Streets in downtown Raleigh blocked this weekend for Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival

Drivers in downtown Raleigh should expect road closures this weekend as the Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival and other events take center stage.

October is a busy time for festivals, and this weekend is no different, with a fall festival at Dix Park, a Taste of Asia event in Moore Square and more.   

Raleigh Wide Open road closures will span several blocks of Fayetteville Street on Friday and Saturday, closing the route to cars from City Plaza to Hargett Street. Drivers can expect road closures on parts of Martin and Davie streets near the festival as well.

Friday and Saturday's festivities will include multiple stages, an art market, food trucks, beer gardens and more along Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. 

Find a list of the dozens of performers playing bluegrass, Americana, folk and other traditional music on the event website.

This is the second year for the festival. Last year's event attracted 155,000 people downtown and generated millions of dollars in economic impact for local businesses, organizers said.

The name, "Raleigh Wide Open," is a nod to the previous "Wide Open" festivals held in the mid-2000s as part of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass. When IBMA  decided to move to a new location, Raleigh Wide Open was created to continue the local legacy of live music.