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2011 Fall Fun & Halloween Events
Chapel Hill, Durham, Carrboro, Raleigh NC

October 2011
Chapel Hill - Durham - Raleigh NC
Fall & Halloween Events
 

Entertainment nightly includes live music with performances by local bands and choirs. The Fair also features the Miss Chatham County Fair Pageant and the 2011 Chatham County Fair Youth Talent Show, a county-wide Youth Talent Search. Admission is free for all students 18 and under on opening night Wednesday, September 28. Display your arts and crafts, fruits, vegetables, livestock. Cash prizes available for winners of the Ice Cream Churn-Off, Biggest Pumpkin and Watermelon Contests.

(919) 542-5511.

Chapel Hill FESTIFALL - 39th Annual Fall Festival,
Sun. October 2, 2011, 12-6 pm
W. Franklin St., Downtown Chapel Hill, NC

Chapel Hill's Annual Festifall is an outdoor festival celebrating Chapel Hill's local arts and artisans; featuring great food and live music; kids' activities and fun for everyone!
(919) 968-2829

26th International Festival  (Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh)
See Times / Program Schedule for the 2011 Raleigh International Festival
International Festival event promotes and celebrates the diverse cultures of the Triangle area with ethnic dance, sidewalk cafes, world bazaars, cultural exhibits, biergarten, coffeehouse, and more.  Tickets $5 at the door, FREE for children ages 6 and under.
www.internationalfestival.org

Lego Kids Fest at the Raleigh Convention Center (Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh)
Friday, October 7 - Sunday October 9, 2011

GIANT LEGO EXPO in Raleigh, NC!
Over 3 Acres of Lego Family fun!

Enlarge View

The 2011 LEGO® KidsFest tour offers LEGO lovers an exciting, interactive experience, packed with activities and creative fun for the entire family! Among the many different attractions, don't miss:

*Dozens of LEGO models & Sculptures
*LEGO Master Builder Academy
* LEGO Mystery Murals
* LEGO Creation Nation group build
* LEGO Race Ramps
* LEGO Games
* LEGO & LEGO DUPLO COnstruction Zones

and much more!

Visit www.LEGOkidsfest.com for more information and to buy tickets.

Shakori Hills Festival of Music and Dance,
Thurs. October 6- Sun. Oct. 9, 2011
1439 Henderson Tanyard Road
Pittsboro, NC, 27312
A family-friendly festival of music, dance, art, and education. 4 days, 4 stages, and over 50 bands in beautiful, green Chatham County!
Spanning four days (you can camp onsite, or come and go), this festival features LOTS of fun activities for kids and the whole family, music and dance workshops, massage and healing arts, and non-stop, fantastic live music.  A wonderful time for all! The Shakori Hills Festival of Music and Dance takes place every Fall and Spring and has become a favorite local bi-annual tradition not to be missed!
919-542-8142

18th Annual Carolina Renaissance Festival  (near Charlotte, NC)
16445 Poplar Tent Road Crafts Program, Huntersville NC 28078.  Located just north of Charlotte between Concord and Huntersville on Highway 73 at Poplar Tent Road (between I-77 and I-85). Exit 25 on I-77 or exits 52 or 55 on I-85.  Saturdays and Sundays, 10am - 5:30pm. Rain or Shine. Children under 5 FREE. Free Parking. No Pets. From the website: "The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a medieval amusement park, a 9-stage theater, a 20-acre circus, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament and a feast -- all rolled into one non-stop, day-long family adventure!"  Rain or shine.  No pets.  Free parking.  Kids under 5 free.

Editor's Note:  We look forward to the Carolina Renaissance Festival every year - it is one of our favorite annual family outings, and well worth the drive.  The fair is a renaissance village featuring physical buildings and structures that are permanent year-round, but used just for the Festival during Festival season.  (It's not an empty field, it's a reproduction medieval village with trees, grass, shady areas, buildings, stages, all enclosed, with an area encompassing 20 acres.)  When arriving at the gates, visitors feel as though they are entering a medieval town; everyone is dressed in period clothing and acting various roles from knights to knaves, fairies to jugglers, ladies in waiting to falconers.  Watch knights on horseback jousting; see medieval jugglers and jokesters; experience a falconer show; enjoy minstrels and merriment; try your hand at archery; ride a camel; give the Jacob's Ladder a whirl; enjoy live music and comedy; greet the strange and fascinating walking tree; see the royal procession headed by the reigning King & Queen in full renaissance regalia . . There is so much to do it is impossible to summarize everything in a brief paragraph.  Dress up in period clothing (not required) and join in the fun!  Both children and adults love it. Read More>

www.royalfaires.com/carolina/

and www.RenFestInfo.com

1-877-896-5544

NC State Fair at the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, NC.
Thursday, October 14 - Sunday, October 24, 2010

2011 NC State Fair Daily Program / Schedule

The largest annual family-fun event in North Carolina!  It's no wonder that North Carolina families look forward to the State Fair as a not-to-be-missed annual family tradition.  The NC State Fair is a great, old-fashioned State Fair featuring livestock exhibits and competitions, concerts, games, rides, food, craft demonstrations, PBS Kids events, and lots of other family-friendly entertainment.  The mission of the fair is to showcase and promote the state's agriculture, agribusiness, arts, crafts and culture, with lots of fun entertainment and activities for the whole family!

 

www.ncstatefair.org
(919) 821-7400

18th Annual Carolina Renaissance Festival  (near Charlotte, NC)
16445 Poplar Tent Road Crafts Program, Huntersville NC 28078.  Located just north of Charlotte between Concord and Huntersville on Highway 73 at Poplar Tent Road (between I-77 and I-85). Exit 25 on I-77 or exits 52 or 55 on I-85.  Saturdays and Sundays, 10am - 5:30pm.  Rain or Shine. Children under 5 FREE. Free Parking. No Pets.

From the website: "The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a medieval amusement park, a 9-stage theater, a 20-acre circus, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament and a feast -- all rolled into one non-stop, day-long family adventure!"  Rain or shine.  No pets.  Free parking.  Kids under 5 free. Read More>

www.royalfaires.com/carolina/

and www.RenFestInfo.com

1-877-896-5544

Wolf Awareness Week at the Museum of Life and Science
433 Murray Avenue, Durham, NC 27704
(919) 220-5429
Museum Admission

In honor of National Wolf Awareness Week, the Museum of Life and Science will present special educational animal keeper talks daily at 2 p.m. and present giveaways to promote a greater understanding of the endangered red wolf population. The Museum is currently home to one male and one female red wolf, and plays an instrumental role in cooperation with national breeding programs in efforts to restore the red wolf population world wide.

(919) 362-5416. 

Boo at the Zoo at the North Carolina Zoological Park
4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27205.
Saturday & Sunday, October 29- 30 - BOO at the ZOO - A magical weekend featuring, games, music, face painting, treats, costume contest and plenty of Halloween fun.  One of the zoo’s most popular events!  This safe daytime addition to nighttime trick-or-treating will be presented in the plaza areas of the zoo. Live entertainment throughout the park.

(800) 488-0444.

SAXAPAHAW OKTOBERFEST 2011 Date TO BE ANNOUNCED

Farmer's Market 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Music 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sorry No Dogs Allowed

BANDS - BREW - BARBEQUE - KIDS' HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES - GREAT FALL FAMILY FUN!
1616 Jordan Drive, Saxapahaw, NC 27340.  (Further afield - @ 1/2 hour from Chapel Hill/Carrboro locations.)

Come and enjoy GREAT FREE MUSIC, Farmer's Market, Harvest Goods, Pumpkins, Fresh Food, Halloween Festivities, Crafts, Games & Kids' Events at the Saxapahaw annual Oktoberfest. Bring a blanket or a chair and enjoy some great music by the River.

www.rivermillvillage.com
(336) 376-3122.

Halloween Express Train Rides at the New Hope Valley Railway, Bonsal, NC (25 miles south of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill)
Saturday, October 22, 2011, AND Saturday October 20, 2011 Times: 4 pm, 5:15 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:45 pm and 9:00 pm
Hour-long train rides through the spooky woods in Chatham County.
Tickets must be purchased in advance - click here for online tickets. (Click on the calendar date for the event to purchase tickets.)

Saturday October 22 and October 29th, ghosts and ghouls come out to the New Hope Valley Railway!

Trains will operate Saturday Oct. 22 and Saturday Oct. 29 departing at 4:00PM, 5:15PM, 6:30PM, and 7:45PM and 9pm with each ride taking about an hour.
The fare is $9.00 for all passengers of all ages, and tickets are available ONLY by ADVANCE PURCHASE.

Click here to see Cool New Hope Valley Railway Halloween Express Train Ride Photos  (Editor's note: The two guys at the front of the steam engine in the photo at bottom right really look like ghosts, don't they?!  You can see right through them ... great effect.)

In 2011 you can now buy the Halloween Express Train Tickets in advance ONLINE at the New Hope Valley Railway website (Click on the calendar date for the event to purchase tickets.)

www.nhvry.org
(919) 362-5416. 

Chapel Hill 2020 Open House Flyer

The Chapel Hill 2020 Community Open House is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at University Mall, featuring activities for children, a Town services fair, and an update on the work to create the Chapel Hill 2020 new comprehensive plan.  Chapel Hill 2020 is a yearlong community project to create a comprehensive plan that will set the town’s course for the next 10 years. A fire truck, public works trucks, a Chapel Hill Transit bus, and other Town vehicles will be on display in the parking lot.

Activities for children will include storytelling that comes to life on stage by Dancing Storytelling Adventures, Johnnie Joins the Fire Department performed by the Chapel Hill Fire Department, and an art project led by the Traveling Teacher Show. The art project will inform the children about conservation and sustainability, and culminate in the creation of a paper quilt that will represent the children’s ideas and dreams for Chapel Hill’s future.

For more information, visit www.chapelhill2020.org or www.2020buzz.org or contact the Town of Chapel Hill at 919-968-2728 or compplan@townofchapelhill.org. A Chapel Hill 2020 survey is available online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CH2020VandT  Save the date for the next Chapel Hill 2020 community meeting scheduled 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at Ephesus Elementary School, 1495 Ephesus Church Road.

18th Annual Carolina Renaissance Festival  (near Charlotte, NC)
16445 Poplar Tent Road Crafts Program, Huntersville NC 28078.  Located just north of Charlotte between Concord and Huntersville on Highway 73 at Poplar Tent Road (between I-77 and I-85). Exit 25 on I-77 or exits 52 or 55 on I-85.  Saturdays and Sundays, 10am - 5:30pm.  Rain or Shine. Children under 5 FREE. Free Parking. No Pets.

From the website: "The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a medieval amusement park, a 9-stage theater, a 20-acre circus, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament and a feast -- all rolled into one non-stop, day-long family adventure!"  Rain or shine.  No pets.  Free parking.  Kids under 5 free. Read More>

Editor's Note:  We look forward to the Carolina Renaissance Festival every year - it is one of our favorite annual family outings, and well worth the drive.  The fair is a renaissance village featuring physical buildings and structures that are permanent year-round, but used just for the Festival during Festival season.  (It's not an empty field, it's a reproduction medieval village with trees, grass, shady areas, buildings, stages, all enclosed, with an area encompassing 20 acres.)  When arriving at the gates, visitors feel as though they are entering a medieval town; everyone is dressed in period clothing and acting various roles from knights to knaves, fairies to jugglers, ladies in waiting to falconers.  Watch knights on horseback jousting; see medieval jugglers and jokesters; experience a falconer show; enjoy minstrels and merriment; try your hand at archery; ride a camel; give the Jacob's Ladder a whirl; enjoy live music and comedy; greet the strange and fascinating walking tree; see the royal procession headed by the reigning King & Queen in full renaissance regalia . . There is so much to do it is impossible to summarize everything in a brief paragraph.  Dress up in period clothing (not required) and join in the fun!  Both children and adults love it.

www.royalfaires.com/carolina/

and www.RenFestInfo.com

1-877-896-5544

Join Trader Joe's for a fun Halloween celebration on Wednesday, October 26, 2011!

Cane Creek Campground features 80 acres with woods, a catch-and-release fishing pond (catfish and bass, a bluegrass gallery, and camp sites.  The Halloween Camp & Jam will feature lots of live music (bluegrass music acts), and fun activities for families and children.  There will be a pumpkin-carving contest, best pet costume contest, best decorated golf cart, and best decorated camp site.  Halloween camping fun!

For more info visit http://www.littlejohnsmountainmusic.com/ .

(336) 376-8324

Pumpkin Run 4K (2.49 miles) hosted by Fleet Street Sports for the benefit of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA and the Carolina North Forest Land Management Office
Saturday, October 29, 2011, 5PM Race Start, $25 Entry Fee

The Pumpkin Run 4K (2.49-mile) trail race will be held as a single race (men and women running together), on the scenic woodland trails and rolling hills north of Horace Williams Airport in Chapel Hill.  There will also be a Post-Race party for participants and their families: In addition to the award ceremony, we offer food and drinks (Pie, coffee, and cider!), DJ/music, dancing, games (push up contest, limbo, etc!) and socializing with family and friends!

All race proceeds go to support the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA and the Carolina North Forest Land Management Office.

* No strollers allowed in the race
* No dogs allowed in the race
* No mountain bikes in the race

Run in your favorite costume and earn a chance to win a prize!

Race limit is 300 participants due to Carolina North trail use rules.

Where: University Woodlands Trail at Carolina North off of Municipal Road in Chapel Hill, NC (with registration, parking, and bathroom facilities at the YMCA on Airport Road). Be sure to check out the map of the course. 

Spence's Farm Annual Fall Harvest Fest Celebration Saturday
Sat., October 29, 2011 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Food, Fun. Hay Rides, Bouncy Structure, Face Painting, Horse Rides, Bonfire and much, much more!  Fun for the whole family.

[The following is our description from prior years.  Please check the Spence's Farm website for more information regarding the 2011 Fall Harvest Festival.]
Enjoy a great afternoon and evening of fun featuring hayrides, face painting, pony rides, food, live music, hay maze in the barn, barnyard animal feeding/play, arts & crafts vendors, bonfire, and much more fun for the entire family!   The Spence's Farm annual Harvest Festival is a fundraiser to help bring more children out to enjoy and experience the farm.  Feel free to wear your Halloween costume (no scary costumes please).  Admission fee.
Located near NC86 & I-40 at 6407 Mill House Road, Chapel Hill, 27516.
(919) 968-8581.

Fearrington Halloween Pumpkin Carving Display and Pumpkin Fest at Fearrington
Dozens of elaborately carved jack-o-lanterns will be on display throughout Fearrington Village on Sunday, October 30th. The jack-o-lanterns, intricately carved by the Fearrington gardening staff and The Fearrington House chefs, will be lit from sundown until 10pm.

Fearrington Halloween Pumpkin Fest!
The Fearrington Village Center  will host its FUN annual Halloween Pumpkin Fest on Sunday, October 30, 2011. Stroll the village paths and enjoy the spectacular pumpkins intricately carved by Fearrington’s Gardeners and Chefs, listen to live Bluegrass, and visit with Belties on the green. The Shops at Fearrington will be open until 8pm, and The Fearrington Granary Restaurant will serve family-style dinner from 5pm-8pm. This event is free and open to the public. Call (919) 542-2121 for more details or visit www.fearrington.com.

Call (919) 542-2121 for more details, or visit www.fearrington.com.

Come to downtown Hillsborough from 6-9 pm on Friday, October 28th for Last Fridays, sponsored by the Hillsborough Arts Council. Enjoy live music, an art walk, various vendors, a free scoop of ice cream, and much more. For more information visit www.hillsboroughartscouncil.org

or call 643-2500.

Carrboro Halloween Carnival
Carrboro's Halloween Carnival is held each year at the Carrboro Town Commons; this year it will be held on Monday, October 31, 2011 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Ghosts and goblins of all ages come out for lots of free games and fun!  Best costumes are awarded with prize ribbons, and activities include a cake walk, howling at the moon, games, prizes, and many other fun-filled activities. The whole family can enjoy this annual event.
(919) 918-7364.

Trick or Treating in Chapel Hill (the Chapel Hill Town Hall has confirmed that the official day for trick-or-treating in Chapel Hill this year is Monday, October 31, 201a.)

Halloween Festival 2011 on Franklin St., Downtown Chapel Hill - Not for children!
On Halloween, Franklin St. is blocked off and becomes the site of Halloween reveling, drinking and HUGE crowds.  Not for children, and not for those who dislike crowds.  (The streets of downtown Chapel Hill will be closed to traffic at 9 pm.  Residential streets near downtown will also be closed except to residents of those streets and their guests.)  Alcohol is not permitted in the festival area.

18th Annual Carolina Renaissance Festival  (near Charlotte, NC)
16445 Poplar Tent Road Crafts Program, Huntersville NC 28078.  Located just north of Charlotte between Concord and Huntersville on Highway 73 at Poplar Tent Road (between I-77 and I-85). Exit 25 on I-77 or exits 52 or 55 on I-85.  Saturdays and Sundays, 10am - 5:30pm.  Rain or Shine. Children under 5 FREE. Free Parking. No Pets.

From the website: "The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a medieval amusement park, a 9-stage theater, a 20-acre circus, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament and a feast -- all rolled into one non-stop, day-long family adventure!"  Rain or shine.  No pets.  Free parking.  Kids under 5 free. Read More>

www.royalfaires.com/carolina/

and www.RenFestInfo.com

1-877-896-5544

Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh NC
Farms & Pumpkin Patches

See our Guide to Halloween Events at 
Local Museums, Zoos and Amusement Parks

Children's Halloween Costumes

Looking for natural, silk, high-quality costumes for young children?  Visit locally owned Blueberry Forest Toys to find beautiful high quality silk costumes!  Locally-based online toy store offers beautiful 100% silk costumes, dragonfly wings, butterfly wings, fairy wings, mermaid costumes, wizard costumes, wizard hats, capes, knight costumes, and more!

www.BlueberryForest.com