Durham Magazine

09/03/2026

🎉 Your Labor Day Weekend Editors' Picks are here!

And this one's stacked. Gary Clark Jr brings his Grammy-winning guitar work to DPAC, Melissa Etheridge celebrates her 17th studio album, "Rise" at the The Carolina Theatre of Durham, and Durham Central Park's free Playlist series welcomes Africa Unplugged for a night of West African rhythm and soul.

Want something hands-on? Design your own metal casting with Liberty Arts and The Glass Jug at Hot Metal Cold B**r, glide across Falls Lake surrounded by glowing lights with Two Sisters Adventure Company, or walk the grounds at Duke Homestead State Historic Site for a look at the laborers behind NC's to***co history. Beats n Bars celebrates 10 years with the Labor of Love Fest at The Fruit - Durham Fruit & Produce Co, and Bricks & Minifigs Durham throws a Lego-lover's bash for its second anniversary.

And that's just the start – see our full list of Editors' Picks for even more ways to spend the long weekend. 👇🎉

From annual festivals to fundraisers and more, read on for everything fun you can eat, drink and do in Durham this weekend.

09/02/2026

🌙 There's a 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒏 on the rise 🌙

September is finally here, which means we’re just over a week away from the release of Sylvan Esso's new record, “Ow ∞,” and a little more than a month away from Good Moon taking over Downtown. 🎶✨

Durham-based duo Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn have created far more than a band – they’ve built a creative ecosystem firmly grounded in experimentation and collaboration, all within a city they intentionally call home. 🪩🌃

So what makes Durham worth staying for? How has the city’s music scene progressed? Why does Good Moon keep evolving? And what can you expect when this year’s festival brings the talents of Tyler Childers, LEENALCHI 이날치, Meshell Ndegeocello, MJ Lenderman, Rodrigo Amarante, Aja Monet and so many others to the Bull City? 👀🔥

We talked with Amelia and Nick about all of that – plus “Ow ∞,” which the pair wrote and recorded over several years at their studio, Betty’s. The result? An album born from disruption, reinvention and a desire to shake things up. ⏺️🎙️

So, mark your calendar:
🎧 “Ow ∞” drops Sept. 11;
🌕 Good Moon Festival runs Oct. 8-10 at venues across downtown, including DPAC, American To***co Campus, The Pinhook and BOOM Club.

And read our full conversation with the duo here. 👇

Sylvan Esso discuss Durham’s artistry, October’s Good Moon Festival and the cathartic energy of their new album

09/01/2026

🚨 𝑩𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑭𝑶𝑶𝑫𝑰𝑬 𝑵𝑬𝑾𝑺 🚨

Durham native Alex Catotti is coming home. After working in some of the country’s most acclaimed kitchens, including Chicago’s three-Michelin-starred Smyth, the chef returns to the Bull City with his wife and business partner, pastry chef Erin Kobler, to open two new concepts near downtown. ❤️🍽️

📍Coming spring 2027 to 949 Washington St.:

🍽️ Restaurant Cornelia, a fine-dining destination featuring a seasonal, rotating tasting menu centered on local ingredients, fermentation and preservation.

🥐🍷 The Vintner & The Baker, a coffee shop and bakery by day that transforms into a full-service w**e bar with small plates by night.

There’s plenty of history behind the project. alex_catotti got his start in the local culinary scene training under chef Scott Howell at Nana’s before heading west and eventually spending nearly a decade in Chicago's fine-dining world. 🏙️ Erin Kobler's impressive résumé includes her most recent stint as executive pastry chef at Chicago’s Sepia and Proxi, where she led the pastry program at the Michelin-starred Sepia. ⭐️

Now, the pair is showcasing their combined experience with menus inspired by the farmers, fishers and ranchers of North Carolina and the American South, and a name that sweetly nods to the Chicago street where the couple shared their first home together. 🏡🌾🐟

"Durham has always had a storied restaurant history and a community of genuinely passionate growers and eaters," Alex says. "I've wanted to be part of that story for a long time, and I knew that when I was ready, I wanted to bring back everything I've learned working alongside some of the world's best chefs. With the bounty of what’s around us, we believe we have everything we need for a world-class table. Erin and I can't wait to share this next chapter with the community that started it all for me as a chef.”

We’ll raise a glass to that. 🥂

📸 courtesy Restaurant Cornelia & Erin Kobler

08/28/2026

Two Durham duos debut new creative ventures this fall, one showcasing the art of screen printing and one built for the communal experience of the silver screen.

At Durm Studio, former Runaway collaborators Gabriel Eng-Goetz and Michael Brannon bring retail and screen printing together under one roof. Shoppers can browse apparel, accessories and home goods while watching custom merch come to life just steps away. 👕🎨🧢 Durm Studio is giving back, too, pledging 5% of its annual profits to the DPS Foundation. 💙

Meanwhile, Skin And Bones Theater – the brainchild of Shadowbox Studio's Alex Maness and Jim Haverkamp – is turning a century-old former department store into a 70-seat independent cinema and performance space, complete with a retractable screen, stage, courtyard and lounge. 🎥🍿

Both spaces are betting on one thing: Durham’s appetite for artistic, outside-the-box spaces where, as Jim puts it, "anything could happen." ✨

Get the full scoop on these upcoming additions to the Downtown scene! 👇

Two Durham duos debut new creative ventures this fall, one showcasing the art of screen printing and one built for the communal experience of the silver screen

08/27/2026

Let the good times roll! 🍣

Katsushi RTP is now open on the upper level of Boxyard at Hub RTP, the latest concept from Raleigh restaurateur Anthony Rapillo of Layla’s Son Hospitality and Bravo Top Chef alum Katsuji Tanabe.

We tried the hand rolls – spicy tuna, passion fruit shrimp and salmon – and salmon poke bowls loaded with warm rice, macaroni salad, tobiko, nori, seaweed salad and spicy mayo, paired with refreshing coconut Thai iced tea spiked with rum and a yuzu lemonade to wash it all down. 🐟🍚🍹

Order at the walk-up bar and grab a seat nearby for a quick, fresh Japanese-inspired meal.

📍 900 Park Offices Dr.
⏰ Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

08/21/2026

✨𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜. 🎨🎶🔥

Third Friday Durham is when Downtown turns into one big, walkable celebration of creativity – with free art, exhibit openings, live music, performances, pop-up installations and plenty of unexpected moments along the way. 🎭🖌️🎧 There's always something new to discover as you gallery hop from Golden Belt Campus to Brightleaf Square to the DIY District. ❤️🐂

And 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 Friday is extra special. 🎉 The Scrap Exchange is celebrating 𝟯𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 with a party at CCB Plaza featuring a giant Mongo puppet – the organization’s beloved blue mascot, brought to life by Tarish Pipkins of Jeghetto's Entertainment, LLC – live music from singer-songwriter Emma Jane Livingston, a dance party with DJ Marrs, birthday treats and so, so much more! 🥳♻️💙

Ready to explore? 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗺! 👀👇

Experience the energy of Third Fridays in Durham, where free art, live music, performances and creative displays fill downtown’s streets

08/20/2026

🎉 𝟏𝟎 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄! 🤩

From a single monthly comedy show in a residential garage to a 1,600-square-foot theater at Golden Belt Campus, Mettlesome has spent the past decade proving that persistence – and a whole lot of ambition – can build something truly special. ❤️

Now celebrating 10 years of bringing “the best damn comedy in the South” to the Bull City, the collective is marking the milestone with 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘀, 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟳𝟬+ 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 from local favorites, regional comedy groups, visiting acts and 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 special guests. 🚀😂

The anniversary bash runs 𝗔𝘂𝗴. 𝟮𝟬-𝟮𝟮 and 𝗔𝘂𝗴. 𝟮𝟳-𝟮𝟵, with shows, workshops, and plenty of opportunities to celebrate the performers, students and community members who have helped Mettlesome grow along the way. 🎭✨

“There are people who have been here for the whole journey,” says founder Ashley Melzer. “It’s a beautiful thing to see [them still here] and [to see] so many new people both finding their way to comedy and to one another.”

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝟭𝟬𝘁𝗵, 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲! 🥳👏

📸 by John Michael Simpson

08/18/2026

Shh! It's a secret! 🤫

Prohibition-style speakeasy Red Phone Booth - Durham celebrated its grand opening Friday, Aug. 14, bringing its intimate, vintage-inspired concept to the Bull City alongside locations in Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, Miami and Tampa.

Here's how it works: Score the secret nightly code, then dial it into the antique rotary phone tucked inside the restored London phone booth. The panel swings open to a candlelit cigar lounge with a honey onyx cocktail bar, hand-painted ceilings and plush Italian leather seating.

And yes, you read that right – smoking is allowed inside, thanks to special air scrubbers that cycle the air more than 30 times an hour.

Try the signature smoked old-fashioned paired it with a true Neapolitan pizza, blistered at 900 degrees.

Membership isn't required for entry, but it unlocks perks like priority seating and members-only tastings. An enforced dress code requires upscale attire to match the 1920s theme – think pressed collared shirts, sports coats, stylish jumpsuits and other cocktail attire.

Ready to crack the code? 📞😏

📍125 W. Orange St.

08/07/2026

✨ 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒊𝒏 𝑫𝒖𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒎? ✨

Step inside four of the Bull City's best recently opened businesses, each bringing fresh ideas to hospitality, retail and personal care. 🤝

From the welcoming crew at Steelo Salon 💇‍♀️ to the community-minded owners of Nanny Goat Market 🐐, the creative duo behind Primrose Bar and Lounge 🍸 and the mission-driven team Gameday Men's Health 🩺, these businesses are making their mark on Durham.

Meet the entrepreneurs behind the ventures at the 🔗 below.

Meet the entrepreneurs behind new businesses in Durham, including a salon, neighborhood market, cocktail bar and men's health clinic