Durham's Frightful Family Fun Coming Up

Residents, families, and visitors looking for a unique way to celebrate Halloween, while raising money for local charities, should mark their calendars now for the first-ever Durham Monster Dash.

The event, scheduled for Friday, October 26 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., will include a costumed charity run/walk through the historic streets of downtown Durham followed by food trucks, costume prizes, music, and the “Thriller Dance” in front of City Hall on 101 City Hall Plaza.

The Durham Monster Dash is a three-mile course through the streets of downtown and another kid-friendly one-mile course through the alleys and open spaces in downtown. Durham City-County Planning Department staff and community volunteers will set up “monster zones” to provide extra thrills along the route.

The event is being organized by the Durham City-County Planning Department as part of the City’s Culture of Service Initiative and 7 Stars, which is the annual City employee giving campaign. Planning staff will also be using this event to test the use of the City’s public open spaces and pedestrian accessibility and connectivity downtown.

“For the Planning Department’s staff, the Durham Monster Dash is a fun way to help charities that enrich children’s environments. We also look at the event as an opportunity to invite people to explore our beloved downtown’s architecture, streets, alleys, and open spaces,” said Steve Medlin, director of the Durham City-County Planning Department. “The event is a way for planning staff to engage with the community around a charitable event while developing new skills to meet an unusual challenge.”

Sponsors of this event include the Durham Police Department, WXDU 88.7 FM, and Road ID. WXDU will also be hosting a costumed dance after-party at The Pinhook, located at 117 W. Main St.

Participants are asked to register for this event online and provide a monetary donation. Proceeds collected from this event will be benefit Kidznotes, The Scrap Exchange, Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc., and Girls Rock, N.C.

For more information, including a registration form and route map, visit the event website. Participants may also keep up with the latest news on the Durham Monster Dash by “liking” their Facebook page. 

Durham is also home to a Zombie Lurch which might be appealing for those looking for more ghoulish fun. The event is in its sixth year, and it never disappoints.  Get more details at the link.

Durham always has fun and interesting things to do.  Stay up to date on all that is happening by signing up for the Durham Event Calendar emails or visiting the calendar online, liking Durham on Facebook, and with the official Durham visitors website.