I love the Chinese Lantern Festival. I make a point to go every year. There is a different theme…read moreevery year, and the lighted exhibits for the theme. There are also interactive exhibits and acrobatic/performance shows. There is is ample parking at Koka Booth. Also, the ticket prices are less expensive in person than via the website. If you're trying g to go on a holiday or weekend, you may not want to take a chance. However, we save about $15 for three tickets buying in person for a Tuesday night in January. This year, I overheard someone say, "It's like walking through Avatar." I think that's a perfect description!

Amazing experience even on a very very cold day. Bring disposable hand and feet warmers!…read more Way more extensive than was expecting. I was a bit upset the canceled the performance for the rest of the night for when we bought our tickets. No refund or money back. There is a lot of walking dress comfortably

What a great event! I will go back when it comes back next t year and spend more time there. It was…read morea weekend event and only went on Sunday. Loved the dancing from different countries and enjoyed a samosa with mango lassi.

It was a beautiful event! The food options omg that was a hard one. I wish I had the stomach for…read moreeverything. The performances were really beautiful. I loved the Irish performance personally. Now for the food, I had the cubano and a donut cone ice cream ( think its a hungarian dessert) both were sooooooooo gooooooodd. Very fun and lively ^-^.

We absolutely enjoy the fair!…read more Going to the fair is easy- buy your tickets online- it's free to park. We parked in the field on Edwards Mill- buses came every 5 minutes- very comfortable! Friendly drivers. We got dropped at the gate- then enjoyed ourselves- We didn't ride any rides - way too expensive (giant slide $7) unbelievable. The food was so pricey- one sausage $18 - lol - eat before you come (and bring snacks) Seeing all the shows and all the vendors- so much fun!

I had a blast at the NC State Fair this year. My favorite food came from Peachey's: the best donut…read moreand pretzel I've ever had! Food was pricy as always, but I've come to expect from the fair. The garden/flower area was beautiful and they had some volunteers stationed to take your picture. "The Art of Bonsai" demonstration courtesy of the Triangle Bonsai Society my favorite activity this year. It was awesome to learn (and see) how Bonsai trees are raised.

With their relocation to the Raleigh Convention Center, this has the potential of being the…read moreTriangle's premiere shopping event of the season. Spend a weekend shopping for handmade, one-of-a-kind craft representing more than 110 artists from across the country. For those seeking unique and collectible gifts, you won't want to miss this event! Friday, November 6 - Sunday, November 8, hours are Friday, 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.- Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tickets are on sale now! Advance sale discount Visit CarolinaArtisanCraft.com for more information. Let's get social! Use the hashtag #CarolinaCraft15 We will be there, hope to see you!

I started attending this show when it was at the Fair Grounds on Thanksgiving weekends. I'm so glad…read morethey moved it earlier in the month so holiday travel won't interfere with my shopping! The Raleigh Convention Center is such a bright, airy place to showcase such beautiful work. I heard there will be 40 new artists there this year. I can't wait!

Just an all out amazing time. There is so much to see....so many vendors. The vendors have…read moresamples and authentic products. The Carolina Pig Jig is held outside. There are over 20 Masonic lodges that are competing for a win for best bbq and sauce. The tickets are only $20 and you cannot eat as much bbq as your soul desires. I look at this festival as a prequel to the state fair that is held in October.

I love this festival…read more The fact there is an NC based festival that focuses on local vendors and creators is such a wonderful idea! I went to the sip and shop area where you can get an alcoholic drink and wander around. I got to sample so many amazing local foods, sauces, and sweets. I walked out of that place work so much stuff! Then the agriculture center has livestock and learning experiences for the little ones. This festival is definitely a must try if you've never been!

I came across Southeast Crab Feast at the anniversary party of a local brewery. The Yelp listing…read morefor this business was for an All You Can Eat seafood festival, held by this same business, so a review for a two+ year old event didn't make sense. Yelp moderators may see it differently and that's okay. But for whatever it's worth, this place did a fantastic job. There was one truck and several pots of boiling seasoned water (a low country boil style) and a lot of people, adults and kids, walking away with plates of fresh cooked seafood. It was not an all you can eat event, unlike the annual festival, but each plate had a more-than-fair amount of seafood. According to their website, SECF is a non-profit entity supporting cancer research and treatment. I don't know if this brewery anniversary event was part of that, but if it was, it made the food taste even better. Despite the crowds, the crew working kept up with the orders for the most part and were nice enough, when they did get backed up, to deliver the food to people sitting at the tables. The food was boiled perfectly: The six jumbo shrimp had a light garlic butter sauce and were served with bite size pieces of potato. They shrimp were not overcooked and the potatoes were not undercooked. The crab legs came with a small ear of corn. While SECF had hot sauce and cocktail sauce available, they did not have the utensils to crack open the crab legs, so it required some ingenuity to make that happen. Sometimes the plastic fork, sometimes the original fork (aka fingers), and sometimes . . . well, sometimes just smashing it with something . . . . I'm not sure how well this type of food would work in an AYCE event, but for a single pay-per-plate, like any other food truck, it goes into the "win" column.

I love getting to see the local vendors and their art. Everything was arranged nicely so it was…read moreeasy to walk around and see everything. I liked that the town hall and community center were opened with signs to the restrooms we could use inside. That was convenient. Even more food options would be great. The ice cream available was delicious from Fresh Local Ice Cream, but too expensive at $6 a cup! The only thing I don't like about Lazy Daze is that it is during the hottest part of the year! It was 96 degrees and way too hot to walk around for too long.

This 2 day arts and crafts festival is located in downtown Cary. It's huge and features include…read moreart, music and food. There are events throughout the day featuring acrobatics and performances for kids and adults. Lots of high end artists to explore and enjoy. They have shuttles from various locations as there is limited parking nearby. The fair is located around the Cary town hall and beer garden. Wear your sunscreen and good walking shoes. There are lots of trees for shade but walking around you will be in full sun. Only thing I don't like about it is that you will have to carry all your purchases around but looking is free. Loved the bands that played throughout the day as well as the kids area entertainment.

What an incredible festival. Well run, great artists, good food options and wonderful weather. I…read moreknow this was the last official Dreamville year, but J. Cole and crew put on an incredible show. I look forward to what the future holds. If you like hip hop and R&B, this show is for you! We always felt safe, enjoyed the crowd vibes, and reveled in the incredible performances. Will go again!

Attended the last Dreamville festival in North Carolina this year. Initially, I thought the cost…read morewas too high however, when you factor in all the acts that you see is truly a bargain. With all the people present, it was a wonder that everything ran smoothly, and there was no violence, and everyone was just jamming and Vibin

I am pleased that the city of Raleigh has a family friendly, alcohol free event on New Year's Eve…read more Over the years of the event, they have excelled in making it an interactive event with a great variety of arts and entertainment. The kids event start in the mid afternoon, and include the full New Year;s Eve countdown treatment at 7pm (12 midnight on Greenwich Mean Time) with the acorn drop and fireworks display. Ever wanted to be in a parade? You have your chance with the people's procession. Lots of paper mache animal heads and shapes are made available for use in the parade, or be one of the many walking the huge puppet named Rhea down the parade route. New for this year was a phone app that made it much easier to see what activities where happening at any particular time. Do be aware this is a popular event and can get VERY crowded, especially at the main stage for both the 7pm and midnight acorn drops. Traffic and parking can be quite difficult, especially for those not used to downtown parking. I have been many times since this event started iver 25 years ago. I have always found it to be an enjoyable way to bring in the new year.

This place is hot, on a whole new level though. It's a bit off the beaten path from the usual…read moreRaleigh nightlife spots, but it's worth it. It's the best karaoke bar Raleigh has. Cheap drinks Diverse crowd Laid back Cheap eats Fun

"I keep drinking because I don't quit. Quitters are losers."…read more Woah! World Beer Festival. Where to start?! Well, for me, it's the corner of Person St and Martin St. I am a stickler of order and rules, so I started out at table #1 and trek my way across the all the brewery. While everyone flipping through their big book of Beer Guide, generously produced and provided by ALL ABOUT BEER MAGAZINE for this year's festivity, I however had done my study. Days before I have compiled and made a checklist of all the confirmed breweries, in Evernote, for easy checking in later in UNTAPPD app. I enjoyed all the national and international breweries, and even though the NC brewery tent was packed from beginning to end, I somehow made it through twice, when there was literally no moving foot traffic. Half way through the evening, feeling the waves of lethargy overcoming me, I wisely hopped over to the food tents, and got myself some stomach padding. The Sloppy Goats with Tots was quite interesting. Helping out at the Yelp booth also gave me some new perspectives, had I kept drinking, how much of a blabbering fool would I look to others. In the end it was a tremendously fun event, which I would most likely return in the coming years. (UPDATE: the final count was 96 check-ins in Untappd)

This was the first year I got a ticket and went to the World Beer Festival in Moore Square. All in…read moreall, I enjoyed it. I didn't stay the whole 6p-10p second session of the day but got to enjoy a lot of the flavor, both festival and beer, in what I did stay. Beer, beer, beer...it's a lot of beer. Greeted with your little clear plastic cup as you walk in, you get to have 2 oz. pours of whatever beers you choose to taste all during your session. And there had to be hundreds. Ciders as well, and actually they surprised me, I had a few I liked! Again, it cemented that I am just not an IPA kinda guy, but at least I got to try and see what I may like if any (just didn't happen with IPAs). From the serious beer tasters to those that were out to enjoy a downtown event to the sloppy drunken frat boy/wannabe frat boys and screeching drunk girls, and all in between, all types were definitely represented at this event. Great people watching event, that was some of the best fun. It was a decent setup, pretty spaced out tents but a bit (no, sometimes a lot) crowded in the actual tents where the beers were. I have low tolerance for claustrophobic situations but in the wide open space of Moore Square, you can get quick relief. The food is more along fair food type of stuff, I had the corn dogs and they were awesome actually! The live music was a good touch as well. I even ran into some fellow Yelpers and even old buds I haven't seen in years...good times. Bottom line: Will I go back again if I have the chance? Probably so. It was fun, and a welcome event to get everyone out and about in the downtown Raleigh area.