The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls
– Thursday-Saturday, 8:15pm, and Sunday, 2pm –
The play by Meg Miroshnik makes its regional premiere under direction of Jules Odendahl-James. The story follows Annie, who is off to visit her mother’s Russian homeland and claim a mysterious birthright and where she must face witches, bears and darker forces. Manbites Dog Theater, 703 Foster St.; $5-$25; 919-682-3343
Indio Opening Reception – Friday, 5-7pm – Enjoy wine, hors d’oeuvres and the first glimpse of downtown’s new retail store, Indio, which will have home décor, jewelry and accessories, with an emphasis on artisan-made home goods, American-made jewelry and small-batch skin care. Indio, 905 W. Main St., Ste. 20-G; 919-797-0456
Blues on the Plaza: Tornado Blues Band – Friday, 6:30-9pm – The four-piece band have been playing guitar and harmonizing together for more than 25 years. Jason Barker, Joel Sugarman, Bakru Hunsel and Tommy Hartley lay down some great blues and rock. Grab your lawn chairs or blankets, and groove to the music while enjoying beer and wine from Bull City Burger and Brewery with food trucks and Northgate’s Food Gallery options. Brought to you by Northgate Mall, in partnership with the Triangle Blues Society. Northgate Mall Plaza, 1058 W. Club Blvd.; Free admission; 919-286-4400
Cindy McMahon – Friday, 7pm – The author reads from and signs copies of her memoir, Fresh Water from Old Wells, which weaves together the regional and national events of the volatile 1960s and ‘70s, her family’s tumultuous Southern saga, and the stories of her own quest. Refreshments provided. The Regulator Bookshop, 720 Ninth St.; Free; 919-286-2700
Paula Poundstone
– Friday, 7pm –
Stand-up comedian and regular panelist on NPR’s popular weekly news quiz show, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me. The Carolina Theatre, 309 W. Morgan St.; $37+; 919-560-3030
Spring Warehouse Sale – Saturday-Monday, 8am-4pm – VIETRI, importer of handcrafted Italian dinnerware, flatware, glassware, garden accessories and home décor products, hosts its semi-annual sale featuring handcrafted Italian items that are discontinued, slightly flawed or unique samples, and the steep discounts leave the products at up to 80% off retail. The products will be refreshed daily, and there will be new items and sale specials each day. VIETRI Outlet Store, 343 Elizabeth Brady Rd.; Free admission; 919-732-5933
Bull City Run Walk Roll 5K – Saturday, 8am – The Durham VA Medical Center in partnership with the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 175 announces the inaugural VA Bull City Run, Walk & Roll 5K. The route is accessible to run, walk or roll and will take participants through the beautiful Watts-Hillandale area near the VA. There will be support personnel along the route to assist with any equipment or grade challenges. The VA Kids Running with the Bulls for ages 10 and younger will begin at 9:15am. Durham VA Medical Center, 508 Fulton St.; $10 for Kids Running with the Bulls and all veterans, $30 for 5K
Durham Art Walk Spring Market – Saturday, 10am-5pm, and Sunday, 1-5pm –
A self-guided shopping tour of galleries, artist studios and impromptu exhibits in businesses throughout downtown, featuring the original artwork of hundreds of artists. It also features live music, food and fun activities for the whole family. Downtown Durham; Free; 919-560-2787
Habitat for Humanity National Women’s Build Week Kick-off Event – Saturday, 10am-6pm, and Sunday, noon-5pm – Support the organization by signing up for builds, enjoy some goodies and refreshments and get a swag bag with purchase; 10% of the day’s proceeds from the boutique will be donated back to Habitat. Tre Bella, 124 E. Main St.; Free admission; 919-323-7167
Independent Bookstore Day – Saturday, 10am-10pm – The Regulator joins more than 400 other independent bookstores across the country to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day by selling books and literary-themed items that will be available that day only in participating indie bookstores. In the morning there will be children’s book readings and face-painting; the afternoon will include a literary trivia contest and readings from banned books by local authors and publishing folks. Throughout the day there will be free food and a raffle every hour for items donated from Vaguely Reminiscent and from The Regulator. A party wraps things up from 7-10pm featuring music from old-time band Blue Star Travelers and beer, wine, chips and salsa from neighbors Blue Corn Café. The Regulator Bookshop, 720 Ninth St.; Free; 919-286-2700
Strawberry Festival – Saturday, noon-4pm – Community organizations, local food trucks and student-designed activity booths plus live musical performances from CPSC Alumni lead, Dollar Menu, local legends TROSA Band as well as Durham’s indie hip-hop, progressive jazz band The Beast. The Tikiri Dancers and The Walltown Hip Hop Dance troupe will also be performing on the main stage. There will be a one-mile fun run, 5K and Zumba in the Central Park District starting at 9am on Saturday. All proceeds will go to support Central Park School for Children. Old North Durham Park, 724 Foster St.
Durham Patchwork Mini-Market – Saturday, noon-4pm – Local makers and vintage vendors will come together to create a unique shopping experience with a diverse selection of high quality and original goods. Fullsteam Brewery, 726 Rigsbee Ave.; Free admission
Lila Downs –
Saturday, 8pm –
The celebrated Mexican-American singer closes Duke Performances’ 2014/15 season with a concert of Mexican roots music. The Carolina Theatre, 309 W. Morgan St.; $42+; 919-560-3030
Swan Lake – Saturday, 8pm, and Sunday, 2pm
– The Carolina Ballet’s Artistic Director Robert Weiss uses the illustrated version of the Swan Lake story by Austrian artist and writer Lisbeth Zwerger as the template for his ballet. DPAC, 123 Vivian St.; $30+; 919-680-2787
Walk From Obesity – Sunday, 8-11am – Individuals affected by obesity, loved ones, friends, colleagues, healthcare professionals and many others will join forces and walk to raise national awareness of the disease of obesity. Former Duke and NFL player Lennie Friedman will speak at the event, which is hosted by Duke Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery and Bariatric Specialists of North Carolina. Registration begins at 8am, walk kicks off at 9am. Durham County Memorial Stadium, 750 Stadium Dr.; $25-$35
Seamus McGraw – Sunday, 4pm – The author will be in store for a discussion and signing of his book, Betting the Farm on a Drought: Stories from the Front Lines of Climate Change, which lays out the whole story of climate change—the science, the math and the human stories of people fighting both the climate and their own deeply held beliefs to find creative solutions to a host of environmental challenges. The Regulator Bookshop, 720 Ninth St.; Free; 919-286-2700
