Durham Parks and Recreation: Play More!

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...

Don't miss out! Grab the latest copy of the January - May 2019 Play More Guide today! We've 67 pages of activities that the whole family can enjoy. From Kite Fest and Builders Academy to the Seasonal Foraging Hike and Lumberjack Challenge, the Play More Guide is the perfect resource to read about everything we have to offer in the next few months. Interested in a digital copy? Click here to check out the Play More Guide online. Registration for all January - May 2018 activities officially opened up on Saturday, December 1, 2018. If you have an activity in your wish list, such as swim lessons for your kids or spring adult softball for your husband, now is the time to register! Activity spots fill up very fast! What is the Play More Guide? Play More is a guide to creative and challenging recreation choices in Durham and is produced by Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR). Three editions are published throughout the year - June-August, September-December, and January-May. Eac...

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...