Your guide to Raleigh's First Friday

It only happens once a month, but First Friday is a great way to see experience downtown Raleigh. The next First Friday event is Sept. 6.

Events run from 6-9 p.m., unless otherwise noted, and involve tons of galleries, restaurants and other venues in downtown Raleigh. 

All places participating in First Friday will have flags outside. 

Our Best Bet for this month's First Friday: 

If you're a fan of video games and music, head to The Architect for two video game tribute bands: D&D Sluggers and Eight Bit Disaster. They'll also have some First Friday drink specials.

There are so many other First Friday events, we had to make a list of them all. Browse through the listings below:

Food and drink (All First Friday deals are 6-9 p.m. unless otherwise noted) 

Babylon - $35 three-course prix fixe menu

Bia at Solas - Half price appetizer with purchase of entree

The Big Easy - Half price dessert with purchase of two entrees

Bolt Bistro & Bar - $5 select martinis and seasonal sangria, $8 flatbreads and sliders

Brewmasters Bar and Grill - Fire sale on select craft brewed beers (open until 2 a.m.)

buku - Flight of wines from different parts of the world for $15

Busy Bee Cafe - $2 local of craft beer draft line

Caffe Luna - Free bottle of San Pellegrino with purchase of two entrees

Capital Club 16 - Half price appetizers from 5-7 p.m.

Centro - $2 off tequila flights

Crema on Fayetteville - Free cone with purchase of ice cream

Cupcake Shoppe - Buy one get one half price

Deep South the Bar - $2.50 PBR cans, $5 Disco Lemonade

Dickey's Barbecue Pit -  Free regular dessert ($2.75 value) with purchase of barbecue meat plate and drink or one free kid's meal (12 and under) per paid adult meal

Dos Taquitos Xoco - Free queso dip with puchase of an entree

Five Star - $5 appetizers and $5 wine specials by the glass

Irregardless Cafe - Half price bottles of house wine

Isaac Hunter's Oak City Tavern - $4 glasses of house wine, $4 select local drafts and new local artists featured monthly 

Jibarra Modern Mexican - Half price bottles of premium Spanish and South American wines

Mo's Diner - Half price bottle of wine with purchase of two entrees

PieBird - $3.50 draft beers

Posta Tuscan Grille - Half price appetizer with the purchase of two entrees

The Remedy Diner - $5 glasses of wine

Rum Runners - Free admission until 11 p.m., half off all shots, $3 beer special and $6 double Long Islands

Sono - Monthly featured ramen dish for $13 from 5-7 p.m. and $8 Coconut Lemongrass Sake Cocktail

Square Rabbit - Buy one dessert, get one of equal or lesser value for free

Tir na nOg Irish Pub - $3.75 microbrew bottles

Troy Mezze Lounge - Special First Friday menu featuring kebabs, lamb, vegetarian dishes and great drinks

Tuscan Blu - One free dessert per table

Woody's at City Market - Half price appetizers and wings from 4:30-6:30 p.m.; 20 percent off appetizers from 6:30-9:30 p.m.; $3.50 Jose Cuervo shots and $5 Jagerbombs (open until 2 a.m.) 

Zinda - Free appetizer with purchase of two entrees

Zydeco - Dinner and drink specials and half off appetizers at the bar with purchase of a beverage

Other deals (All First Friday times are 6-10 p.m. unless otherwise noted)

Alter Ego Hair & Nails, 119 E. Hargett St., Suite 200 
What? Salon that specializes in hair care and exhibits art
Special: Monthly art exhibits and music and dance performances

Artcraft, 406 Hillsborough St.
What? Commercial art, large scale works, paintings, sculptures, photography, and more by co-op artists

Atomic Salon, 905 W. Morgan St. (Hours 7-10 p.m.)
What?: The Triangle’s only rock-n-roll vintage hair salon featuring art exhibits on First Fridays

Benelux Cafe, 309 Blake St.
What? A specialty coffee and tea cafe inspired by the food of Holland, the beer of Belgium and the people of Luxembourg
Special: Monthly artist meet and greet and rotating art exhibits, food and drink specials

Burning Coal Theatre Company, 224 Polk St. 
What?: Small professional theatre company with classic shows and modern plays
Special: $5 off any fully priced ticket ($25) on First Friday shows with an advance reservation (shows typically run from 7:30-9:30 p.m.)

Cardinal Club, 150 Fayetteville St., Suite 2800 (Hours 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.)
What? Local juried art on display and great views of downtown
Special: Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and cash bar for guests to enjoy

City Market, 200 E. Martin St.
What? Houses multiple First Friday venues
Special: Live outdoor music

City of Raleigh Museum, 220 Fayetteville St
What? City history museum featuring receptions and rotating art exhibits
Special: Admission for the museum and all special events are free

Contemporary Art Museum, 409 W Martin St.
Special: First Friday admission is free. Programs include after-hours access to galleries, hands-on activities at the creation station, music by local DJs, food trucks and a cash bar.

Crazy Combs Salon, 828 Wake Forest Rd. (Hours 7-10 p.m.)
What? Hair salon and art gallery with vintage clothing and local crafts in historic Mordecai neighborhood

Deco Raleigh, 19 W Hargett St, Suite 108
What? A collection of unique decorative items
Special: Refreshments, entertainment and artist meet-and-greet

Estate Boutique, 300 W Hargett St.
What? Trendy men's boutique carrying the latest apparel
Special: In-store discounts up to 50 percent

Feelgoodz Treehouse, 206 S Wilmington St.
What? A conscious-casual footwear brand
Special: $19 off any purchase of $50 or more

High Cotton, 19 W Hargett St.
What? 100% cotton bowties and apparel for gentlemen, handmade in North Carolina
Special: Free gift with purchase

LGBT Center of Raleigh, 411 Hillsborough St.
What? A safe and welcoming resource center for the LGBT community and friends
Special: Monthly art exhibits

Lisa Stewart Designs, 300 Blake St., Suite 7
What: Handcrafted leather, fine art and gifts made in Raleigh
Special: Free gift with purchase of $75 or more

Marbles Kid Museum (Hours 5-8 p.m.)
Special: Create | Innovate every First Friday night at Marbles as part of downtown Raleigh’s monthly art celebration ($5 per person, members play free)

The Montague Building, 128 E Hargett St.
What? A collection of full-service marketing and multimedia companies
Special: Art and refreshments by Giant Head, Triangle Blvd, El Toro Interactive, and Motion Adrenaline

Moon and Lola, 208 S Wilmington St.
What? Upscale jewelry and accessory boutique
Special: 15 percent off merchandise storewide

The Morning Times, 10 E Hargett St. (Hours 6-11 p.m.)
What? Coffee shop and gallery serving hand-crafted beverages and food

Nora and Nicky's Designer Resale, 19 W Hargett St., Suite 104
What? Luxury and designer consignment specializing in high-end labels
Special: 10 percent off your entire purchase with purchase of jewelry from the guest jewelry designer

Oak City Cycling Project, 212 E Franklin St.
What? Independent bike shop selling new and used steel bike frames and fun
Special: 10 percent off "squirrely" t-shirts and water bottles purchased at the shop

Ornamentea, 509 N West St.
What? Fine beads and jewelry making supplies
Special: Free jewelry project from 6-8 p.m. 

Raleigh Screen Print, 316 W Cabarrus St.
What? Custom t-shirt shop printing with water-based inks
Special: $10 t-shirts printed live all night

Raleigh Wine Shop, 126 Glenwood Ave.
What? Fine wine and provisions
Special: 10 percent off of bottle purchases from the WineStation to drink on-site or to go

Rosenberry Rooms, 709 Hillsborough St.
What? Everything you need for your child's room or nursery
Special: 15% off all in-stock art

Simkin, 718 B W Lane St.
What? Hair studio and gallery space
Special: Complimentary wine and appetizers

Stitch & Holly Aiken Bags, 20 E. Hargett St.
What? Holly Aiken designs beautiful bags and the place also contains contemporary art
Special: 10 percent off all bags

Triangle Downtowner Magazine, 402 Glenwood Ave.
What? The Triangle's most popular magazine
Special: Enjoy local art, music and drinks

TRIG Modern, 328 W Jones St.
What? Design consultancy showroom and gallery featuring home furnishings, lighting and art
Special: Featured artist on-site during the monthly exhibition opening

VanNess & Fellows Tattoo Boutique and Gallery, 226 E Martin St.
What? A one-of-a-kind art gallery, boutique and custom tattoo studio
Special: 10% off all terrariums

Vault Yoga, 234 Fayetteville St
What? A yoga studio in a bank vault featuring monthly exhibits

Videri Chocolate Factory, 327 W Davie St., Suite 100
What? Freshly-made chocolate and confections
Special: Free wine and beer, 10 percent off all chocolate products

Vintage Church, 117 S West St. (Hours 7-10 p.m.)
Special: The gallery hosts monthly art exhibitions featuring local or regional artists

The Wine Feed, 18 Glenwood Ave. Suite B (Hours 6:30-9 p.m.)
Special: Wine tasting ($10 general admission, $5 members)

Art on display

There are also some art exhibits happening throughout downtown. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has a list of the exhibits and a complete rundown of the galleries and museums participating in First Friday.