Weekend best bets: Hot air balloons, comedy and more
This first weekend of June is filled with music, comedy and festivals.
Festivals
June 3-4: First Fruits Farm Memorial Balloon Festival - This Louisburg festival honors service members and salutes their families with balloon rides and festivities.
June 3: Bimbé Celebration - This family-oriented event is a celebration of African and African American history, culture, arts and traditions. It is happening at Rock Quarry Park in Durham on Saturday. There will be live music, arts and crafts, a family fun zone and more Admission is free. The event is from 1 to 7 p.m.
June 3: Raleigh's International Food Festival - Head to City Plaza on June 3 for this event featuring art, culture and traditions from around the world. There will be more than 50 food trucks and a large outdoor dance party. The event is from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free.
June 3: Mid-Town Square Spring Festival 2023 - Bond Brothers Beer Company will present this festival on June 3 starting at noon. There will be live music, food trucks, a children's zone and new beer releases. Admission is free.
June 3: NC Summertime Beer Fest - Clouds Brewing is holding this beer fest featuring more than 35 hand-picked selections from their favorite breweries across the region. The event is from 3 to 7 p.m. on June 3. Tickets start at $20.
On Stage
May 30-June 4: 1776 - What will it take to get two dozen powerfully passionate, exceedingly complicated, and all-too-human individuals to settle their differences, while they hold the very future of a nation in their hands? See this Tony Award-winning Best Musical on stage at DPAC through June 4.
June 2: An Evening with North Mississippi Allstars - See this band on stage at Lincoln Theatre on June 2.
June 2: Leslie Jones: Live - See this three-time Emmy nominee and SNL alum on stage at Carolina Theatre on June 2.
June 2: Smooth Nights at KBA - British Acid Jazz great, Incognito, led by multi-instrumentalist, song writer, producer, and arranger, Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick, will take the stage at Booth Amphitheatre on June 2 at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $41.
June 3: Dermot Kennedy The Sonder Tour - See this Irish singer-songwriter on stage at Red Hat Amphitheatre on June 3 with special guest Claire Rosinkranz.
June 3: Summerfest: The Music of Whitney Houston - Join the North Carolina Symphony and celebrate the Whitney songs you know and love, including ‘How Will I Know?,” “Where Do Broken Hearts Go?,” and of course, “I Will Always Love You.” This show is June 3 at Booth Amphitheatre.
June 4: A Celebration of African American Art with Song - This special concert draws inspiration from selected works of African American art at the NC Museum of Art as well as two powerful exhibitions, Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design and Michael Richards: Are You Down?. There will be a diverse mix of music including African American spirituals, contemporary and R&B. After the performance, attendees can visit the exhibitions and take a self-guided tour of African American art at the museum.
Pride events
June 2: Pride Plaza Party - Join Raleigh Pride and Downtown Raleigh Alliance for a Pride kickoff party. Enjoy live entertainment from DJ Steven, and shop local with a curated market featuring local vendors. The event is happening at 227 Fayetteville St. from 6 to 9 p.m.
June 4: LGBTQ+ Pride Ride with the Historic Raleigh Trolley - This ride will highlight historic locations, neighborhoods, businesses, churches, and other points of interest throughout the city as they pertain to the city's LGBTQ+ community. Tickets are $12 per person
June 4: Parlor Pride Party at Heights House Hotel - Help kick off Pride Month on the Heights House lawn with drag entertainers, a live DJ, a specialty parlor bar, food trucks and more. The party is from 2 to 6 p.m. on June 4.
Sports
June 1-4: The Soccer Tournament - This 32-team, $1 million, open application, winner-take-all tournament is happening at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, June 1 through 4. Competing teams will include Wrexham (a team of Wrexham legends headlined by several stars from the "Welcome to Wrexham" TV series), Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. (comprised of legends, academy players and others representing the Wolves), US Women (led by former USWNT star Heather O’Reilly), Team Dempsey (spearheaded by USMNT legend Clint Dempsey), Club Necaxa (representing the historic Liga MX club), Hashtag United and more.
June 1-4: UNC Health Championship - The Triangle region’s most popular professional golf tournament, previously known as the Rex Hospital Open, will feature 156 pro golfers competing at the Raleigh Country Club. Proceeds from the tournament will also support local community partners, including the Poe Center for Health Education, First Tee of the Triangle and the Wake County Boys and Girls Club.
June 3: Running of the Bulls 8K - In its 15th annual event, this scenic course will wind through the historic and revitalized neighborhoods of downtown Durham, American Tobacco Campus, Trinity Park and Old North Durham neighborhoods, and finish with a lap of the warning track inside the historic Old Durham Athletic Park.
June 3: Run For Love 5k - Enjoy a morning 5K race through Dorothea Dix Park followed by an after party at Trophy Brewing on June 3. Proceeds go to benefit Pride Raleigh and The LGBT Center of Raleigh.
Food and shopping
June 3: Bubbles & Brisket - Created on the North Carolina Food and Beverage Podcast, ‘Bubbles and Brisket’ is a collaboration of chefs, pit-masters, wine producers, sommeliers and brewers, pairing sparkling bubbles with a variety of cooking techniques and side dishes that feature everyone’s favorite: brisket. The event is June 3 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Smoky Hollow in Raleigh.
June 3: MAKRS @ Durham Central Park - The MAKRS Society will be hosting it's monthly pop-up market at Durham Central Park. Shop from more than 55 local artists and makers, plus food trucks and coffee.
June 3: Haven Farm Grand Opening Celebration - Haven Farm is hosting the grand opening of its new garden gift shoppe and venue space in Knightdale on June 3 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The day will include yoga, food trucks and customized cocktails.
Family Fun
June 2: Summer at the Springs: Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for a fun evening of free music featuring Joe Hero outside the Holly Springs Cultural Center. Food trucks and a cash bar will be available.
June 3: National Trails Day Scavenger Hunt: Embark on a trail adventure through Bass Lake in Holly Springs! Participants will receive a scavenger hunt card at the start of their adventure and mark off different natural sights along Bass Lake Trail as they learn about the natural wonders surrounding them on this self guided tour. Participants can redeem their card for a Parks & Recreation prize!
June 3: National Trails Day in Wake Forest: The town of Wake Forest will host a family-friendly 5K/3K walk/run as part of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 3, at E. Carroll Joyner Park. Check-in on the day of the event starts at 7:00 a.m., and the race begins at 8:00 a.m.
June 3: Flight Day with Y Guides : Join us for Flight Day with YMCA of the Triangle Y Guides as we take to the skies of the Big Field at Dix Park in Raleigh! Bring your own kites, rockets and other homemade flying machines and get ready for some high-flying fun. There will be food trucks and kite vendors. This is a free event, but registration is encouraged.
June 3: Boxyard Turns 2 Celebration - Boxyard will celebrate its 2nd birthday with inflatables and games. Some highlights include a moonwalk, spin art and water tag. The event is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
June 3: A Luau with Moana - Enjoy a luau with Moana at Little Doodles Play Cafe in north Raleigh from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on June 3. Tickets start at $12.
June 3: Beaver Queen Pageant: Once Upon a Wetland - The Beaver Queen Pageant is the Triangle’s own special mix of folly, pageantry and humor. Contestants take on beaver personalities and compete for the title of Beaver Queen with their fashion, talent, and personality. There will be music, a kid's art activity station, food trucks and much more during this event at Duke Park on June 3 starting at 4 p.m. Enjoy the fun at this family-friendly and free event which raises funds for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association.
June 3: Ever After: Fairytales, Food, and Flowers - Go on a botanical adventure at Fletcher Park in Raleigh. Explore different dessert, artisan and savory food vendors with samples and demos. Get your home and garden ready for summer with plants and produce from local nurseries. Kids will have the opportunity to make free crafts, meet fairytale characters for a photo op and participate in a garden-wide scavenger hunt. This event is free and open to the public.
June 3: Family Fun Fest - From crafts to trails, music to storytelling, kick off your summer with a trip through North Carolina history and culture during this afternoon of hands-on fun at the North Carolina Museum of History from noon to 4 p.m.
June 3: 15th Annual Year-End Championship Step Show: Quest for the Best - Various community, elementary, middle and high school step teams will be performing during this event from 2 to 5 p.m. at Heritage Middle School. Admission is $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
June 3: Music at the Library: Join the United Strings of Color’s Advanced Quartet in celebration of African American Music Appreciation Month as they perform pieces by African American composers. After their performance, the members of the quartet will invite you try your hand at playing a violin, viola or cello at their Instrument Zoo! This is a free event at the Cary Regional Library.
June 3: Nasher Community Celebration: Head to the Nasher Museum of Art in Durham for an outdoor party featuring GRAMMY Award-winning producer 9th Wonder and friends. Celebrate with pop-up children’s book readings in the galleries, art activities and special animals from the Piedmont Wildlife Center. Plus, free cotton candy!
June 4: Six Sundays in Spring: Enjoy the last of this series in Wake Forest. Bring the kids, friends, a picnic and a blanket and settle in for some foot-tapping, finger-snapping good times at Joyner Park.
June 4: Summerfest: Kidzu Museum in Chapel Hill will be hosting Summerfest on Sunday, 3:00-6:00pm at 510 Mt. Carmel Church Road outside on the property. There will be live music, food trucks, ice cream, field games, and family fun for all ages! This is a fundraiser effort to explore the expansion of the kids musuem. Children ages 12 and younger are free. Children and adults 13 and older are $50.
June 4: Birthday Celebration for Kids Together Playground - Enjoy an old-fashioned birthday party to celebrate the anniversary of the opening of Kids Together Playground. Meet at the picnic shelter to craft a party crown, march with KATAL the KT mascot, hear the KT Story, and make fruit juice slushies. The event is free.
June 4: Durham World Hunger Day - Go to Durham Central Park to commemorate World Hunger Day on Sunday. there will be resources and information related to food insecurity in Durham. There will be food trucks, a bounce house, free snacks, performances, giveaways and more. The event is from 3 to 6 p.m.
