Compiled by Allie Todd
Last Weekend at Bull City Mini – Thursday-Saturday, noon-10pm, and Sunday, noon-7pm – After six months, the Bull City Mini Golf and Bar golf pop-up at American Tobacco Campus is coming to an end this weekend. Celebrate it season with closing weekend specials such as $5 mini golf, 50% off beer and wine, a DJ on Sunday from 3-7pm, and much more.
Nature Babies – Thursday, 11:30am-12:30pm – Bring the kiddos out to the Museum of Life and Science to explore the natural world through sensory play, games, nature walks, music and other outdoor activities suited for you and your baby.
Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ – Thursday, 1pm and 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm – DPAC presents the national tour of this Disney and Broadway classic, featuring popular songs from the animated film and new numbers as well. Come discover a whole new world, as this revamped musical presents creative new sets, costumes and lighting.
Concentration Camps: Then and Now – Thursday, 6-7:30pm – In the first event in its new season, the Franklin Humanities Institute hosts a moderated discussion about the consequences and historical antecedents of United States immigrant detention. The event, taking place at at the Ahmadieh Family Lecture Hall, is co-sponsored by the Duke Human Rights Center and the Forum for Scholars and Publics.
Sister Cities Pop-Up Exhibit – Thursday, 6-8pm – The Museum of Durham History welcomes this temporary exhibit from the Sister Cities of Durham, which features Sister City projects and a world map that shows international cities connected to North Carolina cities. There will be light refreshments, and the exhibit will be on display until Oct. 27.
Frank Waln with the Sampson Bros – Thursday, 7-8:30pm – The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University brings this Lakota hip-hop artist for a free performance to its new outdoor sculpture garden. Frank has been featured in The Fader, Vibe and on NPR and will be joined by The Sampson Brothers, Native American hoop dancers.
‘100+ Years of Earth and Fire: A Retrospective of Four Women Working in Clay’ – Thursday-Dec. 7 – Cynthia Aldrich, Natalie Boorman, Carmen Elliott and Marilyn Palsha are ceramic artists who have been working with clay collectively for more than 170 years as sculptural hand builders inspired by the earth, intuition and myth. The goal of their exhibition, hosted by the Durham Art Guild at SunTrust Gallery, is to present the development of each artist’s career and their unique techniques and designs.
Create Your Own Frankenstuff – Friday and Saturday, 1-3pm – As a part of the Museum of Life and Science’s “Tinkering Family Workshops,” this weekend you can take apart, reuse and combine stuffed animals to make your own, unique creature. There are even opportunities to add lights into the design and explore circuitry. This is for ages 6-12, accompanied by an adult.
Halloween Phantasmagoria – Friday, 6:30-9pm – Before you carve pumpkins and trick or treat, visit Duke Homestead State Historic Site to experience a 19th century Halloween. Walk the grounds in search of exciting surprises, and learn about historical concepts of spiritualism during a fun-filled and educational evening.
Dracula – Friday, 8pm – The Triangle Youth Ballet presents “Dracula, the ballet with a bite” at The Carolina Theatre. The characters of the Victorian novel by Bram Stoker will dance their way through this horrifying tale (not suited for young children).
Dig for DCLT Day & Cookout – Saturday, 9am-2pm – If you are looking for a chance to volunteer and also enjoy some good food, join the Durham Community Land Trustees from 9 am to noon to help beautify DCLT-owned properties in East Durham by planting trees and shrubs, painting fences and cleaning out yards. At 12:30, there will be a cookout in the park catered by The Durhamanian Grill and DJ’d by VSPTN.
Pumpkin Patch Express – Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am-4pm – The Museum of Life and Science hosts its ninth annual pumpkin-picking festival throughout October. Ride the Ellerbe Creek Railway to the pumpkin patch, pick a pumpkin and spend the day playing carnival games and exploring the hay maze.
Kids Voting Durham – Saturday, 11am-2pm – The Regulator Bookshop brings a pop-up voting site for Durham K-12 students to “vote” for mayor and city council candidates. There will be voting booths, ballots and “I Voted” stickers for each kid who participates. The election results will be tabulated by Kids Voting Durham and posted on the bookstore’s social media pages.
Architectural Tombstone Tours: Historic Maplewood Cemetery – Saturday and Sunday, 1-4:30pm – Explore this cemetery in two parts – one on the east side of Kent Street and the other on the west. The tours operate in a continuous loop. Guests can join either part where you find it and follow it around. They are organized in three continuous repeating loops.
Wolf Awareness Week – Saturday, 2pm – The Museum of Life and Science celebrates Wolf Awareness Week with its animal care staff for a special Meet the Keeper program at the “Explore the Wild” wolf exhibit. Learn more about what it’s like to be a caretaker for these animals and how you can get involved in efforts to preserve their habitats. There will even be special wolf-themed souvenirs for those who attend.
Barktoberfest – Saturday, 3-6pm – Dress up your pup for a costume contest and other fun festivities at Durham Central Park. Put on by Durham Parks and Recreation and Beyond Fences, an animal welfare nonprofit, the event will have a canine food drive, beer from Ponysaurus Brewing Co., and a raffle. Proceeds from the raffle tickets and beer sales will be donated to Beyond Fences. There will also be live music from The Mighty Messengers of Soul, and food from Caffé Bellezza and Mama Voula’s.
Fine Wine Expo – Saturday, 4-7pm – The Durham Co-op Market hosts a tasting experience featuring more than 30 wines from more than 12 vendors, plus discounts. Local food vendors will be on-site with samples for wine pairings. One ticket gets you a tasting glass to take home and access to all event activities.
Me Fine Annual Gala – Saturday, 7-11:30pm – Spend the evening at The Cotton Room for this 12th annual fundraiser. The Roaring ’20’s-themed event will include live music, silent and live auctions, food, drinks and more. Proceeds benefit the Me Fine Foundation, which provides financial assistance and emotional support to pediatric patients and families at Duke Children’s Hospital and its partner institutions.
The Kingdom Choir – Saturday, 8pm – Duke Performances hosts this British choir, which has been performing since 1994. The group was recently propelled into fame after performing at the 2018 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The program will be held at Duke Chapel with arrangements of modern pop and classic gospel songs.
Justin Hayward Concert – Saturday, 8pm – National Shows 2 partners with The Carolina Theatre to present the musician’s All the Way In Concert with special guest Michael Dawes. Justin will perform solo hits as well as his songs with the Moody Blues band. This concert was originally scheduled for March 3, this is the rescheduled date.
A Nightmare on Corcoran Street – Saturday, 9pm-1am – Join Unscripted Durham for a fun and frightening Halloween dance party with DJ ClaSICK. The free dance party features a costume contest kicking off at 11:30pm with a chance to win a staycation at Unscripted. Costumes are not required, and the event is 21 and older.
Zombie Apocalypse Party – Saturday, noon-2am – Boxcar Bar + Arcade celebrates Halloween with a day filled with games, costume and brain-eating contests, a zombie slow race, drink specials and more.
Corks & Cakes: Fall Edition – Sunday, noon-5pm – The Wine Feed serves flights of mini cupcakes and paired wines. Tickets must be purchased in advance so they have enough cake and wine for all who want to attend.
Empanada Extravaganza – Sunday, 1-4pm – Come out to Durham Central Park for empanadas from Cilantro Durham, Fuzzy’s Empanadas, Makus Empanadas, Morfa Empanadas, Qspresso Food Truck, The Corner Venezuelan Food and cider Bull City Ciderworks. Each restaurant or food truck will have their own style, and you can vote for your favorite meat and veggie item.
Día de los Muertos Alters – Sunday, 3-5pm – As a part of the Museum of Durham History’s “Nuevo Esíritu de Durham” exhibit, the museum showcases two altars from Durham School of the Arts’ “Fall Art Festival Día de los Muertos.” The opening event features food from So Good Pupusas; the exhibit will be on display until Nov. 3.
A Conversational Series: Words of the Wise 2019 – Sunday, 4-6pm – North Carolina Central University and the Martin Luther King Jr. Steering Committee of Durham Inc. collaborate to present this discussion on the ongoing issues raised by the Martin Luther King Jr. speech, “Where do we go from here?” Special guests North Carolina State Sen. Floyd McKissick and the Rev. Jonathan Augustine will be in attendance. This event is open to the public and is held on campus at the H.M. Michaux Jr. School of Education Auditorium at 700 Cecil St.
Movies, Musicals and More – Sunday, 4pm – The Durham Community Concert Band performs timeless favorites such as “West Side Story,” “The Lion King,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and more in Durham Central Park for family-friendly, free afternoon. There will also be food trucks.
A Place to Stand – Film and Q&A – Sunday, 4:30pm – Come out to The Carolina Theatre for a showing of the documentary “A Place to Stand,” which will be followed by a Q&A session with author Jimmy Santiago Baca.
100 Men in Black – Sunday, 5pm – The Carolina Theatre hosts the 100 Men in Black Male Chorus’ 16th anniversary concert. They will be performing gospel music along with special guest, Kelontae Gavin. The chorus will also be awarding $5,000 in scholarships to youth during the concert.
Beefsteak 2019 – Sunday, 5-8pm – Hosted by Bull City Burger & Brewery, the ninth annual event offers all-you-can-eat-and-drink beef and beer. This event comes from the mid-1800s tradition when the New York working class would gather for an all-you-can-eat banquet of meat and beer. Tickets can be reserved in advance.
