By Kay Whatley, Editor

This list may include events from North Carolina counties of Edgecombe, Franklin, Nash, Johnston, Wake, Wayne, Wilson, and beyond (Inner Coastal Plains-Five County area of Eastern NC).

While most listed events are free happenings, some ticketed events may be included. Events may be rescheduled, delayed by weather, canceled, times adjusted, or locations changed without our knowledge. Contact an event’s organizer directly for updates.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Wilson Farmers & Artisan Market

Wednesday, July 18, 2018 @ 8am-1pm

Shop a variety of locally grown and locally made goods. Held on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, 301 Goldsboro Street S, Wilson NC. See details at www.historicdowntownwilson.com/farmers-artisan-market.

Stones & Bones: Fossils and Rocks

Wednesday, July 18, 2018 @ 10-11am

Jonathan Fain will be there with his collection of fossils. Learn the differences between fossils and rocks and watch archaeology in action. Held at the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield, 305 E Market Street, Smithfield NC. See this event and more on the library website at www.pljcs.org.

Mudcats Baseball Home Games

July 18-20, 2018 @ 7pm

Head to Five County Stadium, 1501 NC-39 Hwy, Zebulon NC, and watch the Carolina Mudcats play ball.  Tickets are approximately $10 per person, give or take a buck. Buy tickets online at www.milb.com/tickets. Weather may affect schedule. The baseball team Facebook page is here.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Wilson Tobs Baseball Home Game: Military Appreciation Night

Thursday, July 19, 2018 @ 6pm

Held at the Wilson Tobs home stadium, Historic Fleming Stadium, at 300 Stadium Street SW, Wilson NC. Come for  Tobs vs. Edenton Steamers and Military Appreciation Night.. Caliber .45 will be playing.

There are also Wilson Tobs home games scheduled for July 21 and 24, 2018. See full 2018 schedule here.

Note that the NC Baseball Museum is located at the stadium, and is open Thursdays-Saturdays 10am-4pm.

Digital Scavenger Hunt

Thursday, July 19, 2018 @ 6-8pm

Come out for a night of family fun and explore some of downtown with a digital scavenger hunt. Hosted by Muttley Crew and held at Station Square, 301 S Church Street, Rocky Mount NC. Participate and seek objects/pictures, then snap photos of each with your phone. Who will be the first to finish?

Downtown Live! with Jim Quick & the Coastline Band

Thursday, July 19, 2018 @ 6-9pm

Come and enjoy free, live, outdoor music at Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences, 270 Gay Street, Rocky Mount NC. Bring a lawn chair for comfort. Free concerts held every-other Thursday. Next date is August 2, 2018. See all of the City of Rocky Mount’s Downtown Live! dates at imperialcentre.org/events/downtown-live.

Downtown Tarboro Live Summer Music Series

Thursday, July 19, 2018 @ 6-9pm

Come to the Courthouse Square in downtown Tarboro NC for this free, community, live music event. Bring a chair for comfort. Food and beverages will be on sale (bring cash to buy). Shop late downtown with participating merchants.  No outside alcohol allowed. Next date is August 16, 2018. See the town calendar here.

Town Square Concert Series: Who’s Bad

Thursday, July 19 at 6:30-9:30pm

Free concert outdoors in Downtown Clayton’s Town Square, 110 W Main Street, Clayton NC. Arrive early and set up your lawn chairs and/or blanket. Activities, vendors, and inflatables will be available starting at 6pm. Live music will start on-stage at 6:30pm, with Who’s Bad performing on July 19.  See the full concert series on Facebook here and on the town website.

Local Author Event:  Kim Beall

Thursday, July 19, 2018 @ 7-8pm

Page 158 Books, Suite B, 415 S Brooks Street, Wake Forest NC, holds author events on a regular basis. Local author Kim Beall will be part of Page 158 Books’ author series with her newly released novel.  See this and other author events on the Page 158 Books Facebook page.

Friday, July 20, 2018

Franklin County Farmers Market

Friday, July 20, 2018 @ 9am

Head to the Franklin County Farmers Market, Shannon Village Shopping Center, Louisburg NC. and check out the farmers market. The market is on Facebook here. Also open on Saturdays at 9am and Tuesdays at 9am, according to NC Farm Fresh website.

Wilson Library Friday Morning Family Movie

Friday, July 20, 2018 @ 10am

Enjoy an indoor, free, family-friendly movie every Friday morning inside the Wilson County Main Library, 249 Nash Street W, Wilson NC. The Friday, July 20 movie is Ferdinand. Free popcorn and lemonade will be provided, and movie-watchers are allowed to bring in their own snacks.  Arriving early is recommended, as space fills up quickly. Registration is not required for this event. See this and other library movie dates at www1.youseemore.com/wilsoncountypl.

Clayton Friday Night Movie

Friday, July 20, 2018 @ 6-10pm

Enjoy this free movie at the Clayton General Store, 10522 Hwy 70 Business, Clayton NC. Bring family and friends for this all-ages movie, Hotel Transylvania 2. UPDATE: Note that this movie was rescheduled from July 13, and on the new July 20 date will include Fired Up Pizza and BBQ and Fairy Hair and Face Painting. See this event and more public events hosted by the Clayton General Store via their Facebook page.

Pool Luau

Friday, July 20, 2018 @ 5-8pm

Join the fun with Smithfield Parks and Recreation and Smithfield Recreation and Aquatics Center, at this event on Booker Dairy Road, Smithfield NC. A family event. Enjoy snacks and a fun time in the pool and splash park. All kids will walk away with a gift for the evening. Register (at the event) to compete in a watermelon contest during the Luau. Description and contact information available here.

Friday Nights on the Tar

Friday, July 20, 2018 @ 6:30-9:30pm

The Town of Louisburg invites everyone to their “Friday Nights on the Tar” Summer Concert Series with live music and food trucks. Doors open at 5:30pm; live music starts at 6:30pm. Held at Downtown Louisburg Amphitheatre, 116 N Main Street, Louisburg NC. Concerts held every-third Friday, April-September. See more on this Town of Louisburg web page.

Summer Night Lights

Friday, July 20, 2018 @ 6-8pm

Free evening of recreational activities at Stith-Talbert Park, 729 Pennsylvania Avenue, Rocky Mount NC.  Enjoy games, inflatables, arts and crafts, and a DJ spinning top hits. Food will be provided to the first 200 people (hot dogs, chips, and water). For more about City of Rocky Mount special events, visit their online calendar.

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Tarboro HomeGrown-Handmade Market

Saturday, July 21, 2018 @ 8am-noon

As the name implies, a variety of goods are available at this market, which is open for “Weekly Wednesday” markets and on first- and third-Saturdays of the month. The market is open, rain or shine, and runs through October 31, 2018. First and third Saturdays market are held at 526 N Main Street, Tarboro NC. The HomeGrown-HandMade Market Saturday dates may be found on this Facebook event.

Wilson Farmers & Artisan Market

Saturday, July 21, 2018 @ 8am-1pm

Shop a variety of locally grown and locally made goods. Held on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, 301 Goldsboro Street S, Wilson NC. See details at www.historicdowntownwilson.com/farmers-artisan-market.

Rocky Mount Farmers Market

Saturday, July 21, 2018 @ 8am-1pm

The Farmers Market is located at 1006 Peachtree Street, Rocky Mount NC. The Rocky Mount Farmers Market is open on Saturdays. (Check out Tuesdays at The Market too.) See updates on their Facebook page. Market webpage is www.co.nash.nc.us/175/Farmers-Market.

Mobile Food Market

Saturday, July 21, 2018 @ 9-11am

This free mobile food market by Bread For Life Of America will be set up at the Zebulon Boys and Girls Club, 1320 Shepard School Road, Zebulon NC. Families in need are welcome to come and pick up food. See more on the nonprofit Bread For Life Of America here.

Zebulon Farm Fresh Market

Saturday, July 21, 2018 @ 9am-1pm

Head to the Zebulon Farm Fresh Market, 1003 N Arendell Avenue, Zebulon NC, for the market day with a variety of local produce, handmade goods, homemade treats, and more. Updates may be posted on their Facebook page.

The July 21 market theme is “Christmas in July” with Free Pictures with Santa, Live Music, Cousin’s Maine Lobster Food Truck (See our ZFFM article with future dates.)

Vultures

Saturday, July 21, 2018 @ 11am-noon

Presented by CLAWS, Inc., this education event is being held at Wild Birds Unlimited, 1806 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Chapel Hill NC. This location hosts monthly in-store program related to birds and wildlife. “Vultures” presented by CLAWS, Inc. Seating is limited. Seats are first come first serve. Live Birds:  Fluffy, the Black Vulture and Grip, the African Raven are expected to be there. Photo opportunities.

Back-to-School Kick-off

Saturday, July 21, 2018 @ 1-5pm

Organized by The Power Couples Cleaning Service, this event takes place at the Bailey-Middlesex Community Park, 8104 Stoney Hill Church Road, Bailey NC. Event offers free food, music, games, inflatables, a water balloon fight, soccer, face painting, and more family fun. During the event, 200 back-to-school book bags will be given away. See the event flyer on Facebook.

Sunday, July 22, 2018

Family Sundays

Sunday, July 22, 2018 @ 2-4pm

Free in the art gallery at the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences, 270 Gay Street, Rocky Mount NC. Held every-other Sunday. Bring the family for an afternoon full of family-friendly activities. Drop into the gallery for art making, interactive play, gallery sketching, or go on your own exhibition tour! Ages 3 and up with accompanying adults. See their Facebook event for updates, or call 252.972.1632 or email with questions.

Sunday in the Park: Built for Comfort

Sunday, July 22, 2018 @ 7-8:30pm

Held on the Town Common, 105 E First Street, Greenville NC. Listen to music and enjoy the evening outdoors. Bring a chair. More event information here.

Coming Soon

Center Street Jam

Thursday, July 26, 2018 @ 6-9pm

Head downtown to the John Street parking lot at 130 N Center Street, Goldsboro NC, for this free Summer Concert Series. Bring a lawn chairs and dancing shoes. There will be live music, food, cold drinks, and children’s activities. Mandatory ID check for beer purchase; no coolers; no pets. See poster and details on the Downtown Goldsboro (DGDC) website.

Southern Authors Book Club

Thursday, July 26, 2018 @ 6:30-7:30pm

This book club is hosted by the Farmville Public Library, located at 4276 W Church Street, Farmville NC. See this event and more via the library’s Facebook page.

Downtown Garner Pop-up Market

Saturday, July 28, 2018 @ 10am-2pm

Head to Downtown Garner for this monthly public market with baked goods, locally made items, fresh produce, food trucks, and more. Held in Garner Recreational Park, 221 E Garner Road, Garner NC. Next date is August 25, 2018. See more dates here.

Trunk Show & Lecture with Annie Smith

Saturday, July 28, 2018 @ 5-7pm

Workshop held at The Broken Needle, 219 NC Hwy 98 East, Bunn NC. Annie Smith takes the audience through a journey of color and fabric, discussing what the key to your fabric choices really are. No matter what your skill level, learn the personality of your quilts through choosing fabric with a new eye on color. Tickets are $10 per person, available here.

Outdoor Movies on the Back Lawn

Thursday, August 2, 2018 @ 8pm

Watch a movie under the stars on the back lawn of the Garner Performing Arts Center at 125 Avery Street, Garner NC. There will be food and fun too. Held on the first Thursday of each month from May through October. Times vary depending on dusk-time. Free Admission. Bring lawn chair/blanket for comfort. Food/treats on sale, but attendees are welcome to bring a picnic. Free Parking at two nearby locations. Check the Facebook event for movie titles, parking information, rules (no pets, etc.), and weather updates.  In case of rain, the movie will be cancelled. Future dates are September 6, 2018 (7:30pm) and October 4, 2018 (7pm).

First Friday on the Lawn

Friday, August 3, 2018 @ 6-9pm

The Human Relations Commission and the City of Wilson Human Relations Department are celebrating diversity through music on the first Friday of each month (July to October), Held on the Wilson County Library Lawn, 249 Nash Street NW, Wilson NC. See details here. Next date September 7, 2018.

The August 3 event includes “National Night Out” with police and first responders participating.

Friday Night on White

Friday, August 10, 2018 @ 6-9pm

Join the crowd on White Street in downtown Wake Forest NC for a live concert each month. No admission fee. This date, music by Love Tribe. Event organized by White Street Brewing and the Town of Wake Forest. For complete information about Friday Night on White, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/friday-night-on-white.aspx.

Stepping Into The Past

Saturday, August 11, 2018 @ 8am

This series focuses on demonstrations and displays of traditional / old-time processes. This presentation is included with museum admission fee. See upcoming topics at www.tobaccofarmlifemuseum.org/events/stepping-into-the-past. Held at the Tobacco Farm Life Museum, 709 N Church Street, Kenly NC.

The August 11 theme is ‘Baccer Stringin’ & Tyin’ including demonstrations of preparing tobacco for curing, selling, and auctioneering.

Shaw RV Family Movie Series

Saturday, August 11, 2018 @ 8:15-10:15pm

Enjoy a free movie outdoors on the football field at Rolesville Middle School, 4700 Burlington Mills Road, Rolesville NC. Watch the film Ferdinand. Bring a chair or blanket for comfort. Concessions will be open for purchases during the movie.  See full movie series here.

Later This Year

Selma Saturdays Arts and Crafts Market

Saturday, September 8, 2018 @ 9am-1pm

Markets are held once-a-month in Fall and Spring. The market welcomes arts and craft vendors and farmers to sell their wares.  The location is the Uptown Selma Gazebo, in the back parking lot of Town Hall, near 100 E Anderson Street, Selma NC. The market season Facebook event is here.  Spring dates are done for 2018. Fall market will start September 8, 2018. VENDOR FEES FOR FALL start at $20 per date, with seasonal rate available. Interested Fall vendors, see www.selma-nc.com/selma-saturdays.

Heritage Day Festival

Saturday, October 13, 2018 @ 6:30-9pm

Come out for entertainment, vendors, and community fellowship at this 20th-annual festival. Held near 112 W Center Street, Black Creek NC. Follow the town on Facebook here. Vendor opportunities available.

Event organizers: News site display ads, with a link, are available for a monthly fee. Call 919.637.6973 or email Sales.

To request inclusion of a free or low-fee event, email details to the Editor. Sponsors and logos are not included in Things To Do in NC When You’re Bored listings. Events are added at the editor’s discretion.

Ed. Notes:

Event information gathered from various sources. While attempts are made to verify data, for most events contact details are included. If you’re planning to attend an event, use contact information or event links to confirm, check for updates or changes, or verify space is available. These events are publicized by The Grey Area News, but are not events overseen by this news site or staff. 

Highlighted events are selected by staff, generally due to prior experience with the event, knowledge of offerings, or relation to a recent article on this news site.