Every day of the year, there’s a festival, show, concert, book reading, sporting event, or something incredible happening in the Bull City.

Durham is where self-made synth beats are created alongside home-grown and international talent.

Where renowned hip hop artists come home to spit with our next generation of performers.

Where there’s never a need to wait for Friday night; both large and small festivals and cultural events win the hearts of wandering souls from near and far — all week long.

Each year, 5,000 classes, tours, markets, competitions and performances await you here. The key to your next adventure lies in your own curiosity. Come taste, see, hear and discover.

Seasonal & Annual Events The only way through is to do. Learn More

Submit An Event Take the bull by the horns. Learn More

We know many people are looking for things to do and ways to stay engaged with the Durham community. Check out the events below or head to the blog for safe and creative ways to remain connected to Durhamites, our local partners, and other Durham-based groups.

If you have any questions, please email eventcalendar@discoverdurham.com.

Featured Events

Chicago the Band

Hailed as one of the most important bands in music since the dawn of the rock and roll era, the legendary rock and roll band with horns, Chicago, came in as the highest-charting American band in Billboard Magazine's Top 125 Artists of All Time. And Chicago is the first American rock band to chart the Top 40 albums in six consecutive decades. Chicago has toured every year since the beginning - they’ve never missed a...

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Patti LaBelle

First Lady of Rock & Soul Beautiful, simply does not describe the incomparable force known to the world as Patti LaBelle. As time continues to evolve, the soulful songbird’s name has become synonymous with grace, style, elegance and class. Belting out classic rhythm and blues renditions, pop standards and spiritual sonnets have created the unique platform of versatility that she is known and revered for. It’s a small wonder that Patti has time for anything...

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Jake Shimabukuro

Over the past two decades, Jake Shimabukuro has proved that there isn’t a style of music that he can’t play. While versatility for any musician is impressive, what’s remarkable about Shimabukuro’s transcendent skills is how he explores his seemingly limitless vocabulary – whether it’s jazz, rock, blues, bluegrass, folk or even classical – on perhaps the unlikeliest of instruments: the ‘ukulele. Responding to the urgent calls of his fervent imagination, the Hawai’i-born virtuoso has taken...

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Pumpkin Patch Express

Celebrate Fall with a trip to the Museum’s pumpkin patch! Pick the perfect pumpkin to take home and decorate. Enjoy a variety of activities inspired by autumn. Then, climb aboard the train for a ride back to the station on the Ellerbe Creek Railway! Weekends in October. Activities include:Pick a pumpkinDecorate your pumpkinHay mazeFall science activitiesDuck races, bowling, and other fun gamesFresh popcornReturn train ride on the Ellerbe Creek Railway

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Single Barrel Experience

Make a barrel Bourbon Whiskey from start to finish. This 5+ hour experience puts the distillery and staff at your service. Starting from grain milling and ending at barreling, you conduct the entire mashing and distilling process and learn distilling details few outside the industry experience. You will take home a bottle of your unaged spirit immediately. After laser engraving the barrel head with your inscription, you will fill a barrel that will be put...

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Mystic Reserve: A Distiller's Experience

A day full of hands-on distilling and sampling! You'll start the day with Mystic's Master Distiller learning all about the mashing, fermentation, and distilling processes. You'll end your day sampling some of Mystic's rarest and unreleased bourbon directly from their barrels! In addition, they will provide snacks through the day, a food truck will be onsite, and they'll have live music. Distiller's Experience Schedule: 12 PM - 1 PM | Mashing, Fermentation, and Distilling with...

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Nimesh Patel

Nimesh Patel is a comedian and Emmy-nominated writer who has risen the ranks to some of comedy’s biggest stages due to his unassailable joke writing, prolific output, and innovative marketing. Named as one of Variety’s prestigious “10 Comics To Watch” of 2023 and described by Vulture as “sophistication with street sense, the sophistication of street sense,” Nimesh has charted a path from sold-out comedy clubs to major theaters. His most recent self-produced special “Lucky Lefty”...

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Raphael Saadiq Revisits Tony! Toni! Toné!

Raphael Saadiq, his brother D'Wayne Wiggins, and Timothy Christian Riley will perform as Tony! Toni! Toné! for the first time in nearly 25 years. The Tonys set will feature classic R&B smashes like "Feels Good," "Anniversary," and "It Never Rains (In Southern California)," plus brand-new material. For this expansive, full-evening performance, Saadiq also taps his own deep catalog, performing tracks from his acclaimed solo albums, the music of his short-lived but beloved R&B supergroup Lucy...

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Rissi Palmer

Rissi Palmer’s gift lies in reaching across all musical boundaries. While she made her mark in country music, she is equally at home in R&B music, bringing the entire spectrum of popular music to bear on music she calls “Southern Soul.” In 2007, she released her debut album, Rissi Palmer, charting singles, “Country Girl,” “Hold On To Me,” and “No Air.” Since then, Rissi has independently released a Christmas single, her first children’s album, Best...

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Art Exhibit — Art of Peru

This gallery features ceramics, textiles, metalwork and carvings produced by ancient cultures across what is known as present-day Peru.... Details

Art Exhibit — Truth or Dare: A Reality Show

Highlighting uncertainty and contradiction, the artworks featured in Truth or Dare: A Reality Show emphasize the importance of questioning... Details

Exhibit: Mandy Carter, the Scientist of Activism

An exhibit honoring the decades-long work of Mandy Carter, a Durham, NC-based Black lesbian feminist activist who has been central in the... Details

Art Exhibit — "Love & Anarchy"

On the surface, love and anarchy may seem like unrelated or even conflicting notions. Love is synonymous with care, compassion, and... Details

Sensory Friendly Film Series

The Sensory Friendly Film Series offers a safe and accepting environment for individuals with autism and others who identify as sensory... Details

Art Exhibit — Return to Parrish Street: A Dream Realized

Taking inspiration from Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, the exhibition’s title is based on two poems: A Dream Deferred (1951) and... Details

Art Exhibit — "Lyle Ashton Harris: Our first and last love"

Drawing together photographs and installations from both his celebrated and lesser-known series, Lyle Ashton Harris: Our first and last... Details

In A Moment, This Is What Came: Inspiration from Our LGBTQIA+ Ancestors

This Pride Month in the ERUUF Art Gallery Lesbian artist Lisa Witzke makes her solo gallery debut at ERUUF this September with her mixed... Details

Art Exhibit "Thai Time: I’m dreaming for you too"

"THAI TIME: I’m dreaming for you too - solo show of new photographs by C. Bay Milin Photography of HOUSE GOLD BRICK These images represent... Details

Art Exhibit — "Act as if you are a curator: an AI-generated exhibition"

This year the Nasher Museum embarked on an experiment to use AI to curate an exhibition from the museum’s collection. While museum... Details

TRIPLE THREAT: New Paintings by Clarence Heyward, William Paul Thomas, Charles Edward Williams, Curated by Beverly McIver

Clarence Heyward, William Paul Thomas, Charles Edward Williams TRIPLE THREAT: New Paintings Curated by Beverly McIver Opening Reception... Details

Retro Film Series: 25th Anniversary Season

The Carolina Theatre of Durham's Retro Film Series hosts double-features of classic films most Friday nights. The series features door... Details