Fall showed up right on schedule this week, and so did the calendar. This is one of those weekends where the Triangle event list gets almost unmanageable, so I pulled out the ones actually worth rearranging your Saturday for. Whether you want bugs, dragon boats, or your first pumpkin of the season, there’s a Triangle weekend guide entry below for you.
This Weekend’s Triangle Weekend Guide
Here’s what I’m circling on my own calendar for September 19 through 21.
BugFest at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences
This is the one I look forward to every single year. BugFest turns the whole museum into a giant, slightly chaotic celebration of insects, with live bug petting zones, cooking demos featuring edible insects (yes, really, and yes, people line up for it), and enough hands-on science stations to wear out even the most energetic kid by 2pm. It’s free, it’s downtown, and it’s the kind of event that makes you remember why Raleigh is a genuinely great place to raise curious kids. Saturday, September 19, at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.
Asia Fest with Dragon Boat Racing at Koka Booth
Cary’s Asia Fest is now in its 11th year and it keeps getting better. You’ve got dragon boat teams racing on the lake, food vendors covering a dozen different cuisines, and performances running most of the day on the amphitheater stage. It’s one of the most visually striking events in the area, especially if you time it right to catch the boats out on the water. Saturday, September 19, at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary.
Fall officially opens at Hill Ridge Farms and Naylor Family Farm
Two of the Triangle’s go-to fall farms kick off their season this weekend. Hill Ridge Farms in Youngsville opens its Fall Pumpkin and Harvest Festival, which runs weekends all the way through early November, so there’s no rush if this weekend doesn’t work. Naylor Family Farm out in Fuquay-Varina is opening for the season too, with its corn maze and pumpkin patch back in action. Between the two, you’ve got your pick of hayrides and the first pumpkins of the year without leaving Wake County.
Festa Italiana in Downtown Apex
Downtown Apex closes down for a proper Italian street festival, complete with live music, food from local Italian restaurants, and a cannoli eating contest that I fully intend to spectate rather than enter. It’s a smaller, walkable event, which makes it an easy add if you’re already out that way. Saturday, September 19, in Downtown Apex.
Morrisville International Festival
This one doesn’t get nearly enough attention. Morrisville’s International Festival brings together performances, food, and vendors representing the town’s genuinely global community, and it’s free and family friendly from start to finish. If you want a weekend outing that feels different from the usual Triangle festival lineup, this is it. Saturday, September 19, at the Cedar Fork Community Center in Morrisville.
NC Courage vs. Gotham FC
If you’d rather spend your Saturday night cheering instead of strolling a festival, the NC Courage host Gotham FC at WakeMed Soccer Park. It’s a good matchup, the atmosphere at First Horizon Stadium is always solid, and it’s an easy one to turn into a full night out in Cary. Saturday, September 19, at WakeMed Soccer Park.
And if none of that fits your weekend, the concert calendar is stacked too. NC Symphony opens its season Friday night with Rachmaninoff at Meymandi, Rainbow Kitten Surprise plays Koka Booth on Sunday, and Red Hat Amphitheater and Lenovo Center both have big touring acts through the weekend. There is genuinely no excuse to stay home in the Triangle right now.
As always, double check event times and ticket links before you head out, since venues do shift details closer to the date. Want more of this in your inbox before the weekend hits instead of scrolling for it? Subscribe to The Raleigh Local and I’ll keep doing the digging for you.
Keep exploring: things to do in Cary and things to do in Apex and what’s happening this weekend.
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