Sunday.
24-Hour Drawing Event - The Durham Fruit Company is organizing this event on Saturday and Sunday. Visual artists will be able to draw, paint or sculpt for 24 hours straight - or as long as they can last. Art models will be available throughout the entire event, and there will be a reception at The Fruit on Sunday evening.
Movies by Moonlight - Head to Dix Park for a free screening of the film "Spaceballs" on Saturday night. Dinner and ice cream will be served!
