Durham Parks and Recreation: Play More!

By: Cynthia Booth, Senior Public Affairs Analyst Out with the old, and in with the new! The playground at Burton Park, located at 1501 Sima Ave, is only a few weeks away from installation of a new structure, designed and chosen by the Durham community! Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and KABOOM! are working together to increase access to play with the creation of a new playspace at Burton Park. The new playground will provide hundreds of kids access to a safe, high-quality place to play. In February, kids from the Durham community participated in Design Day, an event where they presented drawings of their dream neighborhood playground. Their creative ideas served as inspiration for the actual Burton Park playspace design, which includes a variety of swings, multiple slides, and inclusive play panel elements. Check out pictures on the DPR Facebook page from Design Day! The project partners, along with 250 local vo...

By: Caitlin Sasse, Recreation Coordinator for Outdoor Recreation and City Lakes Ever been to a Bioblitz!? A bioblitz is a community science initiative to help catalog the biodiversity of a local area in a short period of time. Now's your chance to get out and explore nature at the Durham Bioblitz beginning Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 8! This is a great way to connect with your environment while generating useful data for science and conservation while having fun! This week of nature exploration is brought to you by an amazing partnership of organizations led by Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association and including the Eno River Association, Keep Durham Beautiful, NC Museum of Life and Science, Merrick-Moore Community Development Corporation and many more! In partnership with Eno River Association, Durham Parks and Recreation is hosting Bioblitz on the Eno on Friday, May 6 at the Environmental Education Pavilion at West Point on the Eno starting at 5 p.m. Join us for a hike (...

Do you know what day April 22 is!? It's National Volunteer Appreciation Day! We're taking this day to say T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U to the hundreds of residents and community members that have volunteered their time to serve with Durham Parks and Recreation over the years! So what impact do volunteers really have on our organization!? Let's take a look back our volunteer statistics from since 2020! Being two years that had limited program operation, Durham's residents contributed 1,649 hours of volunteering in by completing park and trail clean-up projects in Durham's parks and on over 31 miles of trails and greenways. This service is valued at a total of $42,841! And let's not forget the 9,534 hours of assistance volunteering at a variety of DPR programs and events! From athletic coaches to special event ambassadors, we were supported by 1,108 volunteers. That's a total value of $247,598! You see, we rely on our volunteers to help make programs and projects possible!...

Did you know that Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR) is responsible for the maintenance of 31 miles of trails throughout the City!? From Stadium Drive Trail and Third Fork Creek Trail to Sandy Creek Trail and Rocky Creek Trail, these multi-use trails are free and accessible to the community, providing opportunities for residents to recreate and exercise. In 2017, DPR completed a Trail Condition Assessment to review general conditions of the City’s trail network and compliance with American with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. The assessment focused on identifying trails that were in the worst and most dangerous condition, specifically those that have received little to no investment from the City for resurfacing and those located in historically disadvantaged communities. Beginning Spring 2022, several of Durham's trails will be receiving some much-needed repair work to ensure residents can enjoy their walks, runs, and bike rides safely. The Department of Public Works (DPW) is pa...

Who's ready to Go Green and celebrate our planet!? Folks of all ages are invited to join us for the 2022 Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 24 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Durham Central Park. Enjoy a day filled with an eclectic mix of music, food, hands-on environmental education activities and much more! All activities are free with the exception of food and Earth Day Market goods available for purchase. If the forecast is predicting a rain shower, bring an umbrella, because this event is rain or shine! You'll want to plan out your day accordingly because we have more than enough activities and programs for you to enjoy! Festival goers will be able to explore local goods, crafts and resources at the Earth Day Market. Swing by the Way to Go Durham's Sustainable Transportation Expo to see GoDurham’s new electric bus and learn how to maneuver a bike on and off the bus’s bike rack! You can also take a test ride on an electric-assist bike or scooter! And the kids are sure to hav...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator Undoubtedly, at some point in the last couple of years, you have seen a tennis court with new (and maybe strange) markings or players walking around with distinctive looking racquets. And you probably have wondered what kind of game is played on the smaller court with a shorter handle racquet. Welcome to pickleball! Pickleball is a sport that combines many components of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. It can be played indoors or out, with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes. In 2020 a group of enthusiastic players formed the Durham Area Pickleball Players (DAPP) to help spread their love of the sport. They have volunteered hundreds of hours to assist with the many Durham Parks and Recreation pickleball programs, tournaments, clinics and ladders held in the last two years. Today, there are nearly 500 players in the Durham area, largely due to their commitment to grow the sport. Additionally, the group has raised over $10,000 towards the install...

Calling all of Durham's Bike Enthusiasts! Discover the American Tobacco Trail at night at our Full Moon Fever Bike Ride with the Durham Community Trail Watch group! Join us once a month on or around the predicted Full Moon for a unique bike riding experience. The ride has two starting times and locations to choose from. The first ride start is at 7:30 p.m. in front of Mellow Mushroom (410 Blackwell Street) in downtown Durham. That group will ride down the American Tobacco Trail and meet up with the second group that meets at 8:30 p.m. in front of Bean Traders (105 W North Carolina 54). This ride is approximately 32 miles. The second group will meet at 8:30 p.m. in front of Bean Traders (105 W North Carolina 54) on Hwy 54 at Fayetteville Street, and ride to the New Hope Church Road Trailhead, and then turn around. This ride is approximately 16 miles. Both groups will ride together on the American Tobacco Trail to the end of the pavement at New Hope Church Road, and then turn around ...

Get your baskets in the ready position because it's time for our annual Egg Hunts! Mr. Bunny is on his way for a visit to Durham Parks and Recreation's facilities and parks, hiding eggs for children 12 and under to find. Reminder, don't forget to bring your own basket for collecting eggs! Make sure you mark your calendar for some FREE family friendly (and canine friendly) events taking place this April! Spring Egg Dive @ Campus Hills Pool | Saturday, April 2 from 1 p.m to 5 p.m. It's an Eggstravaganza! Dive, splash, and swim for eggs and win prizes at our Spring Egg Dive event. All swim levels are welcome and life vests will be provided. An adult will need to enter the water with children 9 years of age and younger. Registration required. Sign up on ActiveNet. Egg Hunt @ West Point on the Eno | Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to Noon Egg hunters wanted at our 35th Annual Egg Hunt at West Point on the Eno. Children 0-12 will be divided into groups according to their age f...