These are some of our favorite New Year's Eve events. View a full list here.
RaleighWRAL First Night Raleigh (Fayetteville Street) - Downtown Raleigh's largest New Year's celebration features nearly 100 performers in over 35 venues throughout downtown starting at 2 p.m. There will be a Ferris wheel, neon pop-up roller rink and more fun before the acorn drop and fireworks.
Raleigh's Ultimate New Year's Eve Party at Isaac Hunter's (414 Fayetteville St, Raleigh) - At midnight, ring in the New Year and enjoy a complimentary champagne toast while watching the Giant Acorn Drop from Isaac Hunter’s famous Fayetteville Street patio.
New Year's Eve at Raleigh Beer Garden (614 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh) - Enjoy a party in the climate-controlled event tent at the back of the Raleigh Beer Garden. Your ticket purchase includes all of your food and drinks, party favors and a countdown toast at midnight.
NYE at Little City Brewing (400 W North St, Raleigh) - VIP tickets include a full buffet and a premium open bar package including beer, wine, beer, craft cocktails and a champagne toast.
NYE at The Architect (108 E Hargett St, Raleigh) - Tickets include party favors and a champagne toast at midnight.
NYE at Level7 (101 Park at N Hills St, Raleigh) - Enjoy live entertainment featuring Awkwardly Friendly at this rooftop bar at the AC Hotel in North Hills. There is also no cover charge.
No Fuss, No Frills NYE Party (Boxcar Bar and Arcade, 330 W Davie St, Raleigh) - Enjoy a relaxed New Year's Eve celebration all day at Boxcar. Doors open at noon and there are drink specials all day, no cover charge and a countdown to midnight.
14th Annual New Years Eve Bash (City Limit's Saloon, 901 Tryon Hill Dr., Raleigh) - Doors open at 9 p.m. for this bash that will include DJ Smoore and the Funky Bunch.
The "Best View in Town" New Year's Eve Celebration (Residence Inn's 10th and Terrace, 616 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh) - This rooftop party will include a midnight toast, hors-d'oeuvres and fun!
Back to the Future New Year's Eve Party (Alamo Drafthouse, 2116 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh) - Hop on your hoverboard, don your favorite decades attire, and join Alamo for this interactive movie party featuring movie props, collectible goodies and a radical recreation of the Enchantment Under the Sea dance in the lobby. The doors open at 8:30 p.m., followed by the film screening at 9 p.m. After, there will be a lobby party with a champagne toast at midnight.
NYE Boodle Fight (Mofu Shoppe, 321 S. Blount St., Raleigh) MOFU is hosting a meal fit for a king with dishes like suckling pigs, roasted duck, grilled lamb, octopus, squid, shrimp and whole fishes, cheeses, traditional Asian desserts, fruits, chocolates and more.
Rockin' Raleigh New Year's Eve Countdown (The Junction, 327 W. Davie St., Raleigh) - Tickets include three premium drinks, heavy hors d'oeuvres, a personal mini-champagne bottle at midnight, pizza buffet, cheesecake and dessert bar and more.
A Mad Hatter's NYE Party (Neuse River Brewing, 518 Pershing Rd, Raleigh) - Travel down the rabbit hole at this party featuring DJ JD Silverthorne and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight.
NYE at Level-Up Kitchen and Barcadium - Ticket includes a full buffet, free play on cabinet games and a bar package including beer, wine, craft cocktails and a champagne toast at midnight.
New Year's Eve at Watts & Ward (200 S. Blount St., Raleigh) - The craft cocktail bar is ringing in the new year with live jazz from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m.
New Year's Eve Through the Decades (Kings Bowling, 141 Park At North Hills St, Raleigh) - There will be a live DJ mixing beats from every decade, lane packages and more fun.
NYE at Coglin's (226 Fayetteville St., Raleigh) - There will be a champagne toast at midnight and a complimentary New Year's Eve gift to the first 50 people through the door.
Whiskey Kitchen New Year's Eve - Ring in the new year with live entertainment, dancing and champagne.
New Year's Eve Gala- All four floors of the Nature Research Center of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences will be open and will feature passed hors d'oeuvres, gourmet food stations and amazing dessert displays, open bars on every floor with premium liquors, wines, craft beers, custom cocktails and champagne, DJs, ambient performers and a live band.
Durham, Chapel Hill and CarrboroGlow Up in 2019 at Unscripted Durham (202 Corcoran St, Durham) - Glam yourself up a glitzy night featuring disco balls, dancing, photobooths, a DJ and champagne toasts.
NYE at Alley Twenty Six (320 E Chapel Hill St, Durham) - Reservations are open for a three-course prix fixe dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. Cocktail pairings are available at an additional cost.
New Year's Eve Party at Ponysaurus Brewing Co. (219 Hood St., Durham) - The brewery will be celebrating New Year's Eve with music from Carolina Soul and a giveaway for a year of free beer.
Keep it Durham, Durham (Fullsteam, 726 Rigsbee Ave., Durham) – Close the year in style and start 2019 off right at Fullsteam with food trucks, a dog walk, jazz and tarot card readings.
What the Funk NYE 2019 (Beyu Caffe, 341 West Main Street, Durham) - This party at Beyu Caffé features food, drinks, and dancing. Go VIP and get a seated ticket which comes with a seat at a table, glass of champagne for a New Year’s toast and access to the buffet.
Talulla's Bollywood NYE 2019 (456 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill) - Enjoy this non-stop dance party featuring drink specials, belly dance performances and a champagne toast at midnight.
Ellis Dyson and the Shambles NYE Party (The ArtsCenter, 300 G E Main St, Carrboro) - Local old-time favorites Ellis Dyson and The Shambles, joined by singer Katharine Whalen, ring in 2019 with a foot-stompin' set of Squirrel Nut Zippers songs for audiences both young and old.
View a full list of events here!
When the holiday season comes to an end, Christmas trees take on a second life in Wake County as the mulch that adorns the trails at our parks.
Through the Happy Trails Christmas Tree Recycling Program, Wake County residents can recycle their Christmas trees into mulch that will improve trails at parks around the county. Just drop off your tree at one of our designated waste and recycling convenience centers or county parks from Dec. 26, 2018, until Jan. 27, 2019.
“This program is a true win-win for Wake County residents and our parks,” said Chris Snow, director of Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space. “Last year alone, we recycled 5,242 trees and created more than 105 tons of mulch that fortified and beautified our trails for the new year.”
The following convenience centers are open for tree drop-offs from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., seven days a week:
The following Wake County parks will accept trees from 8 a.m. until sunset, seven days a week:
Blue Jay Point County Park – 3200 Pleasant Union Church Road, Raleigh
Harris Lake County Park – 2112 County Park Drive, New Hill
Lake Crabtree County Park – 1400 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville
Green Hills County Park – 9300 Deponie Drive, Raleigh
All decorations must be removed before recycling Christmas trees.
Please note that all facilities will be closed Jan. 1 in observance of New Year’s Day.
Since 2012, the Happy Trails program has collected more than 27,938 trees and produced about 558 tons of nutrient-rich, aroma-filled mulch to improve Wake County’s park trails.
The program is a partnership between Wake County’s Solid WasteManagement Division, and the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department.
For more information, contact Solid Waste Facilities Manager Grant Jones at Grant.Jones@wakegov.com or 919-856-6436, or Blue Jay Point Park Manager Ben Wittenberg at Ben.Wittenberg@wakegov.com or 919-870-4329.
The Wake County Solid Waste Management Division provides waste disposal and recycling services to residents and businesses in Wake County. The division manages 17 waste facilities including a landfill, waste transfer station, residential waste and recycling convenience centers, household hazardous waste and multi-material recycling drop-off facilities. To learn more, visit www.wakegov.com/recycling.
The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts will host a “Back to the ‘50s Sock Hop” on Saturday, Jan. 12, from 7-9 p.m.
Put on your blue suede shoes or pink poodle skirt and get ready to “rock around the clock.” Dance the night away to your favorite 50's tunes spun by DJ Randy "Sting" of 1st Choice Customized DJ Services. Emcee and special music by Roseann McFadden
Ice cream floats and other special treats will be available for purchase at our concession stand.
Advance tickets are $10 plus tax and $13 plus tax at the door.
For more information or to purchase your tickets online, visit www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events.
The Town of Wake Forest is pleased to announce a power-packed band lineup for the 2019 Friday Night on White concert series.
The Magic Pipers will once again kick off the series on April 12, followed by Sleeping Booty on May 10; Love Tribe on June 14; The Soul Psychedelique on July 12; Big Love on Aug. 9; and Crush on Sept. 13. For more information about each band, including videos of band performances, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/band-line-up.aspx.
Presented by White Street Brewing Co., “Friday Night on White” takes place along South White Street on the second Friday night of each month from April through September. Each concert begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m.
Volunteers are needed for a variety of roles during Friday Night on White. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and will receive training and a commemorative t-shirt. Civic groups and community organizations are especially encouraged to participate. For more information or to sign up, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/volunteer-wake-forest-online-registration.aspx.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2019 Friday Night on White. For complete information, contact Marketing & Business Relations Specialist Anna Bolton at 919-610-4916 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
Last year’s Friday Night on White concert series attracted well over 50,000 visitors to downtown Wake Forest. Friday Night on White aligns with Goal 1 of the Town’s Strategic Plan: Stimulate Economic Development.
For complete information about Friday Night on White, visit wakeforestnc.gov and search “Friday Night on White.”
Is your family asking Santa for a sweet kitty or playful pooch? Maybe you’re looking to start the new year with a new best friend? ’Tis the season to adopt a pet during the Home for the Holidays special at the Wake County Animal Center.
From Dec. 17 through Dec. 23, adoption fees will be reduced for pets ages six months and older. It will cost $25 to bring home a dog, and you can name your price for cats. The shelter tends to fill up around the holidays, as volunteers and those fostering animals take time off to travel and celebrate with family. As we head into this year’s festive season, there are about 100 cats and dogs in the shelter and more than 50 pets in foster care looking for their forever homes.
“The best place for these pets is for them to find a loving home where they can get all of the attention they deserve,” said Dr. Jennifer Federico, director of the Wake County Animal Center.
Adopting an adult animal eliminates a lot of guesswork, because these mature cats and dogs have already settled into their unique personalities and behaviors. And, pets coming from foster care have experience in home and social settings, so their current foster parents can tell you what to expect.
Give a Gift Certificate this Holiday Season
Gift certificates are available for any dollar amount and may be redeemed for the adoption of pets within a year of purchase. Any amount left over after the adoption will be donated to the shelter.
Adopting a pet is a major commitment, and gift certificates enable recipients to pick out the dog or cat of their choice at their convenience.
Ready to find your new best friend? Click here to view a gallery of the animals currently available for adoption.
Looking for the perfect gift for the animal lovers in your life? Stuff their stockings with gift certificates to the Wake County Animal Center!
About the Wake County Animal Center
The Wake County Animal Center is an open-admission shelter operated by Wake County. The center receives all stray, abandoned and surrendered pets in the county and works in partnership with fosters, volunteers and local rescues to treat and rehome thousands of homeless animals every year.
To learn more about the Wake County Animal Center and animals available for adoption, visit wakegov.com/pets and follow the center on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @WakeGovPets.
In the spirit of giving, you can make a difference in someone's life by making a tax-deductible donation to the Play It Forward Raleigh Financial Assistance Program. 100 percent of your donation helps families in our community participate in summer camps, arts programs, nature education, life-saving swimming lessons, and more!
A $10 donation will enable a family to make a deposit to secure a camp.
A $20 donation will empower a child by participating in youth sports programs or art classes.
A $50 donation will help an older adult increase mobility through an adult fitness swim class.
A $100 donation will allow a teen to attend a weeklong summer camp.
For more information, contact
Picking out the perfect Christmas tree is no easy task. Will it fit in your space? How tall is too tall? Should you get pre-lit or un-adorned? This holiday season, guests shopping for an artificial tree can use the Target app to place an augmented reality (aka “AR” for the tech-set) version of the tree right in their living room. Hundreds of thousands of guests are already using the “See It in Your Space” tree feature and loving it—here’s how it works:
But we’re not done yet. Also new this year are six unique holiday rooms in our virtual, 360-degree shopping feature. See how dozens of popular holiday products look to-scale in living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. With everything from trees to couches, light fixtures and more—all shoppable with just one click!—you’ll get a better sense of how to pair and style holiday items throughout your home.
Shop Target’s Wondershop holiday collection in stores and online at Target.com!
Hello! I'm Carli, a girl originally from Ohio, who could not be more proud to call Raleigh home the last 12+ years. By day, I work at SAS Institute but when I'm not working, I'm a mom to an amazing boy and 2 dogs. In my free time, I love to stay active working out, playing sports, traveling, crafting, attending a sports game/concert, or shopping!