Events for February 6, 2026
First Friday is celebrated on the first Friday of each month throughout Downtown Raleigh to showcase the best of our city's creative community. Thousands venture downtown to visit art galleries & studios open late to host exhibits, artist talks, and creative activities. Retailers and restaurants also get in on the fun with live music, vendor markets, specials/discounts, and more. There's something for everyone each First Friday.
Create your own First Friday itinerary by selecting the hearts for events and experiences you don't want to miss. Receive a custom map and itinerary to guide your First Friday evening!
We're looking forward to better weather next week for February First Friday!
On the First Friday of every month, we offer a FREE night of exhibitions, activities, and more! Our First Friday also includes a sensory-friendly time with smaller crowds and no amplified music from 4-6pm.
February First Friday will feature:
🔹 A Fine State of Disrepair with work by Jason Craighead in Gallery 1
🔹 Built to Remember with work by Lauren Selden in Gallery 2
🔹 Inventing a Homeland with work by Rowena Federico Finn in Upfront Gallery
🔹 Meet and shop with our 30+ studio artists
🔹 All ages art making activity, 4-8:30pm
🔹 Valentine's Day Card Making for WakeMed Children's Hospital with Makayla Haag
Making art is hard, especially when you have to do it alone. Getting out of your comfort zone is just easier when someone is doing it with you. We, the Collaborative Laboratory, believe that creativity thrives in a supportive community, which is why we’re excited to highlight our namesake in an exhibition that we’re calling “Uncomfortable Together”.
Come see how artists overcome the discomfort of creating by working together! This show features work that was made through collaboration. Some works were mindfully conceived and created by teams working together; other works were made by groups of strangers who became comrades while painting together.
And also on First Friday, you’ll have the chance to create with one another on a collaborative painting! CoLab also hosts the amazing Five Dollar Sketch Wall- a novel way to build your art collection (even if you're broke) and help support CoLab at the same time, thanks to generous donations from our artists!
The Carter Building will be hopping Friday! While you're here, visit our awesome neighbors throughout the building!
In partnership with Skate Raleigh and as part of Downtown Raleigh Alliance’s First Friday events for February, we’re hosting a showcase of three local skate photographers and the backstory behind some of their favorite shots from recent years.
Starting at 6 p.m., we’ll see selections from Zorah Olivia, Chris Facey, and Clinton Perry, along with Q&A, hosted by Miguel Magallanes from Endless Grind. Due to limited space, this will be a free but ticketed event. Please RSVP using link in website.
Location: City of Raleigh Museum
Ages: All
Cost: Free
Hop on the mic every Friday night at Crank Arm Brewing for Karaoke Night! Bring your crew, start with some "liquid courage", and warm up those vocal cords. Whether you’re here to belt it out or just sip and cheer, it’s the perfect way to roll into the weekend.
Crank Arm offers craft beers, wine, cider, seltzer, and cocktails, as well as THC-infused beverages & non-alcoholic options.
So pedal over, raise a glass, and let’s turn those Friday nights into full-throttle sing-alongs!
Join us at Curate on Friday February 6th for a cute galentine's themed charm bar event with Made By Macie! There will be lots of charms and chains to choose from, you can even make matching pieces with your bestie! Enjoy complimentary refreshments and shop Curate's selection of locally handmade goods. There are also lots of other fun First Friday events going on around downtown, so it's the perfect time to have a gals night out in Raleigh!
Are you ready for winter to just be over already?? Us too… and we’re dreaming of feet in the sand and a cold beverage at our lips. We’re going to get as close as we can get for First Friday in February with a virtual reality trip to the tropics! You’ll be able to put on a VR headset and drift away to sounds of the ocean with an alcohol-free coconut lime margarita whisking you away.
We’ll have relaxing music, colorful lights in the music studio and beach games to round out your tropical escape. Drop in anytime; no previous experience with VR needed. This event is free and your first drink is on us!
Join us at The Davie this First Friday for an evening of live music with Daddy’s Soda. The acoustic rock-and-roll duo, featuring lifelong friends Jake Potter and Mick Futrell, will be taking the stage from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
Whether you’re stopping in after gallery hopping or making us your Friday night destination, come enjoy a mix of high-energy original songs and the rock-and-roll classics you know by heart. Grab a drink, settle into our neighborhood atmosphere, and kick off the weekend with us on Blount Street!
Admission: Free / No Cover
Vibe: Neighborhood Bar / Acoustic Rock / Sing-along friendly
Visit the corner of Fayetteville and Hargett Street in the heart of Downtown Raleigh to view new artists on display at VAE's Street Frame exhibit featuring Caitlin Cary and Ginny Robinson.
Reflections of Us is an Interactive Portraiture Show, focusing on an inward analysis of our emotions, values, and experiences through portraiture. Everything from the light and mundane to the dark and traumatic, we will explore in this show. We will have a focus reflection and connection through our interactive elements.
Bert Sult is a North Carolina-based architect and watercolor artist who has established himself in both fields with remarkable versatility. As an architect, he designed many notable buildings in the Raleigh area, including Jones Chapel at Meredith College, the Raleigh Municipal Building and Complex, Cary Medical Center, and the Whitaker Center.
As a watercolorist, Bert Sult focuses on impressionistic watercolor street scenes from interesting locales, with particular emphasis on European subjects. Sult’s romantic portrayals of historic street scenes and buildings from Europe are executed in transparent, flowing watercolors, showcasing his mastery of this difficult and unpredictable medium. Like a modern-day Georgia O’Keeffe, Bert Sult loves to play with the fluidity of the medium.
You're invited to an evening of R&R at our First Friday gathering!
Join local artists as we share our latest works and what inspired them, along with answering questions about creativity, travel, exhibitions and anything else is making our art lovers curious about being a working artist.
Light bites and sips provided. Fun conversation, delightful mingling, and a warm welcome assured!
Join us for our first Friday celebration of 2026! We're featuring our resident artists for an evening reception featuring live music, wood fired pizza and girl scout cookie pop-up! Come browse, meet the artists and listen to some great music. Live music is 6-8pm. Doors open at 5pm. FREE and open to the public!
Save the date! Hartwell Fridays return next Friday, February 6th! It’s our #firstfriday of the year and we’re so excited for you to come check out our new wall artists, enjoy live music, eat wood-fired pizza, and purchase cookies at the Girl Scout cookie pop up! Open 5-9pm, live music begins at 6pm!
Join Le Dive and Old Ghosts Tattoo for a unique experience every First Friday in Raleigh! Le Dive, teams up with Old Ghosts Tattoo for an exciting night of flash tattoos, good vibes, drinks and food and creative energy!
Are you ready to create and connect with your improv community?
Whether you’re a seasoned performer or a curious first-timer, this is the perfect place to jump in, have fun, and discover the joy of improv. Hosted by our skilled and experienced Leela faculty, our intention is to foster a welcoming space where improv artists of all experience levels can take risks and build community.
Whether you want to step out of your comfort zone, meet new people, or just laugh your heart out, our Improv Community Jam has something for everyone. So grab your friends, bring your Yes And! attitude, and come join the FUN! Let’s play!
When: First Fridays, at 7:00 PM, on-going, monthly
Where: Leela Improv Theatre, 309 N Boylan Ave., Raleigh, NC 27603
Why Join Our Improv Jam?
* Mindful Intent: Our jams promote mutual respect, collaboration, and joyful play.
* No Experience Needed: Everyone is welcome! Just bring your enthusiasm and willingness to try something new.
* Instant Fun: Jump right into games and scenes, and let your imagination run wild.
* Supportive Community: Meet fellow improv lovers, make new friends, and share the stage with people who love to play.
* FREE to Join: Register on Eventbrite (below), then show up and play!
* Dry Jam: Let’s allow improv be the mind-altering substance that brings us together. We’ll celebrate with optional drinks at nearby watering holes AFTER we jam.
* This is an 18+ event.
What to Expect:
* A warm-up session to connect with your play mates and get that energy flowing.
* A Leela host facilitating a kind, structured, and supportive jam experience.
* A chance to perform, watch, and cheer on your fellow improvisors- all experience levels welcome and encouraged (even if none!)
* Laughter, surprises, and unforgettable moments.
* Sign-ups begin at 7 pm for solos (open mic), improv pairs, and improv groups (5+). Sign up for one, none, or all of these categories and the host will curate an evening of entertainment on the fly
* Jam goes from 7:30-9:30 pm
North Carolina Symphony
Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor
Timothy McAllister, saxophone
John Adams: Saxophone Concerto
Gershwin: Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture
Johnson: “Victory Stride”
Tickets available at the link or call the Symphony Box Office at 919.733.2750.
From 7-9 p.m. Feb. 6, get your "school photo" taken at Wolfe & Porter for $5; all photos will be displayed on the bar's bulletin board. Sip on a yummy cocktail, strike your best throwback pose, and relive those childhood photo-day memories. Wolfe & Porter is located at 905 W. Morgan St., Raleigh. Info: wolfeandporter.com/events
And don't forget Tuesday Night Trivia and Thursday Night Karaoke at Wolfe & Porter.