Durham Parks and Recreation: Play More!

We're about midway through the season of youth co-ed individual basketball league and the competition has been nothing but fierce on the court. Between practices and games, it has been a busy 2018-2019 season. Youth between the ages of 5 and 12 have the opportunity to join a team and play basketball during the Fall. Practices and games, both lasting about one hour, are held on Saturday mornings as well as some weekdays, depending on your team schedule. The games are played at Walltown Park Recreation Center, Edison Johnson Recreation Center, Community Family Life and Recreation Center at Lyon Park, W.D. Hill Recreation Center and Holton Career & Resource Center. Throughout the season,  Want to know more about the practices and game rules? Check out this Parent Information Sheet which goes into detail on rules for each age group, cancellation line, winter weather details, and more. You can also check in on the season standings and game results on our website by click...

By: Michael Honeycutt Excitement and anticipation is growing among Durham’s Mature Adults for the 2019 Durham Senior Games & SilverArts. Persons 50 years and better have the opportunity to participate in sports, arts and social activities as well as meeting new friends and renewing old friendships. This program is sanctioned by North Carolina Senior Games, Inc. (NCSG) and is sponsored statewide by the North Carolina Division of Aging. This annual event, which begins Monday, April 15, provides Mature Adults the opportunity to compete in a host of athletic and artistic activities in various locations around Durham. More than thirty sporting events and twenty art forms are available. Athletic events in Durham Senior Games include: basketball, track and field, bowling, swimming, cornhole, cycling, golf, horseshoes, badminton, billiards, table tennis, shuffleboard, croquet, pickleball, and bocce. For those wishing to showcase their artistic endeavors, the Silver Arts ...

Did you know that DPR now has 4 dog parks for dogs to enjoy off-leash play!? Piney Wood Dog Park, Northgate Dog Park, the Downtown Dog Park (on the corner of Roxboro and Elliott Streets), and our newest dog park, the PetsSafe® Dog Park located at Duke Park. Each park has a large and small dog area,waste bag dispensers as well as different additional amenities. The Small Dog areas are meant for dogs who are 15 inches or smaller and 30 pounds and under. The Large Dog areas are meant for dogs who are 15 inches or taller and 30 pounds and over. For those people who have dogs of multiple sizes or dogs that need a neutral space to meet new dogs, Piney Wood Dog Park offers 2 additional areas for dog park participants. The program area offers an open area for group interaction and meetings. This area is available on a first come first serve basis. There is also a large entry area between the front entrance and the large dog area that allows owners to introduce new dogs to each other. Use...

On Saturday, January 12, 2019, the W.D. Hill Recreation Center will be hosting the 8th Annual “MLK: Remembering the Legacy Through the Arts” event from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. at 1308 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC. During this event, the community will get a chance to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy through various forms of art and discussion. The event will include visual art displays from local artists, community discussion, poetry open mic, live performances from groups around the Triangle, and arts and crafts. Attendees will also have the opportunity to talk with a host of community organizations that may interest them. This event is free and open to the public - all ages are welcome to attend. In previous years, this event has featured the North Carolina Central Jazz Department, Stand Up/Speak Out (Poetry), and Empower Dance Studio and was attended by over 250 members of the community. This is an event you definitely do not want to miss out on! Meet fellow members of your co...

DPR Summertime Activites As we reflect on 2018, we have so many accomplishments to be proud of. Being reaccredited through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA), adding the new PetSafe® Dog Park located at Duke Park, the opening of the new Environmental Education Pavilion at West Point on the Eno, and receiving a grant for a new mini pitch surface to be used for soccer and Futsal at East Durham Park are just a few! Moving into 2019, will be a year of celebration! Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR) is turning 95 years old on April 28! Back in 1924 the City Council announced Public Recreation, stating, “it has long been recognized by Council that playgrounds are essential to proper growth and citizenship.” During this year, the first publicly funded playground was built in Durham, and the City started parks and recreation with unofficial summer playgrounds. A study was also headed up by George Watts Hill that recommended development to City ...

With the holiday season upon us, the fun of making gingerbread houses to display (and then eat) is a popular activity for all ages during this time of year. But it's not every day you get to see a Gingerbread Park! The Gercke family, previous Durham residents, found inspiration in our very own Duke Park Playground to build a beautiful and delicious structure out of gingerbread! Emily Gercke and her family of three lived in Durham for almost one year. They are originally from Virginia but moved to Durham following four years in Canada. While they loved their time in Durham, their job has caused them to move around on a frequent basis. Check out our exclusive interview with Emily about their Duke Park Playground Gingerbread house below... What was your inspiration for creating the Duke Park Playground out of gingerbread? Every year around the holidays, we pick a structure that was somehow meaningful to us during the past year and pay homage to it in gingerbread. We'...

It’s official! For the third time, Durham Parks and Recreation is among elite parks and recreation agencies across the country that have earned accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). This distinguished accomplishment was awarded during the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. We were first accredited on October 14, 2008 and became reaccredited on October 7, 2013. This past spring, CAPRA visited DPR to evaluate our agency based on 151 compliance standards including the overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. This mark of distinction indicates that an agency has met rigorous standards related to the management and administration of lands, facilities, resources, programs, safety and services. The City of Durham Parks and Recreation Department met all of the 151 national standards and is 1 among 12 accredited agencies in North ...

You and your canine companion are invited to a night of holiday festivities at Santa Paws 2018! Stop by the Durham Armory, located at 212 Foster Street, on Friday, December 14 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for free activities and attractions! From a chance to meet Santa to a canine ugly sweater contest, this is an event you and your furry friend won't want to miss! Here's a sneak peek at what you'll enjoy at Santa Paws 2018: Pictures with Santa  Canine Ugly Sweater Contest  Canine Food and Toy Drive to help support the APS of Durham  Free raffle for all patrons  The Holiday Pet Market  Arts and crafts for children  Food and beverages by some of Durham’s favorite vendors  Classic holiday music and movies for all to enjoy  Admission and pictures with Santa are free, but don’t forget to help out and bring donations for the Animal Protection Society of Durham. Drive donations will be accepted the day of, but can be dropped off prior to Sant...