Take advantage of the cooler weather with pumpkin patches, fall food, festivals and more events for the whole family this weekend!
Compiled by Megan Tillotson
2021 North Carolina Latin American Film Festival – Through Oct. 18 – The 2021 edition of the festival focuses on some of the issues we faced in the past year – including, but not limited to, systemic racism, massive protests and a global pandemic – from the lenses of filmmakers and cultural activists. A selection of films directed and produced by Afro-Latin American directors (and by others on issues of the diaspora) will highlight the emergence of a generation of audiovisual producers in the region. All films and events (both in person and virtual) are free and open to the public.
‘The Band’s Visit’ – Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 1pm and 7pm – Experience the critically acclaimed Broadway musical at Durham Performing Arts Center. “The Band’s Visit” is one of the most Tony Award-winning musicals in history, with 10 Tonys, including Best Musical.
‘The Woolgatherer’ – Thursday-Saturday, 8-9:30pm – Shadowbox Studio hosts Jeri-Lynn Schulke and David Berberian as they perform this 1979 play, which follows two broken souls during an uneasy one-night fling. There will be an opening reception after the show on Thursday.
EXIGENCE, A Sphinx Vocal Ensemble – Thursday, 11am – Experience the professional vocal ensemble led by founding conductor Euguene Rogers at The Carolina Theatre. The ensemble features a variety of solo performers, educators and composers highlighting the musical artistry within Black and Latinx communities. Masks are required.
Virtual Walk on the Wild Side: Summer Flowers – Part 2 – Thursday, 11am-noon – Sarah P. Duke Gardens focuses its monthly Zoom presentation on the peak of autumn bloom in its Blomquist Garden of Native Plants. Registration is required.
Harry Potter Extravaganza – Thursday, 5-10pm – Enjoy a wizard-themed evening at The Glass Jug Beer Lab’s RTP location. The brewery offers alcoholic and nonalcoholic butterbeer as well as Harry Potter trivia with a chance to win a Glass Jug gift card. Bull City Street Food will also serve up a Potter-themed menu from 5-8pm.
Songstories Live – Thursday, 6-8:30pm – Boxyard RTP hosts singer-songwriter John Sierra for a free evening of live, original music and the stories behind them.
‘Simone Barbès or Virtue’ – Thursday, 7-8:20pm – Duke Cinematic Arts screens the 1980 French film, which follows two ushers in a porn theater, at Rubenstein Arts Center. This event is free and open to the public.
PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR ARTWORK: Essential + Professional Best Practices – Thursday, 7-8:30pm – Durham-based photographers Eric Waters, Jane Kelly and Dare Kumolu-Johnson lead a panel on essential skills for any artistic career. The discussion takes place via Zoom, and registration is required.
Dances in the Courtyard – Friday, 6-7pm, and Saturday, 2-3pm – Brightleaf Square hosts dancer and choreographer Caitlin Dutton-Reaver and percussionist Erik Schmidt during a free collaborative performance in its central courtyard.
DRIVE-IN: ‘The Passing On’ Documentary – Friday, 7pm – The Hayti Black Filmmakers Collective presents a drive-in screening of this documentary that focuses on the legacy of Black funeral homes in San Antonio, Texas. HBCF member Stephanie Ford and HBFC member and producer Lana Garland lead a conversation on the film preceding the screening.
Stagville Under the Stars – Friday, 7:30-9pm – Historic Stagville and Morehead Planetarium & Science Center host this outdoor event featuring stargazing, storytelling and science. Storytelling begins at 7:30pm, and a star tour follows afterward. Pre-registration is required, and there is a capacity limit.
Seasonal Celebrities: Autumn Plants for Your North Carolina Garden – Saturday, 10-11am – Sarah P. Duke Gardens Director of Education and Public Programs Jan Little shares both beautiful and useful plants in an online presentation. The zoom session recording will be sent to all registrants.
Pumpkin Patch Express – Saturday-Sunday – Start your fall season with a trip to the Museum of Life and Science’s pumpkin patch by way of the Dinosaur Trail. Activities include a hay maze, nature-themed bingo, take-home activities and a return train ride on the Ellerbe Creek Railway. Each ticket holder receives a pumpkin, too.
Cider Jam – Saturday, noon-11pm – Join Bull City Ciderworks for live music, food trucks, pop-ups and more. InSEEDious – an extremely limited melon and pepper cider – will be on tap, along with other fall flavors.
The Streetery – Saturday, noon-9pm – Shop and dine outdoors in and around Geer Street while listening to music from local artists during this bimonthly event presented by Downtown Durham Inc.
Pinhole Camera Workshop – Saturday, 12:30-4:30pm – Caitlin Avinger leads a workshop on camera building, photography and print developing at West Point on the Eno. The free event, presented by Durham Parks & Recreation, requires pre-registration.
Liberty Arts 20th Anniversary Party – Saturday, 1-5pm – The arts organization celebrates its anniversary at Durty Bull Brewing Company with the release of THE LIBERATOR, a steinbock beer made in collaboration with The Glass Jug Beer Lab and Fullsteam Brewery. The party includes a scratch block workshop, craft beer and a live DJ to dance the afternoon away.
Blacktoberfest – Saturday, 2-10pm – Black Brew Culture brings the second installment of this craft beer showcase to Suite Four. The event features 20 Black-owned craft beer, wine and spirits companies as well as plant-based food trucks, vendors, and local artists and musicians.
‘From Fallujah: How Can We Know A Place?’ Reception – Saturday, 3-6pm – This group exhibit at PS118 Gallery & Event Space features the work of four Iraqi photographers – Mohamed Alani, Sura Abbas Jasim, Mohamed Jamal and Harith Khaleel Ali – and is curated by retired U.S. Army veteran John Bechtold and Middle Eastern scholar/peace activist Noor Ghazi. Come out to the gallery at 4pm for a public talk by Noor. The exhibit runs through Nov. 6.
Farm Dinner – Saturday, 5pm – Dine with JoJo the miniature donkey and plenty of goats during this immersive experience at Elodie Farms. The evening begins with a farm tour and visiting time with the animals, followed by a five-course meal prepared on-site by house chef and farmer Ted Domville. Farm dinners are BYOB and can accommodate most dietary restrictions.
The Grass Grazed Farmers Table (SOLD OUT) – Saturday, 5-8:30pm – Grass Grazed Farm hosts this harvest dinner with hopes to bridge the gap between food and community. Guests can tour Derrick Jackson and Paige Jackson’s Bahama-based farm before enjoying a three-course, family-style meal with locally sourced ingredients.
DRIVE-IN: ‘JIG SHOW, Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana’ – Saturday, 5:30pm – The Hayti Black Filmmakers Collective presents another drive-in screening this weekend at the Lincoln Community Health Center. The compelling hour-long documentary film narrated by filmmaker Leslie Cunningham takes viewers on a tour of her family’s popular Black and Cuban stage show that broke carnival records across the U.S. and western Canada.
ODDVILLE: Home of the Strange – Saturday, 7pm – Experience strange art, bizarre photography and mind-bending performances at The Fruit during this “odd” experience presented by EJC Art Shows.
Horszowski Trio – Saturday, 8-9:30pm – Duke‘s Department of Music welcomes the chamber music ensemble back for a free performance at Baldwin Auditorium.
Casey Toll, Brad Maiani and TJ Maiani – Saturday, 9-11pm – Head to Arcana for a live jazz show by Casey Toll on bass, TJ Maiani on drums and Brad Maiani on guitar.
Black Farmers Market – Sunday, 1:30-4pm – The farmers market, now located at Golden Belt Campus, is free and open to the public, featuring Black farmers and entrepreneurs every second Sunday at 930 Franklin St. The Black Farmers Market’s goal is to inspire a self-sufficient community that supports and protects these vendors.
Inflatable Day at the Park – Sunday, 2-6pm – BC Inflatables presents this third annual family-friendly fundraiser at Durham Central Park to help save the Northgate Mall carousel and find it a more permanent location. The day includes extreme inflatables, activities, unique vendors, performances and food trucks.
Jessica Kunttu, bassoon & Annie Brooks Stankovic, piano – Sunday, 4pm – Duke‘s Department of Music hosts this performance at Baldwin Auditorium; the program features a world premiere by Seong Ae Kim, plus sets and sonatas by Hailstork, Brahms and Mignone, the latter of which will feature Duke student bassoonist Michael Manns.
The Jazz Messenger: A Tribute to Art Blakey – Sunday, 6-7:30pm – Drummer Don Cheatham pays tribute to American jazz drummer Art Blakey at the Hayti Heritage Center as part of its Black American Music series. Both in-person and virtual ticket options are available.
