Things to do › Free Things to Do
Free things to do in North Carolina on our calendar: events whose organizer says free, plus the state parks that charge nothing for day use.
8 upcoming events are free on our calendar, and 37 state parks list free day use (parking, trails and picnic areas; camping, cabins and some attractions still cost money). Only events whose organizer page says free are counted; a ticket that says “see event page” is never counted as free.
Events come from our North Carolina events dataset (last re-checked Oct 21, 2026); each date and price was read on the organizer’s own page, and “See event page” means the organizer does not publish one. State park facts come from our state park dataset (last checked Oct 27, 2026), read on each park’s own ncparks.gov page. Plans and rules change, so check the organizer or park page before you drive.
Free Events Coming Up
| Event | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Macon free daily guided tour | Oct 24-Apr 14, 2027 (Daily 1:00 PM, about 45 minutes, mid-Oct to mid-April) | Atlantic Beach · Coast | Free |
| NC Museum of Natural Sciences (downtown Raleigh) | Oct 24-Mar 31, 2027 | Raleigh · Triangle | Free general admission |
| Dix Park: Instrument Petting Zoo | Sun, Nov 8 (2:00-4:00 PM) | Raleigh · Triangle | Free (free to the public thanks to Dix Park Conservancy donors); more prices on the event page |
| Dowdy Park Holiday Markets | Nov 14-Dec 12 (Saturdays Nov 14, Nov 28, Dec 12, 9 AM-12 PM) | Nags Head · Coast | Free (town says its events are free and family-friendly) |
| Dowdy Park Tree Lighting | Sat, Nov 28 (5:00-7:00 PM; Santa arrives 5:30 PM) | Nags Head · Coast | Free (town says its events are free) |
| City of Wilmington Holiday Parade | Sun, Nov 29 (6:00-8:00 PM; Front St closed 5:00-7:15 PM) | Wilmington · Coast | Free |
| Oak Island Christmas Tree Lighting (Middleton Park Complex) | Fri, Dec 4 (5:00 PM-7:00 PM) | Oak Island · Coast | Free |
| Dowdy Park Candy Cane Hunt | Wed, Dec 16 (5:00 PM) | Nags Head · Coast | Free (town says its events are free) |
State Parks With Free Day Use
Eastern Plain & Inner Banks (8) Events in This Region
| Park | Where | Day Use |
|---|---|---|
| Cliffs of the Neuse State Park Official page | Seven Springs, Wayne County · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | Free day use |
| Dismal Swamp State Park Official page | South Mills, Camden County · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | Free day use |
| Goose Creek State Park Official page | Washington, Beaufort County · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | Free day use |
| Jones Lake State Park Official page | Elizabethtown, Bladen County · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | Free day use |
| Lake Waccamaw State Park Official page | Lake Waccamaw, Columbus County · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | Free day use |
| Merchants Millpond State Park Official page | Gatesville, Gates County · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | Free day use |
| Pettigrew State Park Official page | Creswell, Washington County · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | Free day use |
| Singletary Lake State Park Official page | Kelly, Bladen County · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | Free day use |
High Country (7) Events in This Region
| Park | Where | Day Use |
|---|---|---|
| Elk Knob State Park Official page | Todd, Watauga County · High Country | Free day use |
| Grandfather Mountain State Park Official page | Banner Elk, Avery County · High Country | Free day use |
| Mount Jefferson State Natural Area Official page | West Jefferson, Ashe County · High Country | Free day use |
| Mount Mitchell State Park Official page | Burnsville, Yancey County · High Country | Free day use |
| New River State Park Official page | Laurel Springs, Ashe County · High Country | Free day use |
| Rendezvous Mountain Official page | Purlear, Wilkes County · High Country | Free day use |
| Stone Mountain State Park Official page | Roaring Gap, Alleghany County · High Country | Free day use |
Coast (5) Events in This Region
| Park | Where | Day Use |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina Beach State Park Official page | Carolina Beach, New Hanover County · Coast | Free day use |
| Fort Fisher State Recreation Area Official page | Kure Beach, New Hanover County · Coast | Free day use |
| Fort Macon State Park Official page | Atlantic Beach, Carteret County · Coast | Free day use |
| Hammocks Beach State Park Official page | Swansboro, Onslow County · Coast | Free day use |
| Jockey's Ridge State Park Official page | Nags Head, Dare County · Coast | Free day use |
Triangle (5) Events in This Region
| Park | Where | Day Use |
|---|---|---|
| Eno River State Park Official page | Durham, Durham County · Triangle | Free day use |
| Medoc Mountain State Park Official page | Hollister, Halifax County · Triangle | Free day use |
| Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area Official page | Hillsborough, Orange County · Triangle | Free day use |
| Raven Rock State Park Official page | Lillington, Harnett County · Triangle | Free day use |
| William B. Umstead State Park Official page | Raleigh, Wake County · Triangle | Free day use |
Sandhills (3) Events in This Region
| Park | Where | Day Use |
|---|---|---|
| Carvers Creek State Park Official page | Spring Lake, Cumberland County · Sandhills | Free day use |
| Lumber River State Park Official page | Orrum, Robeson County · Sandhills | Free day use |
| Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve Official page | Southern Pines, Moore County · Sandhills | Free day use |
Charlotte Region (3) Events in This Region
| Park | Where | Day Use |
|---|---|---|
| Crowders Mountain State Park Official page | Kings Mountain, Gaston County · Charlotte Region | Free day use |
| Lake Norman State Park Official page | Troutman, Iredell County · Charlotte Region | Free day use |
| Morrow Mountain State Park Official page | Albemarle, Stanly County · Charlotte Region | Free day use |
Asheville & Foothills (3) Events in This Region
| Park | Where | Day Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gorges State Park Official page | Sapphire, Transylvania County · Asheville & Foothills | Free day use |
| Lake James State Park Official page | Nebo, McDowell County · Asheville & Foothills | Free day use |
| South Mountains State Park Official page | Connelly Springs, Burke County · Asheville & Foothills | Free day use |
Triad (3) Events in This Region
| Park | Where | Day Use |
|---|---|---|
| Hanging Rock State Park Official page | Danbury, Stokes County · Triad | Free day use |
| Haw River State Park Official page | Browns Summit, Guilford County · Triad | Free day use |
| Mayo River State Park Official page | Mayodan, Rockingham County · Triad | Free day use |
Partly Free
Check the park page: part of the park is free and part charges, so we do not call these free.
| Park | Where | Day Use |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney Rock State Park Official page | Chimney Rock, Rutherford County · Asheville & Foothills | Partly free (see the park page) Rumbling Bald day use free; Chimney Rock attraction charges per person (amount not on park page) |
| Falls Lake State Recreation Area Official page | Wake Forest, Wake County · Triangle | Partly free (see the park page) Free most of year; per-vehicle entrance fee on certain days (amount not on park page) |
| Jordan Lake State Recreation Area Official page | Apex, Chatham County · Triangle | Partly free (see the park page) Free most of year; per-vehicle entrance fee on certain days (amount not on park page) |
| Kerr Lake State Recreation Area Official page | Henderson, Vance County · Triangle | Partly free (see the park page) Free most of year; per-vehicle entrance fee on certain days (amount not on park page) |
Keep Planning
- By month: October, November, December, January, February, March
- Regional event hubs: Coast, Triangle
- By day: Today, Tomorrow, This Weekend, Next Week, By Month
More Topic Guides
Map of Free Things to Do
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as free here?
An event counts only when the organizer’s page says it is free. If a ticket says “see event page,” or free entry needs paid admission, we do not call it free.
Is parking free at free parks?
Our park data records free day use. Whether a particular lot or attraction inside a park charges is on the park’s own page, which each row links to.
How often does the list change?
It is rebuilt from our datasets every day, so past events drop off on their own and new ones appear when they are added.
Sources
- Each event links to the organizer’s own page, where its date, hours and price were read; all rows are in the North Carolina events dataset with a checked date on every row.
- Park facts (hours, day-use cost, pet rule) were read on each park’s own ncparks.gov page; all rows are in the North Carolina state parks dataset.
How we check: editorial standards, verification log, corrections.
Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “Free Things to Do”, itsnorthcarolina.com/things-to-do/free-things-to-do/ (updated ). By the It's North Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.