Things to Do in Durham this Week

Weekly Events in Durham

(November 17 - November 23)

Welcome to a comprehensive guide of weekly events in Durham – from Broadway shows to intimate performances, serene river paddles to art exhibits, dance parties, food tours and more. Start here to plan your perfect week.

If you’d like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event organizers to see if events change due to weather. Have a great week!

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Noteworthy Events in Durham this Week

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show at The Carolina Theatre

• The greatest holiday show south of the North Pole is back with another brand spankin’ new wintertide wonder! Award-winning comedy icons, writers, actors, and drag queen powerhouses BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon are coming back to town with the wildly successful, internationally acclaimed, “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show.” Throughout the show’s 8-year history, Jinkx and DeLa have met sentient Christmas treats, twisted space-time with Dickensian Ghosts, escaped the meta clutches of their own holiday traditions, and led a harrowing rescue mission in the Nutcracker’s Land of Sweets. You never know what wild and unexpected sleigh ride these queens have in store.
• Whatever the twists and turns, fans can expect another year of over-the-top camp spectacle, side-splitting gags, brand new songs, heartfelt storytelling, thrilling dance numbers, and iconic costumes. Hailed by Entertainment Weekly as “the reigning queens of Christmas,” this show is not only a moment of respite, but a celebration of community, at a time when we need it most of all.
• Must be 18+
• Monday, November 17
• 7 pm
• Admission: $58.75+

The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center

• After mesmerizing audiences across Europe and the UK, The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight is set to electrify the USA once again. Prepare for a spellbinding 90-minute spectacle that infuses iconic Rock & Metal anthems with a hauntingly beautiful energy.
• In ethereal candlelit settings, this band of 14 classical musicians unleash effortlessly enchanting melodies alongside powerful walls of distortion. Witness the unexpected union of Classical music and Metal.
• Performing the music of iconic bands including: Metallica, AC/DC, Rolling Stones, Rage Against The Machine, My Chemical Romance, Linkin' Park, SOAD, Guns N Roses, Evanescence, Papa Roach, The Cranberries & MORE!
• Monday, November 17
• 8 pm

• Downtown Durham Holiday Tree Lighting at CCB Plaza
  
  Kick off the holiday season in the heart of downtown Durham! Join the annual Tree Lighting celebration featuring live performances by Rissi Palmer, The Lover Boyz, and local youth dance groups.
  Enjoy festive fun for all ages, including a strolling Santa, kids' crafts with Fate & Folklore, holiday movie shorts with Film Durham, and plenty of hot cocoa and cider to keep you cozy.
  And don’t forget to pick up the Holiday Passport by Hyper Local, your guide to shopping, dining, and celebrating all season long in downtown Durham!
• Go for the lights, stay for the holiday magic!
• 5 pm
• Free

Pauli Murray Birthday Celebration at Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice

• The Pauli Murray Center is transforming their front lawn into a festival space with local vendors, community partners, and plenty of joy. Enjoy a live D.J. set by Gemynii and catch a special performance from Durham’s Queer Circus, reimagining Pauli’s iconic acrobatic photographs. Entry into the inaugural exhibit of Pauli Murray's childhood home will be free for all visitors in celebration of Pauli's birthday.
• Celebrate Pauli’s legacy with music, movement, and community!
• Saturday, November 22
• 11 am
• Free

Durham Underground Market at Durham Central Park

• The MAKRS Society X Oak City Music Collective presents: Durham Underground Market: a market and concert series.
• This monthly series features new bands every month from Oak City Music Collective, 45+ local vendors, food trucks, and more!
• Event start: 11am
• Bands: 12pm-3pm
• Everything else: 11am-3pm
• House music will be played during band breaks.
• Shop from unique vendors. Jam out to awesome music. Grab drinks and food. And make memories with your friends and family!
• Sunday, November 23
• 11 am
• Free

Third Friday Events

A Festive Third Friday in the Visitor Info Center at Durham Visitor Info Center

• Join in on the holiday spirit this Third Friday! Stop by the Visitor Info Center to warm up with free Perkins Orchard's cider and pick up a Shop Small Holiday Passport by Hyper Local Durham and start collecting stamps to win a prize! Afterwards, hop over to CCB Plaza for the Annual Tree Lighting featuring live performances, crafts and games, local food & drink offerings and more. Continue your night visiting downtown art galleries and other Third Friday events!
• *Cider available while supplies last.
  
• 5 pm
• Friday, November 21
• Free

Third Friday - Guided Museum Tours at 21c Museum Hotels Durham

• Offered in conjunction with the Third Friday Durham Art Walk & Gallery Crawl, learn about 21c Durham’s current exhibition Truth or Dare: A Reality Show, our site specific artworks, and the artists behind it all. Meet us in the lobby every third Friday @ 5:00PM to explore!
• Tours are free and all are welcome.
• 5 pm

Susan Woodson: Under the Trees - Third Friday Opening Reception at 5 Points Gallery

• 5 Points Gallery is proud to present Susan Woodson: Under the Trees, an exhibition that explores how light and color shape the sensory experience of being under a canopy. Layered greens, warm earth tones, and flashes of orange and red suggest sunlight, shadow, and the quiet wonder of time in nature. A companion series of vibrant bird paintings adds a playful counterpoint to the meditative abstractions.
• Meet the artist and experience this new body of work. Enjoy the varied creations of ten Triangle-based artists working in painting, sculpture, fused glass, mixed media, and finely crafted furniture. The exhibition runs from November 20 through January 10. Image: Susan Woodson, What Appears, acrylic painting, 40 x 30 inches
• Free
• 5 pm

Third Friday Art Opening - Super G screenprint show! at Ment Beverage Co.

• Third Friday Art opening with art from Super G print lab.
• 6 pm
• Free

Durham Arteries at Durham Transit Center

• Join in for the opening of Durham Arteries!
• The Department of Make/Believe presents Durham Arteries, a multimedia art exhibition that transforms the Durham Transit Center into a celebration of the city’s creative lifeblood — its people
• Durham Arteries will be on view until December 16 and is free and accessible to the public during station hours.
• This event is part of the Durham Cultural Roadmap, a city- and county-commissioned plan designed to guide future arts and cultural programming and investment to strengthen and preserve Durham’s vital creative community. The planning process is led by MJR Partners, with community engagement support from the Department of Make/Believe.
• 6 pm
• Free

Brush with Greatness: Escape from Reality at Golden Belt Arts

• Join painters Maureen Dunlap and Matt Tomko for a refreshingly unserious celebration of seriously good art. Both artists are known for their finely detailed realism — Maureen’s luminous still lifes and painterly portraits and Matt’s vibrant wildlife and natural landscapes — yet this show invites you to set reality aside for a while. Think of it as a creative escape: an evening where the world slows down, laughter flows, and art reminds us how much joy there is in simply looking. Go for the realism — stay for the fun, the conversation, and a little reminder that beauty and humor can share the same canvas.
• 6 pm
• Free

3rd Friday: Mix & Mingle at Zeitgeist Gallery & Bar

• It's 3rd Friday at Zeitgeist! They are open at 5pm, meet and greet is from 6-10pm & then open until midnight! Swing by, meet some artists, make some friends, taste their infused liquor cocktails!
• All, any & every artists and art lovers are invited. Check out our Instagram @zeitgeist_durham for any & all updates!
• 6 pm
• Free

Femme Friday: 3rd Friday Dance Parties! at The Velvet Hippo

• Every 3rd Friday, The Velvet Hippo hosts a dance party with beats by some of the Triangle's best woman and NB DJs! These baddies will bring the heat so you can dance the night away under a ceiling of glittering disco balls. Come see your favorites from around the area, and discover new artists to follow! No cover, drink specials all night, and 21+ with valid ID to enter as always.
• 9:30 pm
• Free

Multi-Day Events

Durham Bulls FestiBull of Lights at Durham Bulls Athletic Park

• FestiBull of Lights transforms the Durham Bulls Athletic Park into a dazzling winter wonderland! Stroll through thousands of twinkling lights synchronized to festive music, creating a magical holiday experience for all ages. Meet Santa, hop aboard the NC by Train Holiday Express, create seasonal crafts, roast s’mores, savor festive food and drinks, and enjoy even more holiday fun — all surrounded by a breathtaking display of lights! Meet Santa & Wool E. Claus!
• November 20- January 3
• Admission: $12

Durham Art Walk Holiday Market at Durham Arts Council

• Support local artists and help keep Durham’s creative spirit shining bright this holiday season! The Durham Art Walk Holiday Market returns, transforming downtown into a festive marketplace filled with fine art, handmade gifts, live music, and holiday cheer.
• The Durham Art Walk Holiday Market is a festive fine arts and crafts event that kicks off the holiday season in downtown Durham! The Holiday Market invites art lovers to experience a weekend featuring local artists, live music, and great shopping, at easily strollable venues in the Durham city center. The Holiday Market is the perfect transition from the harvest to the holidays! Free and family friendly!
• Sat, November 22 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
  Sun, November 23 1-5 p.m.

NC IDEA Ecosystem Summit at Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center

• Keynote, panel discussions and breakout sessions centered around entrepreneurship and the economy.
• November 16-18

Flavors of Hope: Vittles at Vittles at the Park

• Join in for Flavors of Hope—a 3-day community dining event where 10% of all proceeds mentioning VoH at Vittles at the Park will benefit Visions of Hope Outreach International, a Durham-based nonprofit dedicated to “helping to heal the hurting nations by giving hope” through global humanitarian missions. Dine with purpose, scan the VoH QR code to give, and savor delicious Southern cooking.
• November 18-20

Play: "Home" at NCCU University Theatre

• A black Southern farmer is thrown in jail for opposing the Vietnam draft and later moves up North only to experience further difficulties, before finally returning to the comforts of home and family.
• Th-Sa 8 p.m., Su 3 p.m.
  
• November 20-23
• Admission: $20

Water for Elephants - the North Carolina High School Premiere by Jordan High School Theatre at Jordan High School Theatre Auditorium

• Jordan High School Theatre is proud to announce its fall production of Water for Elephants. Adapted from Sara Gruen’s acclaimed novel and the celebrated Broadway musical, this marks the first-ever high school staging of Water for Elephants in the nation.
• Set against the backdrop of a traveling circus during the Great Depression, Water for Elephants tells a tale of love, resilience, and hope in the face of hardship. The story follows Jacob Jankowski, a young man who finds himself working among circus performers and animals, discovering both the beauty and the heartbreak of life under the big top.
• Jordan High School’s theatre program was selected for this honor following a meeting between the show’s writers, PigPen Theatre Company, and Jordan’s theatre director, Olivia Bellido, at the EdTA Awards. At the event, where Bellido was honored as the ASCAP Steven Schwartz Musical Theatre Teacher of the Year, the writers had the opportunity to view footage of her acclaimed productions. Impressed by her vision and the caliber of her students’ work, they enthusiastically agreed to collaborate on adapting their Broadway production for the high school stage.
• November 13-22
• Admission: $20+

Thanksgiving: History & Legacy Tours at Bennett Place

• The modern Thanksgiving holiday stems from a mid-19th century campaign by Sara Josepha Hale for the adoption of a national thanksgiving holiday. President Abraham Lincoln created the federal holiday in 1863 during the American Civil War.
• So how did our Thanksgiving narrative come to focus on a fantastical meal shared between colonists and American Indians? What messages did Americans hope to convey with the Thanksgiving holiday? What were some popular Thanksgiving foods of generations past?
• Most Saturdays in November, Bennett Place staff lead guided tours that explore the history & legacy of this Civil War era federal holiday. These tours include a living history component, preparing a 19th-century dish within the Bennett's kitchen.
• November 1-29
• Admission: $8 adults, $6 seniors, military/veterans, children

Guided Spirits Tasting Tour at Liberty & Plenty Distillery

• Join a brand ambassador from Liberty & Plenty Distillery for a guided tour of the production facility and Rickhouse in Downtown Durham to learn the basics of how spirits are made. Every tour includes a tasting of Liberty & Plenty Distillery's rums, vodkas, gins and whiskies.
• Every Friday at 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM and every Saturday at 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM
• Admission: $20

$1.50 Oysters at Alley Twenty Six

• Durham’s Alley Twenty Six is now offering $1.50 raw oyster special from 4-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays. A selection of oysters are sourced from North Carolina and often Canada, Virginia or elsewhere along the East Coast and served with cocktail sauce, Mignonette sauce and lemon. Bar seats are available first come, first serve or make a reservation at alleytwentysix.com.
• July 26-Sept 30

Pre-Theatre Menu at Alley Twenty Six

• Durham’s Alley Twenty Six offers a Pre-Theatre Menu from 4-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. The three-course menu includes appetizer, entree, and dessert. An example menu includes a mandatory green salad or chicken-fried cauliflower for the first course; farro risotto or steamed mussels for the second course; and for dessert, Mexican chocolate pot de crème or St. Angel Triple Crème Cheese. The menu and prices change based on season and ingredient availability.
• July 26-Sept 30

Studio Ghibli Film Series at Carolina Theatre

• For decades, Studio Ghibli has created breathtakingly beautiful movies that have captivated and inspired audiences for generations through masterful storytelling and stunning visuals. Experience the wonder of these groundbreaking, beloved animated films.
• July 30 -Dec 13

Monday, November 17

5 p.m.

Arts & Drafts at Beer Study Durham

6 p.m.

Disc Golf Putting League at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - RTP

6:30 p.m.

Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Co.

Crunk Club DRM presents: Crank Arm Durham RUN at Crank Arm Brewing Durham

7 p.m.

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show at The Carolina Theatre

Not Rocket Science Trivia at Fizzwerks

Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery

7:30 p.m.

The MOST Open Mic (Monday Moans) at West End Wine Bar

The Devines Intervention Comedy Open Mic at Devine's Restaurant and Bar

8 p.m.

The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center

Tuesday, November 18

5 p.m.

NCCU Women's Basketball v. College of Charleston at NCCU

Yaki Tuesday at Dashi

Free Wine Tasting at Wine Authorities

6 p.m.

Preservation Durham 2025 Awards and Preservation Party at ReCity Network

Pints & Pups Adoption Event at Ponysaurus Brewing Co.

The Glass Jog Run Club - Winter Series at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - RTP

Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works

Adult Coloring Night at Hi-Wire Brewing

Gentle Yoga Flow at ReCity Network

Music Bingo Night at Glass Jug Downtown

Glass Jog Run Club - Spring Series at The Glass Jug Beer Lab

Women on the Wall at Triangle Rock Club - Durham

BYOV w/ Jaffar (Bring Your Own Vinyl Night) at Rubies on Five Points

7 p.m.

Film Screening — The New Yorker at100 at Carolina Theatre

Karaoke Night at the bar @DBCo

Trivia at Beer Study Durham (back room)

Not Rocket Science Trivia at DSSOLVR Durham

Video Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery

7:30 p.m.

NCCU Men's Basketball v. Toccoa Falls at NCCU

A Drag Queen Christmas at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center

Caleb Klauder + Reeb Willms at The Pinhook

Wednesday, November 19

11 a.m.

Guided Tour of Pauli Murray's Childhood Home at Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice

11:30 a.m.

Live Music at Hub RTP Stage

12:15 p.m.

Midday Meander at Sarah P. Duke Gardens

1 p.m.

THE WHY - We Are Humans Discussion Group at Mutual Tower Lower Level Conference Center

3 p.m.

Durham Farmers’ Market at Pavilion at Durham Central Park

4 p.m.

Whiskey Wednesday at Alley Twenty Six

5 p.m.

Art & Craft supply swap at Ment Beverage Co.

Wine Wednesday! Free Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham

6 p.m.

Who Let The Dogs In? The Shared Human Canine Microbiome! at Durham County Main Library

Prompt & Pour: Writer’s Circle at Ment Beverage Co

Free RTP Business Rockstar Connect Networking Event at Sheraton Imperial Hotel

6:30 p.m.

Crank Arm DURHAM Wednesday Night Ride at Crank Arm Brewing Durham

Trivia Night at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - RTP

7 p.m.

Kaiju-Quest Film Series — Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack at Carolina Theatre

Collage Club at The Fruit

Hammered Trivia at Hi Wire brewing

Signature Wine Tasting at Zinc House Winery & Brewery

Trivia Night at Mystic Farm & Distillery

Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Co.

Music Bingo at the bar @DBCo

Brett Chambers Open Mic at The Blue Note Grill

Old School Bingo Night – Every Wednesday Night at DSSOLVR

Music Mashup Trivia at Fizzwerks

7:30 p.m.

A Magical Cirque Christmas at DPAC , Durham Performing Arts Center

English Country Dance at Reality Center

8 p.m.

Film Screening — Now It’s a Strange House at Rubenstein Arts Center, Film Theater

Blends With Friends (Open Decks) at The Pinhook

Sip & Sketch: Shibari Figure Drawing Edition at Zeitgeist Gallery & Bar

Air Hockey Tournament at Boxcar Arcade

Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery

Thursday, November 20

5 p.m.

Thirst4Architecture Happy Hour at Golden Belt Artists

5:30 p.m.

Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at Glass Jug Downtown

6 p.m.

Date Night DIY at Nailed It DIY Studio Durham

Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works

Dungeons n' Drafts at DSSOLVR Durham

6:30 p.m.

Unisong: Guided Song Circle at People's Solidarity Hub

Grief Ceremony hosted by Circle of Healing at People's Solidarity Hub (white building)

Decolonizing Yoga at Duke Park

Sapphic Happy Hour at Zeitgeist Gallery & Bar

Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham

7 p.m.

Comics Book Club Meeting at Ment Beverage Co.

Thursday Trivia at Baryo

Crank Arm Durham Presents: Level up and Sip at Crank Arm Brewing Durham

Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom

Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery

Eagles Nest Jam featuring NCCU Jazz at Missy Lanes

Hammered Trivia at Durty Bull Brewing

7:30 p.m.

Boz Scaggs at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center

Trivia Night w/Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square

8 p.m.

Music Trivia Bingo with Stormie Daie! at The Velvet Hippo

Queer-Eoke at Club ERA

Friday, November 21

Events at Club Era

• 7-10 p.m. - Pregame Fridays!
  
  
• 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. - Freaky Fridays

10 a.m.

Tasting at Counter Culture Coffee

12 p.m.

2025 DI Field Hockey Semifinals at Duke

Friday Co-Working Social at The Glass Jug Downtown

2:30 p.m.

2025 DI Field Hockey Semifinals at Duke

5 p.m.

A Festive Third Friday in the Visitor Info Center at Durham Visitor Info Center

Third Friday - Guided Museum Tours at 21c Museum Hotels Durham

Susan Woodson: Under the Trees - Third Friday Opening Reception at 5 Points Gallery

Downtown Durham Holiday Tree Lighting at CCB Plaza

6 p.m.

FSPW presents Full Force at The Fruit

Third Friday Art Opening - Super G screenprint show! at Ment Beverage Co.

Durham Arteries at Durham Transit Center

Brush with Greatness: Escape from Reality at Golden Belt Arts

Date Night-- make a ring together! at Liberty Arts Studio

3rd Friday: Mix & Mingle at Zeitgeist Gallery & Bar

The Duke Street Dogs at The Blue Note Grill

Friday Night Live Music on the Lawn at Bull McCabe's Irish Pub

7 p.m.

Duke Men's Basketball v. Niagara at Cameron Indoor Stadium

Swing Dance Class at Mystic Farm and Distillery

Live Vinyl Spinning by PhDJ Every 1st & 3rd Friday! at Beer Study Durham

7:30 p.m.

Max Roach at Baldwin Auditorium

8 p.m.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center

Dance Blues Friday at Studio 5

Pass the Aux at Boricua Soul

Phil Hanley: Spellbound Tour at The Carolina Theatre

8:30 p.m.

Ally J and Kevin Clark at Arcana

9 p.m.

Hush Hush Improv Comedy at Mettlesome Theatre

Well Seasoned - comedy at Mettlesome Theatre

Karaoke at Flying Bull Beer Company Taproom

9:30 p.m.

Femme Friday: 3rd Friday Dance Parties! at The Velvet Hippo

Bachata Fixation – FREE Class & Latin Dance Party! at Flying Bull Restaurant & Brewery

10 p.m.

The [Friday] Night Shift at The Velvet Hippo

Saturday, November 22

Guided Walking Tours with Triangle Adventures

• 2 p.m. - Historic Downtown Durham Walking Tour
• 4 p.m. - Durham African American History Tour
• 6 p.m. - Downtown Durham True Crime Tour

8 a.m.

Birding for Beginners at Sarah P. Duke Gardens

Durham Farmers’ Market at Pavilion at Durham Central Park

parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park

9 a.m.

South Durham Farmer's Market at Hub RTP

10 a.m.

Thrive :: Durhams Wellness Fair at The BodyGames Center

Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's

11 a.m.

NC Flag Football State Semifinal #1 at Durham County Memorial Stadium

Bull City Explorer Challenge at Across Durham

Pauli Murray Birthday Celebration at Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice

Drop-In Make Your Own Body Fragrance at Bright Black.

12 p.m.

NC Flag Football State Semifinal #2 at Durham County Memorial Stadium

North Durham Farmers' Market at Soul Sanctuary

Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works

Free Wine Tasting at Wine Authorities

1 p.m.

Nailed It DIY - Build It Event at Nailed It DIY Studio Durham

1:15 p.m.

NC Flag Football State Third Place at Durham County Memorial Stadium

2:30 p.m.

NC Flag Football State Championship at Durham County Memorial Stadium

3 p.m.

The Witching Hour Fall Concert by the Common Woman Chorus at Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

4 p.m.

Messiah Sing-Along at Trinity United Methodist Church

5 p.m.

Firepalooza at Glass Jug Beer Lab

6 p.m.

*Free* Music on Mangum @ Durham Beer Garden at Durham Beer Garden

7 p.m.

The Cajammers--Cajun, Zydeco, Swamp Pop at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen

8 p.m.

The Monti: No Escape at Carolina Theatre

Lindsey Stirling at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center

Moon Dog Comedy Night at Moon Dog Meadery

Durham Ghost Walk at Fate & Folklore

9 p.m.

JSTJR - 360 Show at The Fruit

9:30 p.m.

Saturday Night Dance Party at The Velvet Hippo

DEBÍ TIRAR MÁS FIESTAS | The Bad Bunny Party at Motorco Music Hall

10 p.m.

Drink, Drag, Dance, Repeat! at Club ERA

Sunday, November 23

10 a.m.

Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's

11 a.m.

Durham Underground Market at Durham Central Park

11:30 a.m.

Yoga @ The Winery at Zinc House Winery & Brewer

12 p.m.

Sunday Dollar Bin Sale for Charity at Rumors Durham

12:15 p.m.

Public Tour of Duke Chapel at Duke University Chapel

1 p.m.

2025 DI Field Hockey Championship at Duke

Savory Sunday - Bloody Marys with ALL the Fixins at Liberty & Plenty Distillery

2 p.m.

Hot Wax on Tap at Bright Black.

Hammered Trivia at Durty Bull Brewing Company

3 p.m.

Craft Club & Supply Swap at Glass Jug Downtown

4 p.m.

Duke Men's Basketball v. Howard at Cameron Indoor Stadium

8 p.m.

Beer Study Film Club: Featuring The Weird World Of Cult Cinema at Beer Study Durham

Running Art Exhibits

North Carolina Veteran Art Show at DAG Golden Belt Gallery, Mill No. 1 at Golden Belt Campus

• The Joel Fund and Heart2Hand Veteran artist Lt. Colonel (retired), Bernardine Donato, are excited to host the six-day art exhibit in partnership with Durham Art Guild.
• This art show will contain original pieces created by North Carolina Veterans of the United States Armed Forces. This family-friendly event will showcase art from North Carolina veterans of all backgrounds, art levels, and branches of service.
• An online gallery will also be on The Joel Fund’s Operation ART Online Gallery. DAG also has the opportunity to showcase Veteran artwork in an online gallery on the DAG website and during Third Friday Durham which is a monthly art walk and gallery crawl.
• Third Friday Durham Art Walk Reception in the evening on Friday, November 21st. Light refreshments will be provided.
• The hours to view the artwork are as follows:
• Wednesday-Saturday, Nov 18th – 22nd, 10 am – 7 pm
• Sunday, Nov 23rd, 12 pm – 6 pm
• The Closing Artist’s reception will be on Sunday, November 23rd. More details to come.
• There is free, paved parking on site with an accessible entrance.
• November 18-23
• Free

History Exhibit: Made in the Triangle: The Story of RTP at Museum of Durham History

• This exhibit explores Research Triangle Park’s evolution from its founding to future plans, highlighting key milestones, community perceptions, and global impact, delving into how RTP was built, how it was perceived by surrounding communities, its global influence, and its deep ties to Durham. As a global model for innovation ecosystems, it’s also a story of community impact and international replication.
• Explore the bold vision that gave birth to Research Triangle Park in the midst of North Carolina’s transformation from a struggling agricultural state to a hub of innovation.
• Discover how civic leaders, academics, and businesspeople came together to merge higher education and private enterprise in an unprecedented experiment in economic development.
• Trace how RTP matured, drawing global attention and becoming a magnet for corporations and innovators alike.
• See how today, RTP continues to evolve with the rise of urban tech, new headquarters, and smart growth.
• November 3-21
• Free

Miler Lagos: The Merx Tree at Rubenstein Arts Center Gallery

• This site-specific installation by Colombian artist and engineer Miler Lagos is made of cardboard boxes collected on Duke’s campus, stacked and carved to resemble the base of a Ceiba tree—an ancient and sacred symbol in Mesoamerican and Amazonian cultures. By reshaping discarded cardboard to its pre-processed arboreal form, Lagos confronts viewers with the hidden cost of commerce.
• With the title, Merx, Latin for “merchandise” and derived from the Roman god Mercury (patron of commerce and communication/divination), Lagos imbues his work with a multi-leveled significance. The reclaimed cardboard evokes global systems of trade and transformation. And the Cieba tree connects the shamanic practice of bridging realms by inserting tobacco leaves into its bark to Duke’s historical entanglement with tobacco as a commodity. In this context, The Merx Tree becomes both a reflection of the global impact of distribution, and a monument to the invisible, often spiritual, networks embedded within it.
• Sept 7- Nov 25
• Free

Art Exhibit — The Disobedient Ones at Frederic Jameson Gallery, Friedl Bldg

• Cornelio Campos and Rodrigo Dorfman, two consolidated visual Latino artists living in North Carolina, come together for their first collaborative exhibit. The exhibit will also feature a forum about art and mobility, guided tours, and a film screening as part of the 2025 North Carolina Latin American Film Festival.
• Campos and Dorfman will be exhibiting new paintings created at the intersection of emerging AI technologies and the ongoing challenges of bearing witness to the (im)migrant Latino experience in the Nuevo South. The Disobedient Ones/Los Desobedientes is an attempt to break the rules, challenge assumptions, and search for new definitions of our humanity in a world whose axis and paradigms appear to be disintegrating before our eyes.
• On view Weekdays 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Cornelio Campos is a self-trained painter and muralist from Mexico who has resided in Durham, North Carolina, since 1990. His paintings and murals reflect on his indigenous Purépecha roots and his immigrant experience in the United States. Campos has exhibited throughout North Carolina, Colombia, Italy, and Mexico, and his work is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum. He is the first Latino to receive a North Carolina Heritage Award.
• Opening: September 20, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  Film Screening: October 4, 6:00 PM
  Forum: October 11 and 12 (TBA)
  Guided Tour: November 7th (TBA)
  Closing Party: December 12. 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
• September 29- December 12

Art Exhibit — Sherman Fleming: Unsettled at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

• Known for his provocative performances, Sherman Fleming (b. 1953), is an influential multimedia artist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This focused survey gathers works spanning forty years of Fleming’s career, presenting paintings, drawings, ephemera, and documentation of his performances made between 1978–2019.
• Fleming’s works are demonstrations of perseverance, self-control, and conviction. The artist’s main medium is his body, which he uses in myriad ways. His endurance performances span hours and even months and include walking through Philadelphia for a day while carrying an eight-foot-tall wooden phallus along with spending a year wearing a noose—objects purposely chosen as material reminders of racial and sexual stereotypes of Black masculinity as well as the ongoing trauma of racialized terrorism in the United States.
• The unsettling nature of his work pushes the boundaries of discomfort as the imagery features both difficult subjects and unresolved compositions. Overall, Fleming’s complex practice is connected through his relentless processes that consistently expand the horizons of what art can be and how it may be experienced on paper, canvas, in a gallery, in a theatre, or even live on the street. Through his innovative explorations of identity, the artist’s messaging continues to resonate in profound ways, many years after its making.
• Tu-Sa 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Su 12-5 p.m.
  
• September 29- January 18

Art Exhibition — Human Landscapes, the Mystery of the Mark at NCCU Art Museum

• North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and the Eric Kelly Museum are proud to announce a major exhibition celebrating the extraordinary work of NCCU alumnus Dr. Eric A.W. Kelly III, founder of the Kelly Worldwide advertising and marketing Agency and Director of Eric Kelly III Museum, and one of the most transformative abstract expressive artists of our time. Running from October 23, 2025, through January 4, 2026, the exhibition, Human Landscapes: The Mystery of the mark, presents a groundbreaking fusion of color, sound, and emotional storytelling through more than 50 paintings spanning seven decades of artistic mastery. In this groundbreaking exhibit, Dr. Kelly will be showing some of his early masterpieces from his days at NCCU, leading up to his present style called neo-abstract expressive.
• Dr. Eric Kelly III’s visionary style—marked by bold black lines, synesthetic color experiences, and deeply expressive portraiture—has shaped a new visual language that bridges abstraction and identity. A 1982 graduate of NCCU’s Visual Communications program and the university’s first Art Scholarship recipient, Dr. Kelly returns to his alma mater to debut a multisensory journey that explores the human condition through dynamic compositions, vivid colors, original music scores, and shares his new movie documentary “Human Landscapes” during the exhibition.
• This event is free and open to the public. RSVP FOR ART TOURS 919-308-9090
• October 22- January 4

Coming into Focus: A Snapshot of Photography at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

• Recently the Nasher has added over 2,000 photographs to its collection, including works by the best-known practitioners from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, such as Edouard Baldus, Ilse Bing, Henri Cartier-Bresson, André Kertész, Arthur Rothstein, Nadar, and Edward Weston. Coming into Focus: A Snapshot of Photography at the Nasher celebrates these gifts and other acquisitions, highlighting a sampling of gems and
  illuminating a bright future of continued collecting and presenting of photography in innovative and ambitious ways.
• July 28- January 1
• Free

Art Exhibition — Labor&Materials and The Intuitionist at 21c Museum Hotel Durham

• 21c Durham is unveiling two new exhibitions with Labor & Materials and The Intuitionist. The exhibitions feature a thematic group exhibition of 67 multi-media artworks by 40 artists from across the globe exploring the evolution of industry and labor in the 21st century and a two-person exhibition of paintings by Atlanta-based artist Xavier Daniels and Toronto-based artist Natia Lemay.
  
• June 12- May 31
• Free