Falling for Local at Dorothea Dix Park!

Falling for Local

October 7, 2023

The Big Field at Dix Park

Presented in partnership by
The City of Raleigh, Dix Park Conservancy, and Shop Local Raleigh

Live Music - Local Makers & Vendors - NC Craft Beer - Food Trucks - Kids Activities - Inflatables - Hay Rides - Tons of Fall Fun

Plus a FREE Pumpkin Patch!

We are #FallingForLocal!

Celebrate Autumn in Raleigh with a Market & Festival at Dix Park!

This family-friendly event is open to the public and FREE TO ATTEND!

Enjoy live music from local talent and demos from local businesses all day long as well as loads of FALL FUN including hay rides, inflatables, lawn games, kids activities, photo ops, and a pumpkin patch all FREE of charge!

#ShowSomeLocalLove and support one of the many independent businesses featured at Falling for Local!
  • Dine from dozens of local food trucks & food tents
  • Shop with over 100 local & independent businesses
  • Sample NC craft beer & ciders

RSVP to the Facebook event to receive the latest updates!

Checkout last year's lineup of vendors, performers & fun!

2023 details coming soon...

Thank you Falling for Local sponsors & community partners for your support!

Bands, Performances, & Demos

GLADWELL ORTHODONTICS

STAGE

11:00 – Honey Bee Kind
1:00 – Niito Wave
2:00 – Stage Door Dance Performance
3:00 – J’Andr
5:00 – Step Over Mars

MICHAEL & SON SERVICES

STAGE

12:00 – Michael Daughtry Music
1:00 – Christy’s Dance Explosion, Feet on Fire Clogging Team Performance
2:00 – Slippery Hill
4:00 – 3 Day Weekendz

ACORN STAGE

11:30 – Bach to Rock Student Performances
1:30 – Dog Training with Oak City K9
2:30 – Floral Arrangements with The English Garden
3:30 – Plant Care with Foxxy’s Flora and Gifts
4:30 – Saddle Up & Read: Story Time with Horses
5:30 – Photography Tips with DELIGHT Photography

Activities & Fall Fun

Falling for Local is FREE to attend and you can have lots of complimentary Fall fun at this family-friendly festival. Here are some the no-cost activities at this year’s Falling for Local:

  • FREE Pumpkin Patch with 2,000 pumpkins! We encourage you to get to the festival early as these free pumpkins are first come.
  • Hay Rides through the park! Hop a board a tractor pulled hayride for a ride around The Big Field. 
  • Kids Activities! Enjoy inflatables, a rock wall, corn pits, and more in the Kids Zone.
  • Touch-A-Truck! Get an up close look inside of a fire truck, dump truck, and more!
  • Classic Cars! The Tarwheel A’s will have some of their classic Fords on display.
  • Luxury Picnics! Sweet T Picnics welcomes you to enjoy your meal in-style with the sweetest luxury picnic set-up. Sit by a table adorned with décor, and have the sweetest picnic with those you cherish. These one-of-a-kind luxury picnics are available for your enjoyment on a first come first serve basis. $20 donations to the Sweet T Picnics Gives Back program are encouraged.
  • Cornhole & Giant Yard Games! Play giant Jenga, Connect Four, Cornhole, and more.
  • Photobooth & Fall Themed Backdrops! There will be plenty of photo opportunities setup throughout the festival.
  • Meet the Stampede of Love mini horses! The ponies will be stopping by the festival from 11 AM – 1 PM.
  • Special Guest Appearances! Keep your eyes out for these special guests at the festival:
    • Causeplay Carolina characters including your favorite super heroes & princesses
    • Stormy, the official mascot of the Carolina Hurricanes, will be stopping by the festival from 11-noon
    • Lollipop of Mop Top Shop will be joining us in the afternoon from 3-5

Food Trucks & Tents

FOOD TRUCKS
DESSERT TRUCKS
SWEETS & TREATS TENTS
  • Andia’s Homemade Ice Cream
  • Boozie Bakes
  • Cravin’ Sumthn’ Gourmet Cupcakes
  • Ella’s Popcorn
  • Freshly Baked By Meg
  • Jay’s Italian ice
  • Mica’s Sweets & Treats
  • Raleigh Biscuit Company
  • Raleigh Popsicle Company
  • The Lunchbox Bakery
  • Yellow Garden Bake Shop
  • Zulia Bakery
BEVERAGES

Local Artist, Makers, & Business Vendors

ART
  • Binky and Bell
  • Christina Britt Studio
  • Fine Art From Nature
BOUTIQUES
  • Angel Road Boutique
  • Artesanias Nicte Ha
  • Baily’s
  • Blomma Vintage
  • Blush Steele LLC
  • Galatea Mobile Boutique
  • Little Details
  • Maren May’s Boutique
  • Papriqqa
  • Peak Lane Boutique
  • Scarlet Street
  • Valerosa Boutique
CANDLES
  • JamesonAshCandleCo
  • Light is Love Candles
  • Me Time Moments
  • Oak City Scents
  • Santa’s Naturals
  • The Painted Farmhouse
  • The Quarry
  • Wicks for Wags
CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS
  • Bows and Whistles Designs
  • Mama Bears Baby Beads
  • Port and Starbird
  • The Evelyn Company 
CLOTHING & APPAREL
  • 29thstreetwear
  • Afternoon Owl Designs
  • BaySix
  • Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More of Raleigh – North
  • Designed For Joy
  • ExecSocks
  • Gaia’s Closet
  • Glam Soldier
  • Hempsmith Clothing Co.
  • House of Swank Clothing
  • Needle & Thread Co.
  • Surly Squirrel
  • the go girl shoppe
EXPERIENCES & ACTIVATIONS
  • Carolina Hurricanes
  • Crazy Axe
  • Fire Up The Fun Engine Co.
  • North Carolina Football Club
  • Sweet T Picnics
FOOD & BEVERAGE PRODUCTS
  • Bad Cat Coffee
  • Baxter’s Bees
  • Bulletproof Sauces
  • Killer Toffee
  • Mythical Inferno
  • Nons Salts 
  • Oak City Hot Sauce Co
  • OLIVE OIL GROVE
  • Peak City Coffee
  • Sterling Berry LLC
HEALTH & WELLNESS
  • Adapt Chiropractic
  • Gladwell Orthodontics
  • Hemp Generation Wellness
  • Highlights Healthcare
  • TREK CBD
HOME GOODS + DECOR
  • Be You Beads and Beyond
  • Beth’s Christmas
  • Daymakers Studio
  • Funtastic Menagerie, LLC
  • Odyssey Contracting
  • She Shed Stained Glass 
  • The Woven Willow
  • Zzesty’s Creations Designer Wreaths
HOME SERVICES
  • All American Gutter Protection
  • Baker Roofing Company
  • Better Brush Painting NC
  • H2D Concrete Specialists
  • Michael & Son
JEWELRY
  • Addis Jemari 
  • Adventures in Bloom 
  • BEAUTY and GRACE
  • Be Like Missy
  • Bezalel and Co.
  • Bijoux by Catherine
  • Bold Standard
  • Crystal Tulips Design
  • Jullz Jewelry LLC
  • Lucky Accessories
  • Rose May Jewelry
  • Sissy Art
  • Taylor’d with Grace
  • The Painted Pearl
  • World Accessories
KIDPRENEURS
  • Aubin Elise
  • Azalea’s Leather Bookmarks
  • Crochet by Janani
  • Kaiya Clay Designs
  • Really Rad Resin
  • The Jam of Jewels
  • Winks Design Studio
NON-PROFIT & INFORMATIONAL BOOTHS
  • Lutheran Services Carolinas Foster Care
  • Raleigh Police Department Parks & Greenway
  • Triangle Rowing Club
  • UNC Health WakeBrook Mental Health Awareness
  • Wake Monarch Academy
  • We Plant it Forward
PET PRODUCTS + SERVICES
  • Barkleigh’s Cafe and Rescue
  • Chester & Pearl
  • DOGSNOG
  • NC Mutts LLC
  • Oak City K9
  • Purr Cup Cafe
  • Ruff Stuff Treats
  • Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique
  • The DABBA Company LLC
PET RESCUES
  • Freedom Ride Rescue
  • PIPS – Perfectly Imperfect Pups
  • Saving Grace Animals for Adoption
PLANTS + FLOWERS
  • Copperline Plant Company
  • Foxxy’s Floras & Gifts
POTTERY
  • Leigh Anne’s Crafts
  • Piedmont ClayWorks
  • Porch Dog Pots
SKINCARE, HAIR, & BEAUTY
  • Alietha’s Sunkissed Tans
  • Blue Water Spa
  • Finklepotts LLC
  • Natural Esthetics
  • Oak City Sunless
  • Sweet Pea Waxing Boutique
  • The Junction Salon and Bar
SOAP & PERSONAL CARE
  • 919Soap
  • Hummingbird Naturals LLC
  • Mantra Soap
  • Manda Panda’s LLC
  • MOON & BACK
STATIONARY + PAPER GOODS
  • Honeypress
  • SKP ink
  • Studio Leigh
AND MORE!
  • 621 Productions
  • Christy’s DancExplosion
  • Code Zone
  • Counsel Carolina (Osborn Gambale Beckley & Budd PLLC)
  • DELIGHT Photography & Makeup
  • Jackson Law
  • Oberweis Dairy
  • PE Mechanical Keyboards
  • Platinum Sitters
  • Pour House Music Hall & Record Shop
  • Stage Door Dance Productions
  • Sweet T Picnics

NC Breweries, Cideries, & More

  • Brewery Bhavana
  • Birdsong Brewing
  • Carolina Brewery
  • Catawba
  • Clouds Brewing
  • Compass Rose
  • Crank Arm Brewing Company
  • Gizmo Brew Works
  • Heyday Brewing
  • Hugger Mugger
  • Little City Brewing
  • Mordecai Beverage Company
  • Oak City Bubbly
  • Ponysaurus Brewing
  • Red Moose Brewing Company
  • Spaceway Brewing
  • Steel String Brewery
  • Sycamore
  • The Glass Jug
  • The Toasty Kettlyst
  • Tobacco Wood Brewing
  • Vicious Fishes
  • Wye Hill

Drink Tickets

Falling for Local is free to attend! Tickets are only required for adult beverage purchases and can be purchased in advance or onsite. Breweries will not take cash or credit card for beverage sales; drink tickets only.

Tickets are sold in bundles and can be redeemed for a sample size pour or pint.

  • 2 Tickets = Sample
  • 5 Tickets = Pint

Drink ticket purchasers must be at least 21 years of age at the time of the festival. Ticket holders will have their ID checked before receiving their wristband, drink tickets, and festival cup.

Additional Information & FAQs 

Food, Beverages + Restrooms
  • We encourage you to enjoy the amazing selection of food trucks, but you may bring in your own food. 
  • Bring a water bottle, refill stations will be available.
  • Port-a-johns will be available with ADA accessible facilities included.
Dogs

Dogs are permitted, but please use your best judgment regarding whether your pooch will enjoy the event. All dogs must be leashed, and please clean up after them.

Weather

If we need to postpone due to inclement weather, we will post on social media @ShopLocRaleigh & @RaleighParks on Twitter and Raleigh Parks and Shop Local Raleigh on Facebook.

Getting There + Parking

Click here to view parking and shuttle map. The most convenient park entrances to use are Hunt Drive off of Western Boulevard or Blair Drive off of Centennial Parkway. Look for signs along Umstead Drive. Parking is available in the four parking lots off of Umstead Drive. Due to the high volume of people and limited parking, please carpool if possible. Do not drive on or park in the grass – driving on tree roots damages the trees and we want to keep the 150 year old oaks around for as long as possible!

Accessibility

Dorothea Dix Park continues to strive to be accessible and welcoming for visitors, including those with disabilities. Currently, portions of Dorothea Dix Park, including some areas where programs and events occur, have uneven surfaces and are not fully accessible. Accessibility is a primary focus for early park improvements and all future planning and development.

 

Parking:  Details coming soon!

Restrooms: Indoor accessible restrooms are available in the newly renovated Chapel.  Accessible port-a-johns are located at the Big Field and Flowers Field.

Programs and Events: Raleigh Parks Inclusion Services works with community members to support participation. To request a program modification based on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please complete and submit the Accommodation Request Form or contact Inclusion Services staff at 919-996-2147 or ParksInclusion@raleighnc.gov.