Weekend best bets: Ham & Yam, PeakFest and more
The first weekend of May is filled with festivals!
Festivals
May 4-7: Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival - Enjoy four days, four stages and over 50 bands in Chatham County.
May 5: Holly Springs International Food Festival - Celebrate different cultures from around the world without a passport during this event Friday at the Holly Springs Cultural Center. Enjoy a variety of food, beverages and entertainment representing more than 12 countries. Admission is free.
May 6: Smithfield Ham and Yam Festival - Thousands flock to downtown Smithfield for this annual event, which features inflatables and more.
May 6: Strawberry Festival - Enjoy this family-friendly event at Old North Durham Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be arts and crafts, strawberry treats, a silent auction, food and live music.
May 6: Strawberry Fest and Shop and Play - Phillips Farm of Cary - This Saturday will be the Spring Farmers Market from 9:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m.! You'll find produce, goodies from local vendors, enjoy live music, check out the expanded Family Fun Zone games and activities.
May 6: 42nd Annual Apex PeakFest - This arts and crafts festival started as a small community day in a school parking lot. It now draws hundreds of vendors and over 22,000 people to the streets of downtown Apex each year. The festival will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Salem Street and will include live music, artists, entertainment and food.
May 6: 7th Annual Fest in the West - This free community festival in Western Cary features two stages of entertainment, food trucks and a beer garden. There will also be a free children's area with activities specifically for families, including a petting zoo.
May 6: Meet in the Street Festival - This annual arts and crafts festival will be held in downtown Wake Forest on May 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be more than 100 artisan booths featuring handmade items for sale, dozens of food trucks, live music throughout the day, a children's village filled with activities for kids and more. Admission is free.
May 6: Satyre Festival - Satyre festival is a satirical experience for the audience to enjoy the oddity and comedy of a festival gone sour. The audience will experience all the fun of a normal local music festival with great food and great fun but with a twist of comical embrace of festival faux pas and shortfalls. Admission is free.
May 7: Jewish Food Festival - Jewish for Good is excited to host this event on their campus to feed the community on May 7 from 2 to 5 p.m. All attendees must purchase an event ticket at the Jewish Food Festival store, where you can also buy raffle tickets and event swag. Capacity is limited.
Music and comedy
May 3-14: Moulin Rouge! The Musical - Pop the champagne, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is the winner of 10 Tony Awards — including Best Musical! This show has so many songs and lots of mashups! See it on stage May 3-14 at DPAC.
May 4-6: North Carolina Symphony presents Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - Don’t miss one of the most popular films of all time, shown on the big screen as the North Carolina Symphony performs John Williams’ legendary score live. The shows are May 4, 5 and 6 at Meymandi Concert Hall.
May 4-6: Josh Wolf - See this comedian, actor and New York Times Bestselling author on stage at Goodnights.
May 7: Kevin James: The Irregardless Tour - Comedian and Emmy-nominated actor Kevin James, known for the sitcom The King of Queens, will be bringing The Irregardless Tour to Raleigh Memorial Auditorium on May 7.
Foodie fun
May 5: Invent the Night Gala: The Magic of Science - Spend an evening exploring a side of the Museum of Life and Science you haven’t seen before. Uncover the magic of science mingling in the newly renovated Play to Learn exhibit. Bid for silent auction items among the Lunar Module. Sip on imaginative cocktails while uncovering the nighttime mysteries of Carolina Wildlife. The party doesn’t end there as the crowd moves outside to dance under the stars and explore more of the magical wonders of science around the Museum. Tickets are $150.
May 6: 10 Year Anniversary Celebration Gizmo Brew Works - Enjoy a day of entertainment, live music, food and craft beer at Gizmo Raleigh Brewery and Taproom from noon to 11 p.m.
Help others
May 5: Corks for Kids - Head to the North Carolina Museum of Art's West Building for this annual wine tasting benefiting the North Carolina Children's Hospital. Wines from various regions of the world with be featured and available to taste. Catering Works will be serving heavy hors d'oeuvres. Tickets are $175.
May 6: 2023 Komen Triangle Race for the Cure - Help raise money for the fight against breast cancer with this annual walk at The Boxyard RTP.
Family fun
May 5: Happy Dan the Magic Man - Happy Dan is that slightly silly, can’t wait to see him loving uncle that every child loves. The laughter never stops as he struggles with his misbehaving props and the children come to his rescue. Enjoy this free event May 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre.
May 5 - Neuse River Amphitheater Ribbon Cutting & Concert - The Neuse River Amphitheater renovations are almost complete. To celebrate, join us on Friday, May 5th, for a ribbon cutting and free concert featuring the band Bad Decisions! This will be the night before the Ham & Yam Festival so make it a weekend of fun in Historic Downtown Smithfield!
May 5 - Star Wars Fest - A short time from now in a library not too far away…Enjoy crafts, activities, books and trivia! This is a free event for all ages and costumes are encouraged! Enjoy at the Oberlin Regional Library from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Raleigh.
May 5 - First Friday Markets and Movie Night - Head to Moore Square the first Friday of every month for with food trucks, live entertainment, local market, free games and a free outdoor movie night. Enjoy live music at 6:00 p.m. This weekend's showing is "Shang-Chi: The Legend of The Ten Rings (2021)" and starts at sundown.
May 6: Build With Keva Planks - This is a special event at the Southgate Community Libray in Raleigh. Show off your creativity with these all-wood blocks.
May 6 - Kite Flying Festival - The Triangle Gujarati Association and the Town of Morrisville will hold the Kite Flying Festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will take place at Cedar Fork District Park, in Morrisville. There will be games for children, a bouncy house, food and vendors will all be on site.
May 6 - Nature's Pranksters - Prarie Ridge Eco Station will host a special program about how animals in nature try to fool each other. Whether it's through mimicry or camouflage, there's some pretty tricky ways to survive! This program is for ages 10 and up. Please dress for the weather and wear closed-toed shoes.
May 6 - Dix Park's Movie on the Lawn - This Saturday Dix Park will offer a special Mental Health-focused family wellness fair before showing the movie "Inside Out". There will be activities for all ages include lawn games, informational booths with resource takeaways, a photo booth, face painter, bubbles, and games with prizes.
May 6: 2nd Annual Kids in Nature Day - This event at Lake Benson Park helps connect kids with nature through a wide variety of fun, interactive and hands-on activities. There will be 20 different activity centers, including live animals, pond exploration, nature crafts, scavenger hunts, and much more! Ranger Rick will be there to greet the kids, there will be fanciful music and fresh-cooked food will be available onsite.
May 6: Cary Dog Daze and Pet Expo - This year’s event will be held May 6 at the Cary Police Department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Families and their well-behaved pets are invited to enjoy food trucks and shop for pet-related items.
May 6: Strawberry Jamboree at the the Carrboro Farmers' Market - That long-awaited and sweet time of year is finally here: strawberry season. Shoppers can pick up strawberry recipes, get information about local you-pick strawberry farms, enjoy samples of strawberry dishes around the market, enter a raffle, enjoy live music, and make strawberry.
May 6: GardenMania - GardenMania at Cape Fear Botanical Garden is a celebration of gardening and horticulture for people of all ages, providing the community an opportunity to experience gardening, attend a workshop, shop with artisan vendors, learn new skills and more. Gardenmania has proved to be a favorite with garden masters and novices alike. Kids ten and younger are free. Tickets range from $10-15.
May 6-7: 5th Annual Spring into Trains Show - Head to the Kerr Scott Building at the N.C. State Fairgrounds for this event that celebrates all things trains. There will be 20,000 square-feet of railroading and vendors.
May 6 - Kids Movie Madness - Durham County will host a free screening of Disney’s "Turning Red" at the South Regional Library at 11:40 a.m. Registration is encouraged.
May 6: Geek and Grub Night Market (May the 4th Be With You Edition) - Dress up in your favorite Jedi attire and enjoy fun themed competitions and activities at this market May 6 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Mordecai Historic Park.
May 7: Movies at the Library - Join us for a Family Movie afternoon. We will be screening the animated film, "Sing 2". Movie starts at 1:30 p.m. at the East Regional Library in Knightdale.
May 7: Children's Pop-Up Market - Hosted by The Studio School of Durham. All children age 6-17 are welcome to participate. The Children’s Pop-Up Market is a marketplace for young entrepreneurs to sell goods and services that they have created. Each vendor will have their own booth where they can market and sell their goods. They will learn and experience the ins and outs of selling to the public and making a profit. Think of your childhood lemonade stand, but better.
