Tenth Anniversary Celebration at American Tobacco Campus This Weekend

Durham's nationally acclaimed American Tobacco Historic District celebrates its tenth anniversary as a world-class destination for everything from business to baseball to Broadway with special events Sept. 4-7.

Events include:

• The finale of the 2014 Back Porch Music on the Lawn series, featuring the ever-popular Chatham County Line on Thursday, Sept. 4, 6-8pm. (Public)
• A private tenant appreciation party with bands and picnics on the fabled American Tobacco lawn on Friday, Sept. 5.
• A private BBQ for former American Tobacco factory workers and people involved in the campus’ renovation on Saturday, Sept. 6, followed by tours of intriguing campus spaces, including private businesses not always open to visitors.
• A public festival on Blackwell Street, Sunday, Sept. 7, 1-5pm. The street party will bridge the original old campus to its recent additions, including Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, the coming Aloft Hotel and Diamond View III with its many new restaurants. The festival will also feature tours of intriguing campus places not always available to visitors.

The tenth anniversary story goes back 120 years, to when tobacco barons created a world-beating cigarette factory in downtown Durham. American Tobacco’s factories grew into a powerful economic engine, home to brands like Lucky Strike and thousands of jobs. By the mid-’80s, though, the spark was gone. The factories closed and rotted. Nearly two decades later, Capitol Broadcasting Company joined with the City of Durham to reinvent the icon.

After years of work and tens of millions in private investment, American Tobacco returned in 2004 -- this time as home to champions of all kinds:

• The campus’ roster includes marquee brands such as Burt’s Bees, McKinney, Appia, Bronto, Fifth Third Bank, parts of Duke University and many more.
• The campus is the original home of the American Underground, one of just eight Google for Entrepreneurs Tech Hubs in the world. The Underground -- a launchpad for promising startups -- has grown into a second location in downtown Durham and one in downtown Raleigh.
• An array of restaurants offer popular fare, including award-winning BBQ. The outdoor seating options are unmatched in the Triangle.
• The Durham Bulls and the blockbuster shows at DPAC draw tens of thousands of fans from around the region. Altogether, the campus counts roughly two million visitors each year.

The American Tobacco campus is still growing as a world class place to live, work and be entertained. Its presence in downtown Durham adds to the vibrant character of the city and welcomes visitors from all around the world.

Get all the events happening in Durham on the Durham Event Calendar, and plan a visit online.