Durham Parks and Recreation: Play More!

Kick off the holiday season at the Durham Holiday Parade and Fun Fest on Saturday, December 8, 2018 starting at 10 a.m.! Join us for the Holiday Parade as dynamic floats, hometown bands, drill teams, schools and community groups make their way down Main Street. The parade will conclude with a special guest appearance by Santa.  Seating will not be provided. Spectators are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets. Designated performance areas will be located near the following intersections: Mangum and Main streets, Chapel Hill and Main streets, and Duke and Main streets.The parade will start at the Health Department (Main and Dillard Streets) and end near Duke University East Campus (Main Street and Buchanan Boulevard). Temporary restroom stations will be located near the following intersections: S. Elizabeth/Commerce and Main streets, Chapel Hill and Main streets, and Duke and Main streets. Please note: There will be no parking on Main Street on December 8 beginnin...

Happy Thanksgiving from the Durham Parks Foundation! The Durham Parks Foundation is grateful to our city and county government departments that maintain and create programs for over 70 parks, trails, greenways and recreation centers in Durham. They ensure we have safe, innovative, fun spaces to #PlayMore! You may say: Our taxes support these efforts - so why do we need a parks foundation, anyway!? Well, because there are parks systems, and then there are Parks Systems! Those that enhance the day to day infrastructure of how we live, often without our notice. Those that create safe and vibrant spaces that we all feel like we belong to. Those that become a reason why we live where we do, in a community connected by green spaces and healthy activity. As is true of many municipal departments, the staff who steward our parks system are constrained by many asterisks: Half-penny tax money can only be used on maintenance and infrastructure.Federal dollars requested this year are for proje...

Looking for a way to get involved in your community? Sign up to volunteer with Durham Parks and Recreation! We rely strongly on our amazing volunteer base to help provide programs and services to the residents and visitors of Durham. Our volunteer opportunities fall into a few categories including Special Events, Specialized Skills, Tutors/Mentors, Internships/Practicums, Service and Durham Community Trail Watch. For detailed information on each of these areas of volunteering, visit our website . Enjoy sports and teaching youth? Our Athletics Department is in need of a few great coaches who are willing to invest in the next generation! Several of our athletic programs rely on volunteer assistance including Little Tykes Basketball and Soccer, Co-Ed Soccer Academy, Junior Team Tennis, Durham Girls Soccer and more! If you are a group or organization looking to partner with DPR on a special project, we have plenty of ways you can help keep our parks and trails clean and attractive. Che...

By: Matthew Sprouse, Senior Aquatics Specialist at Campus Hills Pool Once a year at Campus Hills Pool, Durham Parks and Recreation puts on a unique and challenging event for those willing to take on a challenge of craftsmanship and creativity. The Cardboard Boat Race has participants construct a boat of only two supplies: cardboard and duct tape and then see how far across the twenty-five yard pool a boat can last. Two participants between the ages of 6 and 15 are given canoe paddles to power their boat across the pool. Awards are given out for the event for the boat that makes it across the quickest with the participants still above the water. Prizes are also given out for the most creatively-designed boat, the pair that shows the best teamwork, and even an award for the boat that sinks the quickest after being pushed off (the Titanic award). This year, the event will be held at Campus Hills Pool from 3pm-5pm on Saturday, November 17. Only one participant needs to register for...

The Durham Girls Soccer League fall season is underway! With over 240 participants in three different age groups, the league has been growing every season! All girls ages 6 to 13 years old are welcome to sign up for both the fall and spring leagues. Games are held on Saturdays and there is a one-hour practice each week. Registration for the spring season began on October 10, so if you, or a friend, are interested, please contact Frank Sidoti or visit our website for more information! The season will begin the weekend of March 16, 2019. Stay tuned to our website for the game schedule and other important details coming soon. Interested in volunteering? The Durham Girls Soccer League is looking for volunteer head coaches and assistant coaches for the fall and spring! Please fill out the Volunteer Application Form  and an Athletics staff member will be in touch. Not quite sure if volunteering is for you? Learn more about the rewarding opportunities you can experience in...

Durham Parks and Recreation is proud to offer a wide array of mature adult programs ranging from fitness and social programs to outings and trips. Our programs are geared towards the 55 and better age group. While some of our programs have fees associated with participating, several of them do not cost participants anything if they have a Play More Card. Recent Trips On Friday, September 7, 2018, the Mature Adults boarded a bus to visit Tweetsie Railroad in Cherokee, NC. They all said it was like a “second child-hood” that day! They went to Wild-West shows, Diamond Lil’s Can-Can Revue, Country Clogging Jamboree, magic shows, Hopper and Porter’s Musical Celebration, and rode the train as much a possible! The day would not be complete without visiting some souvenir shops and enjoying lots of delicious food. Below is a picture of the Llama they met at the petting zoo as well as a close up of the train. Activity Highlight Every Tuesday, the Mature Adults meet at Walltown Pa...

Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Beyond Fences have teamed up once again to organize Durham’s most popular canine bonanza, Barktoberfest! On Saturday, October 27, 2018, the Durham community and their four-legged friends, can come and partake in the festivities at Durham Central Park located at 501 Foster Street, from 2:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. The event will begin immediately following the Durham Farmer’s Market, which takes place at Durham Central Park every Saturday morning. There will be food, fun, and fur-babies galore! Barktoberfest 2018 aims to encourage solidarity within the pet-lovers of Durham. Businesses and community members alike have the opportunity to share their passions through art, neighborhood involvement, music, pet health, games, activities, and socialization.  DPR continues to support and admire the work of our non-profit partner, Beyond Fences, as they faithfully serve our town through several proactive methods. Their fence program provides...

Art is a powerful way to express yourself! At the Holton Career & Resource Center, teens were given the opportunity to be creative and express themselves through wall art. They were able to turn their plain teen room into something spectacular - turning the room into a space of their own. All teens who attended the Holton summer camp were welcomed to participate and be a part of leaving a lasting impression for years to come. Teen campers worked on the project with local Durham artist, LA Chesson. They came up with the design concept and helped create the mural along the way. The design signifies their love for the City of Durham while also allowing each camper to add something personal to the mural. Under Chesson's guidance, the campers worked on the mural for a total of 9 weeks over the summer. Below are some pictures of the teens starting the background layer on the wall and then the final product. If you have not heard, Holton Career & Resource Center is now one...