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

Slingshot Festival

Slingshot is the international nexus for music, electronic art, and technology in the South. LineupHiroko YamamuraDJ HolographicMarina HerlopKate NVPolygoniaGRRLJavasounds Remix ProjectAbhi MeerUltrabillionsAlias ZoneAction GroupMatthew ChaChristian Summers89 BirdsBrennan FowlerBr==ksDaniel BoenAnd More

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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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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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Made in Durham: A Little Brother Block Party

Made In Durham: A Little Brother Block Party is an outdoor music event and celebration of the 20th anniversary of the 2003 release of Little Brother's debut album, The Listening. What: Live performances by Little Brother and special guest, plus food trucks and vendors. Presented by Missy Lane's Assembly Room. Where: 300 Block of East Main Street. VIP options include special access to indoor areas with exclusive amenities, drink tickets, re-entry and an original, signed...

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Chelsea Handler

Chelsea Handler is a comedian, television host, New York Times best-selling author, and advocate whose humor and candor have established her as one of the most celebrated voices in entertainment and pop culture. After a strong seven-year run as the host of E!’s top-rated Chelsea Lately, a tenure in which she was the only female late-night talk show host on-air, she launched her documentary series Chelsea Does followed by her talk show Chelsea on Netflix...

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Black Violin

The Black Violin Experience Tour showcases the two-time Grammy-nominated duo Black Violin, brought to life by Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste, invoking a mystifying musical fusion of exquisite classical sounds and exhilarating hip-hop beats. A concert performance that boldly merges centuries of music and unites audiences with a message of hope and possibility. Fans can expect to be immersed in a sound that transcends categories and celebrates ingenuity and ambition, proving anything is possible. On...

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MJ The Musical

The music. The moves. The icon. Now, the unparalleled artistry of the greatest entertainer of all time comes to DPAC as MJ, the multi-Tony Award®-winning new musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour, begins a tour of its own. Created by Tony Award®-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the...

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Misfit: A Gary Gulman Stand Up Comedy and Book Tour

Over 25 years in comedy, Gary Gulman has established himself as an eminent performer and peerless writer. It’s no wonder the “New York Times” wrote, “Gary is finally being recognized as one of the country’s strongest comedians.” A product of Boston, Gulman has been a scholarship college football player, an accountant, and a high school teacher. He has made countless television appearances as both a comedian and an actor and is one of only a...

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Barrier Breakers: From Jackie to Pumpsie 1947-1958 Exhibit

BARRIER BREAKERS: From Jackie to Pumpsie–1947-1959, is an exhibit developed by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City,... Details

Holder Hill Farm Pumpkin Patch

Pick your own pumpkin straight from the vine, see and feel other crops, take a hay ride around the farm, visit with farm animals, take a... Details

Preservation NC Annual Conference

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Film Screening - Stop Making Sense: 40th Anniversary Re-Release

Newly restored in 4K to coincide with its 40th anniversary, the 1984 film was directed by renowned filmmaker Jonathan Demme and is... Details

Whiskey Wednesdays at Alley Twenty Six

Every Wednesday, the team at Alley Twenty Six chooses a different bottle of whiskey to serve at a break-even price. It’s a chance for... Details

Climate Circle: Cultivating Community, Capacity and Culture Shift in a Changing Climate

Climate change is real, it’s here, and its effects are all around us. Yet many of us can’t bear to even think about this mammoth reality,... Details

Durham Farmers’ Market

The Durham Farmers’ Market offers locally grown fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, cut flowers, artisanal cheeses and breads, and more. Details

Black Diamonds Night

"Black Diamonds Night" is a celebration of heritage, accomplishment, and the resilience of the "Barrier Breakers" -- Jackie Robinson of... Details

$1 Oysters at Alley Twenty Six

Durham’s Alley Twenty Six is now offering $1 raw oyster special from 4-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays. A selection of oysters are sourced from... Details

Horton Grove Hike

Join Triangle Land Conservancy Trail Guides on a brand new social hike series at Horton Grove! There will be a hike on the first Wednesday... Details

Ringing in Your Ears

Letters Bookshop is hosting Matthew Fiander who'll be reading from his debut novel, Ringing in Your Ears. Copies of Ringing in Your Ears... Details

Paint & Sip: The Raven

Sign up, show up, sip up, PAINT! No artistic talent is needed - they'll teach you step by step and have great FUN painting with you! BYO:... Details