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.

Annual Events & Festivals 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

Art Exhibit — "Jean Charlot: Visions of Mexico, 1933"

This exhibition investigates artist Jean Charlot's relationship with Mexico's Indigenous past and colonial legacy. On view for the first time, lithographs by Charlot are paired with sculpture from the Nasher Museum's Art of the Americas collection. These vivid, dynamic prints draw from Biblical narratives, local textile traditions and the arts of Mexico, both ancient and modern. Duke University students co-curated this exhibition. Tu-F 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

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Art Exhibit — "Reckoning and Resilience: North Carolina Art Now"

Reckoning and Resilience: North Carolina Art Now brings together 30 emerging and established artists working across the state. This group survey, featuring approximately 100 works, presents an expansive view of contemporary art in North Carolina both in terms of regional geography and artistic approaches.With media ranging from traditional drawing, painting, sculpture and photography, to ceramics, textiles, performance and experimental video, the selected artists explore themes surrounding historical and current events, identity, loss and remembrance, and...

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Erasure

Established in London in 1985, enduring alternative dance duo Erasure combine the talents of emotive, broad-ranged vocalist Andy Bell and synth idol Vince Clarke, previously a founding member of Depeche Mode and Yazoo. Like those bands, Erasure is a synth-based group, but with stronger, more house-oriented dance inclinations, as well as a sharp, accessible sense of pop songcraft. The duo's third album, 1988's The Innocents, proved to be their U.S. breakthrough, offering the Top 2...

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Trey Kennedy The Are You For Real? Tour

A writer, actor, comedian, and musician –Trey can truly do it all. Best known for his hilariously spot-on sketches that put the perfect comedic spin on the idiosyncrasies of specific groups (“Millennial Girlfriend School”, “Moms and Middle Schoolers During Flu Season Be Like”) Trey has written, produced, and starred in numerous viral videos racking up millions of views in the process. With a dedicated fan base across every major social media channel, Trey has his...

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Tig Notaro

Tig Notaro is an Emmy and Grammy nominated stand-up comedian, writer, radio contributor, and actor as well as a favorite on numerous talk shows, including “Ellen,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and “Conan.” Rolling Stone named her one of the “50 best stand-up comics of all time.” Notaro currently appears in Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” and “Star Trek: Discovery”; she wrote and starred in the groundbreaking TV show “One Mississippi” and hosts...

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The Choir of Man

THE RUNAWAY INTERNATIONAL HIT IS COMING TO DURHAM! Known across the globe as “the ultimate-feel good show,” THE CHOIR OF MAN offers up one hour of indisputable joy for all ages! It’s a party. It’s a concert. It’s the best pub “lock-in” you’ve ever been to. Featuring pop, classic rock, folk, Broadway and pub tunes, THE CHOIR OF MAN has something for everyone. A multi-talented cast of nine handsome guys combines hair-raising harmonies, foot-stomping singalongs...

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NC MLK Black History Month Parade & Block Party

From 11 am - 4 pm the Block Party will be set-up on Burlington Avenue with DJs, Bounce Houses, Food Trucks, Vendors, Face Painting, and more, making this event "For the Entire Family For the Entire Day." The Parade kicks off at 12:00 pm. The Parade will line up at W. G. Pearson Elementary School (3501 Fayetteville Street), proceed 1.2 mile up Fayetteville Street (past the Block Party) and end at NCCU (corner of Lawson...

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Neil deGrasse Tyson

An entire lecture on all the stuff we know nothing about in the universe. From before the universe began to the nature of dark matter and dark energy in modern times, this talk leaves the audience admiring the tenacity of scientists on the frontier who are daily steeped in ignorance.

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Letterkenny! Live

The stars of the wildly popular award-winning Crave Original Series LETTERKENNY have announced their return to the stage for the first time since March 2020. Following an unprecedented year that profoundly affected people worldwide and brought live entertainment as we know it to a halt, “PUPPERS GOLDEN LAGER PRESENTS LETTERKENNY LIVE!” will return in 2022 bringing the all new, acclaimed 90-minute comedy experience first launched in 2020, back to cities across North America. Featuring NINE...

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Black Violin

Black Violin takes the stage this fall on the “Impossible Tour” bringing their Grammy nominated album Take the Stairs to audiences across the country. Fans can expect to hear top hits Impossible is Possible and Showoff, from the album that Billboard claims, “continues to celebrate Black Violin’s genre-less approach to music.” Black Violin has spent the last year finding creative ways to share their music with fans. The group aimed to uplift spirits and connect...

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Nevermore Film Festival

Named by Film Freeway as one of its Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals, Nevermore is a juried competition festival which programs brand-new international and domestic genre films in the categories of horror, science fiction, mystery, thriller, animation and action-adventure.

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Mystic Cocktail Class

Join head bartender, Aaron, and learn the history and techniques behind making some of your favorite cocktails! Aaron will be teaching you all of the basics to making cocktails including some that Mystic has featured at the bar. 12-2 p.m or 4-6 p.m.

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Equity and Inclusion on Sesame Street

Virtual Crown Distinguished Lecture in Ethics. Named for benefactor Lester Crown, the lecture was established to bring speakers to Duke to... Details

Women on the Wall

This 1-hour meetup will explore the adventure of climbing in a close and supportive atmosphere. Learn to focus your attention on your... Details

Tuesday Acoustic Blues Jam

Bingo Night at The Fruit

Hosted by Miss B Haven. Masks required. Details

Erasure

Established in London in 1985, enduring alternative dance duo Erasure combine the talents of emotive, broad-ranged vocalist Andy Bell and... Details

Boundless: A conversation between historian William Sturkey and artist Stephen L. Hayes

An exploration of the role of art in creating knowledge and narratives about slavery, the Civil War, and freedom struggles in the United... Details

Winter Welcome Open House at The Rickhouse

Spend an evening at The Rickhouse! Explore the beautiful space, enjoy complimentary beer and wine, nibble on light hor d'oeuvres, and meet... Details

Weekly Trivia Night With Pickle

The very popular weekly trivia night hosted by Pickle continues for another season every Wednesday night! They moved trivia to the beer... Details

Weekly Trivia Wednesday

There will be multi round contests with a winner for every night. Each night's winner will receive a gift card. This event is run with... Details

Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Co.

Did you once have an iPod with 30,000 songs on it? Do you listen to the radio with the windows down on the reg? Did you listen to vinyl... Details

NorthStar Church of the Arts Way Out of No Way Humanities Series with Dr. Mark Anthony Neal

NorthStar Church of the Arts presents the first in their Way Out of No Way series with Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, James B. Duke Distinguished... Details

Ask Me Anything About Remote Viewing with Paul H Smith, PhD

Remote Viewing (RV) is a mental ability that allows a "viewer" to receive information from a target that is otherwise not accessible using... Details