CLICK TO SEE SKYWATCHING SESSIONS, FREE EVENTS AT FOUR LOCAL STATE PARKS, AND DPR OUTDOOR EVENTS.
National Bike Month
May is National Bike Month, and was started way back in 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists as a way to showcase the benefits of bicycling and to encourage more people to try it out. As always, Bike Durham has planned a variety of special events for beginner and veteran bicyclists to safely enjoy together.
Here are some National Bike Month events for bicyclists in the Durham area:
Bull City Futsal
Young people currently in grades 2 to 5 who want to learn the game of futsal, a smaller-court version of soccer, are invited to register for Bull City Futsal’s Summer 2021 Elementary School Academy. Six skill sessions and three games will take place in Sherwood Park (1720 Cheek Rd) on Sundays starting June 20. Click here for more info and to sign up for this free program.
Young people currently in grades 6 to 8 who want to learn the game of futsal, a smaller-court version of soccer, are invited to register for Bull City Futsal’s Summer 2021 Middle School Academy. Six skill sessions and three games will take place in Sherwood Park (1720 Cheek Rd) on Sundays starting June 20. Click here for more info and to sign up for this free program. High school students who want to learn the game of futsal, a smaller-court version of soccer, are invited to register for Bull City Futsal’s Summer 2021 Middle School Academy. Six skill sessions and three games will take place in Sherwood Park (1720 Cheek Rd) on Sundays starting June 20. Click here for more info and to sign up for this free program. Durham Senior Games
Here’s the schedule for Durham Parks and Recreation’s Durham Senior Games. You’ll have to have registered to participate, but there’s no charge for attending as a spectator:
Running on Saturday mornings
The Bull City Running Co will host the Saturday Morning RunClub from 8 to 10am; runners are encouraged to meet at either store (501 Washington St or 202 W Hwy 54). Participants of all ages and running at all paces are welcome to join in, and they can choose routes of 3 to 10+ miles. Be ready to wear a face covering before and after the run and whenever you’re at least 6 feet away from other people. Visit the Facebook event page for more info.
Play (soft)ball!
Durham Softball games will be played on Sunday afternoons in Pineywood Park (5999 Woodlake Dr). Admission is free for these fun outdoor games, and donations from the fans help the following local nonprofit partners (teams).
Here’s the game schedule for Sunday, May 16:
Here’s the game schedule for Sunday, May 23:
Click here for more info and to sign up for the Durham Softball newsletter, which contains the full schedule. Lake Michie and Little River
There’s a lottery in place to limit access to Lake Michie (2802 Bahama Rd, in Bahama) and Little River (301 Little River Park Way, in Rougemont) in order to protect visitors by encouraging social distancing. Face masks are required for those times you encounter others at a relatively short distance.
Right now Lake Michie is open (Friday–Monday, 6:30am–6pm) for personal (nonmotorized) boat launches and fishing on the banks of the lake. Canoe and kayak (car-top) owners are first-come, first-served; visitors with trailered canoes and kayaks are the ones who have to go through the lottery system. If you have a personal motorized boat, you’ll also have to get a permit through a lottery system. Boat rentals aren’t available at this time. Little River is only open (Friday–Monday, 6:30am–6pm) for bank fishing, and permits will be required through a lottery system. Boat rentals aren’t available at this time. Lotteries will run from noon to 6pm the day before you plan to launch your boat or go bank fishing. Text “LM Launch” to 31996 to be entered for a personal motorized boat launch permit at Lake Michie, or text “LR Bank Fish” to 31996 to be entered for a bank fishing permit at Little River Lake. Permit winners will be notified via text as soon as the lottery closes at 6pm. Fitness and fun
Many of us who enjoy the outdoors and also Durham Parks and Recreation’s indoor and outdoor programs and features. While the pandemic has caused the closure of most DPR facilities since March, some programs are accepting participants while practicing social distancing and heightened cleanliness routines.
Here’s what’s open right now:
Outdoor events where people are ordinarily close to one another are limited to 50. Users of park facilities and features are required to maintain social distancing (6 feet) and to have face masks on hand in case they encounter other people in the same space. UPCOMING FUN ACTIVITIES AT DPR. Sign up for programs online first by opening an ActiveNet account: Click here to get the ball rolling (be sure to note the activity code(s)):
Design your own walking tours
Here’s a fun page from the OLLI at Duke’s online Learning for Life calendar (OLLI is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute). It comes in handy for people who are tired of being cooped up and want to go out and get some exercise and see things of interest.
Near the top of the page (on the left-hand side) is a link for touring famous museums from around the world, such as the Guggenheim, the Louvre, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Continue down the page and see three presentations that “street historian” John Schelp put together centered on the vintage local postcards from his collection. The presentations can serve as the basis for your own walking or biking tours where you can learn so much about Durham’s rich history. Part 1 covers West Durham, Duke University, and Erwin Mills; Part 2 covers Watts Hospital, Christian’s Mill, and part of downtown; and Part 3 covers parts of downtown, Hayti, North Carolina Central University, and the beginnings of Research Triangle Park. Enjoy your time outdoors! Learn new coping skills
Dr Tiffany Hopkins, a clinical psychologist at UNC–Chapel Hill, is uploading daily videos to her new 5 Minute Coping Skills YouTube channel. Visit when you start to feel stressed and learn coping techniques like Paced Breathing and Sensory Awareness. Visit Dr Hopkins’ channel here and subscribe so that you can add her short, helpful videos to your daily routine.
Durham NC parkrun
If you like to run for fun, join Durham NC parkrun. Once you register, you can take part in timed 5k runs on Saturdays starting at 8am in Southern Boundaries Park (100 Third Fork Dr). Print out your barcode from the website so the officials can give you your time. Check out the course here, and click here to sign up/print out your barcode. It’s free; click here to see typical questions asked of the volunteer organizers (or simply write to durhamnchelpers@parkrun.com with your questions. Some of the runners relax after the weekly run at Foster’s Market in Durham (2694 Durham–Chapel Hill Blvd (aka Hwy 15-501))—if you have the time, feel free to join them.
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Did you know that Durham Parks and Recreation has a Weather Line at 919-560-4636? If you’re planning to attend a DPR event and the weather’s iffy, just call the DPR Weather Line or visit their Facebook page to see whether the event has been cancelled.
Sign up for programs online first by opening an ActiveNet account: Click here to get the ball rolling. |