Things to Do in Durham this Week

Weekly Events in Durham

(June 8 - June 14)

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

Murder Mystery @ Aloft Durham (WXYZ Lounge) at WXYZ Lounge at Aloft Durham

• Join us for Murder Mystery Night at WXYZ Lounge!
• Dust off your feather boas and sharpen your detective skills as you step into the 1920s. Join a dazzling night of glamour, suspense, and a murder most foul as the WXYZ Lounge is transformed into the most talked-about soirée of the decade. Someone at the party has a secret... can you uncover the truth? Or are you the culprit in disguise?
• When: Plan to arrive by 6:30pm. You wouldn’t want to miss anything exciting…
• Parking: Free! See the front desk for a parking pass.
• Who: 21+ only — this party is strictly for the sophisticated set
• Duration: A thrilling 2–3 hours of mystery and mayhem
• Tickets: Required to play (spectators allowed) — but day-of tickets are welcome, darling
• A specially curated cocktail menu inspired by the Prohibition era — a handcrafted menu designed exclusively for this night
• Awards & recognition for the evening's standout guests.
• Dress Code: Flapper Style
• Admission: 20
• Tuesday, June 9

Official World Cup Watch Party: USA vs. Paraguay at Lawn at American Tobacco Campus

• Soccer.com and adidas are hosting an official World Cup Watch Party on the American Tobacco Campus Lawn as the USA takes on Paraguay. The event is free and open to the public, with exclusive giveaways, custom event gear, interactive fan experiences, and high‑energy matchday celebrations. Fans are encouraged to show up in denim and show out for the USA.
• Friday, June 12
• 8 pm
• Free

Bee Day Celebration at Durham Central Park

• Celebrate Pollinator Week and learn all about bees and other pollinators and why they are important. This will “bee” a free, family friendly event!
• See real bees in a demonstration hive
• Taste honey
• Meet beekepeers
• Make a bee costume or bring your own and join a Bee Parade (10:30)
• Plant pollinator seeds to take home
• Take home a free pollinator-friendly plant
• Visit a pollinator garden
• Saturday, June 13
• 9 am
• Free

Concerts on the Creek: Lamont Landers at Hub RTP Stage

• Make the most of the in-between by joining Hub RTP for its monthly mid-day performance at the Hub stage.
• This month, Concerts on the Creek features Lamont Landers. His voice carries the weight of lived experience, shaped by the quiet resilience of a small-town journey, soaring effortlessly through soul, rock 'n' roll and R&B.
• This event is free to attend and open to all. Free parking is located in the deck across the street at 3150 Elion Drive. When you arrive, walk through the outdoor breezeway to the courtyard and you will see the stage. House music begins at 2:30, with the performance starting at 3 p.m. There will be a brief intermission from 4-4:30 p.m. before the final set plays from 4:30-5:30 p.m.
• Saturday, June 13

Pride Fest at The Pickleback

• Join an all-day Pride celebration centered around community, local businesses, music, good vibes, and connection
• From 2 PM – 5 PM, shop from amazing local vendors and support small and community-owned businesses
• Then from 5 PM – 8 PM, DJs will be throwing down with music, dancing, and Pride energy all evening long
• This event is for everyone - bring your friends, your partner, your gay bestie, your allies, and anyone looking to celebrate Pride surrounded by good people and community
• Sunday, June 14

Authors & Artists Expo at Durham Central Park

• Spoken word, free books, make & take corner, live art painting, and 20 local vendors.
• Sunday, June 14
• 2 pm
• Free

Multi-Day Events

Carolina Blaze vs. Portland Cascade (Professional Softball) at Smith Family Stadium

• The Blaze are one of six teams in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) – a professional softball league in the United States. Players include former Duke stars Ana Gold and Jala Wright.
• June 9-11
• Admission: $20

Carolina Blaze vs. Texas Volts (Professional Softball) at Smith Family Stadium

• The Blaze are one of six teams in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) – a professional softball league in the United States. Players include former Duke stars Ana Gold and Jala Wright.
• June 13-15
• Admission: $20

Cosmic Baseball Takeover Tour at Durham Bulls Athletic Park

• Individual tickets sold out.
• June 12-13

Ebbs & Flows presented by Violet Ballet at Barriskill Dance Theatre

• Join Violet Ballet for Ebbs & Flows, a mixed repertory dance performance that explores the highs and lows of the human experience.
• Saturday, June 13 at 7:30pm
• Sunday, June 14 at 2pm
• Admisson: $15

Emancipation Tours at Historic Stagville

• A special guided tour exploring the history of emancipation and the first year of freedom at Stagville.
• Each June, Historic Stagville offers special tours focused on Emancipation as part of the site’s commemoration of Juneteenth. This guided tour will highlight how enslaved people claimed their freedom at Stagville in 1865. The tour explores the detailed history of Emancipation on one of North Carolina’s largest plantations. Hear stories of how formerly enslaved families celebrated, defended themselves, and searched for family, while the plantation owners strategized to hold on to their power and wealth. Stories of love, loss, labor, and family illuminate the complex history of freedom in the 1860s.
• The Emancipation tour lasts about 75 minutes, with outdoor and indoor stops. The tour includes walking outdoors on uneven surfaces, stops inside historic buildings, and one 3/4 mile drive in your own vehicle.
• Advanced registration is recommended for these tours, as space is limited.
• Every Wednesday in June
• 10 am
• Admission: $10

American Dance Festival Performance Season at Various Locations

• The season will feature 49 performances by 26 acclaimed dance companies and choreographers, 9 world premieres, 12 ADF commissions, and 13 company/choreographer debuts. ADF celebrates the breadth of modern dance and the extraordinary artists who are pushing boundaries bringing audiences together to experience art in community with others.
  
• Make the most of your trip with our Guide to the American Dance Festival.
• May 27-July 25

HAMILTON at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center

• HAMILTON is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.
• May 20-June 14
• Tues-Sat 7:30 p.m., Sun 7 p.m.
• Thu & Sun 1 p.m., Sat 1:30 p.m.

Hamilton Drink Specials at Glass Jug Downtown

• Celebrate the historic musical only at DPAC now through June 14th with some specials you're sure to love. Don't throw away your shot - take it like a champ with a 20 oz pour during our Hamilton Drink Specials Event! Or sip on Satisfied Sangria to tempt your inner Maria Reynolds. Either way they'll leave you humming a tune.
• May 31- June 14

Phone Free Fun at Glass Jug Downtown

• Want to escape the screens? Need desperately to put your phone down but find it too challenging? Take this opportunity to bond with your friends while everyone sets their cell aside - to hang out old school, just like in the 90's. Happening all day every Sunday starting on May 3rd, you just leave your phone with the bartender who will securely keep them safe. Each beverage you purchase, you get a raffle ticket, which enters you into a raffle drawing done on the last Sunday of every month. So by unplugging, you can win in more than one way - come give it a try!
• Every Sunday from May 3 through July 26

Drafts of the Bull: Craft Beer and Food Tour at Entrance of Brightleaf Square

• Discover the heart of Durham’s craft beer culture with an immersive brewery tour that blends rich flavor and local history. Whether you’re a seasoned beer lover or simply curious, this tour offers an authentic taste of the city—full of character, craftsmanship, and that unmistakable Durham charm. Cheers to an unforgettable experience!
• Your tour begins at Clouds Brewing, where they’ve been brewing since 2014 focusing on German-inspired, American-made bold brews and pub fare. From there, you’ll head to Crank Arm Brewing, a place that’s been focused on bikes and beer since 2013. The next stop is Flying Bull Beer Company who is focused on building community here in Durham through warm hospitality, great food and even better beer. The last stop is Atomic Clock Brewing Company known for innovative brews and a focus on perfection.
• By the end of this tour, you’ll have experienced not just Durham’s best brews, but also the passion and creativity that make this city have such an amazing brewery scene. Bring a friend, meet some new ones, and enjoy this wonderful city with us.
• Every Saturday and Sunday
• 1 pm
• Admission: $75

Discovering West Point: Historic Walking Tour at West Point on the Eno

• Have you ever wondered about the lives of the people who were here before you? At West Point on the Eno, explore the complex histories of our own backyard. West Point on the Eno is not your typical historical site. It's not a battleground for major wars, nor the birthplace of presidents. Instead, it's a vivid tapestry of everyday yet extraordinary lives from Durham's past. Here, the routine of mill workers, the creativity of people like photographer Hugh Mangum, and the stories within the historic house are discovered and shared. These are tales of ordinary people whose lives, like yours, are extraordinary in their own right. Discover a different kind of history at West Point on the Eno, where the extraordinary is found in the ordinary. Take a guided walking tour of West Point on the Eno's historic park.
• Tours leave on the hour at 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm. Registration is required. Dogs are allowed on hikes but are not permitted inside historic buildings unless a registered service animal.
• Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through May 31
• Free

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

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 chilled crab rangoon dip for the first course; ricotta gnocchi or shrimp roll for the second course; and for dessert, Mexican chocolate pot de crème or St. Angel Triple Crème Cheese. Price: $40. The menu and prices change based on season and ingredient availability.
• Through June 30th

$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.
• Through June 30th

Durham Beer Garden Monday Specials .75c Chicken Wings & 32 oz Kona Big Wave Mugs at Durham Beer Garden

Monday, June 8

5 p.m.

Arts & Drafts at Beer Study Durham

6 p.m.

Silent Reading Club at The Glass Jug Downtown

6:30 p.m.

BIPOC Meditation at People's Solidarity Hub

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

Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Co.

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

7 p.m.

ADF Presents: Bodytraffic Unplugged at Reynolds Industries Theater at Duke

Trivia at W XYZ bar at Aloft Hotel

Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery

7:30 p.m.

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

Tuesday, June 9

5 p.m.

Free Wine Tasting at Wine Authorities

6 p.m.

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

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

6:30 p.m.

Murder Mystery @ Aloft Durham (WXYZ Lounge) at WXYZ Lounge at Aloft Durham

Pony Ride with Ponysaurus Brewing Co. at The Bull in CCB Plaza

Beginners Line Dancing Class at Mystic Farm & Distiller

7 p.m.

Ernest Turner Trio at Sharp Nine Gallery

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

8 p.m.

Tim Kasher at Stanczyks

Wednesday, June 10

10 a.m.

Emancipation Tours at Historic Stagville

3 p.m.

Durham Farmers’ Market at Pavilion at Durham Central Park

4 p.m.

Distortion 420 Happy Hour at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - RTP

5 p.m.

“Be Our Guest” Bartender Series at JB Duke Hotel

Wine Wednesday! Free Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham

6:30 p.m.

Mahjong Night at The Glass Jug Downtown

Samuel Louis Smith Wine Dinner at Nanas at Rockwood

Crank Arm DURHAM Wednesday Night Ride at Crank Arm Brewing Durham

Trivia Night at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - RTP

7 p.m.

Arts on East: Brandon Woody’s UPENDO at Duke University East Campus

Trivia Night with Neon Fox at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - RTP

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

8 p.m.

Vundabar: ‘Gawk’ 10 Year Anniversary Tour at Motorco Music Hall

The Sonder Bombs at The Pinhook

Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery

Thursday, June 11

2 p.m.

Pints at The Glass Jug Downtown

5:30 p.m.

Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at Crank Arm Brewing Company

6 p.m.

Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works

6:30 p.m.

AfterHours: Science Distilled at Museum of Life and Science

Latinos & Latinas Run Club at Glass Jug Downtown

Line Dance Class & Open Dance Night at Mystic Farm & Distillery

Pony Run at Ponysaurus Brewing Co.

Sapphic Happy Hour at Zeitgeist Gallery & Bar

7 p.m.

Thursday Trivia at Crank Arm Durham

Thursday Trivia at Baryo

Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom

Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery

Hammered Trivia at Durty Bull Brewing

7:30 p.m.

Mettlesome Improv Cagematch Tournament at Mettlesome Comedy Theater

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

Underground Latin Social at Weldon Mills

8:30 p.m.

Free Improv Jam at Mettlesome Comedy Theater

9 p.m.

Karaoke Night at The Tavern

Friday, June 12

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

3 p.m.

North Durham Friday Evening Farmers' Market at Soul Sanctuary

4 p.m.

Lemonade Stand Night at Ment Beverage Co.

Bull City Cocktails Tour at Durham Distillery

5 p.m.

Food Truck Friday at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - RTP

6 p.m.

Skeleton Crew Live Music at The Glass Jug Beer Lab

Live Music @ATC Tower: Justin Edwards & Luke Shamblin at ATC Tower

The Duke Street Dogs at The Blue Note Grill

7 p.m.

Curfew Club: A Dance Party for Babes with a Bedtime at Motorco Music Hall

Secret Society Improv Show at Mettlesome Comedy Theater

7:30 p.m.

Carter Minor Blues Band at The Blue Note Grill

8 p.m.

Extreme Dwarfanators Wrestling at Tobacco Wood Brewing Company

Official World Cup Watch Party: USA vs. Paraguay at Lawn at American Tobacco Campus

Harold Night: Improv Comedy at Mettlesome Comedy Theater

Open Mic Comedy Night at Durty Bull Brewing Company

9 p.m.

All Your Friends at Stanczyks

Well Seasoned - comedy at Mettlesome Theatre

Karaoke at Flying Bull Beer Company Taproom

10 p.m.

West 94th St Pub Karaoke Night at West 94th St Pub

Saturday, June 13

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.

parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park

9 a.m.

Bee Day Celebration at Durham Central Park

L'Arche NC Run, Walk, and Roll at Miracle League Field

Durham Farmers’ Market at Pavilion at Durham Central Park

10 a.m.

Self-Guided Tours of Pauli Murray's Childhood Home at Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice

Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's

Walk-In Saturday at Welcome Tattoo

11 a.m.

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

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

12 p.m.

Tiki Fest at Atomic Clock Brewing

Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works

Free Wine Tasting at Wine Authorities

1 p.m.

Chaos In Comedy (workshop) at Mettlesome Theater

Drafts of the Bull: Craft Beer and Food Tour at Entrance of Brightleaf Square

1:45 p.m.

Downtown Durham Food Tour with Taste Carolina at Visitor Info Center

3 p.m.

Concerts on the Creek: Lamont Landers at Hub RTP Stage

4 p.m.

SINGamajig at Mettlesome Comedy Theater

Chocolate & Bourbon Pairing Class at Mystic Farm & Distillery

Bull City Cocktails Tour at Durham Distillery

5 p.m.

The Racket - Indie Comedy ft. Crooks and Muggers at Mettlesome Comedy Theater

6 p.m.

Beer Garden Concert Series at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - RTP

Poets' Playground: Summer Social at Boxyard RTP

Bull City Press at Mettlesome Comedy Theater

Blue Cactus — Summer Concerts in the Park at Duke Park

7 p.m.

Carolina Flyers v. Houston Havoc at Durham County Memorial Stadium

Golden Age: Improv Comedy at Mettlesome Comedy Theater

Boy Named Sue at Stanczyks

7:30 p.m.

Sunset Float at Falls Lake

Crush at The Blue Note Grill

8 p.m.

Show & Tell ft. Candy at Mettlesome Comedy Theater

Dead Calm at Motorco Music Hall

Durham Ghost Walk at Fate & Folklore

9 p.m.

The Lottery: An Improv Jam at Mettlesome Comedy Theater

9:30 p.m.

Saturday Night DJ Dance Party! at The Velvet Hippo

10 p.m.

Drink, Drag, Dance, Repeat! at Club ERA

Sunday, June 14

10 a.m.

Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's

11:30 a.m.

Yoga @ The Winery at Zinc House Winery & Brewery

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

12:30 p.m.

Open Table TTRPG at Moon Dog Meadery

1 p.m.

Drafts of the Bull: Craft Beer and Food Tour at Entrance of Brightleaf Square

2 p.m.

Pride Fest at The Pickleback

MiniBeaded Flower Bouquet Workshop at Redhead Hemp Durham

Authors & Artists Expo at Durham Central Park

Crank Arm Durham Sunday Dog Walk at Crank Arm Durham

Hot Wax on Tap, Drop-In Candle Making at Bright Black.

Hammered Trivia at Durty Bull Brewing Company

3 p.m.

Cocktail Classes at Durham Distillery

Craft Club & Supply Swap at Glass Jug Downtown

4 p.m.

Sunday DRIFT Rooftop DJ Series at The Velvet Hippo

6:30 p.m.

Open Mic at Moon Dog Meadery

7 p.m.

Wintermute at Stanczyks

8 p.m.

PawPaw Rod at Motorco Music Hall

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

9 p.m.

Sunday Scaries Karaoke w/ Sky at Rubies on Five Points

Running Art Exhibits

We Built This: Profiles of Black Architects and Builders in North Carolina at Research Triangle Park

• Many of North Carolina’s most treasured buildings were designed and built by Black craftsmen, builders and architects, yet their stories have often gone untold.
• We Built This, a traveling exhibition by Preservation North Carolina brings these stories to light. Through a series of profiles, the exhibit highlights the skill, innovation and lasting impact of African American builders who helped shape the state’s historic landscape across generations.
• Spanning more than three centuries, the exhibition connects past and present, from slavery and Reconstruction to the growth of Black institutions, businesses and civic life, offering a fuller understanding of the places we inhabit today.
• April 7-June 12
• Weekdays, 9am-5pm
• Free

Kerry Burch: 5 Points Gallery Featured Artist at 5 Points Gallery

• 5 Points Gallery is pleased to present a nature-inspired exhibition of abstract paintings by Kerry Burch. Drawing from nature’s shapes, contours, and earthy tones, her work combines bold color and layered texture to evoke shifting pathways and quiet moments found in the landscape.
• Join the Third Friday Opening Reception on May 15 from 6-9pm to meet the artist and experience this new body of work. Enjoy the varied creations of our ten Triangle-based artists working in painting, sculpture, fused glass, mixed media, and finely crafted furniture. The exhibition runs from May 14 through June 13. Image: Kerry Burch, The Forest Floor, Acrylic and Pastel, 30 x 20 inches
• Visit 5 Points Gallery in person or online. All work from the exhibition is available for shipping or pickup. Gallery hours: Thursdays and Fridays 5–9pm, Saturdays 1–9pm. Artists are available to talk about their work.
• May 14-June 13
• Free

Art Exhibit — Dis/orient: Contemporary Art of the Asian Diaspora at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

• A focused exhibition that examines how artists of Asian descent confront long-standing stereotypes embedded in the word “Orient.” Rooted in Western imperialism, the term historically enforced a sense of distance and “otherness” that continues to shape cultural perceptions today. Dis/orient brings together artists who use humor, memory, tradition, and personal narrative to challenge this legacy and illuminate the richness and multiplicity of the Asian diaspora.
• “Dis/orient invites viewers to look beyond the flattened idea of a single ‘Orient’ and instead appreciate the complexity, humor, and emotional depth that define contemporary Asian diasporic art,” said Julianne Miao, curatorial associate at the Nasher Museum. “Each artist brings a distinct perspective, reminding us that identity is never monolithic. It is lived, questioned, and continually reshaped.”
• Tu-Sa 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Su 12-5 p.m.
  
• January 4- July 19

History Exhibit: To Love and Live Free at Museum of Durham History

• This exhibit commemorates the 40th anniversary of the “Out Today, Out To Stay” Pride march and the failed attempt to recall Mayor Wib Gulley in 1986 for his support of LGBTQ+ rights. It tells how Durham found itself at a crossroads between tolerance and bigotry, showing how today’s inclusive Durham emerged through organizing, protest, and moral courage from citizens, faith leaders, business owners, and activists who united for equal rights—and won.
• June 8- October 11
• Free