Things to Do in Durham this Week

Weekly Events in Durham

(Dec 9-15)

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

'Twas the Night Before... at DPAC

• 'Twas the Night Before... is Cirque du Soleil’s first holiday show, based on the classic poem “A Visit from Saint Nicolas” by Clement Clarke Moore. Memorable lines from this cherished classic inspired Cirque’s story about a jaded young girl who rediscovers the magic of the holidays.
• Mon, Dec 9 - Sun, Dec 15
• $52.50+

Gingerbread House Decorating & Ugly Christmas Sweater Event at Durham Beer Garden

• Join in for a festive evening of gingerbread house decorating and showing off your ugliest Christmas sweater! Get into the holiday spirit with friends and family as you sip on hot cocoa, listen to Christmas tunes, and create delicious gingerbread masterpieces. Don't forget to wear your tackiest sweater!
• Mon, Dec 9
• 5-8 p.m.
• $25

Holiday Market at The Durham Hotel

• The Durham Hotel's annual Holiday Market in partnership with Vert & Vogue returns. Gather to celebrate the season with festive drinks and shopping for gifts from local vendors.
• This year’s Holiday Market will raise awareness and funds for non-profit Y Learning from the Durham YMCA. Y Learning is a children’s academic support program from the Durham YMCA that provides certified teacher-led instruction and after-school and summer camp care at no cost to Durham families who need it most. Net proceeds from tickets will go directly to Y Learning.
• Wed, Dec 11
• 6-9 p.m.
• $10+

Holiday Drag Show at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham

• Join in for an unforgettable night of glitz, glamour, and good cheer at Glass Jug Downtown's Holiday Drag Show! This dazzling extravaganza promises to sleigh the competition, as fabulous drag queens and kings serve up a merry mix of holiday classics and over-the-top performances that'll leave you feeling jolly and bright!
• Fri, Dec 13
• 8-10 p.m.
• $10

Santa Rave at Motorco Music Hall

• Santa Rave is the ULTIMATE holiday rave/party experience all set during the most wonderful time of the year. Go dressed up in your favorite holiday gear or ugly sweaters as the DJs mix hours of all of your favorite holiday hits and classics with an electronic music twist... Santa Clause is comin' to rave.
• Fri, Dec 13
• 9 p.m.
• $18

Holiday Parade at Downtown Durham

• Cheer on dynamic floats, hometown bands, drill teams, schools, and community groups as they make their way down Main Street at the Durham Holiday Parade. The procession will conclude with a guest appearance from Santa.
• Sat, Dec 14
• 10 a.m.
• Free admission

Annual Holiday Party at Boxcar Bar + Arcade

• What a bright time, it's the right time, to rock the night away! It's our biggest holiday event of the year, the Annual Boxcar Holiday Party, and it's gonna be more lit than the🎄 Come through with your crew and get your North Pole party on after the parade! They'll be making things merry & bright all day & night!
• Sat, Dec 14
• 12 p.m.
• Free admission

Durham Craft Market Holiday Market at Durham Central Park

• An outdoor market featuring over 50 local artisans and makers! With members of the Durham Craft Market collective as well as selected guest artists.
• Sun, Dec 15
• 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Free admission

NCCU Jazz Faculty Holiday Concert w/Joey Calderazzo at Sharp 9 Gallery

• One of the finest pianists of his generation, having recorded thirteen albums as a leader, Joey Calderazzo has traveled the road from child prodigy to in-demand session musician to elite member of the finest ensembles in jazz. He's accompanied the music's geniuses, from Michael Brecker and Branford Marsalis to Jack DeJohnette and Dave Holland.
• Sun, Dec 15
• 9-11:30 p.m.
• $30+

Multi-Day Events

Holidays in the Park at Museum of Life + Science

• Enjoy a memorable stroll with your loved ones through some of the Museum of Life + Science outdoor and indoor spaces on evenings in December. Follow shimmering pathways and glowing trees through the garden, Farmyard, and Dinosaur Trail. Enjoy the tropical temperatures inside the Magic Wings Butterfly House or stop by Sprout Café for a night-time snack. Take an illuminating train ride on the Ellerbe Creek Railway, passing colorful light displays along the way!
• Select nights in Dec
• $20, $17 without train ride. Children 2 and under free.

Drive Thru Christmas at Christian Assembly Church

• Looking for a fun, safe, beautiful, and inspirational Christmas experience? Christian Assembly Church in Durham presents Drive-Thru Christmas. View and hear the Christmas story with your family and friends from your car. Five beautiful scenes are presented with live actors, sets, lights, costumes, music, and narration.
• Thu, Dec 12 - Sat, Dec 14
• Free admission

Durham Patchwork Holiday Market at Durham Armory

• The Patchwork Market is a market in Durham that features makers and vintage vendors. This market gives the community a chance to meet the makers who create the goods that you buy.
• There will be over 70 vendors at the market, so this will be a great chance to do your holiday shopping and support local artisans and businesses.
• Sat, Dec 14 - Sun, Dec 15
• 12-4 p.m.
• Free admission

Scrap Paper Shakespeare Presents: Arabella at Yours,

• This delightful new play by Claire F Martin adapts Charlotte Lennox's 1752 novel, The Female Quixote, into a fabulous, funny, and feminist tale of romance and adventure.
• Lady Arabella Kennington has spent her whole life in her father's Northumberland castle, reading novels and dreaming of her own adventures - when the chance to become a true heroine is presented to her, will she be able to write her way to a happy ending?
• Mon, Dec 9 - Sun, Dec 15
• $25; $15 students/seniors/artists

Holiday Model Train Show at Durham Main Library Auditorium

• Watch as ten model trains travel through the State Fair, Winter Town, Spooky Town and more!
• Fri, Dec 13 - Sat, Dec 28
• 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Free admission

A Special Festive Dinner Before the Show! at The Durham Hotel

• Celebrate the season with an elevated holiday-inspired menu featuring festive red-and-green touches throughout. This special three-course menu is perfect for enjoying in The Restaurant before heading to downtown Durham for holiday entertainment like ‘Twas the Night Before… by Cirque du Soleil at DPAC or winding down after The Nutcracker at The Carolina Theatre.
• Enjoy a welcoming space and a holiday-inspired menu to complement your evening plans.
• Available Fri - Mon, Dec 6-30, with kid-friendly options included.

Mangum Family Christmas Lights at 7510 Guess Rd

• A drive-in synchronized light show through the holidays until New Year's Eve. Get cozy in your car, tune in to 90.3 FM on your radio to hear the Christmas music, and sing along as you watch over 100,000 dancing lights.
• Mon, Dec 9 - Tue, Dec 31
• Free admission

Into The Snow Globe! A Winter Experience at The Velvet Hippo

• This winter, The Velvet Hippo is taking you Into The Snow Globe! Enjoy limited-time seasonal cocktails under the sparkling winter tree, dance the night away beneath a glittering ceiling of disco balls, or wrap up in a fleece blanket and sip spiked cider among snowy evergreens and cozy heaters on the roof deck.
• Mon, Dec 9 - Sun, Feb 2
• Free admission

Monday, Dec 9

2 p.m.

Board Game Night at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham

5 p.m.

Gingerbread House Decorating & Ugly Christmas Sweater Event at Durham Beer Garden

5:30 p.m.

Candle Making Class at JB Duke Hotel

6 p.m.

Queer Death Cafe at Arcana

Maker Mondays at DSSOLVR Durham

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

Q/T/POC Forward Sound School Day One at The Pinhook

6:30 p.m.

Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Company

7 p.m.

Monday Music Trivia With Meg at Durty Bull Brewing Company

Peter Mayer: 25th Stars & Promises at McMannen United Methodist Church

Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery

7:30 p.m.

Intervention Comedy Open Mic at Devine's Restaurant and Bar

Tuesday, Dec 10

4 p.m.

$1.50 Oysters at Alley Twenty Six

5 p.m.

Free Wine Tasting at Wine Authorities

6 p.m.

In Other Words at Arcana

DEER! Who, What, Where, When, Why? at Durham County Main Library

Adult Coloring Night at Hi-Wire Brewing

Gentle Yoga Flow at ReCity Network

Bring Your Own Vinyl with Jaffar at Rubies on Five Points

Music Bingo Night at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham

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

Women on the Wall at Triangle Rock Club

6:30 p.m.

Trivia at Durham Food Hall

7 p.m.

Trivia at Beer Study Durham

Duke Men's Basketball vs. Incarnate Word at Cameron Indoor Stadium

Not Rocket Science Trivia at DSSOLVR Durham

Video Game Day at Moon Dog Meadery

7:30 p.m.

BEERthoven at Atomic Clock Brewing Co.

North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra at Sharp 9 Gallery

8 p.m.

Jeremy 'Bean' Clemons Trio at Kingfisher

Wednesday, Dec 11

Events at The Durham Hotel

• 6-9 p.m. - Holiday Market
• 7:30 p.m. - Holiday Music on the Roof: Ally J

11 a.m.

NCCU Women's Basketball vs. Presbyterian at McDougald-McLendon Arena

4 p.m.

$1.50 Oysters at Alley Twenty Six

5 p.m.

Free Wednesday Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham

VIN: A Wine, Food and Music Experience at Missy Lane's Assembly Room

6 p.m.

Figure Drawing and Tarot with Emily at Arcana

Winter Wreath Paint N Sip at Guglhupf

7 p.m.

Hammered Trivia at Hi-Wire Brewing

Karaoke Night at Mavericks Smokehouse

Trivia Night at Mystic Farm & Distillery

Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Company

Brett Chambers Open Mic at The Blue Note Grill

Signature Wine Tasting at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery

7:30 p.m.

Wednesday Night Jam w/ Al Strong at Congress Social Bar

8 p.m.

Trivia Night at Bull McCabe's

Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery

Thursday, Dec 12

12 p.m.

Highland Brewing Cold Mountain Winter Ale Tap Night at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP

4 p.m.

$1.50 Oysters at Alley Twenty Six

5 p.m.

Durham Night Market at American Tobacco Campus

Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi

5:30 p.m.

IGNITE Speaker Series: Katie Rudy of Alchemy Experiences on Building Brand Loyalty at Jewish for Good

Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham

6 p.m.

Dyke The Halls and Tarot with Rene at Arcana

Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works

Spicy Night: Romance, Flavor, & Friends! at Ment Beverage Co.

Date Night DIY at Nailed It DIY Studio Durham

6:30 p.m.

Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club

7 p.m.

Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom

Bring Your Own Vinyl Night at Congress Social Bar

Jazz Nights at Corpse Reviver Bar & Lounge

Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery

The High-Risk Science That Helped Win World War II at Motorco Music Hall

7:30 p.m.

Trivia Night with Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewcade + Kitchen

Joe Troop in Residency: Larry & Joe at The Fruit

8 p.m.

Queer-Eoke at Club Era

Queer Country Night w/ Line Dancing + Country Karaoke at The Pinhook

9:30 p.m.

Karaoke Night at The Tavern

Friday, Dec 13

Events at Club Era

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

Events at Mettlesome

• 8-9 p.m. - Well Seasoned
• 9-10 p.m. - Hush Hush

10 a.m.

Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee

Durham Community Day at Museum of Life and Science

4 p.m.

$1.50 Oysters at Alley Twenty Six

5:30 p.m.

Friday Night Live: Dub Lorenzo at Boxyard RTP

Christmas by Candlelight at Duke Homestead State Historic Site

Winter Night Market Series by MAKRS at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery

6 p.m.

Tarot with Kathleen at Arcana

The Duke Street Dogs at The Blue Note Grill

7 p.m.

Freedom Friday w/ DJ Mayor at Congress Social Bar

7:30 p.m.

Dave Frank: Ballads and Burners at Sharp 9 Gallery

8 p.m.

Stereo Reveries at DSSOLVR Durham

Open Mic Stand-up Comedy at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company

Fedoras & Thigh Highs Featuring Just Fine: Mary J. Blige Tribute Band at Missy Lane's Assembly Room

Holiday Drag Show at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham

9 p.m.

Karaoke at Flying Bull Beer Company

Santa Rave at Motorco Music Hall

Planet Rave: Xmas Edition at The Fruit

Saturday, Dec 14

Distillery Tours and Tastings at Liberty & Plenty

• Every Saturday, 10-10:30 a.m. and 11-11:30 a.m.

Events at The Pinhook

• 6:30 p.m. - Bats / C. Albert Blomquist Band
• 10:30 p.m. - The Shake Something Dance Party

Guided Walking Tours with Triangle Adventures

• 2 p.m. - 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.

Durham Farmers' Market at Durham Central Park

South Durham Farmers' Market at Hub RTP

Little Leapers Playtime at Sky Zone Trampoline Park

10 a.m.

Holiday Parade at Downtown Durham

Durham Grown: the Durham County Library Garden Club at Durham County Main Library

Historic Buildings Open House at West Point on the Eno Park

11 a.m.

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

Santa on the Roof at The Durham Hotel

11:30 a.m.

Saturdaze — DJ Shahzad at Boxyard RTP

Santa’s Jolly Brunch at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

12 p.m.

Annual Holiday Party at Boxcar Bar + Arcade

Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works

Free Wine Tasting at Wine Authorities

1 p.m.

Kokedama Workshop at Dormant Plant Parlor

2 p.m.

Handcrafted DURM Annual Holiday Market at Durty Bull Brewing Company

4 p.m.

Vocal Arts Ensemble of Durham Annual Holiday Concert – “O Holy Night” at Trinity United Methodist Church

6 p.m.

Patrick McGrew and Tarot with Virginia at Arcana

Yolanda Rabun - Songs of Holiday Cheer at Missy Lane's Assembly Room

Oddville at The Fruit

7 p.m.

Giant Robot Fight Club at Common Market

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

7:30 p.m.

Full Moon Fever Bike Ride at Mellow Mushroom (in front)

8 p.m.

Golden Age at Mettlesome

Yolanda Rabun - Songs of Holiday Cheer at Missy Lane's Assembly Room

Serotonin Saturday Dance Party at Redhead Hemp

10 p.m.

Drink, Drag, Dance, Repeat at Club Era

Sunday, Dec 15

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Company

• 12-2:30 p.m. - NC Air Hockey Players Air Hockey Tournament
• 2-4 p.m. - Hammered Trivia with Casey

Events at Moon Dog Meadery

• 12:30-6 p.m. - TTRPG Open Table Day
• 6:30-9 p.m. - Open Mic Night

10 a.m.

Durham Craft Market Holiday Market at Durham Central Park

Fleet Feet Ninth Street bRUNch Club at Fleet Feet Ninth Street

Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's

Northgate Park Holiday Market at Northgate Park Large Picnic Shelter

Woodlake Handmade Holiday 2024 at Woodlake Clubhouse near Southpoint

11 a.m.

Bull City Flea Vintage Market at Brightleaf Square

11:30 a.m.

Yoga at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery

12 p.m.

Oyster Roast with Oysters Carolina and Founder, Ryan Bethea at Krill

Sunday Dollar Bin Sale for Charity at Rumors Durham

12:15 p.m.

Public Tour at Duke Chapel

1 p.m.

Pet Photos with Santa Paws! at Ment Beverage Co.

2 p.m.

Sunday Crafts with Santa at JB Duke Hotel

Boba Tea: 101 at Nailed It DIY Studio Durham

2:40 p.m.

Russell Lacy Music Showcase at The Pinhook

3 p.m.

Orchestrating Change: A Concert for Climate Action at Baldwin Auditorium

Holiday Movie Night at Corpse Reviver Bar & Lounge

Christmas Cookie Decorating Class at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downton Durham

4:30 p.m.

Sunday Supper: Holiday Feast at The Durham Hotel

5 p.m.

Eric Hirsh Trio Performs Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas at Missy Lane's Assembly Room

6 p.m.

9 Year Anniversary! and Tarot with Joy at Arcana

7:30 p.m.

Eric Hirsh Trio Performs Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas at Missy Lane's Assembly Room

9 p.m.

NCCU Jazz Faculty Holiday Concert w/Joey Calderazzo at Sharp 9 Gallery

Running Art Exhibits

Art Exhibit — Art of the Andes at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

• Art of the Andes features ceramics, textiles, metalwork, and carvings produced by cultures across the Andes region, a 4,500-mile-long mountain range on the Pacific Coast of South America.
• These objects, many on view for the first time, reveal the diverse and sophisticated artmaking techniques through which ancient Andeans expressed ancestral beliefs and personal and political identities.
• Wed, July 24 - Wed, Dec 11
• Tue-Sat, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sun, 12-5 p.m.
• Free admission

Art Exhibit — Inscrutable Objects at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

• This installation brings together sculptures, drawings and photographs that might be hard for most of us to comprehend. They challenge convention and encourage close viewing.
• Reminiscent of an ancient and official text, Ion Bitzan’s Old Document of Ownership is comprised of a vaguely recognizable but invented and indecipherable language.
• Wed, July 24 - Wed, Dec 11
• Tue-Sat, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sun, 12-5 p.m.
• Free admission

King Nobuyoshi Godwin: World Beyond Words at 5 Points Gallery

• King Nobuyoshi Godwin’s art is a vibrant expression of his neurodiversity, shaped by the unique gifts of autism and synesthesia. His combined sensory experiences manifest in the scattered numbers that fill his paintings, intricately woven into the imagery, allowing him to convey emotions and ideas beyond verbal expression. For King, art is a space of renewal, where creation transcends language, offering a glimpse into his world beyond words.
• Sat, Nov 23 - Sat, Dec 21
• Thu and Fri, 5-9 p.m. and Sat, 1-9 p.m.
• Free admission

Art Exhibition – Freedom: Forward March at Ella West Gallery

• Wed - Sat, 12-5 p.m. and by appointment
• Free admission

"Picking up the Pieces" by Barbara Lee Smith at Horse & Buggy Press and Friends

• "Picking up the Pieces" features 18 fiber-based works that focus on nature, the strength and fragility of land and sea, and the cycle of decay and growth.
• These pieces are created from a treasure trove of remnants saved over several decades of making work. The focus is patching, mending, remembering, constructing . . . working with the vestiges of experience.
• Ten percent of sales will be donated to the NC Arts Disaster Relief Fund which is administering assistance to artists and art organizations impacted by Helene.
• Fri, Nov 1 - Mon, Dec 23
• Free admission

Art Exhibit — Second Nature: Photography in the Age of the Anthropocene at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

• Just over twenty years ago, scientists introduced a term to denote a new geological epoch in which human activity has had a marked impact on the global climate: the Anthropocene.
• Since that time, the concept of the Anthropocene has been exposed to a wider public audience through expanding environmental studies and scholarship, increasing coverage in the popular press, widespread and fervent activism, and a variety of artistic responses.
• Thu, Aug 29 - Sun, Jan 5
• Tue-Sat, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun, 12-5 p.m.
• Free admission

Art Exhibition — Beverly McIver: Painters I Love at Craven Allen Gallery

• Featuring works by: Michael Dixon, Richard Garrison, Clarence Heyward, Pedro Lasch, William Paul Thomas and Lamar Whidbee.
• Mon - Fri, 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sat, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Free admission

Art Exhibit — Maya Freelon: Whippersnappers at Historic Stagville

• Maya Freelon: Whippersnappers will premiere large-scale sculptures, archival photographs, paintings, and collages that transform the former plantation. Whippersnappers, Freelon’s first large-scale installation featuring portraiture, was born from her research of enslaved children highlighted in the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog.
• Sat, Nov 16 - Sat, Jan 25
• Wed and Sat, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and by appointment
• For viewings by appointment, contact stagville@dncr.nc.gov
• Free admission

Art Exhibition: “Visible Spectrum: Portraits from the World of Autism” at Center for Documentary Studies

• Mary Berridge’s award-winning series of photographs is paired with narratives written primarily by the subjects or their parents. The exhibition, “Visible Spectrum: Portraits from the World of Autism,” offers an intimate view of life with autism, as told from within an autism community, which includes Berridge and her son. It encourages an alternate way of seeing the condition, in which the diverse and unconventional perspectives of the autistic are valued.
• Sat, Nov 16 - Fri, Feb 28
• Mon through Fri, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., excluding holidays
• Free admission

Art Exhibit — By Dawn’s Early Light at Nasher Museum of Art

• The years 2024 and 2025 mark the sixtieth anniversaries of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The two Acts transformed life in the United States for many marginalized individuals, including people of color, women, people with disabilities, elders, and others who had not had equal rights in the nation’s history. This legislation was the culmination of nearly a century of work by activists and advocates.
• Fri, Nov 8 - Sun, May 11
• Tue - Sat, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sun, 12-5 p.m.
• Free admission