Where Wake Forest goes out: the Listening Room, Tonic's live music, a piano lounge, breweries, Strike & Barrel until 1 a.m. and free street concerts.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Venue details and hours come from each venue’s own website and the Town of Wake Forest’s downtown map. We list venues, not individual gigs; check each venue’s calendar for who is playing.

Wake Forest’s nightlife is downtown, within a few blocks of South White and South Brooks streets: a seated listening room, a cocktail bar with live bands three nights a week, a piano lounge inside a bookshop, two breweries and a bowling bar open until 1 a.m. on weekends. In summer, the free Friday Night on White concerts fill the street.

Getting home

  • Rideshare and Go Wake Forest: on event nights the town suggests Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St., as the pickup point
  • Police non-emergency: 919-554-6150
  • Parking: the town’s downtown parking map

Live music venues

Venue Address What it is Late nights
Tonic, Bar & Social Club 158 S. White St. Cocktails, beer and wine; live music every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday Until midnight Friday and Saturday
The Wake Forest Listening Room 415-C Brooks St. Seated, all-ages concerts Shows 7:30 p.m., doors 6:45 p.m.
Broadsides & Brews 223 Brooks St. “Bookshoppe, Piano & Cocktail Lounge” with a player piano, singing bartenders, songwriter circles and open mics Until midnight Friday and Saturday
White Street Brewing Co. 218 S. White St. Brewery taproom with live music Until midnight Friday and Saturday
Railway Smoke and Beverage 306 S. White St., second floor Live music, dancing and drinks, on the town’s downtown map Check its Facebook page
Wake Forest Renaissance Centre 405 S. Brooks St. The town’s theater: concerts, plays and storytelling Ticketed evening shows

Tonic opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday and at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday; it is closed Mondays. The Listening Room sells tickets for each show through Etix and links food orders to The Lemon Tree, which shares its address. Broadsides & Brews opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, noon Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, and is closed Mondays. White Street Brewing opens at 4 p.m. weekdays, 2 p.m. Friday and noon on weekends.

Bars, breweries and bottle shops

  • Norse Brewing Company, 203 Brooks St.: brewery with Scandinavian-inspired food, open until 10 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.
  • Unwined on White, 153 S. White St.: wine bar on a historic rooftop, with tastings.
  • Bodega Tapas, Wine and Rum, 110 S. White St.
  • The Cardinal Bar, 535 S. White St., Suite 120: hot dogs and a bar, per the town’s map.
  • The Hideaway Wake Forest, 308 E. Roosevelt Ave.: bottle shop.

Games and late nights

Strike & Barrel, 413 Brooks St., has bowling, duckpin bowling, axe throwing, pool, virtual golf and an arcade, open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. A laser light show runs on the lanes from 7 p.m. to close on Fridays and Saturdays. When the waitlist is active, visits can be limited to 90 minutes.

Free street concerts

Friday Night on White brings a party band to South White Street from 6 to 9 p.m. on the second Friday of each month, April through September. Chairs can go in the road after 4:30 p.m., last call for outside beer is 8:50 p.m., and the street party ends at 9:30 p.m., the town’s concert page says. Streets close from 1 p.m. Free parking is in seminary lots within a 15-minute walk. In spring, the Six Sundays in Spring concerts fill the lawn at Joyner Park; see free things to do.

The social district

From noon to 9 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, you can carry a drink bought from a participating business, in the official clear district cup of 16 ounces or less, anywhere in the Wake Forest Social District. Participating sellers include Bodega, Broadsides & Brews, Norse Brewing, Over the Falls, Strike & Barrel, The Hideaway, The Listening Room, Unwined on White and White Street Brewing. No BYOB, and finish your drink before leaving the district or getting in a car.

Related: date night, downtown Wake Forest and New Year’s Eve.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I hear live music in Wake Forest?

Tonic Bar and Social Club, 158 S. White St., has live music every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The Wake Forest Listening Room, 415-C Brooks St., holds seated concerts, and Broadsides & Brews, 223 Brooks St., is a piano lounge with open mics and songwriter circles.

What is open late in Wake Forest?

Strike & Barrel, 413 Brooks St., stays open until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Tonic, White Street Brewing and Broadsides & Brews stay open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

When is Friday Night on White?

Free concerts run 6 to 9 p.m. on the second Friday of each month from April through September on South White Street downtown.

Can you drink on the street in downtown Wake Forest?

Only inside the social district, noon to 9 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, in an official district cup bought from a participating business.