Must-Visit Raleigh Arts & Music Venues Near Wrenwood
Our beautiful farmhouse-style duets are so pleasant to live in, you might never want to venture further than your front door. But if you’re the type who likes to get out and explore a little, you’ll be able to do so easily from our location in ITB Raleigh. Wrenwood is perched minutes away from some of the biggest concert and arts venues in not only NC but the entire East Coast! Here are some of the top music, arts, & entertainment spots you’ll absolutely want to check out.
Feelin’ fancy? First stop - NC Museum of Art
Well, not super-fancy—not always—but any trip to an art museum is automatically upper-class, right? The NCMA will give you all the arts and culture you can handle, with over two buildings chock full of galleries, educational studios, and permanent collections. Popular exhibits include the largest collection of sculptures by Auguste Rodin in the Southeast; an Egyptian Art Wing featuring a life-size replica of an ancient tomb; and a series of paintings by renowned European masters. You can grab lunch from a small café inside the museum, or have a picnic somewhere in the 164-acre Museum Park. Best of all, admission is always free—and it’s only 7 minutes away from your duet home in Wrenwood.
Show local some love At the N.C. State Fairgrounds
For entertainment that is decidedly less fancy, you can head over to the N.C. State Fairgrounds, situated only 8 minutes from Wrenwood. The Fairgrounds are bustling with exhibits, conventions, and concerts all year, but enjoy their biggest moment during the State Fair itself each October. Over the course of 11 days, you can catch over 100 free performances at the Fair’s Homegrown Music Fest, which features a lineup of exclusively N.C. acts across two different stages. Should you ever tire of jamming out, you can explore the rest of the Fair, where you’ll discover agricultural, arts, and cultural exhibits; amusement park rides and games; some adventurous (but appealing!) food options; and a nightly fireworks show.
Get your blood pumping at PNC Arena
The PNC Arena is the concert venue in the State of North Carolina, and if you live at Wrenwood, it’ll be only 10 minutes away from your door. Known mainly for being home to the Carolina Hurricanes and the N.C. State University Men’s Basketball team, the PNC Arena also hosts about 150 shows, concerts, and miscellaneous entertainment events each year. Popular acts have included just about everyone you can think of, from rock star legends like the Rolling Stones and Def Leppard, to pop icons like Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. The Arena also regularly hosts the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus; Sesame Street Live; and Disney on Ice, so if you have kids, you’ll definitely want to take them here for some once-in-a-lifetime memories (or, go see them by yourself—we’re not here to judge).
Embrace cool at Koka Booth Amphitheater
Cary is a suburb of Raleigh, but it’s still only about 15 minutes away from Wrenwood. That’s great news for music lovers because some of the best acts in the state are held at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre. Named for former Cary Mayor, Koka Booth, the Amphitheatre is a vibrant outdoor venue that hosts a wide variety of events, from food festivals to cultural and arts celebrations, to nationally touring shows. From June to July, you can come here to catch the NC Symphony Summerfest series, and later in the year, you can connect with your roots—or someone’s roots, anyway—at Diwali, Oktoberfest or the Chinese Lantern Festival. And if you’re more into performances than festivals, you can come to catch the likes of Allison Krauss, Harry Connick, Jr., Robert Plant, Sheryl Crow, Ziggy Marley, and more.
Get cultured at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts
If you’re from around these parts and don’t recognize this name, it’s because it was recently changed—prior to March 2023, the Marietta Center was the Duke Center for the Performing Arts. Though the name is new, the Center remains one of the most important cultural centers in the state. It’s home to the Carolina Ballet, NC Opera, NC Symphony, NC Theatre, and PineCone (Piedmont Council of Traditional Music), and contains four unique venues: the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Meymandi Concert Hall, A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater, and Kennedy Theatre. It’s been a cultural focal point of Downtown Raleigh since 1932, and—we almost forgot to mention—it’s only 11 minutes from Wrenwood.
Be part of something bigger at Wrenwood
Hopefully, this article has successfully gotten you excited about all the amazing things you can see and do from your duet home in central Raleigh. Before you start booking your tickets, though, stop by and see us to learn how you can become a part of our community.
One of our representatives will be happy to answer any questions you might have about life at Wrenwood.