Events
Inspiring FOMO since 1869
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.
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
NY Dog Film Festival
This was the most competitive year ever, with 64 submissions of films from all over the world – Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Iran Islamic Republic, Israel, Italy, Mexico,Russian Federation, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.
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Valentine's Day Cocktail Class
Participants get a tour of the distillery, free tastings, and hands on instruction on how to make some of our favorite Valentine themed cocktails! Whether you're on a date or hanging with your friends, you're sure to have a great time.
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The Book of Mormon
The New York Times calls it “the best musical of this century.” The Washington Post says, “It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals.” And Entertainment Weekly says, “Grade A: the funniest musical of all time.” Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show calls it "Genius. Brilliant. Phenomenal." It’s THE BOOK OF MORMON, the nine-time Tony Award® winning Best Musical. This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of...
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Shana Tucker, ChamberSoul™ Cello & Songs
Lyrical storyteller. Soulful cellist. Dynamic singer-songwriter. Fun teaching artist. That’s Shana Tucker! Her unique genre of ChamberSoul™ weaves together jazz, roots folk, acoustic pop, and a touch of R&B into melodies that echo in your head for days. Steeped in story, “ChamberSoul™ Cello & Songs” is a multi-instrumental journey that introduces the art of musical storytelling through song for all ages. Audience members will witness the musical “conversations” through improvisation. Every Shana Tucker performance feels...
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Nevermore Film Festival
Nevermore Film Festival is a juried competition festival that programs brand-new feature and short films with an emphasis on horror, science fiction, dark fantasy, animation, and mystery/thrillers from around the world. Named a “Top 100 Film Festival” by FilmFreeway and “One of the Best Horror Film Festivals in the World” by Dread Central, Nevermore has screened more than 1000 films since its creation in 1999. It has gained an international reputation as one of the...
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Frim Fram Friday
Swing by Mystic Farm and Distillery for a never-forget swing dancing class. Get ready to “cut a rug” with Joel & Jackie Plys from Retro Rhythm. They specialize in Swing Era dancing from the 1920s-50s. Swing Dancing is a great way to get fit, have fun, and socialize. No partner is required for the lesson. There will be a 30 minute class from 7-7:30pm to teach you how to swing, followed by social dancing from...
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Chocolate & Bourbon Pairing
This luxury class will take you through different Mystic Bourbons and the chocolate pairing that brings out the amazing flavors. Learn about, and taste, all of their spirits along with a classic chocolate pairing.
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Duke Chapel Evensong Singers
The Duke Chapel Evensong Singers, directed by the Chapel's Dr. Philip Cave, present a concert of three masterful contemporary compositions for choir and organ with themes of sacrifice and offering. Gerald Finzi's anthem Lo, the full, final sacrifice is one of the finest works in the English choral tradition, from the pen of a twentieth-century British composer whose sensitivity to poetry is legend. For this piece, Finzi sets to music two seventeenth-century poems by Richard...
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Jagged Little Pill
Some Shows You See. This Show You Feel. Joy, love, heartache, strength, wisdom, catharsis, LIFE—everything we’ve been waiting to see in a Broadway show— is here in the exhilarating, fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music. Directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin, upcoming 1776) with a Tony-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno) and Grammy-winning score, this electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family “vaults the audience to its collective...
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Art Exhibit — "Beyond the Surface: Collage, Mixed Media and Textile Works from the Collection"
This exhibition includes approximately 40 works, primarily from the Nasher Museum’s collection. With a focus on collage, mixed media and...
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Art Exhibit — Beverly McIver’s PASSAGE: Paintings 1983-2022
PASSAGE is a comprehensive selection of paintings spanning 30+ years of Beverly McIver’s Career. Following Beverly through the most pivotal...
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Beverly McIver: Passage/Paintings 1983-2022
Beverly McIver Passage: Paintings 1983-2022 opens at Craven Allen Gallery on Saturday, November 19th, with a reception from 5 to 7 pm, and...
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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....
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Chagall at Duke Chapel
To begin the spring academic semester, DITA will present a gallery of Chagall prints.
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Winter Wonders: Gallery Members Exhibit
Enjoy new works of art brought to you fresh from the warmth of the studios. Join in for the Third Friday Reception January 20, 6-9pm. Meet...
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Art Exhibit — Patrimonio | Heritage
A series of drawing Interventions on “Llanchama” (Amazonian tree bark) by Peruvian/American artist Renzo Ortega.
Patrimonio| Heritage is...
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Weekly Trivia Wednesday
They will have multi round contests with a winner for every night. Each night's winner will receive a gift card.This event is run with...
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Selections from the Archive: Bill Seaman Print Retrospective
“Selections from the Archive“ is a print retrospective of the work of media artist, researcher, and Duke faculty member Bill Seaman. The...
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NC HIP Music Festival
Historically informed performance festival with 17 events, over 60 artists performing music from 1500-2022 on period instruments.
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Whiskey Wednesdays at Alley Twenty Six
Every Wednesday, the team at Alley Twenty Six chooses a different unique or exciting bottle of whiskey to serve at a break-even price. It’s...
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Jazz Age: Lois Deloatch
For Lois Deloatch Gomes, music is a universal language and powerful force that inspires, informs and spurs social change. A lifelong singer...
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