StoryCorps & WUNC Seek Stories of Durham and American Tobacco

As Durham's American Tobacco Campus nears its 10th anniversary as a true live/work/play destination, the interest in its past life is growing. What happened to the people who worked there, and where are they now? What was it like working there? What were the tensions and dramas of factory life?

As part of the American Tobacco Campus' anniversary celebration, NPR's StoryCorps in conjunction with 91.5 WUNC, whose radio studios are located at American Tobacco, will collect answers to these questions, and more, in a month-long story gathering process from April 17-May 16, 2014. This oral history will be recorded as another way of preserving the important history of one of Durham's most famous landmarks.

Structural historic preservation is valued in Durham through numerous adaptive reuse architecture projects like Brightleaf Square and Golden Belt,the interest in oral history is strong here, too. The Museum of Durham History has a facility for people to record and to listen to personal narratives from local residents about Durham's past. Learn more about that project here.

To participate in this project, please contact American Tobacco via email and provide a name, email address and phone number. Describe memories or stories up to 200 words along with photographs or other visuals. StoryCorps’ MobileBooth, an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio, will be parked at the American Tobacco Campus to record the stories. Reservations can be made by calling StoryCorps’ 24-hour, toll-free reservation line at 1-800-850-4406 or visiting StoryCorps online. Additional reservation slots will open on April 18.

Learn more fascinating stories about all of Durham's history online.

American Tobacco Concert Series Moves Location

You can't complain about a free concert in Durham, but American Tobacco is ensuring that visitors will have an even better time at this year's concert series.

American Tobacco’s wildly popular summer music festival is moving to Diamond View Park -- the bigger, even grass-ier expanse between DPAC and DBAP -- allowing more people to enjoy even more attractions.

Now known as Center Stage (previously On the Lawn), the five-event series will feature marque, family-friendly opening and headline bands as well as food trucks, a bounce house, a beer tent and more time to enjoy the fun -- two to three hours.

The high level of quality associated with American Tobacco concerts is guaranteed by the same partnership that’s worked together for years -- the campus’ events team and WUNC-FM’s Back Porch Music.

Signing on as Center Stage’s sponsors are Miller Lite, Yuengling, Leinenkugel’s, Samuel Adams, Railhouse Brewery, North Carolina Mutual Co., Hanging Rock Pure Play, YMCA and DPAC.

Stretching from Friday, May 17 to Friday, October 4, the free series will highlight top flight opening and headlining acts performing from 6-9pm:

• Friday, May 17, 6-9pm - Celtic traditionalists, Solas.
• Friday, June 7, 6-9pm - Dance party with Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band w/ Ironing Board Sam
• Thursday, July 4, 5-8pm - A special collaboration with the Art of Cool featuring The Beast + Big Band as well as DJ, Apple Juice Kid.  
• Friday, September 20, 6-9pm - Yep Roc Showcase: Dave Alvin and the Guilty Ones with Aoife O’Donovan
• Friday, October 4, 6-9pm - Special double bluegrass bill: 3rd Time Out and Mipso 

In addition to music, Center Stage will feature more attractions than American Tobacco has yet seen, including a beer tent, food trucks, a kids’ bounce house and hula hoops, custom corn hole lanes, art and other vendors, plus tents devoted to Bull City Bucks, FOX 50 and WUNC.

“American Tobacco always seeks to raise the bar, and the move to Center Stage means we’ll have more room to deliver more of what has made our music series so popular,” says Michael Goodmon, vice president of real estate for Capitol Broadcasting Company, which owns ATC. “We are immensely grateful to the fans who’ve made our concerts such a success, and look forward to giving them an even bigger and better experience in 2013.”

For more information about events in Durham, visit the Durham Event Calendar.

The 7th Annual Beaver Queen Pageant is a Must-See!

Preparations for the 7th Annual Beaver Queen Pageant are well underway and the excitement is building! The pageant is scheduled for Saturday, June 4, in Duke Park Meadow (near the intersection of Acadia Street and Englewood Avenue in Durham). The pre-show activities begin at 4:00 PM and the pageant itself begins at 5:00 PM.

The theme for this year’s pageant, Streampunk is a mash up of riverboats, Streampunk and a futuristic optimism. What a spectacle it will be! Costuming is encouraged and attendees are welcome to pack a picnic or chow down at Durham’s food trucks. The event takes place rain or shine.

For the fifth year in a row, the Beaver Queen Pageant will raise funds for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association. Over $15,000 have been raised for Durham’s dirty little creek in the last four years.

The Annual Beaver Queen Pageant is a free, family-friendly, Beaver Drag fund-raising event that encourages play, honors diversity, supports community and promotes creativity through interactive performance. It is live cartoon and cabaret. Kits can make their own beaver tails, splash in the beaver pond, march in the parade and sing the beaver chant.

Contenders for the Beaver Queen Crown are scored for the quality of their tails, wetlands ready-wear, talent, personal essay and evening wear. Like real life, the audience bribes celebrity judges, pays poll taxes and purchases beaver swag to raise money for ECWA. This year corrupt judges will buy their appointments. Cash and checks buy votes and bribes. As former celebrity judge Frank Stasio says, “Not everybody can be a Beaver Queen Pageant judge. I'm honored to have served. And grateful too, that I was not compelled to screw the whole dam country.”

Judges this year’s judges are bought to us by Shelly Green-DCVB, Brian Bottger-Only Burger, Carol Anderson-Vaguely Reminiscent/Board of Elections, Jana Shannon Bradley-Casbah, Jennings Brody-Parker & Otis, and Sean Wilson-Fullsteam Brewery.

This year we hope to raise $7,000 to help ECWA in its mission to keep our wetlands clean. Keep updated on pageant news here.