Lucky you. You just found RALtoday’s Plan Ahead, a list of some of the biggest events to plan for that are taking place around Raleigh each month. For October, we've got 35 lined up.

Take out your calendar, grab your day planner, or text all your friends — these are the top events we recommend heading to this month. Psst: Don’t forget to bookmark this page and come back; we update our guide monthly.

Festivals + Markets

Raleigh Wide Open | Friday, Oct. 2-Saturday, Oct. 3 | Times vary | Fayetteville Street | Free

Triangle Oktoberfest | Friday, Oct. 2-Saturday, Oct. 3 | Times vary | Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary | $18+

Raleigh Film & Art Festival | Friday, Oct. 2-Sunday, Oct. 4 | Times vary | William Peace University | $0+

Falling For Local | Saturday, Oct. 3 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | The Big Field at Dix Park | Free

Taste of Asia | Saturday, Oct. 3 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Moore Square | Free

North Hills Block Party | Thursday, Oct. 8 | 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Midtown Park 4011 Cardinal at North Hills Street | Free

Hub Sum Diwali | Saturday, Oct. 10 | 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. | Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary | Free

North Carolina State Fair | Thursday, Oct. 15-Sunday, Oct. 25 | Times vary | North Carolina State Fairgrounds | $4+

Raleigh’s International Wine and Beer Festival | Saturday, Oct. 17 | 12-8 p.m. | Raleigh City Plaza | Free

Celebrate Oktoberfest in Raleigh, NC. | Photo by Triangle Oktoberfest

Try This

PBS North Carolina's "A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story" Screening | Tuesday, Oct. 6 | 6-8:30 p.m. | North Carolina Museum of Art | Free

Raleigh Little Theater's 2026 Costume Sale | Saturday, Oct. 10 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | Raleigh Little Theater | Free

Antique & Vintage Jewelry Show | Saturday, Oct. 10-Sunday, Oct. 11 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Bailey's Fine Jewelry | Free

EverythingELSE Consignment Sale | Saturday, Oct. 17, Sunday, Oct. 18, Friday, Oct. 23 | Times vary | South Hills Mall | Free

The Southern Creative Gift and Craft Show | Saturday, Oct. 24 | 12-5 p.m. | Triangle Town Center | Free

Three male musicians perform on stage, with one holding a microphone and another playing a guitar. The audience, visible in the foreground, holds light sticks and flags. — The Jo Bros are back in town. | Photo by Erik Drost via Wikimedia Commons

Concerts + comedy

Jonas Brothers: The Burning Up Tour All Over Again | Thursday, Oct. 1 | 7:30 p.m. | Lenovo Center | $65+

Indigo Girls | Saturday, Oct. 3 | 7 p.m. | Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts | $73+

Weezer, The Shins & Silversun Pickups | Sunday, Oct. 4 | 7 p.m. | Lenovo Center | $48+

Bleachers Forever | Tuesday, Oct. 6 | 7 p.m. | Red Hat Amphitheater | $35+

Trampled By Turtles w/ Futurebirds | Sunday, Oct. 18 | 6:30 p.m. | Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary | $60+

Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds “Mutiny for the Masses” Tour (Sturgill Simpson) | Wednesday, Oct. 21 | 8 p.m. | Lenovo Center | $32+

Special Event: Ron Funches | Friday, Oct. 23-Sunday, Oct. 25 | Times vary | Goodnights Pop-Up Club | $32+

Head to NC Museum of Natural Sciences for a spooky, adults-only party. | Photo by Karen Swain/NC Museum of Natural Sciences

Haunting happenings

Editor's pick: Curtain Call From Beyond: Theatre Haunts & History | Sunday, Oct. 4-Thursday, Oct. 29 | Times vary | Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts | $42 | Peek behind the curtain for ghost stories, backstage secrets, and a candlelit drink in the theater’s spooky gothic lounge.

Sip n' Stroll Raleigh Ghost Tour | Friday, Oct. 9-Friday, Oct. 30 | Times vary | Alley next to DICED Salads, Wraps & Bowls | Free

Nightmare Weekend Raleigh 2026 | Saturday, Oct. 10-Sunday, Oct. 11 | Times vary | Raleigh Convention Center | $57+

Boo-ze Halloween Wine Walk | Tuesday, Oct. 13 | 6-8 p.m. | Raleigh | $25

"Dracula" presented by Carolina Ballet | Thursday, Oct. 15-Sunday, Nov. 1 | Times vary | Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts | $20+

Editor's pick: Pumpkin Flotilla | 5-7 p.m. | Bond Park Boathouse, Cary | Free | Get ready to set sail with your jack-o’-lanterns and watch them light up the water — Pro tip: use our pumpkin picking guide to find a gorgeous gourd.

Zombiepalooza | Friday, Oct. 23 | 6-10 p.m. | DCP Great Lawn Pavilion, Cary | Free

Adult Nights: Tales of Woe | Friday, Oct. 23 | 6:30-10 p.m. | North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences | $15+

Downtown Scary Park: Haunted Hotel | Saturday, Oct. 24 | 2-10:30 p.m. | Downtown Cary Park, Cary | Free

Front Paige Media Raleigh Halloween Book Fair | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 12-5 p.m. | Raleigh Iron Works | Free

Crews lift 530 pieces of black plastic to reveal the Hurricanes' home ice. | Video provided by the Lenovo Center, gif by RALtoday

Sports + outdoor activities

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals | Friday, Oct. 2 | 7 p.m. | Lenovo Center | $32+

Walk to End Alzheimer's - Triangle (Raleigh-Durham) | Saturday, Oct. 3 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | Halifax Mall | Free+

Fletcher Field Day | Saturday, Oct. 10 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Fred Fletcher Park | Free

Barkitecture | Saturday, Oct. 10 | 1-5 p.m. | Downtown Cary Park, Cary | Free

(Don’t see anything you like? Check out our full events calendar.)

Have an event of your own you want to share with us? Follow these easy steps to add your events to our calendar:

Go to our Events page.
Click “Add Event” in the top right-hand corner.
Make sure to include a link and fill out important information like the date, time, location, and price of your event.
Click “Submit,” and you’ve just added an event to our website calendar.