By Erin Schulte, Local North Carolinian
A fast-growing technological community that maintains its rich history and Southern charm while also containing a variety of tourist attractions is truly a rare find. But Raleigh fits the bill.
As the proud capital of North Carolina, Raleigh was founded in the early years of the United States’ establishment and is a prestigious city well-known for its universities and top-tier technological research. This thriving city has a multitude of attractions to meet the needs of every tourist, from artists to history fanatics to those just wishing to relax in a city that feels like home.
Here are our favorite things to do in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Check Out Weekend Markets & Festivals
For people who truly wish to experience Raleigh and interact directly with locals, this bustling city boasts numerous markets and festivals that are up and running year-round.
Visit the state-owned Farmer’s Market (open year-round, 7 days a week) to shop direct from Raleigh’s local sellers. Visitors can purchase produce, plants, crafts, baked goods, meats, cheeses, and a variety of other products. After you’re done shopping, you can take a break by enjoying food from one of three restaurants on-site.
Keeping with the trend of promoting local businesses, Brewgaloo is a craft beer festival that takes place in late April. You can enjoy drinks from over 100 NC breweries, food from over 50 food trucks, shopping from multiple local vendors, and ending the day off with music from the best bands NC has to offer.
If you’re traveling with the kids, the NC Sugar Rush festival on Memorial Day Weekend will satisfy even the pickiest eaters. From cheesecake to cotton candy to popcorn, this sweet gathering offers a multitude of food as well as face painting and balloon artists that the kids will surely enjoy.
Read More: Festivals in Raleigh, N.C.
Visit Museums & Experience Local History
Raleigh has a rich history and is a pinnacle for the arts and sciences, which makes this bustling city a great getaway for those who like to enrich their mind.
For those looking to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Raleigh’s busy streets, a short drive southwest from the city center is New Hope Valley Railway and the North Carolina Railway Museum. This volunteer-run organization showcases antique train cars and gives scenic rides on their vintage equipment.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is a great place to brush up on your science knowledge. Four floors of exhibits feature topics such as coastal and prehistoric North Carolina, animals, natural sciences, weather, and space.
For the social-media inclined travelers, this museum is also heralded as one of Raleigh’s most popular stops for Instagram photos.
Right next door to the Museum of Natural Sciences and directly across from North Carolina’s state capitol building is the NC Museum of History. With both permanent and changing exhibits displaying more than 14,000 years of history, the NC Museum of History showcases over 150,000 artifacts from pirates, wartime, social movements, and other important events.
Take In The Art Scene
Raleigh boasts a large artistic community. This city has visual and performance art that will satisfy any traveler’s needs, from ballet to modern artwork to historical pieces from overseas.
North Carolina’s Museum of Art (NCMA) has a permanent collection of American and European art that was originally acquired in 1947. Since then, NCMA’s collection has only grown and includes a variety of pieces from across Europe (including the traditional Italian, Greek, and Roman art) as well as African, ancient American, Oceanic, and Jewish art.
For those who are more interested in performance art, The Carolina Ballet is a must-see. This art organization features traditional and contemporary ballets and is one of the top ballet companies in America. The Nutcracker is by far the Carolina Ballet’s feature performance every holiday season, but have also performed ballets such as Swan Lake, Dracula, and Monet Impressions.
One of the newer additions to Raleigh’s artistic center is The North Carolina Opera. Established in 2010, this combination of the Opera Company of North Carolina and Capitol Opera Raleigh presents high-level performances from both international artists and local talent.
Read More: Free Days At Museums In The Triangle
Grab Some Grub
Raleigh offers so many excellent dining options that you might be overwhelmed at first by all of the possibilities. From lesser-known diamonds in the rough to famous award-winning restaurants, Raleigh has something for every traveler’s tastes.
18 Seaboard is a high-class dining experience featuring contemporary Southern dishes with local ingredients and multiple awards (including best chef, best restaurant and best service). If you want to add a little class to your vacation, visit 18 Seaboard.
Irregardless Café & Catering offers fantastic food for everyone (including vegans, vegetarians, and gluten-free folks) while also featuring live music every night of the week. If your family has picky eaters or mixed tastes, Irregardless is the place to go.
BBQ is a pinnacle of NC’s diet, and Raleigh has a variety of BBQ dining options for those who prefer the traditional NC BBQ or other variances found around the US. The Pit Authentic BBQ serves traditional whole-hog, pit-cooked barbeque in the heart of downtown Raleigh and has the ratings to prove how high their authentic recipe ranks among visitors.
Read More: 48 Hours in Raleigh: Where to Eat and Drink
Shop Antiques & Vintage
Raleigh is just as historical as it is technological, which means that you can go antiquing and hunt down unique finds.
Raleigh’s Flea Market is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. It’s open on weekends year-round and features acres of merchandise from numerous sellers around the Raleigh area. The Raleigh Flea Market has the largest selection of antiques, furniture and jewelry in all of North Carolina.
To continue your antique shopping experience, The Raleigh Furniture Gallery offers a large selection of home items from furniture to decorations to discussion pieces. They are open every day of the week and even offer a discount on your purchase if you choose to pay with cash.
Wentworth & Leggett Books & Prints is a great location for someone looking to find that one book that they are missing from their collection. This unique shop offers both antique and new books on a variety of topics and also provides binding & repair services if you’d like to fix up an old book.
Read More: Raleigh Vintage :: Downtown Raleigh, NC
Explore The Great Outdoors
Travelers seeking adventures in the great outdoors can find exactly what they’re looking for in the Raleigh area. With numerous parks, nature preserves, and centers, Raleigh can satisfy and outdoor enthusiast with a variety of choices for the active traveler.
Durant Nature Park features a playground for kids as well as miles of trails and two lakes. As a former Boy Scout camp, Durant Nature Park includes camp sites and a fishing pier. The small visitor center is a great place to start for any visitor who needs some guidance.
Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve offers a unique 3 miles of nature trails featuring Eastern Hemlock trees, a variety of mountain plant species, scenic overlooks, and wonderful opportunities for both bird and wildlife watching.
Lake Johnson Park is perfect for fishing and boating enthusiasts. Largemouth bass, shell cracker, crappie, bream, catfish and carp can all be caught at Lake Johnson.
Read More: Seven of the Best Trails to Hike, Bike and Run in Raleigh, N.C.
Listen To Live Music
Live music can be found in multiple locations around Raleigh in the many theaters, arenas, and restaurants around the city. Music of every style can be found and every traveler can find exactly what they’re looking for in this amazing city.
Koka Booth Ampitheatre features touring musical groups, symphonies, festivals and movie nights of all kinds. Situated between a beautiful forest and Symphony Lake, this amphitheater blends seamlessly into the natural setting around it and can hold up to 7,000 visitors.
The Ritz is a newly revitalized live event venue that mixes elegance with classic rock and roll. Artists like Jesse McCartney and Yung Gravy can be found performing in this venue that can seat up to 1,400 guests.
For the travelers who prefer to experience live music while dining on some amazing food, 42nd St. Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill is a good choice to visit. With numerous artists performing throughout the week, 42nd St. Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill offers great food and a wonderful music experience. Check their website to see who is scheduled to play throughout the week.
Read More: 7 Bombastic Bars With Live Music, Raleigh NC
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Get Involved With The Startup Scene
If you’ve traveled through Raleigh and have decided that you just can’t stay away (or if you just like to see up and coming businesses thrive in an inclusive, diverse environment), there are multiple startups that provide a multitude of services throughout the Raleigh area (especially in Research Triangle Park) and offer jobs year-round.
Tech startups are the most popular and well-known startups in Raleigh. Companies like PrecisionHawk, which provides commercial drone technology, and K4Connect, which helps to create solutions to empower older adults and individuals with disabilities by providing them with smart technologies, are just a small sample of the amount of innovation that startups in Raleigh provide to the local community and the world.
Lots of Raleigh startups have been recognized for their design and innovation on an international level. bioMASON is one of these companies that helps to reduce Co2 emissions from brick manufacturing by “growing” bricks by employing bacteria to create a durable cement which produces building materials without emitting greenhouse gases.
Read More: Why Raleigh, North Carolina, Will Be the Next Startup Hub
Editor's Picks + Notes
By Melissa Elise Randall, Editor
Get Dinner At Plates Neighborhood Kitchen
Plates is a restaurant with an incredible vibe and even better drinks. Their dinner menu, which has southern classics like catfish and fried chicken, is great, but where Plates really shines is with their special events. I attended a five-course Argentinian dinner there around two years ago that was magical.
Read More: Dining Solo at Plates | Travel Essays
Wander Aimlessly Around Fresh Market
Fresh Market is one of my favorite grocery stores, and the Fresh Market in Cameron Village is the absolute best. Everything is super fresh, there are a lot of eclectic groceries to browse, you can find fresh flowers or organic food... you get it.
It's a wonderful place to just walk around with a coffee on a Sunday afternoon.
Read More: Wegmans, Sprouts, Lidl: New Grocers Spark Store Wars
Explore NC Museum of Art
The NC Museum Art is the best way to spend an afternoon in Raleigh. You can go for a run on the 2.2 mile trail, which has unique sculptures, such as Thomas Sayre’s “Gyre” giant steel circles.
Even in the rain, the museum is lovely, hosting art shows such as Ansel Adams, Georgia O'Keefe, and Scott Avett (coming October 2019.)
Read More: Walk the North Carolina Museum of Art Park – Raleigh, NC
Check Out Jazz Music At C.Grace
C.Grace is one of my favorite places in Raleigh, with a lot of drink options, live music, and cozy spots to sit. But what I really love about C.Grace is the atmosphere. You forget you're in North Carolina. You forget it's 2019. Even on an ordinary Tuesday, you can feel transported to another era.
Read More: C Grace: Finding A Grace Note
Pick Up Some Porch Fly Swag
A friend of mine, Josh, is the owner of Porch Fly, an awesome custom apparel company in downtown Raleigh. They sell a lot of comfy, trendy tees, amazing candles, leather goods, and more. You can find a lot of their stuff in the boutiques downtown.
You can also buy their stuff online.
Read More: The Distinct Chapters Of Josh Gruder
Find A Favorite Coffee Shop
When it comes to coffee shops, Raleigh has a lot. But instead of telling you which one to visit, I'd recommend the whole lot of them. Choosing your favorite coffee shop is like selecting your signature perfume - it has to suit you perfectly.
At one point, Joule Coffee was my go-to Raleigh spot, but since they've closed, I've always gone to Sir Walter Coffee. 42nd and Lawrence, Morning Times, and Cup a Joe are my backups.
Read More: I Finally Wrote A Review About Joule
Snack On Some Halloumi
At Sitti, a Lebanese restaurant in downtown Raleigh, you can find halloumi, or seared Mediterranean cheese. It's one of the most incredible things I've ever had. They also have kabobs, grape leaves, and other amazing little treats to dive into.
In the summer, you can attend one of their outdoor movie nights in their terrace. They play classics, you can sit and order food and drinks... it's a treat. In the winter, sit at the window and people watch (try not to think about pedestrians watching you stuff your face.)
Read More: Sitti + Exotic Shrimp
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