Delicious Food Events to Check Out Around the Triangle
Delicious Food Events to Check Out Around the Triangle
Food! It connects us, it relates us, it makes us happy. I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend than to find a fun food event in North Carolina. There are food events that run all year long through Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and everywhere in between. We put together a list of some of our favorite food culinary festivals throughout the Triangle region.
Remember to check the festival websites for the FAQ sections, parking, rain dates, ticket prices, and more.
Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival
What’s not to enjoy about drinking beer, tasting bourbon, listening to music, and BBQ-ing? The two-day Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival, held at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheater, is not to be missed. You’ll get a commemorative sampling glass and be able to try as much beer and bourbon as you want. As for the food, you will be able to enjoy pulled pork, ribs, biscuits, and more, all while listening to live music.
This annual festival has an entrance fee ranging from $45-$125, depending on the date/package. The festival boasts over 60 beers, more than 40 different types of bourbon, and lots and lots of delicious BBQ. Check out the “shrine of swine”, tasting theater, games, and live music.
The 16th annual festival will be held in Cary on August 4-5, 2023.
North Carolina’s Sugar Rush Festival
One of the sweetest events of the year is the NC Sugar Rush festival, an all-dessert food truck rodeo held in Durham. It has over 20 dessert vendors. Their website boasts the delicious list of treats including “Italian Ice, Pineapple Smoothies, Funnel Cakes, Ice Cream, Popsicles, Cookies, Cupcakes, Cookie Dough, Vegan Treats, Beignets, Mini Donuts, Belgian Waffles & much more.” Keep a look out for the occasional sweet dog treat, too!
This year’s NC Sugar Rush Festival was held in Durham on September 10th. Come back next year to check out 2023’s date!
PepperFest celebrates North Carolina’s hot, sweet, and smoky peppers, as well as local agriculture and sustainability. At PepperFest, you’ll be able to sample savory and sweet dishes with delicious peppers. This family-friendly event includes a kids’ craft area, acrobatic performances, and a pepper cooking class.
PepperFest’s is put on by Abundance, a local non-profit organization that call themselves a “community hub and a group of cultural alchemists”. The festival’s mission is to give back to the community while also providing a fun and memorable three-day event. A portion of the proceeds are donated to local community organizations.
PepperFest is held about half an hour outside of Chapel Hill, in Pittsboro, NC. The 15th annual PepperFest was held on September 18, 2022. Come back next year to check out 2023’s date and ticket prices!
Every year Raleigh hosts the International Food Festival, a collection of food/dessert trucks held in Downtown Raleigh. The festival is now going into it’s 7th year. 2022’s festival hosted food from 30 countries and brought in over 23,000 people. Once you get full on all of the wonderful international food, there is also music, art, and dancing to check out as well!
This free festival is a wonderful way to celebrate Raleigh’s diversity and learn about other cultures. From flamenco and belly dancing to gyros and arepas, the International Food Festival allows you to connect with cultures from all over the world.
The 6th annual festival was held in Raleigh in June 2022. Come back later to check out upcoming dates!
Along with delicious local food trucks, Brewgaloo also spotlights 110 local craft breweries. It is North Carolina’s largest craft beer festival. This can’t miss event offers a fun and festive Friday night block party, as well as a Saturday street festival.
This fun festival is held in Raleigh and was voted America’s best beer festival 2 years in a row! Presented by Shop Local Raleigh, the festival is all about spreading the word on local businesses. There are local food trucks, local bands, and local vendors.
Brewgaloo was held on April 22nd and 23rd, 2022, check back next year to see upcoming dates!
First held in 1853, the North Carolina State Fair is North Carolina’s annual fair and agricultural exhibition. This signature event is also an amazing culinary experience, with decadent and delicious fair food options. The fair is held in Raleigh at the..yep you guessed it..the fairgrounds! Check out the schedule of all the cool events here.
Discounted entrance tickets can be purchased online up to a week before the event. Advanced adult tickets are $10 (gate price $13), advanced youth tickets are $5 (gate price $7) and under 5 children get in for free. Keep in mind that you will have to purchase ride tickets separately.
The North Carolina State Fair will be held in Raleigh from October 12-22, 2023.
Another Cary food festival! If you are in Cary in June, make sure to swing by the Pimento Cheese Festival, which just began it’s annual run in 2018. There will be live music, beer and wine, cheese sculpting, and food trucks. This festival partners with local restaurants so you will have the opportunity to try a variety of pimento cheese found in the area.
The 5th annual festival was held in Cary on June 10, 2023.
This festival has gone full drive-through! The Raleigh Greek Festival originated in 1982 when a group of parishioners from Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church expressed a great desire to share their Greek ancestry and culture with the community. Today we can sample all types of delicious Greek food on the festival’s menu such as like spanakopita, dolmathes, pastitsio, and moussaka.
The 3-day festival is run by volunteer parishioners of the Church—all of the staff, dancers, chefs, bakers, set up and clean-up crews belong to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. A portion of the profits from the festival will benefit Habitat for Humanity, Homes for Our Troops, and Team Rubicon.
The drive-thru food festival is held at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Raleigh. The 2022 festival was held from September 23-25. Come back next year to check out upcoming dates!
Triangle Restaurant Week (TRW) is one week of getting to sample menus from local restaurants located all over the Triangle. Participating restaurants offer special $15 3-course lunches and $25, $30, $35 or $40 for a 2-3 – course dinner.
This is a no-ticket required event. Simply go to a participating restaurant during TRW and ask for the TRW fixed menu. 2022’s TRW featured 55 participating restaurants from Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and everywhere in between. TRW’s motto is “a celebration of culinary excellence” and you will be amazed at all of the high quality food Triangle restaurants have to offer.
2023’s TRW was held from January 23-29. Don’t miss next year’s event, check back later for upcoming dates!
Conclusion
Whether you are a local or are first discovering what North Carolina’s Triangle region has to offer, make sure to catch one of our great culinary festivals! From beer and pimiento cheese to bourbon and funnel cakes and everything in between, the Triangle region has some really great food and drink festivals to check out.
We love showing off the Triangle and everything there is to offer. We hope this list is a helpful guide on your culinary excursion through the Triangle region. Get out, explore North Carolina and the Triangle, and go eat!
Do you have a favorite North Carolina festival or food event that we missed? We’d love to hear your favorites or recommendations. Send us an email or connect with us on Facebook to share. We can’t wait to hear from you!