Note: Authored by David Menconi, this piece has been produced in partnership with Raleigh Arts. Menconi’s latest book, “Oh, Didn’t They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music,” was published by University of North Carolina Press. His podcast, Carolina Calling, explores the history of the Tar Heel State through music.
Low-key and long-running, the live music series LIVE at Lake Raleigh has been around long enough to qualify as a venerable local springtime tradition. The 2026 edition features four free shows every other Thursday evening, starting April 9 with the local funk-blues quintet Duck playing two 45-minute sets. The shows happen on the shore of Lake Raleigh at North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus in Raleigh.
“This is our ninth year, and LIVE at Lake Raleigh has really become a fan favorite,” says Liza Wade Green, interim director of series co-producer NC State LIVE. “Our program is known for bringing in artists from all over the world, mostly at Stewart Theater. This series is more of a chill experience, free and open to everyone. It really celebrates North Carolina musicians, and brings people around the lake where there’s so much to do. The concert series is an anchor.”
Indeed, LIVE at Lake Raleigh is just one of the many attractions and events that happen around Lake Raleigh, as programmed by concert series co-producer Centennial Campus Placemaking. Also in the vicinity are bicycles that can be checked out for free, disc golf, 321 Coffee (run by baristas with intellectual disabilities), James B. Hunt Jr. Library, and artist Larry Bell’s “Reds and Whites” sculpture…