Welcome to Raleigh and the Triangle — an area that includes Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and surrounding towns like Wake Forest, Cary, and Apex. If you’ve recently moved here or are planning to, this guide is designed to help you settle in. From parks and museums to festivals and food, here are 50 things locals recommend, with links and details you can use right away.

Food, Drink, and Local Flavor

Eastern North Carolina Barbecue

• The Pit — https://thepit-raleigh.com/

• Sam Jones BBQ — https://samjonesbbq.com/

• Clyde Cooper’s BBQ — https://clydecoopersbbq.com/

Global Dining

• Bida Manda — https://www.bidamanda.com/

• Brewery Bhavana — https://brewerybhavana.com/

• Garland — https://garlandraleigh.com/

Elevated Southern (Ashley Christensen)

• Poole’s Diner — https://ac-restaurants.com/pooles/

• Beasley’s Chicken + Honey — https://ac-restaurants.com/beasleys/

• Death & Taxes — https://ac-restaurants.com/death-taxes/

Breweries

• Trophy Brewing — https://www.trophybrewing.com/

• Raleigh Brewing — https://www.raleighbrewing.com/

• Big Boss Brewing — https://bigbossbrewing.com/

Cocktail Lounges

• C. Grace — https://cgracebar.com/

• Watts & Ward — https://wattsandward.com/

• Foundation — https://www.foundationnc.com/

Farmers Markets

• State Farmers Market (Raleigh) — https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/marketing/state-farmers-market-raleigh

• Wake Forest Saturday Market — https://www.wakeforestmarket.org/

Coffee Shops & Sweet Treats

• Jubala Coffee — https://www.jubalacoffee.com/

• Heirloom Brewshop — https://heirloombrewshop.com/

• Sola Coffee Café — https://solacoffee.com/

• Two Roosters Ice Cream — https://tworoosters.com/

• Boulted Bread — https://www.boultedbread.com/

• Yellow Dog Bread Company — https://yellowdogbread.com/

Food Trucks & Date Night

• Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeos (seasonal) — https://www.downtownraleigh.org/do/food-truck-rodeo

• Second Empire — https://www.second-empire.com/

• Saint Jacques — https://saintjacquesfrenchcuisine.com/

• Vivace — https://www.vivaceraleigh.com/

Parks, Trails, and Outdoor Spaces

• Capital Area Greenway — https://raleighnc.gov/greenways

• Dorothea Dix Park — https://dorotheadixpark.org/

• Umstead State Park — https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/william-b-umstead-state-park

• Lake Johnson Park — https://raleighnc.gov/places/lake-johnson-park

• Falls Lake — https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/falls-lake-state-recreation-area

• Shelley Lake Park — https://raleighnc.gov/places/shelley-lake-park

• Neuse River Trail — https://raleighnc.gov/places/neuse-river-greenway-trail

• Historic Oakwood — https://historicoakwood.org/

• JC Raulston Arboretum — https://jcra.ncsu.edu/

• Pullen Park — https://raleighnc.gov/places/pullen-park

Arts, Museums, and Culture

• North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) — https://ncartmuseum.org/

• Museum of Natural Sciences — https://naturalsciences.org/

• Museum of History — https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/

• CAM Raleigh — https://camraleigh.org/

• Gregg Museum of Art & Design — https://gregg.arts.ncsu.edu/

• Carolina Ballet — https://www.carolinaballet.com/

• North Carolina Symphony — https://www.ncsymphony.org/

• Red Hat Amphitheater — https://www.redhatamphitheater.com/

• Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) — https://www.dpacnc.com/

• Raleigh Little Theatre — https://raleighlittletheatre.org/

Sports, Festivals, and Events

• Carolina Hurricanes — Lenovo Center — https://www.lenovocenter.com/

• Durham Bulls — https://www.milb.com/durham

• College Sports — UNC, Duke, NC State (check each university’s site)

• Krispy Kreme Challenge — https://krispykremechallenge.com/

• Hopscotch Music Festival — https://hopscotchmusicfest.com/

• Artsplosure (spring arts festival) — https://artsplosure.org/

• NC State Fair — https://www.ncstatefair.org/

• Outdoor Movies — Dix Park calendar: https://dorotheadixpark.org/calendar and Wake Forest Parks & Rec: https://wakeforestnc.gov/parks-recreation-cultural-resources

• Wake Forest Events (VisitRaleigh) — https://www.visitraleigh.com/plan-a-trip/cities-and-towns/wake-forest/events/

• Wake County Speedway — http://www.wakecountyspeedway.com/

Community, Living, and Local Tips

• Research Triangle Park (RTP) — https://researchtriangle.org/

• Marbles Kids Museum — https://www.marbleskidsmuseum.org/

• Wake County Public Libraries — https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/libraries

• NC State University — https://www.ncsu.edu/

• Duke University — https://duke.edu/

• UNC Chapel Hill — https://www.unc.edu/

• WakeMed — https://www.wakemed.org/

• UNC Health — https://www.unchealthcare.org/

• Duke Health — https://www.dukehealth.org/

• VisitRaleigh — Neighborhoods & Community Profiles — https://www.visitraleigh.com/plan-a-trip/neighborhoods/

• Traffic updates — https://drivenc.gov/

Day Trips

• Wrightsville Beach — https://www.wrightsvillebeach.com/

• Asheville (mountains) — https://www.exploreasheville.com/

Weather & Hidden Gems

• Local forecasts (WRAL) — https://www.wral.com/weather/

• Rose Garden at Raleigh Little Theatre — https://raleighlittletheatre.org/visit/rose-garden/

• Reddit: r/raleigh — https://www.reddit.com/r/raleigh/

Community Groups

• Meetup — Wake Forest — https://www.meetup.com/find/us--nc--wake-forest/

• Meetup — Raleigh — https://www.meetup.com/cities/us/nc/raleigh/