2025 Raleigh summer bucket list: 9 places & events

Enjoy the 2025 Raleigh summer with this ultimate bucket list of places to see and things to do, from free concerts to award-winning ice cream.

The City of Oaks especially blossoms over the summer, with an abundance of luscious green trees and picturesque late sunsets. As a growing city in the South, Raleigh especially encapsulates easy summertime livin’ with plenty of lakes and green spaces while also offering a plethora of urban nightlife and entertainment options.

Whether you’re a city person who has just moved to the area or a nature lover who loves the smell of fresh air, prepare to fill up your Raleigh summer bucket list this year.

Get down in downtown

Downtown Raleigh is the place to be this summer, with things to do all day and night long. Early birds should consider starting their day with a bike ride through the Art to Heart Trail. The trail starts from the park at the N.C. Art Museum and continues into downtown Raleigh. Along the way, you can even enjoy sculptures. View a map here. 

Art Museum Park in Raleigh. (Sean Russell/Unsplash)

If you want to continue to bike or just want to start off in downtown itself, then try booking a trolley pub. For just under $40, you can book a trolley seat and get a tour of downtown Raleigh while enjoying a complimentary beer. The trolley is like a party on wheels, powered by everyone pedaling. So you get a tour, drink, and a workout all in one.

You can end your night by trying out one of the many fun bars and restaurants, such as the rooftop section of The Raleigh Times Bar. The Raleigh Times was a former newspaper, and the office building was converted into a bar and restaurant. The walls have press clippings from the former newspaper to keep the ambiance of a newsroom from the early 1900s era. The menu features elevated bar bites, creative cocktails, and specialty craft beers from local and global breweries. 

Every first Friday evening of the month, downtown Raleigh celebrates arts and culture through its First Friday Raleigh series. On Friday, June 6, there will be a gallery exhibition called “Kaleidoscope,” which features the multifaceted work of autistic artists and a fitness class combining Afrobeats with Ballet. 

The party continues the next day at the International Food Festival on Saturday, June 7. From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., you can enjoy cuisine from around the world at City Plaza while watching cultural dance performances. 

The downtown Raleigh skyline glimmers at night. (Sean Russell/Unsplash)

Make family memories in Cary

If you’re looking for more of a small-town experience that’s kid-friendly, check out Downtown Cary. The downtown area of Cary has seen a resurgence lately with new renovations, including a vibrant park, and it’s exciting to see as a long-time Cary resident. The Downtown Cary Park has a jam-packed calendar filled with free fitness classes, free outdoor movies in the Great Lawn area, and even the Farmers Market. 

A colorful water fountain feature in Downtown Cary Park in Cary, North Carolina. (John Cardamone/Unsplash)

The fitness class options include Thursday evening Zumba classes, group wellness walks, and yoga sessions. The first summer movie, “The Lion King,” screens on June 13. Before the screening, children can partake in interactive learning opportunities, including creating rain sticks and joining a community drum circle. 

On Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., the Cary Farmers Market will sell locally-sourced produce, perfect for those recipes you saved from those Instagram reels. Children even get a “Farmers Market Passport” and can learn more about healthy eating habits through the Eat-a-Rainbow program. 

Downtown Cary’s dining and nightlife scene even rivals Raleigh’s, especially for those who are more into low-key nights. Di Fara’s Pizza Tavern gives you a taste of award-winning, classic NY-style pizza right in the heart of Cary. The original Di Fara’s location is in Brooklyn, and now Raleigh-area residents are lucky that family members of the Di Fara family opened a location in the Triangle. 

The tavern features a sports bar environment, but if that isn’t your vibe, fear not! You can still enjoy Di Fara pizza in a more casual setting. Chatham Street Wine Market offers a cozy ambiance with comfy couches, and the best part is that you can have Di Fara pizza delivered to your seat. Trust me, I did this and 10/10 recommend it for the next girls’ night. Other bars that will guarantee a fun night include Crosstown Pub & Grill and SideBar. 

Put the pedal to the metal at Lake Crabtree

On those days when you feel your heartbeat racing from stress and anxiety, being by the lake may be your best bet. Scientists even found a link between spending more time by urban blue spaces or bodies of water and reduced chances of developing plaque that can clog coronary arteries. 

The good news is that there are several lakes in the Raleigh area, and Lake Crabtree in Morrisville is one great option. It offers free boat rentals, which include single kayaks, double kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddle boards, and pedal boats. 

Pedal boats are a stress-free option for beginners who may not be used to steering a boat or standing on a paddleboard, and they can be a great leg-day workout. The free rental lasts for two hours, and you are required to wear the life jacket they provide. Adults 18+ are allowed unsupervised, but 16 and 17-year-olds must be accompanied by a guardian.

So if you’re feeling blue, maybe you should check out this blue space. 

Celebrate Juneteenth at Dorothea Dix Park

Encompassing 308 acres, Dorothea Dix Park is one of Raleigh’s largest parks. For those who celebrate Juneteenth, the 2025 Capital City Juneteenth Celebration at Dorothea Dix is the place to be. The celebration starts at 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, and goes on until 6 p.m. 

You can enjoy jazz music by Mo’Jazz, choral songs by the 82nd Airborne Chorus, and spoken word by Bettina Pope. Congresswoman Deborah Ross will speak at the event, and food trucks will be available for dinner. 

Dorothea Dix Park is also the perfect picnic spot, with the Raleigh skyline in the background. Think of it like Central Park’s sibling. There are gorgeous sunflowers as well, which make Dorothea Dix totally ‘Gram-worthy. 

So the next time you want a fun day out with family or friends, consider making your favorite finger sandwiches, wearing some fun florals, and gathering around the picnic blanket at Dorothea Dix.

Dorothea Dix Park and the Raleigh skyline. (Reba Spike/Unsplash)

Take a hike through the Neuse River Greenway Trail

You may have heard the phrase, “you snooze, you lose,” and that’s especially true during the summer. With the scenic 8 p.m. sunsets that Raleigh has to offer, you should definitely take advantage of all the long days. Instead of snoozing on the weekends, go perusing through the Neuse River Greenway Trail. 

The nearly 24-mile paved trail follows the Neuse River and even cuts through wetlands. It’s an adventurer’s dream, with kayaking, canoeing, and fishing available as well. 

The Neuse River trail is also just a portion of North Carolina’s Mountain-to-Sea Trail (MST) that connects the Outer Banks to the Great Smoky Mountains. For advanced hikers looking to add a fun challenge to their bucket list, you can even use the summer to complete the entire MST.  

Cool off at the Pullen Park Pool

With The Farmer’s Almanac predicting scorching temperatures in July, it sounds like a cool idea to visit the Pullen Park Aquatics Center. The aquatics center has two adult lap pools, a recreational swimming pool, and even a warm-water therapy pool for children. 

For just $5, Raleigh adult residents can spend a whole day at the pool. There are discounted rates for children under the age of 12 and senior citizens over 55, as well as multi-day passes that offer a good bang for your buck. If you like the idea of taking a daytime dip in the pool on Independence Day, the main pool will even be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Pullen Park, North Carolina’s oldest public park, also offers much more than swimming. From tennis courts to playgrounds, there are several options available to keep you and your children active this summer. There’s even a new arts center open with classes that teach pottery, jewelry-making, weaving, etc. 

Scream for NC’s finest ice cream

The only thing better than a pool to help cool you down is ice cream. Look no further than Andia’s Ice Cream, an award-winning, family-owned shop that has been named as one of the best ice cream shops in the country. 

CEO Andia Xouris emigrated from Cyprus, Greece, and brought the culinary skills she learned from her father’s food distribution business. Xouris is currently the only woman to be designated as a Grand Master Ice Cream Chef in the southern and southeastern regions of the U.S., and is one of 15 total ice cream chefs across the country. 

If you can’t decide on a flavor, the good news is that you can’t go wrong with any of them. The shop has classic flavors like French vanilla and more unique ones like baklava. There are also seasonal batches like Mexican hot chocolate and vegan options like cherry lime sorbet. 

While the first location opened up in Southeast Cary, they have added three more locations in West Cary, Durham, and Raleigh. Don’t just dream of ice cream. Go drive to Andia’s and make your dreams come true. 

Enjoy free outdoor concerts around the Triangle

Finding free things can feel like winning the lottery these days. Lucky for you, the Triangle area is full of free outdoor concerts this summer. 

Raleigh, specifically, has a series of free concerts at Pullen and Fletcher Parks encompassing a variety of genres such as jazz quartets, Japanese Taiko drum ensembles, and even a 1960s British-inspired rock band. The concerts happen every Sunday from June to late Sept. The June and July concerts are from 6 to 8 p.m., while the Aug. and Sept. concerts go from 5 to 7 p.m. 

For North Raleigh residents, there is also the Pop Up Music Series at North Hills, with concerts in the Commons on Friday evenings and in Midtown Park on Sunday afternoons until June 21. N.C. State University also has a free concert left in their LIVE @ Lake Raleigh series. If you’re interested in “Carolina funk” music, then make sure to check out the Boulevards on May 22 at 6 p.m.

Hop to the beat at the Hopscotch Music Festival

End the summer with a bang by attending the renowned Hopscotch Music Festival. The three-day event in downtown Raleigh features several indie bands and will go from Sept. 4 to 6. There are three-day general admission passes and three-day VIP passes, ranging from $135 to $212. 

The festival is like an Easter egg hunt—some of the 100+ acts perform as headliners at outdoor stages in City Plaza and the Red Hat Amphitheater, while you can catch some of the other bands in nearby dive bars. Last year’s concert was commended for its commitment to elevating talented musicians based in N.C.

A performance at the 2015 Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh. (James Willamor/CC BY-SA 2.0)

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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