October 5th - 11th Triangle 2017

by Pam & Michael Davison

Hopefully this amazing fall weather will take us all the way through the weekend! There is soooo much to do this weekend. The fun starts Thursday and goes all the way through until Sunday.

Head to Downtown Wake Forest Thursday for their annual Energy Expo. They will have both a daytime and evening Energy Savings & Electric Safety Expo featuring hands-on demonstrations, free popcorn, prizes and giveaways.

They will host the annual Decorated Pumpkin Contest Thursday lunchtime at the Raleigh State Farmers Market. They will also have free recipes and the largest pumpkin contest.

Downtown Mebane invites you to their 6th Annual Chili Cook-Off Thursday night. The chili will be good and the competition stiff!

Science Thursday at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences brings an evening of Science Trivia to the stage. Also this Thursday, the Museum is hosting a Family Night on Crime Scene Investigators. You will help the SBI investigate a crime scene in the Nature Research Center.

Its another Food Truck Thursday at Knightdale Station Park. Join them for either lunch or dinner with three to five local food trucks on hand.

Join them on the first Thursday of every month for Family Nature Night at Laurel Hills Park. This week's program will explore Whooo's That? Come learn all about Owls and even dissect an owl pellet.

Join them at Sarah P. Duke Gardens every Thursday afternoon through October for Open Hours. Each week your family will be guided through an exploration connected with growing plants, hear stories, play games and make art inspired by the garden.

To get you in the mood for the Celebrate Fuquay-Varina Festival this Saturday, join them in the Varina Business District Thursday evening for a concert by the Landsharks.

Festivals Galore!

Heritage Day at Historic Oak View County Park Saturday celebrates North Carolina's farms with plenty of live animals, antique farm equipment, heritage crafts, handmade items, live music, antique cars, horse-drawn carriage rides and re-enactors. ParkGeek will have a both, so make sure you stop by to say hi!

Saturday will Celebrate Fuquay-Varina. Join them for the 16th year with live entertainment, children and youth activities, classic cars, fabulous food and an arts and crafts show. Start the celebration early on Thursday night with a concert by the band Landshark.

Chavis Park Celebrates its 79th Anniversary with food trucks, music, entertainment, community information booths, vendors, historical activities and inflatables. To go along with the celebration, GoRaleigh has created an ART-LINE series of musical performances aboard and along bus routes which lead to the Chavis Park Celebrates event. Click through for times and locations.

Downtown Mebane will be hosting an Autumn Festival Saturday with antiques and craft Vendors, live music, Kids Zone, Bar Obstacle Race and food vendors.

Saturday will be a Reunion & Remembrance of the Anniversary of the American Civil War at Bennett Place Historic Site. There will be both living history and ceremonial activities along with exhibits and displays of the post Civil War Era.

The Triangle Oktoberfest comes to Regency Park with live music, a kids zone, traditional Bavarian food and fare, entertaining contests, and, of course, plenty of local and authentic German beer! This event is a fundraiser for the Lukemia Lymphoma Society and does have an admission fee.

Saturday is Bass Lake Day in Holly Springs. Join them for an afternoon of live music, interactive exhibits, crafts, games and live animals.

The Garner Fireman's Festival will roar into Downtown Garner Saturday with food, games, live music, a live fire demonstration and a parade.

The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine will host the 26th Annual Dog Olympics Saturday. Dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes are invited to participate in athletic and non-athletic competitions such as Small and Large Dog Limbo, Small and Large Dog High Jump, and the Frisbee Toss.

Cary Dog Days at Bond Park Saturday includes the annual Skyhoundz Disc Competition along with rabies and microchip clinics, vendors with dog-focused merchandise and rescue and adoption groups.

Get an early start on your holiday shopping or find something special for yourself at the Pullen and Sertoma Arts Centers Fall Arts Fair Saturday at the Sertoma Arts Center.

In celebrating Hayti's legacy, the annual Phoenix Fest will again live up to its reputation as Durham"s funkiest street music festival with an early morning parade, all-day music, delicious food and dazzling vendor displays.

Step out of the kitchen Sunday afternoon for another ever so popular Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo. There will be over 50 Food Trucks and seating for over 1,000 people!

A little outside the Triangle but worth the drive, Downtown Wilmington will celebrate Riverfest this weekend with Continuous live entertainment, music, arts and crafts, exhibits, dance performances, contests, children's activities, food, river events, friendly competitions, and fireworks.

Fall Color is Coming!

While October is a sensational time of year to just get in the car head over to a state or county park and go for a hike, there are some great guided hikes and special programs going on at the parks to make your Fall weekend that much more enjoyable!

Come Fishing with a Ranger at Occoneechee Mountain Friday afternoon! Rods, reels and bait will be provided.

Take a Moonlit Stroll down the American Tobacco Trail to the Beaver Creek Bridge and back, listening and looking for nocturnal animals as you enjoy the full moon.

Historic Yates Mill Pond County Park will offer Saturday at the Old Mill Tours and Mill Heritage & Local History Tours on Sunday. As a special treat Saturday, you can explore the Fruits of Fall on a naturalist-guided hike.

Explore the historic nature of Leigh Farm Park on a Guided Tour every Saturday through December. Go inside the historic farmhouse while being captivated by tales about life at Leigh Farm throughout the years.

Explore Durham's public art on the Murals by Bike Tour Saturday morning in Downtown.

Also in Durham, spend your Saturday morning giving back during Durham's Big Sweep at Northgate Park. Blue Jay Point County Park will hold their Annual Big Sweep Saturday morning, too.

Join Lake Crabtree's bird enthusiast, Vernon, for an easy walk Saturday morning to do a little Bird Watching.

They will be Celebrating all 5 Senses at the North Carolina Zoo Saturday. Learn how animals use their senses.

Come to the quarterly Bald Eagle Count at Jordan Lake Sunday morning.

First Friday, Movies and Music

The North Carolina Museum of Art will be showing the film Sudden Fear as part of their Fall Film series.

First Friday comes monthly to Downtown Raleigh with a city wide Gallery Walk as well as extended hours at Marbles Kids Museum, the City Museum of Raleigh and the North Carolina Museum of History. As a special treat, the History Museum will be hosting a book signing and presenting the Longleaf Film Festival. Come back to the History Museum Saturday to watch Artist at Work, Dan Hohl, make stained glass.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will host a Teen Science Cafe Friday night discussing one of the rarest butterflies in the world, St. Francis' satyr. Come back for a Science Buffet Saturday.

In Chapel Hill, Fridays on the Front Porch of the Carolina Inn brings BFG to the stage with the food truck Chirba Chirba.

Family Fun Night kicks off the month at Bass Lake Park. The evening starts with arts & crafts, live animals and fishing and ends with a magic show by Dan the Magic Man. The show will move indoors in case or rain.

Dinner and a Movie returns to Pullen Park Fridays in October. Come early for games and activities before the movie and locally sourced food and drinks for purchase. This week's movie hint is "Fried Fish Food."

Come to the NC Museum of History Sunday for a Music of the Carolinas concert featuring the old-time, bluegrass, Irish, and swing sounds of Strictly Strings.

The Triangle Brass Band opens its 2017-2018 season Sunday at the new Downtown Cary Park playing a concert of songs and show tunes including Someone to Watch Over Me, Selections from Carousel, and many more.

The Holly Springs Cultural Center will feature Flipper Monday morning.

All aboard the Pumpkin Patch Express at the Museum of Life and Science. They will be running the special holiday train every weekend in October. Additional tickets are required and reservations are recommended.

The Pickin' In the Pines Concert Series continues Wednesday at Regency Park with a concert by the Longleaf Pines.

Music on Market also boasts a Wednesday evening concert. Join them in Downtown Raleigh for a concert by Violet Bell.