Summer Days Nasher Nights: Brew & View – Thursday, 6-8pm – View the galleries, enjoy beer samples from Highland Brewing and play art pub trivia. With your tasting admission comes a special coupon for use in the Nasher Museum Café. Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, 2001 Campus Dr.; $5; 919-684-5135
Film Screening: A Will for the Woods – Thursday, 7pm – The film tells the story of late Durham resident Clark Wang. Determined that his last act will be a gift to the planet, musician and psychiatrist Wang prepares for his own green burial. Occasional touches of humor helped this film win the Environmental and Audience Awards at Durham’s Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. South Regional Library, 4505 S. Alston Ave.; Free; 919-560-7410
USA vs Cuba – Thursday, 7:05pm and Friday, 6:35pm – USA Baseball returns to Durham as the Collegiate National Team continues an international friendship series with Cuba for two games. Immediately following the game on Friday fans will be treated to the first of two huge fireworks shows of the weekend. Durham Bulls Athletic Park, 409 Blackwell St.; $8.99+; 919-956-2855
Pins & Needles Comedy Series – Thursday, 7:30pm – Kick your July 4 weekend off with draught specials on Mama’s Little Yella Pils, free bowling and some of the funniest comedians in the area, including Thomas Dixson. Village Lanes, 330 Hardee St; $5; 919-682-9145
Paul Taylor Dance Company – Thursday and Friday, 8pm, and Saturday, 2pm – The Paul Taylor Dance Company performs “Esplanade.” This 1975 classical work is set to Bach and features energetic and expressive everyday movements. The company will also premiere the explosive “Syzygy,” a cartwheel, leap and spin filled piece set to Donald York’s abstract work. Durham Performing Arts Center, 123 Vivian St.; $19.25-$58; 919-680-2787
Ryan Singer – Thursday, 9pm – Deb Aronin presents this Motorco Comedy Night with this “comic’s comic who electrifies mainstream audiences with material that is both uncompromising and unpretentious.” Motorco Music Hall, 723 Rigsbee Ave.; $12
West Street Band – Friday, 7-9pm – Enjoy one of Raleigh’s top party bands as they play popular rock, R&B and funky dance songs from over the years as part of the Brightleaf summer concert series. Brightleaf Square, 905 W. Main St.; Free; 919-682-9229
Children’s Independence Day Parade – Saturday, 9:30-11am – Bring the entire family out for a fun and patriotic parade beginning at 10:30am. Prior, kids can decorate bikes, big wheels, tricycles, wagons and strollers. Durham Central Park, 501 Foster St.; Free admission; 919-794-8194
Watts-Hillandale Fourth of July Parade – Saturday, 10am – Join this neighborhood extravaganza that began as a few children riding their bikes down the block in 1950. The parade features decorated bikes, wagons, patriotic songs, lemonade and more. Starts at the corner of Oakland Avenue and Club Boulevard, parade moves down Club to Alabama, right on Alabama, right on Woodrow and into Oval Park; Free
Festival for the Eno – Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm – This 36th annual festival celebrates the Eno River and Watershed and its importance in our community. With more than 65 musical acts – including The Hackensaw Boys, The Beast, Stooges Brass Band and South Carolina Broadcasters – on four stages, a beer garden, food trucks, local craft artists and a variety of other activities with an environmental or cultural connection to the river, this outdoor event always draws a crowd to the beautiful banks of the Eno. West Point on the Eno, 5101 N. Roxboro Rd.; Teen ticket: $11, Single-day ticket: $23, Two-day ticket: $35;
The Durham Patchwork Mini-Market – Saturday, noon-4pm – A monthly market where local makers and vintage vendors 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
Norfolk Tides vs. Durham Bulls – Saturday, 6:05pm and Sunday, 5:05pm – The Bulls return home to begin a three-game series with the Norfolk Tides. Saturday’s contest serves as the City of Durham’s official July Fourth Fireworks celebration, one of the most dazzling pyrotechnics spectacular in the region. (Currently, only Standing Room Only tickets remain for the Fourth of July game.) Following Sunday’s game, Kids Run the Bases. Durham Bulls Athletic Park, 409 Blackwell St.; Saturday: $9.99, Sunday: $6.99+; 919-956-2855
“A Body in Fukushima” – Sunday-July 25 – Come see a special exhibit by photographer William Johnston featuring Japanese-born modern dancer Eiko posing in front of a radiation-affected Fukushima. Eiko will also be performing a solo piece, “A Body in Places,” at the American Dance Festival from July 7-July 12. Allenton and Seman Galleries, Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St.; 919-560-2787
ADF International Screendance Festival – Sunday, 2-4pm – Curated by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Douglas Rosenberg, the International Screendance Festival kicks off Sunday and explores the ever-evolving relationship between cinema and dance. The ISF has screened more than 340 films from 20-plus countries. Come early to visit the galleries and enjoy brunch in the Nasher Museum Café. Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, 2001 Campus Dr.; Free; 919-684-5135
