Durham Always Has Pride

Each fall, visitors from far and wide gather in Durham for the state’s official Pride Parade and Festival. Pride brings the community together for a weekend of celebration with events, conferences and parties in addition to the state’s official Pride parade. For a taste of the weekend’s events, check out the following video from the 2011 NC Pride Parade.

As America’s Most Tolerant City, according to The Daily Beast, it’s no surprise that North Carolina’s Pride celebration has a long history in Durham. The state’s first Pride parade was held in Durham in 1981 and followed by NC’s first public demonstration for gay rights, held at the Durham Court House in 1982. Four years later, that demonstration was followed with a second demonstration for gay and lesbian rights on the campus of Duke University. The gathering turned into the NC Pride March which traveled to major cities around the state for the next 14 years. In 2000, the traveling march faltered and a group of passionate Durhamites brought Pride home to Durham where it has resided ever since.

Now in its 28^th year, NC Pride is a community wide event with participation from many of Durham’s bars, restaurants, venues and lodging properties. From Joan Rivers at DPAC to parties at Motorco, The Bar and Pinhook to happy hours at West End Wine Bar and Straw Valley Café, there is much to be done in Durham for Pride celebrants. Join the more than 12,000 LGBT supporters who come out each year to celebrate –for dining, shopping and lodging recommendations visit outindurham.com.

NC PrideFest officially begins on Saturday, September 29^th with the NC Pride Parade. However, Pride events begin on Wednesday, September 26^th and will be ongoing through Sunday, September 27^th.  Check out the full schedule of Pride events in Durham listed below or visit the Durham Community Events Calendar for more happenings in the place where great things happen.

PRIDE: A Weekend of Events

Wednesday, September 26th

8 pm - 11pm   Pride Cocktail Hour w/ Randy Jones of the Village People, Straw Valley Cafe

10pm - 2am    Pre Pride Hip Hop Dance Party, The Bar

Thursday, September 27th

 9pm – 2am     Karaoke Grammy Awards Party, The Bar 

10pm – 2am   Pre pride Celebration, The Pinhook

Friday, September 28th

5pm - 10 pm  Wonderland Pride Awareness, Garage Bar at Motorco 

6pm               Pride Crawl on Ninth Street with Coffee and Desserts, Madhatter's

6pm               Pride Dinner Specials for Pride Crawl, Blue Corn Cafe

7pm               Official Pre Pride Outdoor Dinner, Alivia's

7pm               Pride Happy Hour, West End Wine Bar

8pm               JOAN RIVERS, DPAC-Durham Performing Arts Center

10pm - 2am    Official Pride White Glow Pride Party, The Bar

10pm - 2am    DurtyQueer Dance Party, The Pinhook

10pm - 2am    Big Freedia & Cuntry Kings,  Motorco Music Hall

Saturday, September 29^th

8:30am           NC Pride 5k Phantom Run and Walk

11:00am         Ecumenical Church Service at the Gazebo, Duke University East Campus

11: 55am        NC PRIDE OPENING CEREMONIES, Duke University East Campus

1pm               NC PRIDE PARADE  

2:30pm          Keynote: Randy Jones of the Village People, Festival Stage, Duke East Campus

6pm               Official Pride Outdoor Dinner, Alivia's

2pm - 3am     Official Pride Party, The Bar 

7pm - 4am     Pride Outdoors at Night w/ The Butchies and Team Dresch, The Pinhook 

7pm               Pride Happy Hour, West End Wine Bar

8pm - 4am      Official Garage Pride Dance Party w/None One and Beat Report, The Garage at Motorco

8pm - 4am      DUB Destruction:Anteserum Dance Party, Motorco

Sunday, September 30^th

1:15pm           Pride Lunch and Hang Out, Madhatter Cafe

2pm               Post Pride Coffee, Straw Valley Cafe

3pm               Outdoor Beachside Concert & Cookout, The Bar

Unity in The Community Outdoor Music Festival In Durham This Year

Among the many things happening in Durham this coming weekend, and there are so many a special web page was built to help folks keep track, is Unity in the Community Day which will be at NCCU on Saturday.

Radio One Raleigh, The Light 103.9FM, Novartis, McDonalds and Elli Lilly present the 2012 Unity in The Community Outdoor Music Festival and Yolanda Adams Health and Lifestyle Tour. This free event will take place Saturday September 15th from 11am to 6pm on Lawson Street on the campus of North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC.

Unity in the Community is currently in its 10th year and is full of events for the entire family. The day-long musical festival will feature child ID kits, face-painting, a kids’ zone with inflatable rides, vendors and the opportunity to meet gospel singer Yolanda Adams as part of the Yolanda Adams Health and Lifestyle Tour. Attendees will be able to receive health education and free medical screenings such blood pressure, cholesterol, HIV/AIDS screening and more.

As always, Unity in the Community will feature various live gospel performances. This year’s event will have performances by Byron Cage, Maurette Brown- Clark, Veronica Pertrucci, Jonathon McReynolds, Jason Nelson, Damita Haddon, J.J. Hairston and Earl Bynum. Attendees will also be treated to performances by NCCU’s Pep Band and cheerleaders.

The Light 103.9FM originally created Unity in the Community to honor service men and women throughout the Triangle and surrounding areas. The event has since grown to be a fun-filled day for the entire family.

Durham is always alive with events and happenings.  Keep track of them all with the Durham Event Calendar.

CenterFest is Back!

Centerfest, the longest running outdoor arts festival in NC, is back this year with a new format, lots of great ways to get into the event (many of which are new), and five stages worth of activity.

Below is the complete schedule of events so those planning to attend can make preparations to fit in all the things they'd like to see and do.  Coupled with the big weekend happening in Durham September 14-16, there won't be a dull moment anywhere.

CenterFest 2012 Schedule of Events

5 Points Stage
Saturday
10:00 AM - Dave Strausfeld
11:00 AM - Wildflower Duo
12:00 PM - Nina's Dance-Flash Mob
1:00 PM - Mr. Rainbow the Clown
4:00 PM - Tom V
5:00 PM - Nina's Dance-Flash Mob
Sunday
11:00 AM - Joanne Anderson
12:00 PM - Dackel
1:00 PM - Mr. Rainbow the Clown

Beer Garden Stage
Saturday
10:00 AM - Bernie Petteway Trio
11:00 AM - Emily Musolino
12:00 PM - Joe Woodson & the Bean Trees
1:00 PM - Jasme' Kelly
2:00 PM - Skeedaddle
3:00 PM - Willie Painter Band
4:05 PM - Black Dog Syndrome
5:10 PM - Justin Johnson
Sunday
11:00 AM - Shawn Deena
11:45 AM - Nixon, Blevins & Gage
12:40 PM - Polka Plus Band
1:35 PM - Eric and the DiMarzios
2:30 PM - Bruce Piephoff & Scott Sawyer
3:25 PM - Will McBride Group
4:20 PM - Joe Bell and the Stinging Blades

CCB Plaza Dance Stage
Saturday
10:00 AM - Bellan Contemporary Dance Theatre
11:00 AM - Sunny Performing Arts Group
12:00 PM - Footnotes Tap Ensemble
1:00 PM - Ravin Street Dancers
2:20 PM - Bulltown Strutters
3:50 PM - Flamenco Carolina
4:50 PM - NC Youth Tap Ensemble
Sunday
11:00 AM - Encore Academy of Dance
12:00 PM - Faulkner's Dance & Gymnastics
1:00 PM - Little River Cloggers
2:25 PM - Natyarpana School of Dance & Music
3:35 PM - Bouncing Bulldogs

CCB Plaza Main Music Stage
Saturday
10:20 AM - Durham Choral Choraleers
11:20 AM - Durham Jazz Orchestra
12:20 PM - Gospel Inspirations
1:20 PM - Peter Lamb & the Wolves
2:50 PM - Casablanca Orchestra
4:10 PM - Thelonious
5:10 PM - LiLa
Sunday
11:20 AM - Durham Community Concert Band
12:20 PM - Freylach Time Klezmer Band
1:25 PM - Jo Gore and the Alternative
2:50 PM - Regatta 69
4:00 PM - The Gravy Boys

Kids Zone/Songwriters Co-Op of NC Stage
Saturday
10:00 AM - Winifred Garrett and the WG Pearson Harp Ensemble
10:45 AM - Michael Daughtry - NCSC
12:00 PM - Cultural Presents on India
1:15 PM - Ace & T-Bone - NCSC
2:30 PM - Shaun Jay Magic
3:45 PM - Libby Haynes - NCSC
5:00 PM - Brooke McBride - NCSC
Sunday
11:00 AM - David Bultman - NCSC
11:35 AM - Mary Rocap - NCSC
12:20 PM - Anna Rose Beck - NCSC
1:05 PM - Pete Leary - NCSC
1:50 PM - Dawn Michelle Williams
2:40 PM - Durham Ukulele Orchestra
3:30 PM - Rebekah Todd - NCSC
4:20 PM - Joseph North - NCSC

Learn more about Durham, NC all year long online.

A Great Weekend in Durham

Marketing is a job that never rests and takes on any form imaginable – destination marketing is no different.  Sometimes the best marketing is simply showcasing all the things that are happening organically, and Durham, NC most certainly seems to be that place for the weekend of September 14-16.

Durham is a diverse and welcoming community located within a day’s drive or an hour flight for more than half the population of the US. Coming up in mid-September there will be a weekend with so many reasons to visit that the organization responsible for marketing the place, the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) is making a full-court press effort to ensure that everyone is aware.

DCVB has built a website to help people see all that is happening on this weekend, as well as give them easy access to the services and information they would need to plan a visit and enjoy several events. “Travel decisions are far more spontaneous than they used to be, so we’re doing our best to ensure that potential visitors have access to the information they need to decide to make Durham their destination,” said Sam Poley, DCVB’s Director of Marketing and Communications.

The organization is also using its social media channels on Facebook and Twitter to push out information about the weekend, as well as an email blast to thousands of interested people. “The email is a great resource and it’s linked to all the online tools we have that make Durham an easy choice for visitation,” Poley added. “Getting here is a breeze, staying here is a blast, and with a line up like we’ve got from September 14-16, we’re betting that getting people to go home will be our biggest challenge.”

Among the events upcoming are CenterFest, the longest running outdoor arts festival in NC which has undergone a major overhaul to make it more exciting and engaging, a concert by gospel superstar and Durham native John P. Kee, the Bull City Gridiron Classic which is a football game between Durham’s two university teams from Duke and NC Central, and much more.

Visit Durham online, and also see the website just for the weekend of September 14-16 to make planning that visit easier.