The wife and I always enjoy going to the herb fest. It is held in the festival park at Wake Forest…read moreevery year for a week towards the end of April / beginning of May timeframe. When you arrive at festival park there are carts / wagons towards the entrance. Grab one of these because you will want to load up once you see the variety. As you head down into the center of the park you will see a bunch of tables lined up with various herbs on them. They are organized and categorized very nicely to help find what you are looking for. There are typically several varieties of each herb grouped together. They also have several very knowledgable staff on hand to answer any questions you may have. At last year's herb festival I was actually a star! They shot a quick video of yours truly asking a question to the herb specialist for the evening news. In reality I asked him several questions and found out some very interesting things. Did you know that Rosemary does not grow well in a pot? Rosemary apparently grows best in the ground and prefers sandy well drained soil. We also learned why we have such a difficult time growing Cilantro. Ours always gets very scrawny and just grows seed pods (coriander). Apparently the difference is simply temperature. Even if grown in the shade under other plants the temperature in our region is not suitable for Cilantro. It will grow coriander if you like, but the cilantro leaves will only thrive in areas with consistent temperatures below 80 degrees. He did point us to Culantro which we had never heard of. The name sounds similar to Cilantro for good reason. It is basically Cilantro for warmer climates. It grows well even in hotter areas and tastes like Cilantro but the leaves are longer and skinnier with what looks like sharp edges. It is very comforting to be able to ask people the best way to take care of the herbs so you can ensure your new purchases thrive and do not wither away. If you prefer you can also browse the tents around the perimeter of the herbs containing a variety of merchandise and food from local businesses. Many offer any type of trinket you can imagine while a few local restaurants have food samples and coupons to entice you to come see them. Over towards the stage there is almost always some type of live entertainment ranging anywhere from a magician for the kids to local high school bands. The dates and times of each performance are posted on the website so you know what to expect or can plan your trip if one of them looks particularly interesting. There are also a few of the typical festival food fare such as hot dogs, funnel cakes, and lemonaid. Once you have loaded up on your herbs you head back to the entrance towards the couple of tents. Typically there is a small line here but it goes pretty quickly as there are multiple cashiers to assist you. Several individuals rome around and will count up your items and hand you a ticket detailing your purchases. You then step up to a cashier and hand them the ticket so they can ring you up. They will take cash, check, mastercard, and visa. We go every year and always enjoy a lazy day (starting with a coffee from Wake Forest Coffee Company of course). The only problem I foresee with next year is where to put our new items. We have completely filled our screened in porch this year with containers of plants so I suppose we will have to replace some items or get inventive!

I visit the Wake Forest Herb Fest every year. I've done so since we moved to WF as it is a great…read moreway to stock up on some homegrown/organic herbs for your kitchen or garden. Herbfest is free and is situated at the Festival Park on South White. It used to take place over the course of a week, but this year, it was over two consecutive weekends. Since we were out of town the first weekend, we went this past (lesson learned, there are not as many options on the last weekend). I went looking for my standards: lavender, cilantro, mint, lemon basil, and catnip. I found all of what I was looking for, except the cilantro. I was able to learn a bit from the staff who told me that I can start my own cilantro by using coriander seed and advised me as to how to go about doing so. I also purchased locally grown tomato plants and am going to start my own growing of tomatoes this year. Also available at Herbfest this year was the White Street Brewery Beer, however, they were only offering the Scottish Ale. Not as many options on the last weekend, I assume. Also, the first weekend, there is live music, and different exhibits from the local high schools. The Herbfest is definitely a great local event, and a way to support local gardeners, and a learning experience as well! A must every year!

Aesthetic: Beautiful, clean state fair with the best people watching ever!…read more My Favorites: The sweet animals like the big pigs, cows, and baby chicks! Experience: We had the best day at the state fair! I hadn't been to one since I was young in different states, but it had so much to offer, we were thrilled. I didn't expect the live music and beautiful country aesthetic. We started out walking around the mill area and the waterfront, and tried a frozen and hot apple cider and both were delicious. Then we walked and saw a ton of livestock and beautiful award winning gardens. We sampled crazy foods along the way that I've added in my pics from fried watermelon to pork belly churros. We ran around taking tons of pics of the rides and people watched until the sun went down and the fireworks began. Our hotel was in walking distance, and we were exhausted after walking for about 8 hours that day. I surprisingly didn't even gain weight from all the naughty food since we walked it all off. I can't wait to go back in the future, the NC state fair is the best!

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 went here with my wife, sister-in-law, niece and nephew the weekend after Christmas. The staff…read moreat all the different activity locations were friendly and accommodating. I had a good conversation with Gary at the carousel. I felt $17 for all persons 2-64 years old was more on the expensive side if you have multiple kids but there were plenty of things for the kids to do. The kids said they enjoyed seeing the lights on the train and wagon rides and seeing their smiles is priceless. I definitely recommend checking the weather an hour or two before heading out so you're adequately prepared. Today it was mid to upper 60's in the afternoon but dropped to the low 40's tonight with 10mph winds. It was quite chilly and fortunately I had brought my coat, gloves, and hand warmers. Because of the weather two hours was plenty of time but next time I would prepare to stay 3-4 hours and truly get my money's worth!

Festival of Lights- my four year olds love this holiday event. I think the price is comparable to…read moreother holiday sites in the area in terms of what you get with activities. The lights to me are very well done and plentiful! Activities like the carousel and train may cater more to preschool/elementary school age but my 12 and 17 year old niece join us yearly without complaint!

the people working are incredibly rude. I am waiting on my license to come in so I tried to use my…read moretemporary license to get in and the lady in the front says I can't use my temporary so I pull out my old license and then she says "oh I can't take it because it's expired" like what?? I already paid for this event how am I going to get in if I can't use my temporary id nor my old id not to mention the lady was incredibly rude about it! seems like she loved taking out her frustration on all the people coming into the event not just me.

The bathroom situation is the worst iv'e ever been in. Midtown seems very underprepared with the…read moreamount of traction they get. I waited in the line for the bathrooms for an hour and the next time I had to go I tried the portapotties because the line was shorter... still waited 30 minutes... and there was no toilet paper. Ladies had to "drip and dry" because no one comes to maintain them. Next is the lines for drinks: They are about as long as the bathroom lines. You might as well get 2 drinks for yourself and hop back in line to get 2 more and you would finish the 2 you previously got while waiting. The music and atmosphere is fun overall but when you add drinks into the mix.. people got to go. We spend more time in lines than actually enjoying the music with our friends. Overall, midtown needs to add more bathrooms and porta potties overall.. it would be more enjoyable for everyone.

Cute farmers market in the heart of North Hills on Saturdays (check online and with their vendors…read morefor their official schedule) from 10-12 with some really nice local vendors including Mama's Salsa- my favorite!!! This time I bought a jar of her avocado-lime but need to come back for her Chipotle! There was fresh seafood and meats, jams and other jarred foods, clothing and scarves, fresh produce, salsa and chips and MORE. I am so happy I discovered this gem and can't wait to come back for more salsa and to support some more local vendors in the future. Shop local! Pro tip: if you buy a jar of salsa (or 3), don't hesitate to get a bag of her fresh homemade tortilla chips, too. They're the perfect pair and honestly, chips from the grocery store aren't nearly as good.. I wish she sold them in bulk!

This farmer's market really is such a gem! I had kind of written this farmers market off during…read morecovid worried about crowds. I went early last Saturday and it was actually perfect. My husband and son wandered around the other side of North Hills since no one was there and I went to grab our Farmers Market items. Almost everyone had a mask on and it was a quick and safe way to continue to support local farms at this time. I walked away with great peaches, lettuce, tomatoes, flowers, cucumbers, zucchini, and a breakfast sandwich from their visiting food truck! The flowers that I scored from Blackdog Hops were beautiful AND lasted two weeks. A lot of times cut wildflowers don't hold up, but their flowers did. I also loved all the organic produce I bought from Nourishing Acre Farm, oh and of course Michael's English Muffins is a continued favorite. Can't wait to head back over soon!

We came here on the last day of the festival, which was Sunday from 12 to 6 PM. We parked on the…read moreside of the road with no issues. my husband ordered the chicken kebab as we saw them being freshly grilled, and the meat was very tender and full of flavor. The hummus was smooth, and you can taste the tahini which I really like. There was a large assortment of authentic sweets. Cookies were delicious! Dances were fun to watch. Everything was well organized and volunteers seemed to be working well together. A special treat was listening to a very talented pianist in the church.

From the owner: Join us for the 8th Annual Taste of Lebanon Festival, September 18–20, 2026, at Saint Sharbel…read moreMaronite Catholic Church in Raleigh. This lively Lebanese-American celebration brings families, friends, and neighbors together to experience Lebanon’s rich heritage, vibrant culture, warm hospitality, and irresistibly tasty food. Enjoy live music, traditional dabke and cultural performances, children’s activities, local vendors, and festive entertainment for all ages. Friday features a special ticketed kickoff party, while Saturday and Sunday offer free admission and free parking. Come hungry, bring the family, and celebrate the spirit of Lebanon right here in Raleigh!

This place is wonderful! The owners have provided a great selection of bottles and gifts. They have…read moreboth useful and fun items for home bars and gifting. The space is also so cozy. The seating and decor make it easy to stay for a while to sip on one of the wines. They have both bar service and a cool self service machine. We were fortunate to stop by when they had a live jazz musician playing!! I would definitely recommend this wine bar.

Perfect little spot only a few steps off Main Street. A wide variety of nice wine to sample, get a…read moreglass, or purchase a bottle to take home. Super friendly staff, noticing we were new patrons and showing us around their shop! Bonus: they had a live jazz artist who was starting right after we got our glasses so we could relax and enjoy wine with live music. Such an enjoyable spot to sip wine, grab a snack and chill.

From the moment my son had his demo lesson to now this has been a world class experience. My son…read morehad been taking drum lessons at another school in Wake Forest and had progressed as far as he was going to. In less than 6 months with Zach he has increased in skill exponentially. The ownership care deeply about the students and have created an environment where all of the kids care about each other and support each other. Top notch all around.

From the owner: School of Rock Wake Forest provides both in-person and online music lessons for students of all…read moreages. Our programs, camps and workshops for toddlers, kids, teens and adults make learning to play music fun and create great communities of musicians. School of Rock is the leader in performance-based music education. We combine one-on-one drum, bass, keyboard, vocal, and guitar lessons with group practices. Students learn to play music from day one and put on live performances at local venues. Our experienced instructors are local musicians themselves who combine the performance-based School of Rock Method and programs with individual music lessons to get results for your student.