Durham Parks and Recreation: Play More!

Did you know there is a garden at West Point on the Eno? And, with the help of volunteers, we donate 100% of our harvest to local food pantry? Well, we do! It is located behind the McCown-Mangum House. In 2018 we harvested over 300 pounds of fresh produce in the West Point Garden. This is remarkable given we only have 620 square feet of raised beds. While 300 pounds of produce may not sound like too much, consider the pictures on the right. The top picture is 12 pounds of okra, tomatoes (beef steak and roma), eggplant and bush beans harvested on August 8, 2018. The bottom picture is 17 pounds of spinach, turnip and beet greens, green onions, lettuce mix, kale, and radishes harvested on May 10, 2018. This is twenty fiv 1.5 bags of produce. As you can see, 17 pounds of leafy greens and 12 pounds of other veggies is a lot! Staff coordinates these food donations through the Durham Farm and Food Network’s Plant-A-Row program. This program connects gardeners—backyard and communi...

Great things are happening with School Age Care! We’re halfway through the school year, and we have been busy having tons of fun. From celebrating Lights on After School and dancing the day away at our Winter Formal, to making the most of our time during Fall and Winter Intersession, our kids have come to enjoy many new types of programs.  We’ve even introduced “Kids Club”, a monthly themed program that highlights the various components of what makes After School great: Arts and Crafts, Cooking, Sports, S.T.E.M. and Nature! Come out see our new classroom additions that we have been hard at work putting together – we’ve got bean bags and new carpets, toys and puzzles and other fun additions. Our After School program is hosted at six of our Recreation centers across Durham and feature both traditional and year-round options. The program starts at 3 p.m. and lasts until 6 p.m. in the evening. Extended hours occur for early release days. For more information on specific locati...

By: Matthew Sprouse, Senior Aquatics Specialist Lifeguarding is typically considered a summer job for teenagers, but did you know Durham Parks and Recreation employs lifeguards year-round of all ages? Campus Hills Pool and Edison Johnson Aquatic Center operate all year. Even in the middle of winter, the pool is always 84 degrees and open for lap swim, and there are always lifeguards present in case of an emergency. Durham Parks and Recreation is always recruiting, training, and hiring lifeguards to keep pools open and swimmers safe. Part of this recruitment effort is Durham Parks and Recreation’s Durham Aquatic School. For the last 19 years, Durham Parks and Recreation has been holding free American Red Cross Lifeguard Training classes in the early spring to start the process of recruiting staff to work at the pools during the summer when lifeguards are needed most. These training classes, normally a $190 cost, are offered free of charge to anyone with no strings attached. By off...

Whether you are planning a wedding, family reunion or meeting, Durham Parks and Recreation has several facilities options for you to consider renting. Not quite sure which facility is the place for you? Read more about what the The Durham Armory has to offer below.  Overview Located on the corner of Foster and Morgan streets, The Durham Armory is the perfect venue for your next event! The facility features a spacious ballroom/auditorium with an open floor plan that can hold 585 people, without tables chairs. There is also a wrap-around balcony for upper seating for guests, that holds 314 people. For private space to get ready or prep items for your event, there are two smaller capacity rooms, the Birch Room, which holds 20 people, and the Oak Room, which holds 30 people. While the facility is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas day, there are plenty of other dates for you to choose from. Rental times include Sunday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. wit...