CLICK TO SEE SKYWATCHING SESSIONS, FREE EVENTS AT FOUR LOCAL STATE PARKS, AND DPR OUTDOOR EVENTS.
Bike Durham 8-mile ride
Bike Durham will host a Durham TWIG Group Bike Ride on Sunday, July 25, 6pm. TWIG stands for trans, women, intersex, and gender nonconforming, and this ride, led by Christy LaGuardia, is designed to create a safe space for creating comfortable spaces for people who don’t always feel otherwise welcomed. Everyone will meet at the Major the Bull statue in CCB Plaza (at Corcoran, Chapel Hill, and Parrish Sts). Helmets and bike lights are encouraged, and this 8-mile ride will travel at a beginner-level pace on mostly flat roads. There will be a couple of rest stops along the way. Click here to see the route for this free bike ride.
Full Moon Fever Bike Ride
Durham Parks and Recreation’s Full Moon Fever Bike Ride will take place on Saturday, July 24, starting at Mellow Mushroom (410 Blackwell St). Group 1 will head out on the American Tobacco Trail at 7:30pm to meet up with group 2 in front of Bean Traders (105 W NC Hwy 54) at 8:30pm. Everybody will ride down to the New Hope Church Road Trailhead, and will then turn around and head back. You can choose which group to ride with depending on your stamina (group 1 will ride 32 miles and group 2 will ride 16). Helmets and lights are required; take your mask just in case riders end up being within 6 feet of each other. You’ll probably be out until at least 10:30pm. If it rains, the ride will be canceled. No signup is necessary for participating in this free event; click here for more info.
Police Athletic League
The Police Athletic League (PAL, sponsored locally by the Durham Police Department) will hold several fun activities for young people this spring and summer. All activities are free; click here to register.
Coach J’s Sports Camps
RNS Sports and Elevate Health & Fitness are cosponsoring Coach J’s Sports Camp at 2410 Presidential Dr #103—Session 1 will take place Monday July 12–Friday, July 16, and Session 2 Monday, July 19–Friday, July 23, 9am–3:30pm. Boys and girls ages 7 to 14 are invited to have fun and gain skills in multiple sports, including basketball, football, and dodgeball. The fee per session is $160 ($150 if you sign up your child for both). Click here for more info and to register.
Long Ball youth baseball
Opening Day for the Long Ball RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner cities) season will be moved up (due to a rainstorm) to Tuesday, July 13, 6pm, at the Historic Durham Athletic Park (500 W Corporation St). Young men ages 13 to 18 learn how to play top-level, heads-up baseball, and games will be played on fields around town. Free admission; click here for more info and take a look at the season schedule below.
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. Skill sessions and games will take place in Sherwood Park (1720 Cheek Rd) on Sundays starting at 2:15pm. Click here for more info and to sign up for this free program; young people are welcome to sign up at any time..
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 at 2:15pm.. 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 High School Academy. Six skill sessions and three games will take place in Sherwood Park (1720 Cheek Rd) on Sundays starting at 2:15pm.. Click here for more info and to sign up for this free program. Bridge II Sports
news from BRIDGE II SPORTS, 3729 Murphy School Rd, 866-880-2742, bridge2sports.org:
Bridge II Sports is a nonprofit that introduces sports to people with physical disabilities of all ages (kids, adults, and veterans). Have fun and add to your quality of life by participating in the activities they offer in Durham (at their facility except where noted otherwise):
Fall Flag Football season
The Goombay Raleigh-Durham Sports League has announced that the registration period for Non Contact Flag Football will end on Monday, July 12 (the late period will be Tuesday, July 13–Sunday, August 1). Players age 18+ can choose from three leagues—Coed, Ladies’, and Men’s. Each team is expected to pay a fee of $385 (divided among the players), and games will be played in Roberts Park (1300 E Martin St, in Raleigh) beginning in early August. Click here for more info and to register.
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!
The Durham Softball league was set up to raise funds for local nonprofits by hosting games played on Sunday afternoons in Pineywood Park (5999 Woodlake Dr). “Volunteer” softball players represent the various nonprofits and have fun playing the game they love. Admission is free for the spectators, and donations from the fans help the teams.
The Spring Championships are underway. Here’s the schedule for Sunday, June 13: Consolation game:
Championship games:
Click here for more info and to sign up for the Durham Softball newsletter. Players can now sign up (and pay their $60 fees) for the summer season (games will be held from August 22 through November 14). Lake Michie and Little River
Now that things are opening up bit by bit, DPR has announced that the lottery system for visiting Lake Michie and Little River is no longer in effect. They’ll be issuing permits for boat rentals at both spots, motorized boat launches at Lake Michie, and bank fishing at Little River on a first-come, first-served basis. Lake Michie and Little River are open Friday through Monday from 6:30am to 6pm. Click here for fee information and other details.
Fitness and fun
Durham Parks and Recreation reminds us that indoor swimming (lap swims only) is available at Campus Hills and Edison Johnson, and that the outdoor pools at Forest Hills (1639 University Dr) and Long Meadow parks are also open. The swimming pool in Hillside Park (1301 S Roxboro St) needs repairs and will hopefully reopen soon.
Young people age 17 and under need to register first before going alone to any of the swimming pools for open swim. Click here for more info and to register. Here are the operating hours: INDOOR POOLS (lap swims only; reserve a lane first)--free for kids and teens, adults (age 19+) $4, and seniors (age 55+) $3.
OUTDOOR POOLS (recreational/open swim)--free for kids and teens; adults (age 19+) $3, and seniors (age 55+) $2.
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. |