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IN THE MARKET

Downtown Durham’s incubator spaces help small businesses find their footing page 38

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HOW CONVENIENT Dosirak Outpost’s Kristine Suh is using her 236-square-foot shop to test the concept and lay the groundwork for growth.

KEEP MIXING

Put down roots today. Your community awaits.

KEEP GROWING

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magazine VOL 19 NO 5

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durhammag.com SQUARE-FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM EXECUTIVE MANAGING EDITOR Amanda MacLaren amanda.maclaren@durhammag.com PUBLISHER Sarah Davis sarah.davis@trianglemediapartners.com

EDITORIAL

EDITOR, CHAPEL HILL MAGAZINE Jessica Stringer EXECUTIVE EDITOR, CHATHAM MAGAZINE & THE TRIANGLE WEEKENDER Morgan Cartier Weston ASSISTANT EDITOR Sharon Kinsella CONTRIBUTORS Hannah Lee, Jaclyn Parris, Lauren Rouse and Anna-Rhesa Versola EDITORIAL INTERNS Sophia Abbott, Juman Alyousif, Beckett Brantley, Lyda Cosgrove, Ever Harris, Sophia Herndon, Olivia Jarman, Aitana Martinez, Katrina McLean, Jamell Mumford, Bella Pires, Sophie Strickland and Cassidy Tripp

ART & Production

MAGAZINE DESIGN DIRECTOR Kevin Brown PHOTOGRAPHER John Michael Simpson MAGAZINE DESIGNER Alex Crotti AD MANAGER Khadijah Weekes-Nolan

Advertising

For advertising inquiries, email advertising@durhammag.com Melissa Cooley melissa.cooley@trianglemediapartners.com Melissa Crane melissa.crane@trianglemediapartners.com Sarah Davis sarah.davis@trianglemediapartners.com Megan Hussey megan.hussey@trianglemediapartners.com Lucinda Poole lucinda.poole@trianglemediapartners.com Clayton Wrisley clay.wrisley@trianglemediapartners.com

Corporate

PRESIDENT Rory Kelly Gillis VICE PRESIDENT, SALES Chris Elkins, chris.elkins@trianglemediapartners.com VICE PRESIDENT, CREATIVE OPERATIONS Ashlin Acheson ashlin.acheson@trianglemediapartners.com VICE PRESIDENT, CLIENT SERVICES Sally Scruggs DIRECTOR, FINANCE & HR Cassady Orsini MULTIMEDIA PUBLISHER & DIRECTOR OF CLIENT DIGITAL STRATEGY Jenna Parks DEPUTY EDITOR, HEART OF NC WEDDINGS Renee Ambroso CLIENT ONBOARDING & OPERATIONS MANAGER Brian McIndoo DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Jack Fry CREATIVE MARKETING MANAGER Lindsay Scott MULTIMEDIA CONTENT PRODUCER Caleb LeJeune DISTRIBUTION Matt Bair CO-FOUNDERS Dan Shannon & Ellen Shannon Durham Magazine is published six times a year by Triangle Media Partners, founded in 2006 by Dan and Ellen Shannon. Subscriptions, $38 for two years, are available at durhammag.com. To purchase copies, call 919.933.1551.

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contents 48 The Elusive Monday Lunch Where to grab a midday bite downtown 50 Stage Fright Paranormal research unit The Ghost Guild partners with the Carolina Theatre to investigate its historic – and possibly haunted – halls 60 Downtown Lowdown The latest development news 66 Turn the Page A collector of art, experiences and stories pens his next chapter

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

78 Going the Distance Two Durham Academy athletes earn spots in USA Triathlon’s Olympic development program – and learn the road to elite competition is as much about balance as it is about speed 82 Cleared for Takeoff Flight simulator program for teens charts a course into aviation career paths

50 DOWNTOWN

38 Room to Grow Inside the entrepreneurial launchpads shaping downtown retail 43 Hail to the Bull Need a lift? This free downtown shuttle makes getting around a breeze. 44 So Retro A fresh look at downtown’s vintage scene

85 A New Voice for Durham Public Schools James Perry is ready to listen, learn and lead at the DPS Foundation 86 Ready for More Triangle Day School celebrates 35 years of growth while preserving the community at its core

92 Directory of Independent, Regional Boarding, Charter and Application Program Schools

FEATURES

30 Game On A little friendly competition can go a long way toward bringing people together 104 Hiring Heroes Duke researchers uncover ways to improve post-military careers

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS 6 Letter from the Editor

10 Go.See.Do. Fall into these festive events 16 The Big Picture Curiosities abound at Future Hooman 20 Tomorrowland Black Robin Ventures’ Amos Cooper Jr. on ‘growth with intention’ 22 Let’s Dish at Delancey Tavern 26 Now Serving the latest Bull City restaurant news

PEOPLE & PLACES

110 El Centro Hispano’s 34th annual gala 111 Epoxy Depot ribbon cutting 111 Durham Exchange Club Industries Inc.’s 60th anniversary celebration & IDD Resource Fair

WEDDING

112 Hughes & Sauer PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

W E LC O M E TO SOME TH IN G A L I T T L E OU T OF LE FT FIE LD

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BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO BELONG

letter

Seasons May Change

enterFest, to me, has always marked

the start of fall. There’s something about that first hint of crispness in the air, the leaves beginning to turn and downtown filling with artists, performers and the community at large that makes the season feel official. This year, as I sat on the cusp of autumn and one of Durham’s most beloved annual events, I found myself at the American Tobacco Campus for an arts endeavor of a different sort: a preview screening of “Lynda,” a documentary directed by my friend David Delaney Mayer. Walking up from the South Deck to the forthcoming Fullsteam space, I took a detour down memory lane, recalling more than 15 years ago when I’d pop by for lunch at Tyler’s where Parker and Otis is now, have a beer during a pint night at Speakeasy, now Seraphine, or meander over from a DPAC matinee or Durham Bulls game just to walk along the bubbling creek and glimpse the dino and alligator inhabitants peering back from its banks. It’d been a long time since I’d been inside the Power Plant building. Sunlight slanted through the tall windows, throwing perfectly placed spotlights on the old boiler room as it neared the end of its transformation into a public house and event space. I briefly caught up with Sean Lilly Wilson, who gave me the lowdown on where things stand with permitting as he diligently works toward opening the highly anticipated taproom; our conversation reminded me that, even as Durham changes, many threads continue to run through it. Well-known faces came up to chat, introductions were made to new acquaintances, and eventually we all moved into the adjoining theater to enjoy that very human experience of watching a movie together. The film follows Lynda, a northwestern North Carolina artist navigating the aftermath of

 devastating loss who develops a bond with the man who took her son’s life. Through her art, activism and a restorative justice process, she pursues the difficult work of converting grief into purpose. Watching that story unfold in a darkened theater, surrounded by people I knew and ones I’d just met, made me think about how rarely any of us move neatly from one chapter to the next – and how much grace there can be in the messy space between them. Old places, new possibilities. That seemed to be the theme of the night – and, perhaps, of this issue. Inside these pages, you’ll find Durham’s everevolving landscape in many forms: entrepreneurs carving out new spaces for downtown retail on page 24; vintage shops finding a growing audience on page 44; the latest updates on downtown developments on page 60; and a longtime Durham resident settling back into an urban lifestyle around his new Wye Junction home on page 66. You’ll meet young people charting courses toward aviation careers and elite athletics, get to know the new executive director of the DPS Foundation and look at how Triangle Day School has grown and adapted over 35 years. After the screening, we spilled into the atrium, talked about the touching scenes and cinematography, caught up and lingered probably a bit too long (sorry, Sean!), before making our way to Hutchins Garage for late-night Margherita slices. It was a true downtown moment – a hodgepodge of the past and present, tried and true, familiar and just taking shape. Buildings get new lives, businesses change hands, and sometimes we find ourselves in places we haven’t visited in years – back at the same table, in the same historic brick building, creating new memories. That’s the magic of Durham: The city keeps changing around us, but we can make room for what’s next without letting go of what came before.

THE COVER Photo by John Michael Simpson 6

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 amanda.maclaren@durhammag.com

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DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Find the right school for your child with our online guide to education choices in the Triangle.

PUT A RING ON IT

We’re getting close to engagement season! If you live in Durham or are from here and want to share your love story in the magazine, let us know.

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Southern Documentary Fest OCT. 1 0 Southern Documentary Fund launches

its inaugural celebration of documentary storytelling across the American South, bringing filmmakers, artists and audiences together at the Durham Arts Council for screenings, panels and conversations. The festival puts Durham in the frame with films made in, about or connected to the city, including “Humble in the Jungle,” directed by Ricky Kelly, and “Becoming Yamazushi” by G Yamazawa. The lineup also highlights feature-length documentaries, short films curated by PBS’ “Reel South” series, filmmaker Q&As and a live musical performance. Advance pass sales end Oct. 4, but those interested can still purchase a pass in person during the festival.

go see do

Playhouses & Picture Palaces: The Historical Theaters of Downtown Durham OCT. 1 6 – AP RIL 2 0 2 7

Step into the spotlight and travel back through Durham’s rich entertainment history! This new exhibit at the Museum of Durham History explores

the 18 theaters that brought downtown to life from the 1890s through the 1960s. From grand movie palaces and vaudeville stages to opera houses and neighborhood cinemas, discover how these beloved venues shaped the city’s cultural and economic landscape. As part of the Carolina Theatre’s centennial celebration, the exhibit also shines a special spotlight on downtown’s last remaining historic theater, featuring rare artifacts from its archives that have rarely been seen by the public. 10

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

Barktoberfest O CT. 24

Unleash a day of happiness at Boxyard RTP as Beyond Fences and Triangle Canine Club join forces to present cute canine costume contests, photo booth fun and fare from local vendors for you and your pooch. All proceeds support Beyond Fences’ mission to provide pet supplies, veterinary care, fences and other essentials to pet owners in need.

FALL INTO THESE FESTIVE EVENTS Compiled by Sophia Abbott

Bull City Race Fest and Food Truck Rodeo O CT. 18

Lace up for this 14th annual event, where runners can chase prizes and bragging rights as individuals or teams in a 5K or half-marathon. Both races start and finish at the American Tobacco Campus, followed by a post-race party to celebrate with friends, family and a lineup of food trucks. Don’t forget to pick up some free merch!

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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Go See Do

Ballet Nepantla: ‘Mística’ OCT. 27

Journey to the afterlife as dancers illuminated by black light honor Indigenous, Afro and Hispanic ancestral roots through the traditions of Dia de los Muertos at the Carolina Theatre. Ballet folklorico meets contemporary dance as the company explores Mexican, Mexican American, immigrant and transcultural stories through movement.

’Twas the Night Before … Awadagin Pratt

N OV. 25 – D E C . 6

NOV. 1

Durham Performing Arts Center for

Bring the whole family to the

Cirque du Soleil’s first holiday production, a dazzling reimagining of Clement Clarke Moore’s classic poem, “A Visit from Saint Nicholas.” Filled with acrobatics, whimsical characters and a festive soundtrack, the show follows a young girl who rediscovers the magic of the season in a spectacular celebration for all ages.

The renowned pianist brings his America 250 program to Duke University’s Baldwin Auditorium for an afternoon celebrating the depth and diversity of American classical music as part of Duke Arts Presents’ new season. His program explores the many voices that have shaped American music, featuring works by Florence Price, George Walker, Nathaniel Dett, Judd Greenstein and Fred Hersch, as well as his own arrangement of the spiritual “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” and Brahms’ monumental “Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel.”

Iron Pour N OV. 14

Home for the Holidays NOV. 7

The Animal Protection Society of Durham hosts its annual gala at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. This one-of-a-kind fundraiser supports APS’ work caring for thousands of homeless animals each year, and includes a silent and live auction of unique items and experiences interspersed with fun and heartwarming tales. Tickets include a three-course dinner, drinks and unforgettable, moving stories that celebrate the lives of rescued furry friends. 12

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Watch molten iron transform into art as Liberty Arts presents its 10th annual fiery display of metal casting, a free spectacle that draws thousands to Durham Central Park after dark. Teams of artists build furnaces and pour glowing metal into molds while live glassblowing, flameworking and blacksmithing demonstrations add to the redhot lineup. Food trucks, craft brews, a market featuring more than 25 local artisans and an exhibition from this year’s pour crew keep the evening going, with performances by Batalá, DJ Piddipat and UNC Greensboro students rounding out the night.

Durham County Pottery Tour N OV. 14- 15

This annual tour, now in its 13th year, invites visitors to explore 30 studios across the county and see the artists at work. Meet potters, ask questions and learn about different approaches to clay, artistry, clay uses and firing techniques. Browse pieces ranging from functional wares to decorative works, and take home something made by hand. (Photo credits) Page 8 Carolina Theatre photo courtesy of Louise Hall slides (NCC.0093). North Carolina Collection, Durham County Library, NC. Page 10 Home for the Holidays photo by Miles Jeffer, courtesy of APS of Durham; 'Twas the Night Before photo by Michael Last; pottery by Gillian Parke; Iron Pour photo by NS Media Group.

Shop Seagrove! Handmade Pottery Capital of the United States

Kick off Fall 2026 by joining Seagrove Potters in celebration of “American Craft Week” - October 3rd through October 11th at participating potters.

Find your perfect pottery pumpkin on the Potters’ Pumpkin Patch Trail along NC Pottery Highway 705, October 3rd & 10th at participating potters.

Get a head start on your holiday shopping and immerse yourself in the world of handcrafted artistry at the Seagrove Pottery Event Weekend, Saturday & Sunday, November 21st & 22nd. It’s the perfect chance to find unique gifts, add to your own collection, and experience the rich tradition of Seagrove pottery in a festive, pre-holiday atmosphere.

HeartofNorthCarolina.com | 800-626-2672 Experience these upcoming events and explore and shop the more than 100 individual potters in the Seagrove area. Scan our QR Code and order your free 2026 Travel Guide and learn about all the events and shopping adventures available in Randolph County! ARCHDALE • ASHEBORO • FRANKLINVILLE • LIBERTY • RAMSEUR • RANDLEMAN • SEAGROVE • STALEY • TRINITY

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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the big picture

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

Made You Look

Step into the immersive, strange, artist-built world of Future Hooman. Tucked down the Orange Street alley next to M Tempura, each room in the exhibit offers a glimpse into the creative mind of the person who curated it, with toys, tools, games and everyday objects repurposed in unexpected ways to design an experience that’s as interactive as it is imaginative. It’s worth taking your time – and looking closely – to see what you might otherwise miss. There’s plenty to explore beyond the exhibit itself, too. Maker Mondays offer a casual space to bring your own project, work alongside other creatives and swap ideas or inspiration. And save the date for Future Hooman’s next Third Friday party on Oct. 16. Come curious! – by John Michael Simpson

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AR TS E XPERIENCES ARE FUNDAMENTAL Discover inclusive films, family performances and educational field trips that help young people learn, connect and grow. Explore our programs at carolinatheatre.org

309 W MORGAN ST DURHAM, NC 919-560-3030 HuthPhoto

SELECT SATURDAYS | 11 AM | FREE ADMISSION This free series offers welcoming film experiences for autistic individuals and others who benefit from sensory accommodations.

- S ATU RDAY S E RIES - S ATU RDAY S E RIES CINEMA ONE | 11 AM | $5 TICKETS This affordable series introduces young audiences and their families to music, magic, live performances, storytelling and more.

OCTOBER 2026 - MAY 2027 | FLETCHER HALL This field trip series brings learning to life through engaging performances for schools, including homeschool groups.

‘Growth With Intentionʼ B Y A M O S CO O PE R JR . P HOTO B Y J O H N M IC HAE L SIMP SO N

Tomorrowland is a column in which community members share their visions for Durham’s future. Durham native Amos Cooper Jr. has called the Bull City home for 42 years. After attending Durham Public Schools and North Carolina Central University, he built a successful 21-year career in finance, focusing on banking and venture capital. Amos ended his banking career in 2018 at Square 1 Bank (now Banc of California), where he worked as an assistant vice president managing $1 billion in deposits for its life sciences group. That year, he left banking to become a full-time entrepreneur as CEO of Bull City Butler, a premier personal and corporate concierge service that manages clients’ personal, professional and social commitments. In 2021, Amos entered commercial real estate development. After purchasing properties in East Durham and on Parrish Street downtown, he launched Black Robin Ventures to help close the gap between minority entrepreneurs and access to real estate. Amos currently sits on the boards and executive committees of the Durham Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Durham Inc., as well as the advisory committee for Resilient Ventures and the community advisory board for Durham Next.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

tomorrowland

s a real estate developer working to increase property access for minorityowned small businesses, I’ve watched Durham transform faster than almost any city in the Southeast, and I’ve also watched that transformation leave some people behind. But growth on paper isn’t the same as opportunity on the ground. The businesses that gave downtown its character before the boom – Black-owned restaurants, barbershops and retail shops built by families who stayed through the lean years – have faced rising costs and, in some cases, have been priced out entirely. Rising land values and rents have made it increasingly difficult for minority entrepreneurs to buy into the same corridors they once anchored. Access to capital, favorable lease terms and ownership opportunities remain concentrated among the same players who arrived with outside money. And now, that growth itself has slowed. The city’s own City Center Retail Strategy laid it out in black and white: Of the ground-level, retail-ready spaces inside the Downtown Loop, the majority sit vacant or are occupied by something other than retail. That points to a broader issue in a district the city itself calls its retail heart. Part of the challenge sits with legacy property owners holding buildings vacant, betting that patience will pay off in a bigger sale down the line rather than a tenant now. The city didn’t create that calculus, but it does have tools that could help change it: vacancy taxes, code enforcement with teeth and incentives that reward putting a building back into use.

This is where Durham’s city government can rise to the occasion and be proactive and intentional. Committees form, and studies get commissioned. The City Center Retail Strategy is itself proof the city can diagnose the problem. The next step is turning those recommendations into action. Organizations like the Durham Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Durham Inc. have the will and the ideas to execute them, but the authority and budget largely sit with local government. I would like to see Durham move forward on tangible opportunities for progress: Set up an expedited permitting lane for small, locally owned tenants; create a dedicated fund that buys down lease costs for minority-owned retail in the corridors the city has already identified as priorities; and use city-owned land or citycontrolled incentive dollars to seed ownership rather than just occupancy. The tools exist on paper. They just need to be picked up. My vision for Durham is growth with intention: a city that treats minority business ownership as a core economic strategy. That means publicprivate partnerships that prioritize local ownership over outside capital, community land trusts that keep key corridors affordable and a permitting process that doesn’t create unnecessary barriers for the small entrepreneurs. Durham built its identity on being different. A city where ambition and community weren’t at odds. The next chapter should prove that’s still true, not just in the neighborhoods that got here first, but in the storefronts sitting empty right now, waiting for someone the city can help get through the door.

Amos Cooper Jr. stands inside The Parlour on Parrish, an intimate event space at 104 W. Parrish St. Amos received a 2026 Preservation Durham Award of Merit for his work preserving the historic building, an important cornerstone of Durham’s Black Wall Street.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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let’s dish at

Delancey Tavern BY HANNAH LEE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

urely, the kitchen staff thought, there’d been a mistake. Some computer error, or a waiter accidentally delivering the same order twice. But, no. On a recent Monday night at Delancey Tavern – one of downtown’s buzziest new restaurants since its muchanticipated February opening – two diners did indeed hunker down at the bar and order four servings of fried lobster and shrimp dumplings. Yes, four. Kyle Miller, one of Delancey’s co-owners, joked with the couple when he dropped off the fourth order that the kitchen was running out. “They told me that they actually came back in specifically because they had wanted to get the shrimp and lobster dumplings on Sunday night – but we had already sold out,” Kyle says. “So they came back the very next day to try them.” It’s a revealing look into the role Delancey has quickly carved out in the Central Park District – and in Durham’s broader dining scene. RECIPE FO R SU CCE SS Kyle and co-owner Tracy Hancock, who also owns neighboring Hutchins Garage, began dreaming

about Delancey nearly two years before construction started. Their vision was straightforward: Create an establishment that feels approachable while delivering consistently satisfying meals at a fair price. “These days, you can spend the majority of a $20 bill on lunch and sometimes get something that’s not worth $20 – and it’s very frustrating,” Tracy says. “It was really important for us that the food that we put out represented a good value for what we were asking people to pay for it.” As longtime Durhamites, Kyle and Tracy also understood what locals crave from a neighborhood restaurant: versatility.

ABOVE Chicken cooked under a brick served with wild mushroom ragù, fennel, preserved lemon, a potato pancake and sherry jus – a fitting pairing for a glass of red. BELOW Fried lobster and shrimp dumplings, coated in shredded pastry dough and served with peach chowchow, smoked paprika aioli and sesame, have quickly become a Delancey Tavern favorite. “The shrimp and lobster dumplings have really caught on like wildfire,” Kyle says. “It just immediately became one of our bestselling dishes – almost certainly the bestselling appetizer.”

B E ST O F B OT H WO R L DS

Delancey can be a destination for a dressed-up dinner with a reservation – or the kind of spot you wander into from down the street and still score an exceptional meal at the bar. Dishes include new American classics, like Delancey’s bestselling burger and fries – which executive OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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let’s dish

chef Derek Pierce confidently calls the Triangle’s best (and crispiest) – but there are also more adventurous options, such as the aforementioned dumplings and their accompanying peach chowchow that blends Chinese and Southern cuisine. The rest of the menu reads like a hug from grandma: Deviled egg dip arrives with fried Ritz crackers, while the “Chicken Cooked Under a Brick” revives a throwback recipe from former Italian restaurant Popʼs. Tracy, who grew up in Durham, remembers appreciating the way Pop’s struck that same balance between an easygoing atmosphere and seriously good cooking; he hopes Delancey can live in that same crossover space. After one visit, it’s easy to envision that happening.

Upstairs, thoughtful details reflect the eye of Jennifer Noone, co-owner Malachy Nooneʼs wife, who Tracy says is “responsible for everything beautiful in here.”

ALL TH E RIGH T I N G R E DIE N T S

Floor-to-ceiling windows along the front of the restaurant beckon for passersby to peer inside – and perhaps wave to Kyle, who lives within walking distance of the Geer Street spot. The interior design preserves the building’s industrial character as a former car dealership and auto supply shop while giving the dining room its own distinct personality.

During the day, those expansive windows flood the main dining area with sunlight, but there’s also a moodier mezzanine upstairs where guests can slink off to sip on one of Delancey’s signature cocktails, including the gin-based Water Lily. After all, Delancey’s intention is to offer a little something for everyone – by design.

Your Vision. Our Passion. Extraordinary Events. Interested in visiting our design center or learning more? Scan to get started! Serving Durham and the Triangle since 1989

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3633 S Alston Avenue Durham, NC 27713

Let’s dish

PHOTO COURTESY OF RESTAURANT CORNELIA

Now Serving: THE LATEST BULL CITY RESTAURANT NEWS

• Durham native Alex Catotti is coming home with two new concepts planned for 949 Washington St. Alex trained under Scott Howell at Nana’s before spending nearly a decade in Chicago fine-dining kitchens, including threeMichelin-starred Smyth. He and his wife, pastry chef Erin Kobler – who most recently worked as executive pastry chef at Chicago’s Proxi and Michelin-starred Sepia – plan to launch Restaurant Cornelia, a seasonal tasting-menu restaurant centered on local ingredients, fermentation and preservation, and The Vintner & The Baker, a coffee shop and bakery by day that transitions into a wine bar with small plates at night. The pair hope to showcase their combined experience through menus inspired by the farmers, fishers and ranchers of North Carolina and the American South, as well as a name that sweetly nods to the Chicago street – Cornelia – where the couple shared their first home together. Both concepts are slated to open in spring 2027.

• Melao, a Colombian-inspired and -owned bistro from founders Sebastian Salinas, Diego Baron and Miguel Cantor, is expected to open in midSeptember, as of press time, at 810 N. Mangum St. in the former Little Bull space. The restaurant will serve dishes such as bandeja paisa and arepas, along with fresh seafood and cocktails featuring tropical ingredients including lulo and passion fruit.

• Honeygirl Meadery earned top honors at this year’s North Carolina Wine Competition, taking home the Mead Cup – one of four NC Wine Cups – for its strawberry guava mead. The competition, hosted by the N.C. Wine & Grape Council, drew more than 300 entries from producers across the state, each crafted with a minimum of 75% North Carolina fruit or honey.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MELAO

• Tous les Jours, the chain known for blending French baking techniques with Asian-inspired flavors and desserts, opened at 744A Ninth St. in mid-May. The Durham location joins the brand’s growing Triangle footprint, which also includes Raleigh, Cary and Holly Springs. The bakery’s lineup features sweet and savory breads, cakes and pastries, along with coffee, tea and blended drinks like its ube latte. Expect familiar French-style favorites alongside more unexpected flavors, including the chain’s signature cream cheese garlic bread.

• Soif brings coffee, aperitivo and a decidedly low-tech vibe to the lobby of the art deco-style Snow Building at 331 W. Main St. The new bar from Delafia owner Jesse Gerstl opened in mid-March, with coffee and espresso from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily before shifting into a bar focused on vermouth, fortified wines, Italianstyle spritzes and a small lineup of house cocktails, including low- and no-ABV options. The 593-square-foot space skips Wi-Fi in favor of daily newspapers, classic coffee drinks and casual conversation.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

COMPILED B Y AITAN A MA RT I N EZ & SHARON K IN SELLA

• Tex-Mex barbecue joint East of Texas opened its Durham location Aug. 10 at 318 Blackwell St., Ste. 100, in the American Tobacco Campus. The restaurant grew out of a meal delivery service founder Claire Calvin launched in Winston-Salem in 2010, and carries over favorites such as enchiladas and her grandmother’s queso. The counterservice, family-friendly eatery serves Texas barbecue and Tex-Mex alongside vegetarian and gluten-free options. A dog-friendly patio, pup menu, live music on Tuesdays from 6 to 9 p.m., weekly specials – including half-off Big Texan trays on Sundays – and other events round out the experience. • SoMii Café & Gifts opened at 810 Ninth St., Ste. 128 in early June, bringing coffee, tea and a little retail therapy to Ninth Street. The locally owned café pours Counter Culture Coffee alongside matcha, boba, milk tea and hojicha drinks, while its softserve menu includes flavors like matcha, chocolate and vanilla. Beyond the café counter, shoppers can browse trinkets, plush toys, snacks and collectibles featuring characters from franchises including Hello Kitty and Peanuts.

• Little Waves Coffee Roasters plans to open its new roastery in late fall on East Pettigrew Street near North Alston Avenue in East Durham. Co-owners Areli Barrera Grodski and Leon Grodski Barrera say the 5,100-square-foot space pays homage to the company’s Durham beginnings as bikeCoffee, a mobile coffee cart that once operated in the same area. The facility will primarily handle production, anchored by a state-of-the-art, custom pink IMF RM60 coffee roaster and other energy-efficient equipment designed to increase capacity. The public will also have opportunities to visit for events, tastings and industry-forward gatherings. A dedicated cupping and training lab will host seated tastings by reservation once the production space is fully operational, alongside on-site offices and a conference room.

• La Santa Modern Mexican Food expanded to Durham July 24 with a second location at 110 Corcoran St., following its original Raleigh restaurant and sister concept La Mala, which formerly occupied the space. The menu draws on home recipes from Guadalajara, Mexico, with weekday lunch specials for $10 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The bar leans into its wide selection of tequila, with 15 signature margaritas made with fresh fruit and organic agave nectar. • Prohibition-style speakeasy Red Phone Booth opened Aug. 14 at 125 W. Orange St., bringing its Atlantaborn concept to Durham alongside locations in Nashville, Dallas, Miami and Tampa. Guests enter a code into a rotary phone inside a restored London phone booth to access the cigar lounge and cocktail bar, where high-backed Italian leather seating, handpainted ceilings and a honey onyx bar set the scene. Smoking is permitted, with air scrubbers cycling the room’s air more than 30 times an hour. A climate-controlled cedar humidor holds more than 150 cigars, including limited editions and hard-to-find classics. The menu pairs classic and signature cocktails made with fresh-squeezed juices and handchipped ice with Neapolitan-style pizza and other Italian-inspired small plates and desserts. • Puerto Rican fast-casual restaurant Kokí closed its Durham location at 104 City Hall Plaza, Ste. 101, July 14 after seven years. Known for its mofongo, tripletas and rice bowls, fans of the restaurant can still find Kokí’s menu at its 10770 Chapel Hill Rd., Ste. 122, location in Morrisville.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LITTLE WAVES

• Underground listening room and cocktail bar Saint Mars opened in late August in the former Annexe space in the basement of 105 S. Mangum St., replacing the tiki-bar concept with a candlelit, library-inspired atmosphere accented by dark hardwood, velvet and suede seating and a vinyl collection spanning jazz, hip-hop, rock and electronica. Dreamed up by owners Nellie Vail and Daniel Sartain, the cozy spot offers a thoughtful beverage program and snacks from sister restaurant Bar Virgile. Saint Mars is open 5 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. • Flavor Hills closed its Durham location at 107 W. Main St. Aug. 14 after eight months in business, along with its two other locations in Raleigh and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The brand will continue under owner and executive chef Morgan Teianne as a catering and private dining business.

November 25 - December 6 Hurry for Best Seats

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Three Prints, One Declaration This fall, Durham hosts a rare chance to see three prints of the Declaration of Independence side by side

Engraved by William J. Stone (17981865). Printed by the U.S. State Department, Washington, D.C., 1823. Collection of David M. Rubenstein. Photo by Vincent Dilio.

This autumn, Durham welcomes three historic printings of the Declaration of Independence, including an 1823 facsimile by William J. Stone, the version most familiar to us. The exhibition anchors We the People, a partnership between Duke University and Durham that commemorates the Declaration’s 250th anniversary through exhibits, performances, scholarship and public conversations about this country’s evolving identity. Seeing all three prints side by side is a rare treat. Each reflects a different approach to replicating, protecting and sharing the same foundational text. Together, they raise a deeper question: what have those choices altered, emphasized or overlooked in the 250 years since 1776? The Declaration’s ideals of liberty and equality remain deeply resonant, yet they coexist with an unfinished and often contradictory history. We the People asks critical questions: Who has “the people” included? Who has been excluded? And who do we still aspire to be? The exhibition opened at the Durham County Main Library before moving to the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University Sept. 24, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027. Free and open to all, it invites reflection on where we’ve been and where we’re headed.

Published by John Binns (1772-1860). Printed by James Porter, Philadelphia, 1819. Collection of David M. Rubenstein. Photo by Vincent Dilio.

The three prints come from Duke’s David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection: the 1823 Stone Declaration, an 1819 broadside by John Binns and an 1818 broadside by Benjamin Owen Tyler. Due to the fragile and faded condition of the original document, Stone Declarations are the most frequently reproduced version of the Declaration, including in classrooms and textbooks. Fewer than 50 of the 200 Stone facsimiles survive.

Copies on Display: 

Three historic copies of the Declaration of Independence are on loan from the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection.

The Declaration exhibition is one of several programs that make up the We the People initiative. Explore performances, lectures, and more at wethepeople.duke.edu

Printed by Benjamin Owen Tyler (1789-after 1855). Engraved by Peter Maverick, Washington, D.C., 1818. Collection of David M. Rubenstein. Photo by Vincent Dilio.

-SPONSORED CONTENT-

The Declaration of Independence Encounter three rare historic prints of the Declaration of Independence, including an official 1823 Stone Declaration, at the Durham County Main Library and the Nasher Museum of Art. Presented as part of We the People, the exhibition invites reflection on the nation’s founding ideals and their continuing influence today.

Plan Your Visit Nasher Museum of Art

Sept 24, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 2001 Campus Dr.

For More Information, Scan the QR code. wethepeople.duke.edu

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B Y KAT R I N A MC LEAN

PHOTO GR APHY B Y J O HN MI C H A EL SI MPSO N

A little friendly competition can go a long way toward bringing people together

GAMEON 30

Roll With It Nicole Frascino and Jake Guild set out

to create more than a retail game shop when they opened Guildhall Games downtown Aug. 1. The neurodivergent-, disability- and queer-focused community store grew from its much smaller operation – a 320-square-foot shipping container, to be exact – at Boxyard RTP to a 4,000-square-foot storefront at 204 Rigsbee Ave. The co-owners aimed to maximize the use of their upgraded capacity by providing a welcoming third place for their customers to access and play tabletop games. At the heart of Guildhall’s mission is a simple concept: Games can make it easier to meet people. Tabletop matches give players something to focus on together, taking some of the pressure out of a first conversation. Before long, a casual game can turn into a new friendship that extends well beyond the store. With a library of about 400 board games available to play for free, plus guidance from

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

employees, newcomers can find a title suited to their interests and experience level. Guildhall also carries trading card games, including the newer CookieRun: Braverse TCG, which Jake says has become a popular alternative for players priced out of Pokémon’s increasingly expensive cards. (The store sells those, too, albeit in limited quantities.) The new space features 10 large tables that can seat up to eight people, along with two private rooms that can double as sensoryfriendly rooms for anyone seeking a quieter environment, and comfortable chairs that encourage settling in for a long game. It’s also dog-friendly, with the owners’ dog, Tillie, frequently making an appearance. Accessibility remains a priority – and Jake says the team regularly shares ideas and best practices with others in the board game industry to help make stores more inclusive. Guildhall itself intentionally maintains a low noise volume and

uses LED lighting in place of fluorescent lighting to better accommodate individuals with disabilities, including those affected by migraines. As Guildhall settles into its new home, the owners are building out a full event calendar, including Tuesday game nights and more miniature-painting events, where participants learn to paint the tiny figures used in tabletop and war games. It’s all in an effort to turn a shared interest into something bigger: a place where people can find their people.  David Guild; his brother and Guildhall Games owner Jake Guild; Jakeʼs wife and Guildhall co-owner Nicole Frascino; and the brothersʼ parents, Linda Convissor and Bruce Guild.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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GAME ON

Take the Plunge

PHOTO BY KATRINA MCLEAN

High Dive was always

Play Your Cards Right

Matt Everhart started collecting board games while working at a video game studio in 2013. The problem? He wasn’t actually playing them. “I thought to myself, ‘I could take them in public, get people to play them,’” he says, “then at least they would [get some use].” Around the same time, Durham Geeks formed as a Meetup group for people interested in self-described “geeky” pursuits, from anime and video games to cartoons. When the group’s original organizers decided to disband, Matt and a few fellow members saw an opportunity to keep the local crowd going – while also putting Matt’s extensive game collection to work. What began as the occasional game night has evolved into a full calendar of weekly events, becoming a “third space” for its many attendees. “Over the years, we’ve moved around to different venues,” Matt says. Today, the group hosts four board game nights a week: Mondays and Thursdays at Moon Dog Meadery at 7 p.m., Wednesdays at Boxyard RTP at 5:30 p.m. and Sundays at The Can Opener from noon to 4 p.m. The meetups draw a wide-ranging crowd, from folks looking to broaden their social circle, to newcomers simply searching for an opportunity to have some fun. “We got about 200 regulars who kind of cycle through, as well as a bunch of people who show up and they’re like, ‘Wow, I want to try this out,’” Matt says. For Smythe Richbourg, who now hosts Thursday game nights, the group offered a sense of belonging after his divorce in 2021. He quickly found a circle of friends who made him feel at home. “They welcome you right in,” he says. “What this group is, is community.” Local game designer and regular attendee David Marron has found the same sense of connection: “I’ve met so many people through this game night – I think it’s one of the best ways to meet people, actually,” he says. That’s the appeal: You don’t have to arrive knowing anyone. You just have to be willing to pull up a chair. Matt says that approachability and inclusivity is key to the group’s success. “I like to say it’s like a lowstakes way of spending time with people,” he says. “We try to make sure that everyone feels comfortable enough to come back.”

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meant to feel like an oldschool neighborhood bar – a place where patrons can put away their mobile devices, pick a song on the jukebox, unwind over a drink and connect through classic games like pool, darts, foosball and pinball. “In a world where many bar patrons can be seen interacting primarily with their phones, we knew a space with interactive activities might help to mitigate that,” owner Daniel Sartain says. The games are approachable for players of all skill levels, whether someone is a seasoned pinball wizard or picking up a pool cue for the first time. Daniel says PHOTOGRAPHY BY FORREST MASON MEDIA darts have become one of the bar’s biggest hits, while the arcade console often flies under the radar despite housing thousands of games. “From Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, to NBA Jam and Pac-Man,” Daniel says, “… it has everything, and at high quality.” Daniel sees these amenities as more than entertainment; they’re conversation starters – an easy excuse to turn a room full of strangers into potential opponents, teammates or friends. “Let’s say you’re hanging solo, or just with one friend,” Daniel says. “You see a group of people having fun at the shuffleboard table. Nothing really prevents you from going over, introducing yourselves and asking to join.” Since opening, High Dive has cultivated a reputation as an approachable hangout with affordable drinks and a relaxed atmosphere. Daniel hopes to preserve that easygoing identity far into the future: “We look forward to being a laid-back, jeans and tees kind of option for a good while to come.” 

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

The Care You Trust — Carried Forward.

A legacy of care continues as Grant H. Service, DDS becomes Church Family Dentistry. What began as Grant H. Service, DDS continues today as Church Family Dentistry—led by Dr. Will Church and built on the same foundation of trust, integrity, and patient-centered care. Chosen to carry the practice forward, Dr. Church is proud to serve the Durham community while honoring the values that shaped the practice from the very beginning.

2711 N Duke St, Ste B., Durham, NC 27704

919.220.6553 • churchfamilydentistry.com

PLEASE JOIN US TO CELEBRATE

TICKETS

ADMISSION INCLUDES OPEN BAR & APPETIZERS

STARRY NIGHT

Jingle JAM

A NIGHT OF SHINING STARS AND BRIGHT FUTURES FOR YOUTH AFTER FOSTER CARE

THURSDAY

7:00-10:00 PM

DECEMBER 10TH

DURHAM ARTS COUNCIL

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

$40 EARLY BIRD BEFORE NOV 6TH

$50 GENERAL ADMISSION

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GAME ON

Fast Friends Andretti Indoor Karting & Games

puts a high-speed spin on game night, giving visitors of all ages plenty of ways to compete, play and blow off some steam. The familyfriendly entertainment destination offers laser tag, virtual reality, bowling, arcade games and, at the center of it all, go-kart racing. “It’s 100,000 square feet worth of fun,” says marketing specialist Jayvian Hicks. The competition starts on the track, where four professionally designed courses give adults, teens and children as young as 3 years old a chance to race. The fully electric go-karts can reach speeds of up to 35 mph, adding a little adrenaline to the friendly rivalry. But Andretti’s appeal extends beyond who crosses the finish line first. Between races and games, guests can grab a drink or a bite to eat at the main bar, which features 20-foot-wide screens, or head upstairs to the sky bar overlooking the facility. Everywhere you turn, the emphasis is on one thing: having a good time together. “I think everybody has that competitive spirit in them,” Jayvian says. “Excitement speaks to everyone, and that’s the environment we’re trying to create – one the whole family can enjoy.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ANDRETTI INDOOR KARTING & GAMES DURHAM

Axellent Company

PHOTO BY DANIELLE CHLOE PHOTOGRAPHY

Ax throwing might seem like an unlikely way to spend an evening with friends. But at Urban Axes Durham, what begins as a novelty can quickly turn into competition, camaraderie and a new social circle. “What keeps [customers coming back] is the community,” says owner Moira Girard, also known by her throwing name, “Mojo.” For many first-time throwers, the biggest hurdle is simply getting the ax to stick. Owner Otto Hoering – or “Cool Beans” – says newcomers often assume they need to be particularly athletic or strong. In reality, “it’s really more about technique than it is about strength.” Once a first successful throw lands, skepticism gives way to excitement. That progression is part of what makes the activity so rewarding, Otto says. As a coach, “the most satisfying thing is seeing someone do something I suggested and then hit a bull’s-eye,” he says. The accomplishment becomes a shared celebration, turning what could be a solitary sport into a group experience. For regulars, that enthusiasm can grow into something bigger. Moira says league members who initially came in to throw a few axes have gone on to create lasting connections. “They’ve built entire communities of friends, which is hard to do as an adult,” she says. Between league nights – which last between five or seven weeks – group events and casual throwing sessions, Urban Axes has become a place where folks stick around for the bonding as much as the bull’s-eyes. 

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

To name a few: Butterfly House Red Wolves From Here On: Shaping Our Future Earth Moves Waterfall

lifeandscience.org 433 W. Murray Ave, Durham, NC 27704

GAME ON

8/28/26

10:41 AM PHOTO BY CARYN ROSENBERG

MODH-Playhouses-Ad2.pdf

tIle Talk

HiSTORiC AL THEATERS O F DOWNTOWN DURHAM EXHIBIT opening october 2026

Free Admission 500 W. Main Street modh.org 36

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

Caryn Rosenberg has played mahjong, the traditional tile-based game of strategy and luck that has experienced a recent surge in popularity, for more than 20 years. What began as a personal hobby for Caryn has grown into a thriving network of players across the Triangle. Caryn keeps players up to date on lessons, guided games and open-play events through a mailing list and her Instagram account, @getyourmahjongnc. “I’m just really enjoying meeting so many people in the community and getting to share my love of the game,” Caryn says. Her business as a mahjong instructor took off about a year ago after she responded to a Facebook post from Casa Bella Market seeking a teacher for an event. Today, Caryn hosts beginner lessons and guided play events for a fee at Casa Bella on Sundays, Wine and Design on Mondays, and alternates Wednesday gatherings between downtown’s The Glass Jug Beer Lab and The Casual Pint in Chapel Hill. She also offers a free monthly openplay event for experienced players at Aloft Durham Downtown. Those interested in learning the game can look for Caryn’s upcoming partnership with Dssolvr Durham, where she’ll provide lessons and guided games on the second Thursday of each month as well as free open play one Thursday a month. “It takes, I would say, anywhere from one to three lessons before you can start to play on your own,” Caryn says. “You’ll improve the more you play.” The strategy keeps players’ minds engaged, but Caryn says the social side ultimately brings people back. “You’re just sitting around a table with a bunch of people chatting, laughing, learning and trying to master this challenging game,” she says.

Check It Out At Durham County South Regional Library, games are becoming another way for young patrons to gather, learn and build social bonds. Tabletop Troupe, a weekly board and card gaming club for tweens and teens that meets on Mondays from 4 to 5:30 p.m., offers everything from familiar favorites such as Uno and Candy Land to strategy-heavy options including Root, Wingspan and Command of Nature. South Regional Children’s Library Associate Amaris TorresHedges launched Tabletop Troupe last year after receiving a grant from the Friends of the Durham Library to purchase games and supplies. Since then, dozens of patrons have gathered to learn new games, teach one another and return to old favorites. Gaming is a natural extension of the library’s role as a community space. “Anyone from the area can come in and meet people,” Amaris says. “They’re also spaces to share, learn and explore new ideas. Games are a great way to facilitate all of the above, so it just makes sense to have them around.” The benefits extend beyond the fun. As patrons play, they’re also practicing literacy, communication, cooperation and decision-making skills – often without realizing it. And as a growing number of new board and card games hit the market, the library can offer access to titles that might otherwise be out of reach. “Libraries have always been an equalizer, where we allow those who can’t buy every new book that comes out to still have a chance to read,” Amaris says. “We should be able to do the same with games.”

The more complex games tend to be especially popular. Root and Wingspan, with their layers of nuance and strategy, can take hours to finish – yet patrons keep coming back for another round. “Making your own decisions feels good at that age, especially when you feel like you’re not in charge of much,” Amaris says. The program brings families together, too. Parents who participate often find themselves learning from their children, who enjoy teaching adults the rules and strategies. “It’s really cool getting to see parents learn more about their kids,” Amaris says. “Parents gain a lot of insight into what type of player their child is. Are they competitive? Are they a helper?” Next up, the library hopes to expand to tabletop role-playing games. It has already purchased several TTRPG titles and is looking for interested players – beginners and experienced game masters alike – to help get a campaign off the ground. (Email amaristorres@dconc. gov to collaborate!) As Tabletop Troupe continues to expand its collection – “Our next card game additions are likely to be the Pokémon TCG and possibly Yu-Gi-Oh!,” Amaris says. “I’d like to not spoil our new board game ideas, so you’ll just have to come and see!” – the library is giving patrons one more reason to gather around the table – and proving that sometimes, the easiest way to find your next friend is to ask, “Want to play?”

Your Next Masterpiece Awaits

AT THE DAC SCHOOL

Visual, Performing, & Literary Arts Classes | Camps | Workshops durhamarts.org | (919) 560-2726 | 120 Morris St. Durham, NC

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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ROOM GROW TO

Inside the entrepreneurial launchpads shaping downtown retail BY HANNAH LEE

P HOTO G RA P H Y B Y JO HN MICHAE L SIMP SO N

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

fter years of suffering from burnout in her corporate human resources job, Kristine Suh was ready to take a leap. To do something, anything else. If only she knew what that something was. Then, in September 2025, an idea clicked. Kristine grew up surrounded by the flavors of her family’s Korean heritage and developed a love for traditional Korean dishes and other Asian foods – even when children ridiculed the lunches she brought to school. As an adult, though, she struggled to find many of those beloved snacks and sweets in local stores. So, she thought, why not open such a shop herself ? “For me, selfishly,” Kristine says with a laugh. “I wanted it.” That simple desire prompted her to test the idea through a series of pop-up markets at the likes of Queenyʼs and Redhead Hemp as well as collaborations with bars like Remyʼs Lounge and Delafia, where she shared homemade Korean dishes. Each successful event gave her more confidence that an Asian convenience store could not only survive, but thrive in a more permanent capacity. She just needed somewhere to put it. Enter Downtown Durham Inc. and its retail incubator program, which for the past four years has served as a springboard for fledgling minority- and women-owned businesses like Kristine’s – while, just as importantly, enhancing Durham’s culture of entrepreneurship. 

M W Dosirak Outpost owner Kristine Suh is especially proud of the shopʼs ramen and ramyun wall, which her partner and co-owner, Andrew Mehring, assembled. “Itʼs his baby,” she says.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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RETAIL, SET, GO

The concept, the brainchild of DDI Director of Business Engagement Tiffany Bashore, is fairly straightforward: Take an underused downtown space, renovate it into a fully equipped storefront, and hand an up-and-coming business the keys – along with the support to make the most of it. DDI did just that for the 236-square-foot space at 307 W. Main St., tucked near Thai at Main Street and across from Ninth Street Bakery, then began offering it to local businesses for up to a year at a rent-controlled rate. Owners also receive handson coaching, participate in a peer cohort and benefit from shared marketing support. The goal: Give entrepreneurs time to build a customer base, test their business models and, ideally, gain enough traction to move into a long-term, physical location. So far, the model has delivered. Kristine’s Asian convenience store, Dosirak Outpost – named for the Korean word for “lunchbox,” a nod to the childhood meals that once drew teasing from her classmates – is the fourth endeavor to occupy the space since the program began in July 2023. All three of its predecessors – Back to the South Bling, Fate & Folklore and, most recently, Ashleigh Bakes Daily – remain in business, with the latter two graduating to permanent downtown storefronts. “Retail is hard, right?” says Heather Wilson, DDI’s director of strategic initiatives, who oversees the incubators 40

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LEFT Kristine and Andrew restock the chips and drinks, including the shopʼs No. 1 bestseller: banana milk, with more than 500 bottles sold in the first six weeks after opening. ABOVE Assorted candies, gum and other treats line the register at Dosirak Outpost. Kristine and Andrew regularly add new products based on what shoppers want to see on the shelves. RIGHT Kristine snacks on turtle chips while Andrew digs into a cup of ramen, which customers can prepare in-store using the shopʼs microwave.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

TRANSFORMING SPACES.

CHANGING LIVES.

alongside Tiffany. “We are learning alongside them and trying to be as flexible as we possibly can, because it’s to the[ir] betterment.” And DDI has learned plenty over the past few years – enough to know that one small storefront can only go so far.

MARKET FORCES

In February, the organization expanded its program with Market on Market, a second incubator space next to The Parlour ice cream shop on Market Street. Unlike the original location, the new space houses three businesses in separate but connected areas that range from 150 to 260 square feet. The inaugural occupants include Be Well Co., an apothecary offering wellness products; EKO, an eco-conscious jewelry and body care company; and BLNK SPCE Designs, a maker of humorous stickers and stationery. The space also showcases artwork

We transform shelter spaces into places where families can heal and begin again. Because everyone deserves a room that feels like home, reflects their dignity, and inspires a brighter future.

VISIT ALOTTALOVE.ORG TO LEARN MORE!

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Serving families across the North Carolina through trauma-informed design.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF DOWNTOWN DURHAM INC.

LEFT Alana Alston peruses the products at eco-conscious EKO. ABOVE LEFT Be Well Co. owner Briana Nicole greets customers during Market on Marketʼs grand opening. ABOVE RIGHT The playful BLNK SPCE Designs features Durham-inspired gifts and goods, among other whimsical wares.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DOWNTOWN DURHAM INC.

from the Durham Art Guild, with every piece available for purchase – a partnership that reflects DDI’s broader goal of “supporting the local creative economy as much as we want to support the local business economy,” Heather says. The three companies are slated to remain in the space through December 2026. Kristine says she originally applied for one of Market on Market’s spaces – one of 20-some applicants DDI received – but wasn’t selected. A few months later, however, timing aligned for a different opportunity. Ashleigh Bakes Daily owner Ashleigh Ratchford informed DDI in February that she intended to vacate the incubator to move to her new location near the corner of West Main and Mangum Street. DDI quickly reached back out to Kristine. “They were big champions of what I was doing,” Kristine says. “When this became possible, it was like the ‘aha’ moment: This is the direction that my life is supposed to [take].”

RISING TO THE OCCASION

Ashleigh knows the feeling. She had spent nearly five years baking and selling cookies before applying to the incubator program in December 2024, eventually moving into the space in June 2025. She’d garnered notoriety and success up until that point, including partnerships with a number of restaurants, but she knew a storefront in the summertime – especially along a visible strip like Main Street – could accelerate her growth from back-of-house supply to her own standalone shop. |

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

HAIL TO THE BULL

Need a lift? This free downtown shuttle makes getting around a breeze.

BY OLIVIA JARMAN

PHOTO BY TASHA THOMAS

“It just opened up a whole other world of possibilities for me and a new customer base in general – because you get all the [foot] traffic,” Ashleigh says. “When I signed the lease for [my current] place, there’s no way a landlord would have taken me seriously without the traction that I was able to get.” Ashleigh’s success, in many ways, helped convince Heather and Tiffany that DDI should expand the program with Market on Market. As Durham – and downtown in particular – continues to grow, they saw the once-vacant former dance studio as a way to check two boxes at once: Give more local entrepreneurs a shot at brickand-motor retail while satisfying residents’ growing appetite for more places to shop. “We would love to really create these shopping districts,” Tiffany says, highlighting DDI’s vision to shape a more robust retail landscape throughout downtown, one small business at a time. Dosirak may be one of the next to make the leap; Kristine is already investigating options for its own longterm home. For now, though, she’s enjoying the first chapter of a story she never expected to write. “There’s a lot of fun things, I think, for us down the road,” Kristine says. “This is just the beginning.”

n a given weekend, The Bull Ride might whisk a resident with a sprained ankle to a doctor’s appointment, carry a family to the Durham Farmers Market or ferry a group of friends between downtown bars. The free electric shuttle, operated by Downtown Durham Inc., is now a familiar fixture within the Business Improvement District, a 0.8-square-mile area where property owners pay a small additional tax to fund the Ambassadors program, which supplements the city’s maintenance services, as well as district-wide placemaking and marketing initiatives that support local businesses. “The Bull Ride was created as a way to help people who wanted to go from Golden Belt to Brightleaf Square,” says Chris Reid, DDI’s director of marketing and communications. “It’s quite a trek if you’re walking, and we often hear concerns about parking downtown, so it’s a way you can park once and get around downtown without having to get back in the car.” The shuttle travels within the BID’s boundaries, along Main Street between the two aforementioned landmarks, with stops along Blackwell and Foster streets and through the American Tobacco Campus Snag a spot on The Bull Ride, a six-seat electric vehicle offering free, zippy and Central Park District. transportation around downtown. Rides are first come, first served, with a maximum of five passengers at a time. Passersby can hail the shuttle from the street by waving or flashing Durham’s iconic bull-horns gesture or call 919-682-BULL to request a pickup. State law requires children younger than 8 to ride in a car seat. Alcohol, smoking and luggage aren’t allowed onboard. Drivers receive hospitality training and a living wage, and they often double as informal tour guides, directing riders to nearby restaurants, bars and activities. The Bull Ride currently operates Thursdays and Fridays from 4:30 p.m. to midnight and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon and 4:30 p.m. to midnight. With demand outpacing the current vehicle’s capacity, DDI is considering adding a second Bull Ride by the end of the year, as well as extending service hours. “We try to just be of service to downtown as much as we can,” Chris says.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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SO RETRO A fresh look at downtown’s vintage scene B Y CALEB LEJ EUN E

PHOTOG RAPHY B Y J OHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

ersonal style comes with a story. For thrifters who relish the thrill of the hunt, the Bull City’s secondhand shops offer myriad opportunities to uncover something unexpected – a piece that feels distinctly yours and that you can carry forward into its next chapter. These carefully curated bastions of sustainable fashion invite shoppers to dig a little deeper for nostalgic treasures and one-of-a-kind pieces, each with a history of its own – and plenty of potential for a new one.

PAST MEETS PRESENT

Individuality is part of Durham’s DNA, and the city’s fashion scene wears it well. Consumers now crave quality, authenticity and unique pieces with a past, and the city’s vintage markets deliver that in spades. When Dollyʼs Vintage opened in 2016, however, the landscape looked a little different. It was one of a handful of retail shops downtown at the time, and perhaps the only one delving into vintage wares. But, a decade later, owner and curator Larisa Harrison believes Durham has now developed a reputation as a destination for secondhand shoppers. “I truly love seeing the growth, appreciation and acceptance of vintage fashion as well as the positive impact it has on our environment, both local and global,” she says. Julian Jacobs recently added a second location of The Burrow to his vintage empire, opening a 1,400-square-foot storefront on Parrish Street in August just steps from Major the Bull. The shop feels like

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stepping into an upscale kid’s bedroom circa 1996, complete with a “Space Jam” movie poster, a bountiful collection of VHS tapes and no shortage of quirky collectibles.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT

The Burrow’s Raleigh shop features a mix of talented and tasteful vendors selling everything from old-school NC State gear to CDs, books and jewelry. Its new Durham outpost yields a similar inventory but keeps one priority front and center: affordability. Shop carefully selected pieces that span the decades, from refurbished ’50s staples to Y2K-era nostalgia, with most items priced between $25 and $45. Build quality fits on a budget at Aldoʼs Thrift Shoppe, Julian’s second downtown store on West Corporation Street, where every piece costs $20 or less. Julian notes that focusing on inventory is just as important as curating a welcoming and recognizable atmosphere when establishing a secondhand store – especially in Durham. “With everyone shopping online or just going to the mall, we’ve kind of lost the experience of going into a shop, feeling like you [went out and] did something cool and that you got your money’s worth,” he says.

IT’S A MOOD

That distinctiveness comes down to personality, according to Alison Matney, owner and curator of Durham Vintage Collective. The Durham native recently relocated her store from Parrish Street to Morris Street,

ABOVE More than a dozen curated racks hold vintage T-shirts, pants, dresses and jackets at The Burrow, alongside a nostalgic mix of vinyl records, VHS tapes and quirky tchotchkes. LEFT The Burrow owner Julian Jacobs sports an early ʼ90s Beastie Boys tee – one of his all-time favorite finds. BELOW Author and avid thrifter Caleb LeJeune goes shopping.

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settling into a moodier, more nostalgic space that feels equal parts curio shop and covetable walk-in closet. “Even though we might have similar items, everybody has a different store,” Alison says. “Dolly’s, Gibson Girl [Vintage] and Flying Apple [Vintage] all have a different vibe.” Cross the threshold at DVC, and you’ll come face-to-face with an eclectic collection of photography and paintings, retro toys and magazines, even taxidermy and other oddities. Head to the back and lose your sense of time while browsing a wonderland of thoughtfully curated clothing, vinyl records and midcentury home decor. Alison sees the shop’s broad appeal in its ability to surprise just about anyone – “from the 18-year-old Goth kid to an 85-year-old man.” Larisa says her clients seem to be “more fashion-savvy these days, and are aware of the latest trends as well as being noticeably aware of their own personal, individual style, independent of popular opinion.” She has found that her younger customers, in particular, “are more confident in themselves and are becoming more comfortable with straying from the ‘norm’ and from what others might consider cool or popular.”

COMMUNITY THREADS

Durham’s vintage scene is bursting at the seams and doesn’t end within downtown

Durham Vintage Collectiveʼs new Morris Street location pairs carefully selected secondhand clothing with furniture, home decor and an eclectic mix of curiosities. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DURHAM VINTAGE COLLECTIVE

WEAR IT WELL

Affordability certainly helps draw shoppers into secondhand stores, but quality keeps them coming back. For most folks, the appeal lies in finding well-made clothing with enough character to feel personal – and enough staying power to wear for years. Larisa finds lasting inspiration in actress Katharine Hepburn, whose famously androgynous style combined menswearinspired tailoring, effortless comfort and structured lines. “Timeless fashion, in my opinion, tends to lean more toward classic styles, with high-quality fabrics and simple, elegant lines as opposed to many of the elements of today’s fast fashion,” she says. And if you want to get ahead of the next big trend, Larisa suggests looking backward. About 20 years, give or take. “Vintage denim, T-shirts and slip dresses have been very popular recently,” Larisa says. “When I was in high school in the 1980s, fashion and styles from the 1960s and early ’70s were the trend … and now in 2026, shoppers are gravitating more toward fashion styles from the 1990s/2000s, including platform shoes and boots, grunge, baby tees, etc.,” she says. Still, some pieces resonate with shoppers well outside of modern style. Larisa remembers one customer from Japan who discovered a 1930s liquid satin, bias-cut wedding gown while casually browsing before catching her flight back home. She bought it on the spot. At DVC, Alison takes a judicious approach to what she puts on the floor: “If it’s not 100% cotton or if I can’t pronounce it, I don’t want it in the shop,” Alison jokes. “But there’s a few labels that will 46

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AndAlso on South Driver Street in East Durham, another of the city’s newest secondhand havens, offers a highly collectible selection of designer and unisex treasures spanning the 1800s to today, plus a handful of pieces from local artists and makers. Stop in during store hours (Friday and Saturday, noon-6 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; and Monday, noon-6 p.m.), or make an appointment Tuesday through Thursday for a more exclusive shopping experience. West Chapel Hill Street’s Flying Apple Vintage specializes in “unique and everyday vintage” pieces, from ’60s knit crop tops to ’90s boho rompers alongside a curated selection of books and vinyl records from another Durham fave, The Fuzzy Needle. Want first dibs? Book a private appointment through Flying Apple’s website for access to its newest arrivals before they hit the racks or online shop. Just a few doors down – and conveniently close enough to grab brunch to-go from Isaacʼs Bagels – Gibson Girl Vintage stocks a retro-minded mix of clothing, furniture and homewares. Explore everything from one-of-a-kind handmade pieces and 1940s satin wedding gowns to midcentury lounge sets and stereophonic hi-fi console record players.

always be bangers: L.L. Bean, Eddie Bauer, Carhartt, Levi’s.” Alison also prioritizes inclusive sizing and gender-neutral options throughout the shop. She especially loves dressing the storefront mannequin in unisex outfits. The goal is to give shoppers – particularly those who may not always see themselves represented in fashion – a chance to imagine new possibilities. She hopes that those customers will see the mannequin and think, “Oh, you know what? I can wear that. I can dress like that,” she says. Julian takes a community-minded strategy to sourcing, too. He buys locally, sourcing The Burrow’s inventory through places like the Raleigh Flea Market and the NC Vintage Bazaar, keeping money and merchandise circulating among the region’s vintage buyers and sellers. Opening The Burrow’s Durham location also revealed a void Julian hadn’t fully recognized: Several clients have told him they had long struggled to find the right secondhand fit for men’s attire in the Triangle and are especially thrilled about the shop’s arrival in the Bull City. “I see it as more of a unisex shop, but I didn’t know that there was such a gap in Durham for men’s clothing,” he says. 

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IN GOOD COMPANY

The best way to understand what shoppers want, Alison says, is simple: Listen to them. “Customer service is my number one thing,” she says. “I want honest feedback, because I’m here to take care of my clients and provide them with things that they want – not just me.” That ongoing conversation helps shape what she brings into the store – and keeps the experience personal in an era when much of fashion browsing happens with a THE THRILL scroll and a click. OF THE FIND Julian sees the same Hey, even vintage shop owners still appetite for tangible, get a kick out finding something rare. We asked them to share one analog experiences at discovery they’ll never forget: The Burrow. “I think people love “The Beastie Boys tee that I was wearing at [The Burrow’s] grand the variety, the prices – opening is from the early ’90s. the small items we have, I found it in some bags that were like the CDs and the given to me by a friend. He found them in a barn, and it was buried records and the shades,” underneath a bunch of polo Julian says. “I think shirts with rat holes in them.” – Julian Jacobs Durham is just really ready for something “A gorgeous black Victorian coat/ different, something that cloak with velvet and lace detailing. I got it from Kim [Shuffler] with stands out; I’m happy I Everything but Grannies Panties. can bring that here.” My second favorite would be a For a city with 1970s Sex Pistols T-shirt – ‘God Save the Queen.’” – Alison Matney a long-standing independent spirit, “My absolute favorite vintage piece I’ve ever found in the wild perhaps that’s the real has to be an olive green, cropped, draw of vintage: You military-inspired, super-soft suede never quite know what jacket with brass buttons. I found it in a vintage shop in Reykjavik, you’ll find, but you can Iceland, on the day I was leaving to be pretty sure nobody fly back home!” – Larisa Harrison else will be wearing the exact same thing.

THE ELUSIVE MONDAY LUNCH

Where to grab a midday bite downtown B Y SHARON K IN SELLA | PHOTO B Y J OHN MICH A EL S I M PS O N

inding a place to eat on a Monday can feel trickier than usual if your favorite spot is closed. Fear not: We’ve rounded up the restaurants ready to serve you (and there are more than you might think!).

Alimentari at Mothers & Sons 105 W. Chapel Hill St. Served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The daytime version of this trattoria offers hefty, melty sandwiches like the chicken parm grinder or meatball served on housemade ciabatta.

The Federal 914 W. Main St. Open 11:30 a.m.-midnight Sit down to elevated pub-grub classics – wings, burgers, a Cuban sandwich – plus a few surprises like the doner kebab wrap or schnitzel sandwich.

Dashi 415 E. Chapel Hill St. Lunch served 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Warm up with a bowl of steamy ramen, such as the milky 24-hour tonkotsu or the brothless, chili oil-coated mazemen. Pair it with small plates like a miso Caesar salad or pork and kimchi dumplings.

Flying Bull Restaurant & Brewery 300 Morris St. Lunch served 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Share a Brotzeit board of cured meats and cheeses with a couple pals for a lighter bite, or go all in with jumbo wings – brined, marinated and served in your choice of sauce. Wash it all down with a pint from the in-house brewery.

Durham Food Hall 530 Foster St., Ste. 1 Find options for whatever you’re craving, all under one roof. • Corner Yaki Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. • Everything Bagels Open 7 a.m.-2 p.m. • Ex Voto Open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. • Locals Seafood Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. • Mango Indian Grill Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. • Patty Boy Open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Discover new, vintage and kitsch pieces with personality – from dresses, boots and handbags to jewelry, greeting cards and home accents – at Dollyʼs Vintage.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

• Sfizio Pizzeria Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Geer Street Garden 644 Foster St. Open 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Find a mix of Southern comfort and international influences at this quaint eatery. Think Szechuan wings, grilled pimento cheese and fish tacos alongside a tofu banh mi. Save room for The Pile: fries loaded with cheddar, bacon, jalapenos, fried chicken and gravy. James Joyce Irish Pub 912 W. Main St. Open 11:30 a.m.-midnight Get a taste of the Emerald Isle with the James Joyce Burger, stacked with Irish cheddar, rasher (Irish bacon) and barbecue sauce on a toasted brioche bun, or the fish and chips: beer-battered Atlantic cod with hand-cut fries, slaw, tartar and lemon.

King’s Sandwich Shop 701 Foster St. Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. This historic walk-up counter has served hot dogs, cheesesteaks, bratwurst and burgers since 1942. Try the Cackalacky King – a brat with pulled pork and slaw – or the classic Southern Red hot dog. Luna Rotisserie & Empanadas 112 W. Main St. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. This South American-meets-American South spot is known for its slow-cooked rotisserie meats like pollo a la brasa and chili-braised beef brisket. Pile them onto a generously portioned grain bowl, then add a couple freshly fried Argentinianstyle empanadas on the side. Ninth Street Bakery 136 E. Chapel Hill St. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Snag a rotating specialty sandwich like the “Dancing in the Moonlight,” with roast beef, provolone, horseradish sauce, creamy cole slaw, and marinated peppers and onions on a fresh, housemade baguette.

Beat your Monday munchies with a perfectly prepared sandwich from Toast – simple, yet oh-so-satisfying.

EVEN MORE OPTIONS! Aaktun 704 Ramseur St. Lunch served 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Gym Tacos 102 City Hall Plaza Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Neomonde Mediterranean Cafe 202 N. Corcoran St., Ste. 300 Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Parts&Labor 723 Rigsbee Ave. Open 11:30 a.m.-midnight Motorco Music Hall’s restaurant dishes out an eclectic mix of wings, burgers, sammies, salads, rice bowls and more, all with global flair. We’re partial to the MotoBanh: roasted pork loin, pate, quickpickled daikon and carrot, jalapenos, garlic aioli, fish sauce and cilantro on a French baguette.

Anjappar Chettinad Indian Restaurant 201 E. Main St., Ste. 150 Lunch served 10:45 a.m-2 p.m.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ 214 Hunt St., Ste. 100 Open 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

New World Cafe 701 W. Main St., Ste. 130 Lunch served 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Bull City Burger and Brewery 107 E. Parrish St., Ste. 105 Open 11:11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Hatch Burritos 723 N. Mangum St. Lunch served 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.

NYC Halal Eats 1013 W. Main St. Open 11 a.m.-midnight

Counting House 111 Corcoran St. Brunch served 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Juicekeys 110 N. Corcoran Street Open 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

Pokeworks 122 W. Main St. Open 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

Pizzeria Toro 105 E. Chapel Hill St. Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. These beautifully blistered wood-fired pies – like the popular Buffalo mozzarella or mushroom white pizza – never disappoint. You might just want a whole one to yourself!

Cugino Forno 800 Taylor St. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

La Santa 110 Corcoran St. Lunch served 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

QueenBurger 359 Blackwell St., Ste. 125 Open 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

The Daily 108 E. Main St. Full menu served 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

Little Bull 301 E. Chapel Hill St. Lunch served 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Queeny’s 321 E. Chapel Hill St., Ste. 100 Open 11:45 a.m.-2 a.m.

The Durham Hotel Coffee Bar 315 E. Chapel Hill St. Open 7 a.m.-9 p.m.

Lutra 312 Blackwell St., Ste. 102 Open 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

E.O.’s Athletic Club 341 W. Main St. Open 11:45 a.m.-midnight

Maverick’s Smokehouse & Taproom 900 W. Main St. Open 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken 401 Foster St. Open 6 a.m.-2 p.m.

Emmy Squared Pizza 905 W. Main St. Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Mellow Mushroom 410 Blackwell St., Ste. 100 Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Thai at Main Street 317 W. Main St. Lunch served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Pick your protein, then pick your dish – curry, fried rice, veggies, pad thai – and enjoy with a soup or a house salad dressed in a peanut sauce.

East of Texas 318 Blackwell St., Ste. 100 Lunch and supper served 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Mezcalito 706 Ramseur St Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Fare&Fellow 411 W. Chapel Hill St. Open 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Moe’s Southwest Grill 359 Blackwell St., Ste. 115 Open 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Toast 345 W. Main St. Open 11 a.m.-2:45 p.m. Panini rule this menu – try the portobello mushroom, rapini and sweet Italian sausage, or Tuscan kale and ricotta salata paired with a cup or bowl of hearty homemade soup. And don’t sleep on the daily crostini special!

Fonda Lupita 905 W. Main St., Ste. 21A Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Mr. Fries Man 1105 W. Main St. Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Foster Street Coffee 530 Foster St., Ste. 2 Open 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Nautical Bowls 620 Rigsbee Ave. Open 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Press Coffee, Crepes & Cocktails 359 Blackwell St. Lunch served 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Go ahead and hit snooze – this eatery serves its signature sweet and savory crepes all day. Salads and sandwiches join the menu at 11 a.m., including the avocado Caesar and the Carolina Reuben: corned beef, pimento cheese and homemade chow chow on rye.

Tataco 620 Foster St., Ste. B Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Thaiangle 200 N. Mangum St., Ste. 101 Lunch served 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The Tipsy Bull 800 Taylor St., Ste. 9-152 Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tobacco Road Sports Cafe 280 S. Mangum St. Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Yonderlust Cafe 109 N. Gregson St. Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Yaya Tea 807 E. Main St., Ste. 2-150 Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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Paranormal research unit The Ghost Guild partners with the Carolina Theatre to investigate its historic – and possibly haunted – halls BY SHAR O N KINSE L L A

P HOTO GR AP HY BY JO HN MICHAEL SIMPSON

t’s a typical night at the Carolina Theatre: Performers take their final bows to thunderous applause, the house lights rise, and the crowd buzzes with praise as it spills into the lobby. Staff begin closing up as the post-show din fades to quiet, sweeping stray popcorn, cutting the lights and checking for stragglers before locking the doors. That’s when a vinyl piano melody drifts down the hall, seeming to float from above. Its source is an antique wind-up Victrola record player outside the third-floor donor lounge. It runs on a mechanical hand crank, not electricity – and no one has touched it all night. It seems to have turned on by itself. This eerie occurrence is one of several unexplained phenomena that paranormal research nonprofit The Ghost Guild has partnered with the historic theater to investigate in honor of the venue’s centennial anniversary. The organization will spend the next two years gathering data, testing hypotheses and presenting its findings, leaving the public to decide whether the Carolina Theatre is truly a hotbed of haunted activity. “We love theaters,” says Ghost Guild co-founder and Executive Director Nelson Nauss. “[They] just seem to always have ghost stories, so we like to go into those places and see if we can experience those [occurrences] ourselves, or see if we can explain them as well.” Nelson and his team, all volunteers, began the investigation in April by surveying Carolina Theatre staff OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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and guests about chilling or unusual experiences at the venue. Since respondents have no knowledge of what others have reported, the team zeros in on stories that repeat most often, treating those overlaps as the strongest leads worth investigating. In addition to the spooky Victrola, the lore they’ve collected includes footsteps and voices in a narrow hallway outside a staff member’s basement office, a typewriter clacking behind a door on the lower balcony level – in a corridor behind the old Connie Moses Ballroom concession stand, now used as an IT closet – and sightings of a little boy in the second balcony of Fletcher Hall, dressed in what looks like a vintage usher’s uniform. The stage itself has produced its share of creepy feelings and mysterious activity, too. The team approaches each claim by forming real-life hypotheses for what could have caused the sound, sight or feeling – faulty electrical wiring might account for flickering lights while traffic or ambient noise from neighboring buildings could explain that bump in the night – then test those possibilities through experiments and attempts to reproduce each phenomena or identify its source. If they discover an explanation, they move on to the next happening. If not, they go back to the drawing board, iterating through new rationales until what remains is truly unexplainable. “We very rarely give up,” Nelson says. “We’re constantly trying to explain it.” Nelson, who by day works in data and analytics at UNC Health, describes himself as a skeptic – a label that can initially surprise those who hear about his investigations. “I know it shocks people,” he says. “I’m sciencebased. I believe in data. I’ve had too many experiences that I still can’t explain, and I want to explain them, but it’s very hard for me to say something’s paranormal.” That distinction is why he prefers the word “data” over “evidence”: Whatever survives his team’s testing hasn’t been proven paranormal, he says; it simply remains unexplained – at least for now. “We’re not using [the data] to present a case that [something] is paranormal,” Nelson says. “This is the data we’ve collected, and we don’t necessarily know what it is yet.” The team relies on a lineup of precise instruments that log sound, light, movement and shifts in atmospheric conditions – temperature, humidity and pressure – to gather that data. Nelson’s go-to is an environmental reader that tracks several of those markers at once and can also pick up surface vibrations. Then there are the secondary, less scientific tools, some made famous by ghost-hunting TV shows, which the team keeps on hand mostly to observe firsthand how they operate – and fail: cat toy balls that light up when touched, laser grids that reveal passing shadows, lidar sensor strips that illuminate 52

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ABOVE “I prefer the word data [over evidence],” The Ghost Guild Executive Director Nelson Nauss says. “It's data – we havenʼt explained it yet.” LEFT Nelson investigates the elevator, a reported source of mysterious activity. RIGHT The device Nelson holds measures and records temperature, air pressure, humidity, surface vibrations and electromagnetic fields. Below it, an LED track connected to a lidar camera lights up when something moves in front of the camera.

when crossed, and spirit boxes, which rapidly scan radio frequencies to produce a stream of white noise through which spirits are said to communicate – a gadget Nelson notes is highly prone to audio pareidolia, where the brain interprets random noise as recognizable speech. Share your unusual During a recent electronic voice experiences at the Carolina Theatre with phenomenon session, investigators The Ghost Guild. addressed spirits aloud in hopes of capturing a response on a recorder. Ghost Guild Project Manager Jana Demetral and another team member left cat balls on the stage before settling into the second balcony with a radiating electromagnetism pod, a device that lights up when something disturbs the small electromagnetic field it generates. As the team asked questions directed at the little boy reported to appear there, the REM pod and the light-up balls onstage went off at the same time. “[We] hadn’t experienced that before [in that space], so that was interesting,” Jana says, adding that multiple sensors activating simultaneously can make for the most compelling findings. The Ghost Guild will present its findings so far Oct. 17 at American Tobacco Campus’ Fullsteam Theater as part of the Museum of Durham History’s exhibit, “Playhouses and Picture Palaces: The Historical Theaters of Downtown Durham,” which opens Oct. 16. “Aloreing Destinations: Tickets Please” will take audience members on a virtual tour of North Carolina’s most historic – and allegedly haunted – performance venues, anchored by the guild’s research and investigations. Whether the Carolina Theatre is actually haunted remains an open question. But The Ghost Guild’s work has a tangible impact beyond the paranormal. Nelson says sharing the group’s discoveries can draw people deeper into local history and encourage greater investment in the institutions they investigate, helping to preserve historical sites for future generations. That interest can translate into real dollars, too: Two tickets to accompany the guild on a nighttime investigation of the Carolina Theatre were recently auctioned off for $5,000 apiece. History really comes alive when you start mixing it with lore and mystery, Nelson says. “And then [folks are] like, ‘Oh, wait, this is fascinating.’”

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A Benefit Gala in Support of the Durham Public Schools Foundation Zachari Hawkins Memorial Fund Since 2018, DPS Foundation has invested in student success by creating an ecosystem of support around every student — strengthening teachers, empowering families, and expanding opportunities for every DPS student to learn, grow, and lead.

Saturday, November 21, 2026 5:30 PM Sheraton Imperial Hotel 4700 Emperor Boulevard Durham, North Carolina 27703

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DOWNTOWN LOWDOWN

The latest development news COMPILED B Y B EC K ET T B R A N T LEY AN D SOPHIE ST R I C K LA N D

1 TRINITY PARK TOWNHOMES 114 Watts St.

• 20 three-story townhomes with brick facade • 2,300-2,500 square feet, plus garages • Expected completion spring 2027

2 BRIGHTLEAF DISTRICT

Includes historic Brightleaf Square at 905 W. Main St., 910-914 W. Main St., 815 W. Morgan St., 810 W. Peabody St. and 112 S. Duke St. In total, the neighborhood aggregation is approx. 220,000 square feet of mixed-use space.

 ELIZAB ETH ST.

 22

• Charlotte-based Asana Partners purchased the property in late 2019. Over the past year, Brightleaf Square has welcomed several new tenants, including floral design boutique Mood Fleuriste and natural wine shop and bar Sol House Wines. These newcomers join Emmy Squared Pizza, known for its Detroit-style pies, Nikos, a Michelin-recommended authentic Greek dining experience by restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias, and Fonda Lupita, a Mexican eatery.

3 THE GREGSON 204 S. Gregson St.

HOLLOWAY ST.

  

• Developer is Baltimore-based real estate company Wexford Science & Technology, which also developed The Chesterfield building • Nine levels with 218,000 square feet of state-of-the-art lab and office space • On-site multilevel parking garage • Currently in predevelopment, expected delivery TBD

4 FORMER DURHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS

505 W. Chapel Hill St.

 32

• 4-acre parcel owned by the City of Durham • Originally built in the 1950s as offices for Home Security Life Insurance Company and most recently occupied by the Durham Police Department, the site became vacant in late 2019 • The city is partnering with Laurel Street Residential to deliver 80 units of affordable rental housing at the site. • In addition to ground leasing the land, the city is providing up to $6.3 million in gap funding to support the project. • The developer is expected to submit an application to the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency in January 2027 for an allocation of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. Should the project receive an allocation, construction could begin as early as mid-2028 and be completed by 2029.

5 ARBOR VISTA 512 Gordon St.

• 1-3 bedroom townhomes, 1,251-2,287 square feet • Four distinctive floor plans crafted for downtown living, with rooftop terraces, 1-2 car garages, and 10-foot ceilings in the main living space, plus home offices and/or flex spaces in every home as well as features like quartz countertops, modern cabinetry with a stylish range hood, premium stainless steel appliances and LVP flooring throughout • Starting in the mid $400,000s; homes available for move-in now 

DURHAM RAIL TRAIL

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6 ELM HILL

518 Morehead Ave. • Project by New York developers Alchemy Properties and Takamatsu Construction Group, with architecture and design by ISG, and sales by Urban Durham Realty • Townhome-style condominiums, offering two- to four-bedroom homes with versatile flex spaces ideal for a bonus room or home office; each home features functional layouts, high-end finishes and a private rooftop terrace • Community amenities include a clubhouse with a state-of-the-art fitness area and lounge/coworking spaces, along with a fenced dog run and landscaped greenspaces throughout the neighborhood • Construction underway with first closings anticipated in summer 2027

7 MARKET DISTRICT AT AMERICAN TOBACCO CAMPUS PHASE 1 601 Willard St.

• Former site of University Ford • Development by CBC Real Estate, a division of Capitol Broadcasting Company, and Hines in partnership with Affinius Capital • 700,000-square-foot mixed-use project on 8 acres bordering the west side of American Tobacco Campus • 350,000 square feet of leasable space in two Hines T3 (Timber, Transit and Technology) creative office buildings; 350 multifamily units in a 14-story, highrise residential building; and 100,000 square feet of experiential retail, like a theater/draft house, prepared foods grocer, shops and restaurants • Activated central plaza and intimate pedestrian alleyways programmed with events and experiences • No definitive construction start date at this time

8 THE NOVUS 115 Morris St.

• Close to 2 acres of land • Existing South Bank building was demolished and construction of Phase 1 was completed in early 2026 • Austin Lawrence Partners co-developed with Global Holdings Management Group the project’s Phase 1, which encompasses a mixed-use, 27-story high-rise with a residential portion to include 54 condominiums with layouts of up to five bedrooms; 188 apartments; and 450 parking spaces • Amenities include an outdoor movie theater, resort-style pool with accompanying spa pools, golf simulators, coworking space and expansive indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces plus city views through floor-to-ceiling glass, spacious private balconies, chefappointed kitchens and modern bathrooms. • Condominiums are more than 90% sold, and the apartments are nearly 75% leased. The public parking deck is also open. • Ground-floor retail totaling nearly 23,000 square feet; first tenants include local cycling studio Revel, Dose Yoga + Cafe and Pilates studio Solidcore, with other prospective retail tenants in letter of intent negotiations • Global Holdings Management Group will be evaluating development of an additional phase of the project.

9 DOWNTOWN DURHAM YMCA Corner of Blackwell and W. Pettigrew Streets

• 0.79-acre site • 65,000 square feet • Estimated cost of $46 million • YMCA of the Triangle acquired the property from CBC Real Estate in September 2025 and selected Little Diversified Architectural Consulting as the architect and Thomas & Hutton as the civil engineer in late January 2026. • Planned features include multiple rooftop terraces with outdoor fitness areas, an aquatics center, an indoor track, a full basketball court, group fitness

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studios, dedicated youth and teen spaces, health and wellness programs, and clinical space for community health services. • 80 on-site parking spaces, with access to additional reserved spaces nearby • Construction slated to begin in 2027, with doors opening early 2029

10 KRESS CONDOMINIUMS 162 W. Ramseur St.

• Corner of West Ramseur and South Mangum streets, current site of a 0.15-acre parking lot next to the historic Kress building • Development by Raleigh-based real estate firm White Oak Properties • Six-story building with 26 residential units, including rooftop units, all with balconies • 2,000 square feet of ground-level retail • No definitive construction start date at this time • First-floor suites are currently occupied by High Dive and Strike Martial Arts

11 THE JAMES 320 W. Morgan St.

• 312 mixed-use apartment units, 32-story tower • 13,000 square feet of retail space • Craig Davis Properties project • In planning stages

12 DURHAM INNOVATION DISTRICT Total area: 1.8 million square feet, 27 acres, bordered by Duke Street, Morgan Street, West Corporation Street and Roney Street

• 200 Morris – Duke Clinical Research Institute leases entire building; Google is a subtenant in the building; Virge Yoga opened in early 2025; 2,780 square feet of retail space is available • 300 Morris – Office, lab and retail nearly fully leased. Retail tenants include Narrative Coffee Company and Flying Bull Brewery & Restaurant. Gallery art rotation in the lobby in partnership with Durham Art Guild. Hoofprint Biome leases lab space in the building. • Morris Green Park – At the corner of Morris Street and Fernway Avenue; offers public green space and a dog park. Enjoy a food truck and live music on Third Thursdays during lunch from March through October. • Public parking garage on Roney Street • Courtyard between 200 & 300 Morris buildings includes seating, signature lighting, Wi-Fi, water features and lawn games. Public art includes Raleigh artist Matt McConnell’s 100-foot sculpture and Charlotte artist Sharon Dowell’s two-part series along Morris Street. Raleigh artist Anna Payne Rogers Previtte’s mural is showcased in the 300 Morris lobby. • Future phases will include more than 180,000 square feet of lab and office space

13 WYE JUNCTION 701 Washington St.

• Adaptive-reuse mixed-use development on the former Erwin Oil site, a landmark Durham oil distribution facility dating to 1937 • 310 residential units across two buildings on 5.2 acres; a signature open-air pedestrian bridge connects the two structures; 400+ parking spaces • Architecture and interiors by Cline; developed by Ram Realty; built by Thomas Construction Group • 7,791 square feet of ground-floor retail space in new construction, activating the street and shared pedestrian plaza; approximately 18,500 square feet in existing historic garage building, Atomic Clock Brewing Co., M Hansik, Timber Pizza Co. and Bull City Running Co. currently occupy retail space • 4,677 square feet of public gathering space, including outdoor seating and a pocket park • Completed in 2026

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

14 DURHAM RAIL TRAIL

Abandoned Norfolk and Southern rail bed • 1.8 mile multiuse trail that reclaims a portion of unused railroad tracks for walking and biking from north Durham to downtown • City staff engaged historically underrepresented communities in alignment with the city’s Equitable Community Engagement Blueprint • Construction estimated to begin in winter 2027; trail expected to open summer 2028 • An alignment for the basic trail has been set, which includes generous path widths and materials, neighborhood connections and end points, and specific elements for roadway crossings. • Trail will have proximity to the American Tobacco Trail as well as major transportation nodes, such as the Amtrak Station and Durham Station

15 THE GEORGE 512 W. Geer St.

• Boutique condominium from Raleigh-based Beacon Street Development • Seven-story building with 34 custom residences for sale, featuring one-, two- and three-bedroom homes • Historically inspired exterior design, with classic, crisp interiors • Ground-floor retail and building amenities including an owner’s retreat and fitness center • Estimated completion date is end of 2027 • “Our goal was to create a classically inspired building with the rich architectural character found throughout downtown, while offering highly customized, luxurious residences with exceptional views overlooking the Historic Durham Athletic Park and downtown.” – Mary Rae Hunter at Urban Durham Realty

16 THE CALLISTA 802 Washington St.

• Currently undergoing a required resubmittal process with the City of Durham for planning and permitting • Six-story, four unit project: Three 2,600-square-foot, single-story flats (two or three bedrooms) and a two-story penthouse with a roof deck that is already presold • $1.1 million+ • Durham Performing Arts Center architect Phil Szostak of Szostak Design • Construction anticipated to begin early fall 2026

17 GEERHOUSE 620 Foster St.

• 2.2-acre site near Durham Central Park • Phase 1 included 220 new multifamily rental units, averaging 785 square feet (range from 566 to 1,310 square feet) with a unit mix of 20% studio units, 50% one-bedroom units and 30% two-bedroom units • Amenities include: Landscaped courtyard with water feature, major amenity rooms with west-facing terrace overlooking the Historic Durham Athletic Park, ample garage parking and linear park through the site connecting Foster Street to Rigsbee Avenue • Project includes an expanded Motorco Music Hall, plus 13,000 square feet of new retail space. Tataco, a Mexican eatery by James Beard Award-nominated chef Oscar Diaz, Nectar Cafe, Steelo Salon, Nanny Goat Market and Uwa Sushi all opened in a portion of the first floor. • First units were delivered in October 2024 and have been leased • Phase 2 is in planning stages and will feature 260 units and 12,500 square feet of new retail. The project will be a similar scale to GeerHouse and will complete the pedestrian linear park through the block.

18 THE RHYTH 715 Rigsbee Ave.

• Mixed-use project including 262 rental apartment units and 11,500-square-feet of new retail • Ground floor of the Rigsbee Avenue and Foster Street sides features café-style retail with outdoor dining plazas, while the retail lining the cross-block linear park shared by GeerHouse will complete that promenade • Project partners include Studio Twenty Seven Architecture, Cline Design, Thomas and Hutton, and John Moriarty & Associates • No groundbreaking date set as of press time; completion will be approximately two years after start

19 NORTH & BROADWAY 120 Broadway St.

• A Lock7 Development of 24 18- and 20-foot-wide townhomes • Builder is Concept 8; sales and marketing handled by Chappell [Powered by Compass] • Features include roof terraces in all units; one- and two-car garages in all units; large windows (storefront glass on some units); multiple flex spaces in some units; and skyline views in some units • Over 75% sold (19 of 24 units closed)

20 106 BROADWAY

• Joint venture of Center Studio Architecture, White Oak Properties and Chris McGee • 14 modern two-bedroom, 1,028-square-foot townhomes starting at $519,000 • Private outdoor balconies off top-floor living rooms with soaring ceilings + a one-car garage with flex room • Construction slated to begin early 2027 • Taking contracts now, sold by Urban Durham Realty

21 THE WILLOW DURHAM 601 N. Roxboro St.

• Two five-story buildings, constructed in two phases • Seven condominiums per building; plans include two- and three-bedroom units of 1,855, 2,410 and 3,320 square feet; all include a flex room • South building (Phase 1), completed Q1 2025, has one move-in-ready, three-bedroom unit available, listed at $1.295 million • North building (Phase 2) is scheduled for completion in Q2 2027, with three three-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit still available • Ground-floor garage and service areas totaling 7,000 square feet per building • Amenities: two to three balconies per unit, dedicated laundry room in each condo, modern mail room with refrigerated delivery, guaranteed parking space per unit; dedicated first-story storage for each unit • Units start at $1.1 million • Developed by Lorient Homes and sold by Clara Harrison with Inhabit Real Estate

22 DILLARD CO-LIVING 218 N. Dillard St.

• 19 co-living townhomes; each with five private suites and shared kitchen/laundry • Affordable rents, all utilities included, and flexible lease terms • Leasing now at communityroomrental.com

23 300 & 500 E. MAIN ST. APARTMENTS

Mixed-use buildings with total of 305 affordable residential apartments, 248 market-rate apartments, 16,500 square feet of commercial space and more than 1,600 parking spaces 300 E. Main St. • Includes a roughly 753-space parking deck at 115 N. Queen St. with 110 affordable housing units at Renegade, located at 335 E. Main St., which serve

households making 30%-80% AMI with a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units • 3,900 square feet of commercial space and a 10,499-square-foot child care location with two pre-K classrooms, allowing Durham County to serve children from birth to 5 years old; Durham County continues to work with Early Years (formerly known as Child Care Services Association) to finalize the request for applications to get a child care operator on board • Queen Street side of the building includes a structural public art installation that also serves as a screen wall for the parking deck • Construction of the parking deck is complete and currently operational • Affordable housing is complete, with leasing currently underway; occupancy began early September 2025 500 E. Main St. • Redevelopment includes a parking garage with approximately 847 spaces along with 195 affordable housing units at Revive, serving households making 30%-80% AMI with a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units along Ramseur Street • Includes Maizon Durham, 248 market-rate apartments along Main Street handled by Floridabased developer ZOM Living, with a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments (ranging in size from 555 to 1,450 square feet) and 13,000 square feet of street-level retail space that includes plans for an anchor tenant and a cafe • A linear park between the two buildings will provide a landscaped pedestrian walkway connecting South Dillard Street and South Elizabeth Street • Parking deck is complete; opened in August 2025 • Market-rate housing units are complete and currently available for leasing • Affordable housing construction began in June 2025 with an anticipated completion in Q2 2027

24 EMBLEM APARTMENTS 519 E. Main St.

• 148-unit, $40 million project; fourth and final phase of Liberty Street/519 E. Main St. redevelopment • Mixed-income development offering studio, oneand two-bedroom apartment homes, along with commercial and retail space • Durham Housing Authority co-developing property with Laurel Street Residential • Construction expected to begin by end of 2026

25 CAMDEN DURHAM 441 S. Dillard St.

• 420 apartments; average unit size around 900 square feet; most units (about 75%) are either studios or onebedrooms, with the remainder two-bedrooms • A budgeted cost of $145 million • Construction completed Q4 2024 • 6,000 square feet of retail space, no current tenants leased

26 HERITAGE SQUARE

606 Fayetteville St.; 401 E. Lakewood Ave. Joint venture among national development firms Sterling Bay, Acram Group and Harrison Street to create multistory Class A office, purpose-built laboratory space and residential units on a 10-acre site located in the Hayti District

27 THE VILLAGES OF HAYTI 1103 Merrick St.

• 252-unit, $80.8 million project: first phase of Fayette Place redevelopment • Mixed-income development that includes one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes for individuals and families. Building amenities include a multipurpose room, fitness center, computer lab, playground, laundry facility and covered picnic area.

• Durham Housing Authority co-developed property with Durham Community Partners • Construction will complete in spring 2028

28 BORDEN BRICK II 618 Ramseur St.

Four tenants, which include Peace & Saint, an upscale hookah and cocktail bar, and Vida Dulce, an ice cream and dessert shop

29 STRIDE APARTMENTS

(FORMERLY DILLARD STREET APARTMENTS) 540 Liberty St.

• Mixed-income development that includes 146 affordable and market-rate apartment homes; third phase of Liberty Street/519 E. Main St. redevelopment • Durham Housing Authority co-developing the property with Laurel Street Residential • Construction on the first 48 units will be completed in fall 2026; the remaining 98 units will be delivered mid 2027 • A pocket park and community center will be built as part of this phase, which will offer a community room, fitness center, computer lab, playground and outdoor seating

30 VANGUARD APARTMENTS 544 Liberty St.

• 72-unit, $23.9 million project; first phase of Liberty Street/519 E. Main St. redevelopment • Mixed-income development that includes one-, twoand three-bedroom apartment homes for individuals and families. Building amenities include storage lockers, a multipurpose room, fitness center, computer lab, playground and outdoor picnic space. • Durham Housing Authority co-developed the property with its instrumentality, Development Ventures Inc., as well as Laurel Street Residential • Construction completed in May 2025, and building is fully leased

31 CONVERGE

(FORMERLY COMMERCE STREET APARTMENTS) 135 & 143 Commerce St.

• 172-unit, $56.6 million project; second phase of Liberty Street/519 E. Main St. redevelopment • Mixed-income development that includes one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartment homes; 88 of the units will be reserved for older adults, while 84 will be available to individuals and families of all ages • Durham Housing Authority co-developing the property with Laurel Street Residential • Construction completion estimated in fall 2026

32 GOLDEN BELT CAMPUS 800 Taylor St., 807 E. Main St.

• Mixed-use: adaptive re-use renovation • 320,000 square feet of rentable space • LRC Properties and Alliance Architecture renovated Mill No. 1 and have welcomed occupants including, but not limited to: 25 artist studios, Mettlesome Theater, Durham Art Guild, Hi-Wire Brewing, Strata Clean Energy, Telus Digital, Two Roosters Ice Cream, Cugino Forno, MetaMetrics, Urban Tails Veterinary Hospital, Progressive Companies and The Tipsy Bull. • The Mill Stage features free music programming during the summer in conjunction with the Third Friday Art Walk each month. • A trellis walkway connects Mill No. 1 to the Golden Belt side of campus, which includes 37 residential lofts, office and lab space, and retail tenants such as Moshi Moshi Salon, The Cotton Room, Dogstar Tattoo Company, Empower Dance, Tribal Fit and Yaya Tea.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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Don Ballʼs entryway gives visitors a colorful preview of the art-filled rooms beyond.

TURN THE PAGE A collector of art, experiences and stories pens his next chapter B Y MORG AN CARTIER WESTON

PHOTOG RAPHY B Y J OHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

on Ball’s creative passions are readily apparent before you even step inside his Wye Junction apartment. A cheerful

red bench and a large work of art welcome visitors in the hallway, while the entryway displays colorful paintings, drawings and a needlepoint piece made by his grandmother. The kitchen island alcove, intended for barstools, instead holds stacks of books – what Don affectionately calls his OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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“book cliff.” Broadway Playbills collected over years of trips to New York City cover the interior doors. Don makes art, too. When we visit, his hands are busy stitching a needlepoint portrait of the Garrett Farms home he lived in before moving to Washington Street. As he works, he thoughtfully considers questions about his life, career and what comes next. And after more than four decades in Durham’s hospitality industry, Don has plenty of stories to tell. He spent 30 years at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, first as a restaurant manager and later overseeing the hotel’s food and beverage program for 23 years. He moved to the JB Duke Hotel during the pandemic and has served as its general manager for the past six years. He enjoys the work – particularly the people. “I love mentoring people, I love interacting with the public,” he says. “I love a five-minute connection with a stranger.” Now 65, Don is thinking about his next chapter. Retirement is on the horizon, and travel is increasingly at the center of his plans. But first, he made another significant change: He downsized. Don traded his aforementioned 4,000-square-foot, fivebedroom Garrett Farms house for a 1,100-squarefoot, two-bedroom apartment earlier this year. The move was less about giving something up than gaining the lifestyle he had wanted for years. “I have always wanted to live in a walkable area,” he says. 68

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ABOVE A woven tapestry by Silvia Heyden adds texture and depth to Donʼs living room – and cleverly conceals the TV. LEFT Wye Junctionʼs first-floor great room gives residents a spacious spot to relax and socialize. BELOW “Tiger Lily,” an oil painting by Andre Serfontein, frames the entrance to Donʼs bedroom.

Don had already experienced downtown living, spending three decades in Trinity Park before moving to Garrett Farms during the pandemic so aging family members could live with him. Once they moved into independent living, Don found himself wondering why he was still in the suburbs. Then an unexpected offer on his house made the decision easier. “I was like, ‘What am I doing out here? I want to live an urban life,’” he says. “And now, Durham has caught up to my dream.” Much of the city sits within walking distance from Wye Junction. Don can stroll to Whole Foods, Bulldega, Durham Co-op Market and the Durham Farmers Market for groceries, or to the Carolina Theatre, Durham Performing Arts Center and |

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ABOVE Broadway Playbills, modern lithographs and a needlepoint piece by Donʼs grandmother line the apartmentʼs main hallway. BELOW Don regularly gets together for dominoes with friends Stoney Bowman-Harmon, left, and David “Nugget” Helwig, right.

Durham Bulls Athletic Park

for entertainment, as well as dozens of restaurants. Toast and Local 22 remain his go-to spots, while M Hansik, Delancey Tavern and TaTaco have joined the rotation. The latter, he says, reminds him of the food he served at Papagayo, a since-shuttered Mexican restaurant located near Duke University. The apartment itself offered another important consideration: walls. Unlike several other window-filled downtown buildings he considered, Wye Junction’s units gave Don ample space to showcase his large artworks. He began collecting in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when he and his partner at the time befriended local artists and gallery owners. Today, his collection spans artists from Durham and beyond, along with pieces that hold deep personal significance. 70

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

Baltimore artist Herman Maril painted a depiction of the Provincetown, Massachusetts, lighthouse in 1961 – the year Don was born. A tapestry by Swiss artist Silvia Heyden, who studied weaving in the Bauhaus tradition before moving to Durham, renders a scene along the banks of the Eno River in colorful thread (it also conveniently conceals Don’s TV). Another favorite is a photograph by Durham artist Dan Gottlieb, printed on the back of plexiglass and mounted on a hidden Murphy bed in the guest room. “Every single piece here brings me joy,” Don says. His artistic assortment made downsizing more complicated but also more intentional. Don kept only the furniture and art he wanted, asking Leland Little Auctions to assess the pieces he planned to sell. 

Everything But Grannies Panties organized

ABOVE Just canʼt beat a downtown sunset from the pocket park next to Wye Junction, complete with a view of artist BC Crabtreeʼs “Light Shining on the Seven Stars” wraparound mural on a reclaimed oil tank. ABOVE RIGHT Saxophonist Orion Weaver, a senior at North Carolina Central University, is part of the apartment complexʼs regular live entertainment rotation.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

a two-day estate sale for the rest, with remaining items donated. The apartment may be one of the smaller places Don’s lived, but it contains everything he actually uses. He designed the space around that philosophy, choosing a dining table for four with a leaf that can accommodate six. Living room chairs can be pulled up to the table when he hosts his book club. “There is no sense having two chairs against the wall just waiting for company,” he says. The move also reflects a broader shift in how Don views his life. “You reach a time when you’re no longer competing with yourself or with others,” he says. His relationship with Durham stretches back to 1979, when he arrived in what he remembers as a sleepy tobacco town. His first job was at an Italian restaurant, followed by work at the then-operating Erwin Mill on Ninth Street and a 10-year stint operating Papagayo. He also witnessed some of the changes that would eventually transform the city. When the Durham Bulls returned in 1980, Don was there for games at the original ballpark, now the Historic Durham Athletic Park. He moved into Trinity Park in 1992, before the neighborhood became one of the city’s most sought-after residential areas. “I lived in three different houses in Trinity Park over 28 years,” he says. “I see life as a

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©️2026 IP86, LLC. Although all floor plans, features, illustrations, and specifications of the homes and communities are believed correct at the time of publication, the right is reserved to make changes, without notice or obligation. Windows, doors, ceilings, layout, colors, finishes and room sizes may vary depending on the options and elevations selected. This information is for illustrative purposes only and not part of a legal contract. Some communities may be age-restricted, in which no less than eighty percent of homes in the community must have at least one permanent occupant fifty-five years of age or older.

series of chapters; homes, relationships, careers and places,” he says. But Don has reached a point where he wants less to maintain and more to experience. That philosophy extends to his approach to food. After decades immersed in luxury hospitality, Don says his tastes have simplified. “I have lived the life of the 13-course meals with wine pairings,” he says. “I am happier with simpler food, prepared well and fresh.” Don loves to cook and entertain, and the apartment’s spacious kitchen made the transition from a larger home much easier. These days, some of his favorite meals begin with a walk. Recently, he wandered over to the farmers market and bought tomatoes, potatoes, onions and cucumbers. He grew basil on his balcony, made pesto, then headed over to the Durham Food Hall for a red grouper from Locals Seafood and to Durham Distillery for canned cocktails for his guests. “Everything I had purchased was from within two blocks of my apartment,” he says.

ABOVE Wye Junctionʼs sky deck overlooks the Historic Durham Athletic Park and offers views of the downtown skyline. LEFT Don turned his kitchen island into a towering display of books he affectionately calls his “book cliff.”

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It is a fitting snapshot of the life Don has created: local, social and connected. Friends drop in for dinner. He watches baseball games and the movement of the city from his balcony. He has taken up needlepoint. He continues to collect and enjoy art. And after losing his dog, Lucy, in February, he is settling into a home that feels less like a final destination and more like a comfortable base for whatever comes next. For Don, that often involves going somewhere new. “I work, and I live, to travel,” he says. His next big trip is already planned: a cruise with friends that travels from Ho Chi Minh City through Cambodia to Hanoi to celebrate his milestone birthday.

please join us for

hOmE for the hOlIDAYs A Benefit Evening for the Animals of Durham

Saturday,

Nov. 7, 2026 Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club Every animal deserves a place to call home. But Don has an even bigger goal for retirement: He wants to live on five continents in five years. His parameters are simple: Each location should be within a 30- to 45-minute drive of an airport with direct flights to the United States. Rather than rushing from destination to destination, he wants to spend three to six months in each place, immersing himself in the culture – “I think there is no better way than to experience a place,” he says – before returning to Durham. “I plan to come back and finish out the rest of my chapter,” Don says. “That’s the beautiful thing – none of them are forever.”

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Audrey Crowder and Helen Barritt hit the track at Alumni Field on Durham Academy’s Upper School campus.

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going the

DISTANCE Two Durham Academy athletes earn spots in USA Triathlon’s Olympic development program – and learn the road to elite competition is as much about balance as it is about speed BY EVER HARRIS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

elen Barritt, a rising junior at Durham Academy, and Audrey Crowder, a recent DA graduate and rising

freshman at Brown University, are quite literally one in a million. The two are among just seven athletes nationwide selected for USA Triathlon’s Olympic development programs in their respective age categories. Audrey and Helen were specifically invited to USA Triathlon’s Talent ID Camps, where they gained firsthand insight into the demands of draft-legal triathlon. The camps placed a strong emphasis on cycling, including the strategy and skill required to ride in a pack. In draft-legal racing, athletes can swim or ride behind other competitors to reduce wind or water resistance and conserve energy. Organizers also evaluated “their attitude, adeptness, mentality, bike skills and commitment,” which will help USA Triathlon develop an individualized plan for each athlete as it determines how best to support their continued growth in the sport. USA Triathlon High Performance ID Coordinator Tommy Zaferes discovered the pair while combing through thousands of names. Even he was surprised by what he found. “I’m still in the process of copying and pasting individually every single name, going through … thousands of names, and that’s how I found them,” Tommy says. “I didn’t believe it at first because I’m like, there’s no way that two athletes from the same school … hit these stats. That’s impossible.” Except it wasn’t. Audrey built an impressive résumé during her time at DA. She was the 2022 N.C. Independent

Schools Athletic Association 4A individual cross-country state champion and has earned five All-State and five Triangle Independent Schools Athletic Conference all-conference honors in cross-country, along with three TISAC cross-country Runner of the Year awards. In 2025, she finished as the NCISAA 4A cross-country individual runner-up and helped lead DA to the team state championship. She continued that momentum in 2026, winning individual NCISAA 4A state titles in the 800-meter, 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter races; joining Helen alongside two other teammates to claim the 4x800-meter relay title; and helping the school capture the track team championship. She was also named the 2026 TISAC Track and Field player of the year. She holds school records at DA in the 5K, 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter races, as well as the distance medley, 4x400-meter and 4x1,600-meter relays. Meanwhile as a sophomore, Helen earned NCISAA All-State honors in both cross-country and track, as well as All-Conference honors in swimming. Both athletes have already proven themselves in high-level competition; now, USA Triathlon is giving them an opportunity to see how far those talents can take them. Both Helen and Audrey credit Durham Academy with giving them the flexibility and support to pursue top-tier athletic opportunities while still making time for academics, friendships and life outside of sports. Audrey’s mom, Becca Crowder, says the school’s focus on balance made an impression on her as a parent. “They really emphasized the whole child, not just any one thing,” she says. 

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That guiding principle proved especially valuable as the two young athletes learned to navigate demanding training schedules alongside schoolwork, social lives and their mental well-being. Along the way, each encountered trials that ultimately strengthened her ability to manage the demands of competitive endurance sports. Audrey, who participated in varsity swim, cross-country and track throughout high school, struggled with injuries. Rather than simply pushing through them, she learned to approach her practicing more holistically, incorporating cross-training before school and adding stretching to her daily routine. To Audrey, “going that extra mile,” means more than shaving seconds off a race or increasing distance. It also means “doing the little things, both mentally and physically.” Helen faced a different challenge: proving her time management skills while competing in multiple sports. Her mom, Dr. Millie Barritt, a DA alumna and member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, knows firsthand what it takes to pursue excellence in both cross-country and swimming. A 1993 NCISAA individual state champion in cross-country and high school All-American swimmer, Millie also won eight individual NCISAA swimming titles and helped lead DA to the 1994 state team championship. That experience gave Millie a unique perspective as she watched her daughter traverse many of the same demands. “[It] is lovely to see the commitment and … the fortitude [she has] to pursue her own dreams,” Millie says. “She had a lot of people telling her she should only swim or she should only run. Being able to navigate that path herself, I think, was really impressive.” Fortunately, Helen and Audrey never had to race, swim or bike this path alone. Both grew up with families who encouraged them to pursue new goals – along with, as Millie jokes, a pair of “full-time taxi drivers” willing to shuttle them to and from practice. Now that they have driver’s licenses and more independence, the athletes increasingly lean on another source of support: their teammates. As cross-country team captain this past year, Audrey helped foster a culture in which the girls encouraged one another while working toward their individual goals. She also made a point of ensuring that the teammates developed and maintained positive relationships beyond the field. “A lot of times, we are one another’s strongest competition,” Helen says, “but at the same time, we’re teammates and we’re friends.” That combination of competition and camaraderie will follow Audrey and Helen into their next chapter with USA Triathlon, where they will have access to world-class athletes and coaches as they continue developing their skills across 80

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swimming, biking and running. Surprisingly, neither Helen nor Audrey had a background in triathlon; both excelled in running and swimming, but had relatively little experience on a bike. Part of the camp was dedicated to assessing their aptitude for a new discipline. Helen quickly embraced the challenge, taking an immediate interest in learning to cycle and even purchasing a new bike after the camp. Audrey says she appreciated the opportunity to train alongside such a small and dedicated group of individuals. “We all learned so much from one another and bonded over our shared experiences as athletes,” she says. The organization also takes a long-term approach, allowing Helen and Audrey to continue enjoying their high school and college experiences while exploring where triathlon might fit into their futures. Their performance at this development camp is intended to decide next steps and “set them up with a coach or a training environment that helps build their weaknesses into strengths,” Tommy says. If they ultimately choose to pursue the sport at an elite level, the official Talent ID Program lasts two years and includes a six- to eight-month pre-participation period dedicated primarily to training. Racing follows, which is when the funding program begins, and USA Triathlon assists athletes in getting to the races as well as providing them with the training and equipment they need. From there, athletes can earn bonuses for hitting performance metrics “that indicate they’re on the trajectory to [USA Triathlon’s] national team or to the Olympic Games,” Tommy says, along with prize money and sponsorship and job opportunities in the sport. For now, though, Helen and Audrey are focused less on where the road might lead and more on appreciating the journey. When asked what advice they would give to the next generation of endurance-sport athletes, both emphasized the importance of consistency – and finding joy along the way. “When you reach your goals or win a big meet or hit the [personal record] you’ve been chasing for a long time, it’s so exciting,” Audrey says. “But also enjoy all of those little moments. … It’s just so cool to look back at it all later and see these small things and how they built up to that big race.”

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TAKEOFF Flight simulator program for teens charts a course into aviation career paths

BY SOPHIA HERNDON | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DURHAM PARKS AND RECREATION

hen Riverside High School student Jairus “JB” Mathieu found himself in a cockpit 2,000 feet above the ground, responsible for flying the aircraft, he remembered his training. “I can take off, I can land, I can turn,” he recalls. His confidence came from hours spent in a professional-grade flight simulator through Durham Parks and Recreation’s new aviation program at the Durham Teen Center. JB knew he wanted to fly from a young age. “The summer after kindergarten, I was with my aunt and uncle in Texas, and they took me to see a cockpit of a plane,” the 16-year-old says. “That got me set on being a pilot.” He joined his high school’s Air Force Junior ROTC as a step toward his goal of becoming a fighter pilot. When his instructor mentioned a new DPR initiative that included time on a flight simulator, JB knew he had to sign up. The eight-week aviation course launched earlier this year through DPR’s My Durham Teen Zone, a free offering that connects local teens ages 13 to 18 with activities and opportunities – from open gym basketball or volleyball to learning the art of perfume making – in order to explore their interests and build friendships in a safe and inclusive environment. The latest flight simulator cohort included a dozen teens ages 13 to 17, says instructor Frank White, who introduced students to aviation careers and the fundamentals of piloting and aircraft mechanics. For some, including JB, the experience extended beyond the simulator: They also had the chance to fly a real plane. Cimarron Reed, My Durham Teen Zone’s recreation coordinator, says exposing teens to a range of career paths is intentional. “We offer college tours, but for those who may not be interested in going to college, we want them to

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

Jairus “JB” Mathieu was among 12 teens who completed DPRʼs eight-week aviation course and received certificates during an April recognition ceremony at Lake Ridge Aero Park. He also got to experience a flight from inside the cockpit alongside a trained pilot through DPRʼs collaboration with the Experimental Aircraft Associationʼs Young Eagles program.

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ABOVE JB trains on the flight simulator with instructor Sam Patellos, a former U.S. military fighter pilot and retiree from Delta Air Lines, at the Durham Teen Center.

RIGHT My Durham Teen Zoneʼs

Recreation Coordinator Cimarron Reed.

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NDON PHOTO BY SOPHIA HER

explore other fields,” Cimarron says. Aviation is an especially timely field for teens to explore as the industry faces a workforce shortage. And piloting is just one of many career paths; opportunities also span aircraft maintenance, aviation medicine, contracting and more. The aviation training also gives students a chance to connect classroom lessons with the real world. They study flight physics, including how wind affects an aircraft and how its wings create lift, while applying math and science concepts to takeoffs, turns and landings. For JB, those lessons sparked an interest in physics, which he is taking at Riverside this fall. Frank says JB stood out for his preparation and dedication during the flight program, consistently arriving to class with his study materials ready. Cimmaron says that kind of engagement is common among teens who participate in My Durham Teen Zone: As they gain a better understanding of their interests and potential career paths, he says, they often become more invested in the schoolwork that supports those goals. “I’m happy that we were that step for them to get to that place,” he says. JROTC instructor Maj. Anthony Bond echoes Frank’s sentiments on JB’s drive and ambition. “Cadet Mathieu has shown a lot of strong leadership, leading himself and leading the other cadets,” he says. “That’s one thing about him that we really appreciate.” The biggest takeaway for JB has been greater self-assurance, particularly in his ability to persevere when things don’t go according to plan in the cockpit. “I can recover from falling,” he says. “That’s a great feeling.” The experience has helped reinforce a career goal JB has held for most of his life. For other teens considering the course, he has a simple recommendation: Give it a try. “It’s an amazing program,” he says. “It gets you so immersed in flying.” DPR plans to launch another cohort, likely in January 2027.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

a new

VOICE for James Perry is ready to listen, learn and lead at the DPS Foundation

BY AITANA MARTINEZ

DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

fter a yearlong, nationwide search, James Perry is stepping into a job with a big mandate: help Durham Public Schools get the resources its students need – and bring the community along for the work. The new executive director of Durham Public Schools Foundation arrives with more than two decades of nonprofit leadership experience and a lifelong connection to education. His mother worked as a public school librarian, and his father taught English at the college level. His wife, Melissa Harris-Perry, is the Maya Angelou presidential chair in the department of politics and international affairs, the department of women and gender studies and the program in environment and sustainability studies at Wake Forest University, where she teaches courses on American politics at the intersections of race, place and gender. “Education has always been important to me,” James says. He also spent much of his career seeing the challenges public schools face when funding falls short of what their young people and families need. Most recently, James served as president and CEO of the WinstonSalem Urban League, where he expanded the organization’s advocacy and impact across 13 counties and launched initiatives focused on providing assistance, tools and mentorship in reading, tutoring and technology to uplift disenfranchised students, despite facing significant hurdles. At the time, Winston-Salem’s public school system faced a deficit of more than $30 million, leaving the community scrambling for ways to fill the gaps.

That experience not only gave him a front-row seat to the obstacles facing public education but also helped shape what he wanted to do next. Durham, James says, had something WinstonSalem lacked: an established foundation already working to rally grassroots advocacy for its schools. “It made me realize that this was an incredible opportunity,” he says of the role’s appeal. Now, his first priority isn’t to arrive with all the answers. It’s to listen. James plans to spend these next few months talking with educators, families, community leaders, businesses and others invested in the future of Durham’s students about what the most crucial needs are. “There are things that I might learn that are not in the data and that might be different from the presumptions that I have coming in,” he says. So far, those conversations have left him encouraged. James says people consistently express confidence in the foundation and its ability to support DPS students. But they also point to the ever-present concern: funding. If James has learned anything from his years in nonprofits, it’s that meaningful change rarely happens in isolation. Looking ahead, he hopes to use what he gleans from these conversations to raise significant funding for the community’s priorities and strengthen the foundation’s financial position – creating a stronger footing that can sustain its work well beyond his tenure. His experience across sectors could also help him bring more businesses and organizations to the table – particularly when it comes to investing. “The thing about education is that it’s important to everybody,” James says. At the same time, he doesn’t plan to reinvent the foundation’s role in Durham. “The Durham Public Schools Foundation has historically served as a convenor for this community,” James says. “And that won’t change under my leadership.” He got an early opportunity to put his community-first approach into practice this summer with the 25th annual Fill That Bus! campaign, a fundraiser and school supply drive that refills the Crayons2Calculators Teacher Store with free resources for every DPS educator. This year’s initiative was ongoing as of press time, while last year’s campaign distributed $201,127 worth of supplies to 2,482 teachers and support staff across all DPS schools. Like his investment in education, the move to Durham is personal, too. James and his family are relocating from Greensboro, but the Bull City already feels familiar: His wife earned her Ph.D. from Duke University, and the family has long enjoyed Durham’s food and culture. Now, they’re looking forward to experiencing more of it firsthand. “Durham is truly a special place full of dedicated, passionate people trying to support their neighbors,” James says. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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MORE' Triangle Day School celebrates 35 years of growth while preserving the community at its core BY LAUREN ROUSE | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF TRIANGLE DAY SCHOOL

riangle Day School students dug up tractor

parts on the playground for years after its founding in 1991. They were relics of the Neal Road property’s former life as Byrd Tractor & Equipment Company – which dealt largely in John Deere sales and maintenance – complete with a gravel parking lot, concrete floors and an old tractor barn that served as the gym for the school’s first decade. Fourth grade teacher Amie Tedeschi arrived at the beginning of the school’s third year; at the time, teachers collected bottle caps to use as math manipulatives and transformed cereal boxes and wallpaper samples into materials for classroom publishing projects. Much of the furniture came from Duke Surplus and a Golden Corral that was replacing its tables and chairs. The campus looks markedly different from when it opened 35 years ago. Back then, it was known as Trinity School of Durham, with only about 50 students filling its classrooms. Triangle Day School adopted its current name in 1993 and now enrolls roughly 350 students from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade. The nearly 16-acre campus features five buildings and two athletic fields. But for all the changes, some things remain remarkably familiar. “TDS still feels the same,” Amie says. “People are happy to be here. We get to work with colleagues we enjoy, and we’re respected as educators. Students are curious, engaged and eager for what’s next. Families are supportive and just really nice to know.” That close-knit atmosphere was part of the founders’ original vision. The teachers, administrators and parents who launched the school wanted to provide greater academic challenges for students who demonstrated they were “ready for more.” 

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ABOVE Head of School Doug Norry reads to a kindergarten class in 2017. Fourteen years into his tenure, Doug still reads to students in transitional kindergarten through second grade each week.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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Former Triangle Day School faculty members Katy Shoemaker, Jan Riggsbee, Julie Anne McDowell and Kate Alois Balog reunite at the school’s 35th anniversary celebration.

ABOVE Then and now: A recent group photo of TDS students (right) alongside one from around the turn of the millenium (left).

“They envisioned a warm, comfortable environment with small class sizes where teachers could meet individual needs,” says Head of School Doug Norry. “Sustainable tuition was a priority in order to make the school accessible to as many students as possible.” Families truly helped build the school from the ground up, signing promissory notes to purchase the property, serving on the board, writing grant applications, and painting and repairing classrooms. The work looks different today, but the hands-on spirit of those early years endures through traditions that bring the TDS community together. The annual Twister Trot 5K began in October 2007 as Marcy’s Run, a tribute to parent Marcy Speer, who died of breast cancer that same year. The event later expanded to honor other TDS families affected by cancer. The Back to School Picnic is a simple gathering at the start of the year 88

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I hope today’s kindergarteners will remember how they felt at TDS. I hope they remember that they were known, valued and loved, and that they truly belonged – and still do, as alumni. – Doug Norry, head of school

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

that invites families to gather outside with subs or packed meals while children swarm the playground. A buddies program pairs older elementary students with younger children to read and play games together while sharing their learning. Then there’s the Great Fifth Grade Adventure, when kids plan, present and vote on proposals for a three-day class trip. Amie led the first excursion in 1998, when the winning destination was Colonial Williamsburg. “Community has always been the foundation of our school, and as we have grown, we’ve worked intentionally to nurture it,” she says. That foundation was on full display this past spring, when members of Triangle Day School’s past and present gathered to celebrate its 35th anniversary. Among them was Katy Shoemaker, the school’s founding kindergarten teacher, who brought her son, Corey Winstead – class of 1999 – back to see how much the campus had changed. For Amie, the commemoration offered a snapshot of TDS’s evolution alongside qualities that remain unchanged: New buildings and programs stood alongside the same spirit she remembers from the early days. Those additions have transformed the dayto-day student experience, too. The Hardin Academic Center opened in 2018 to give the school’s youngest learners – transitional kindergarteners and kindergarteners – their own home. The Hardin Academic building is also the site of Lower School’s “Complements” classes: Spanish, art, physical education, music, science lab, technology and library as well as weekly reflections, during which the school counselor leads each class in lessons and conversations related to TDS’s core values. The Klapper Academic Center followed in 2025, adding space for more than 100 middle school students and teachers. Today, kids can choose from extracurricular offerings including band, chimes, Science Olympiad, woodworking and Odyssey of the Mind as well as after-school clubs focused on subjects like digital art, improv, chess and soccer. Middle schoolers can also compete in interscholastic sports. The school has also expanded its priority on diversity, equity and belonging, hiring a director in 2022. Current DEB Director Georgann Nedwell works alongside a committee to create an environment where all students and families feel supported and valued. Meanwhile, instruction keeps pace with new technology and the limitless stream of information available. “With AI on the rise everywhere, the emphasis on teaching students to

S C H O O L S & E D U C AT I O N

think, write and speak for themselves has never been so critical,” Doug says. “We also place a premium on raising lifelong readers and learners.” After years of adding 10 to 15 students annually, Triangle Day School has reached a stable enrollment. Now the focus is less on growing bigger and more on settling into its size while strengthening its ties within Durham. That means building ongoing relationships with local organizations that give students opportunities to serve beyond campus. Two years ago, for example, children and their guardians volunteered one weekend a month at Urban Community AgriNomics’ Catawba Trail Farm, a relationship that grew from physical education teacher Mike Nye’s work as a board member and regular volunteer. This year, TDS is working with Emanuel Food Pantry to teach students about food insecurity while giving them opportunities to help, including schoolwide food drives and events where students and families will package beans and rice for distribution to local families. “Our next chapter will include more impactful partnerships with local organizations,” Doug says. “These can be foundational to offering our students examples of how to lead a life of purpose.”

MAKING HER (BOOK)MARK Rena Yokoyama, 6, turned inspiration from her home garden into award-winning art at last year’s Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District’s K-2 Bookmark Contest. Her firstplace entry featured “flowers, corn, tomatoes, cabbage, a blueberry tree, raspberries, blackberries and four roses,” she says, noting that she used her imagination to add different vegetables and fruits in addition to the bounty of her own garden. “I felt happy and surprised” when she learned she won, she says. Her parents, Hitomi Yokoyama and Kenichi Yokoyama, say Rena has loved drawing since she could first hold a pencil – and she has only crafted more art since receiving the award. Her creativity extends beyond the page: She builds sofa forts, decorates her

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room and makes dollhouses, always finding new ways to turn an idea into something tangible. Rena’s former kindergarten teacher, Carol Barnhill, encourages her students to experiment with different mediums as a way to stretch their thinking. “Sharing her achievement allowed Rena to take pride in her work as her classmates cheered her on,” Carol says. Rena has plenty of encouragement from her peers, teachers and family as she pursues her big ambitions. “I want to be an artist like Mo Willems, the author of the ‘Pigeon’ books,” she says. Her father, an associate professor of chemistry, biochemistry and cell biology at Duke University, has sparked her curiosity, too. “I also want to be a scientist, like my dad.”

Rena celebrates her win with her kindergarten teacher, Carol Barnhill.

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want to be in an environment that provides a sense of belonging, expands their interests, and prepares them for the future. Families don’t just find a good school; they find a dynamic community where their students will be known, challenged, and supported. Across the K-12 experience, DPS offers a range of educational options, including strong neighborhood schools, Montessori education, International Baccalaureate programming, dual-language immersion, year-round schools, virtual learning, early college programs, and arts- and careerrelated pathways. From kindergarten through high school, our schools provide access to advanced learning experiences for all students – because talent is everywhere and opportunities should be, too. Students are able to leave Durham Public Schools with more than just a high school diploma. Through college-level courses and early college and career pathways, students have the chance to earn college credits and even complete

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an associate degree or earn industry certifications, all while gaining valuable workplace experience and career-related skills. A well-rounded education requires students to experience things outside the traditional curriculum. DPS students engage in arts, athletics, global languages, STEM instruction, outdoor education, club organizations, and other extracurricular activities. Students excel when their needs are recognized and met. Counselors, social workers, psychologists, educational interventionists, and a multilingual support team help meet the needs of students and their families. All students also receive free breakfast and lunch, and qualifying students receive transportation. These supports reduce obstacles that may impede learning. DPS is enhanced through Durham. Collaborations with local universities and community colleges, healthcare institutions, companies, arts centers, and nonprofit organizations provide students with mentors and job experience, as well as education outside the classroom. We welcome your family to explore our schools, our programs, and our pathways that will allow your student to flourish. We are DPS. This is The DPS Difference. For more information on Durham Public Schools, please visit DPSNC.net.

PROGRAMS Students can participate in a variety of specialized programs including Montessori, International Baccalaureate, dual-language immersion, and year-round calendar schools so they can find the right fit for their learning style. DPS schools also offer arts education, STEM instruction, advanced academics, career and technical education courses to prepare students for college or career, and dual-enrollment courses for the opportunity to earn college credit.

PARTNERSHIPS Our district is dynamic in part because of the relationships we maintain with universities, colleges, healthcare facilities, businesses, arts organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Together, our community partnerships support college access, mentoring, internships, job shadowing, and other learning experiences that help prepare our students for the future.

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2352 So-Hi Dr., Durham; 4205 Capitol St., Durham; 2500 Highstone Rd., Cary; 800 Weston Pkwy., Cary; 800 Corporate Center Dr., Raleigh; 8516 Old Lead Mine Rd., Raleigh; 2051 Shepherd’s Vineyard Dr., Apex; brighthorizons.com Focus Empowering children from infancy to become confident, successful learners and secure, caring people. Growing young readers, scientists, artists and explorers who are engaged and curious. Programs invite children to approach academics with skills, confidence and a drive for excellence. Grades Infants to pre-K Total Enrollment Varies by location. Student/Faculty Ratio Varies by location. Yearly Tuition Varies by location.

CAMELOT ACADEMY

809 Proctor St., Durham (main campus, with an additional 27-acre farm campus in north Durham) 919-688-3040; camelotacademy.org Focus Features individualized instruction, masterybased learning and parental involvement. Grades Pre-K-12 Total Enrollment 130 Student/Faculty Ratio 11:1 Yearly Tuition Tiered system: Kinder Multi-Age Progressive Primary (MAPP) & Nature Start (full day): $15,580; Junior & Senior MAPP (grades 1-4): $18,890; Middle (grades 5-7): $21,500; Upper School (grades 8-12): $22,610. Awards and merit scholarships available. In addition to tuition, there is a one-time, new student enrollment fee of $800. Re-enrolling students pay a $300 fee to hold their student’s place for the coming year. Semester fees (fall and spring) vary, but range from $1,000 to $1,870 per semester. Special Requirements Two-day student visit; $100 application fee and completed application with supporting documentation.

CARDINAL GIBBONS HIGH SCHOOL

1401 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh; 919-834-1625; cghsnc.org Focus A college-preparatory Catholic high school where students are challenged to grow, encouraged to discover their gifts and inspired to use them in service to others. Rooted in faith and built on a strong sense of community, the school provides exceptional opportunities in academics, the arts, athletics, leadership and service – preparing students for college and lives of purpose. Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment Approximately 1,600 Student/Faculty Ratio 15:1 Yearly Tuition $15,150-$20,395 Special Requirements Applicants submit academic records, standardized test scores, student and parent statements, and teacher recommendations. Ninthgrade applicants also take the High School Placement Test. Prospective students and families are encouraged to experience Gibbons through a campus visit or admissions event.

CAROLINA FRIENDS SCHOOL

4809 Friends School Rd., Durham 919-383-6602; cfsnc.org Focus A learning community working to amplify students’ curiosity, courage and creative thinking. Rooted in Quaker values and informed by researchbased best practices in progressive education, its teachers empower students to question the world around them, discover their passions, think deeply and use their voices in service of the greater good. Grades Pre-K-12 Total Enrollment 500 Student/Faculty Ratio 6:1 in Early School; 9:1 in Lower, Middle and Upper Yearly Tuition See website for tuition ranges by unit; adjusted tuition available. Special Requirements Varies by student age; includes online application, in-person or virtual visit, transcripts and teacher recommendations.

CAROLINA PREPARATORY ACADEMY

408 Andrews Chapel Rd., Durham 919-848-1545; carolinaprepnc.org Focus Independent International Baccalaureate World School leading the way in global education; offering Middle Years (grades 6-10) and Diploma (grades 1112) programs. Through rigorous, interdisciplinary academics and local-to-global community-service projects and trips, students develop into responsible, knowledgeable and kind citizens leading fulfilling lives in college and beyond. Accredited and authorized by Cognia and International Baccalaureate Organization. Grades 6-12 Total Enrollment 65 Student/Faculty Ratio 8:1 Yearly Tuition $27,150-$29,150; tuition assistance, Carolina Prep scholarship and NC Opportunity Scholarship opportunities. Special Requirements Entrance exam and interview.

CARY ACADEMY

1500 N. Harrison Ave., Cary 919-677-3873; caryacademy.org Focus A learning community dedicated to discovery, innovation, collaboration and excellence. Grades 6-12

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

Total Enrollment 809 Student/Faculty Ratio 16:1 Yearly Tuition Middle school: $34,300; Upper school: $35,700; $3,000 new student fee Special Requirements Entrance exam, student visit/ interview, transcripts and teacher recommendations.

CHAPEL HILL COOPERATIVE PRESCHOOL

108 Mt. Carmel Church Rd., Chapel Hill 919-942-3955; chapelhillcoop.com Focus Partners with families to respect and honor childhood, celebrate independence and support kids as they learn and grow through play. NAEYC Accredited with a Five Star licensure. Grades Infants to Pre-K Total Enrollment 110 Student/Faculty Ratio Infant, 4:1; Toddler, 5:1; Age 2, 6:1; Age 3-5, 10:1 Yearly Tuition Varies by age and enrollment status; three-quarter or full-day options. Part-time options also available Mon., Wed., Fri./Tues., Thurs.

CRESSET CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

3707 Garrett Rd., Durham 919-354-8000; cressetchristian.org Focus Cultivates the heart of each student to educate, nurture and help shape their character in a Christcentered environment. Grades Infant-Grade 12 Total Enrollment 220 Student/Faculty Ratio Preschool, 5:1; Lower School, 16:1; Upper School, 18-20:1 Yearly Tuition Preschool: $14,000-$15,800; Lower School: $10,360-$11,300; Upper School: $12,100-$13,800 Special Requirements Student and parent interview, previous records, visit and application.

CRISTO REY RESEARCH TRIANGLE HIGH SCHOOL

334 Blackwell St., Ste. 100, Durham 919-897-5680; cristoreyrt.org Focus A safe and affordable college preparatory, career-focused, private Catholic school with smaller class sizes. Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment 230 Student/Faculty Ratio 15:1 Yearly Tuition Average $70 per month, per child

DUKE SCHOOL

3716 Erwin Rd., Durham 919-416-9420; dukeschool.org Focus Project-based school inspiring learners to shape their future boldly and creatively since 1947. Grades Age 3-Grade 8 Total Enrollment 503 Student/Faculty Ratio 7:1 Yearly Tuition Preschool, $13,626-$27,252; K-4, $5,912-$29,562; Grades 5-8, $6,351-$31,756 Special Requirements Admissions application, student assessment and student visit. 

Schedule a Visit TODAY!

Serving 18 months - 8th grade.

DYNAMIC LEARNERS.

www.mcsdurham.org

EMPOWERED THINKERS.

COMPASSIONATE CHANGEMAKERS.

Priority Applications Due by December 11, 2026

YMCA

CAMP CHEERIO CAMPCHEERIO.ORG 336.869.0195

TWO T WO CAMPS C A M PS ONE O NE C CHEERIO HEERIO

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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S C H O O L S & E D U C AT I O N

DURHAM ACADEMY

Preschool and Lower School, 3501 Ridge Rd., Durham; Middle School, 3116 Academy Rd., Durham; Upper School, 3601 Ridge Rd., Durham 919-493-5787; da.org Focus Strives to provide an education that will enable students to live moral, happy and productive lives. Grades Pre-K-12 Total Enrollment 1,272 Student/Faculty Ratio 10:1 Yearly Tuition $28,700-$37,500 Special Requirements Assessment or entrance exam (varies by grade level). Interview required for grades 9-12.

DURHAM NATIVITY SCHOOL

1004 N. Mangum St., Durham 919-680-3790; durhamnativity.org Focus Offers an education for boys who have the drive to succeed but not the resources to attend a quality independent school. DNS forms boys’ character and intellect, preparing them to continue their education at top prep schools and to serve the community as leaders. Grades 5-8 Total Enrollment 56 Student/Faculty Ratio 10:1 Yearly Tuition Each student receives a full scholarship. Special Requirements Demonstration of financial need; family commitment.

EMERSON WALDORF SCHOOL

6211 New Jericho Rd., Chapel Hill 919-967-1858; emersonwaldorf.org Focus Provides an education that inspires students to become independent, creative thinkers and collaborative leaders in social and environmental justice. Grades Pre-K-12 Total Enrollment 204 Student/Faculty Ratio Early Childhood: 4:1; Lower Grades (1-5): 8:1; Middle Grades (6-8): 6:1; High School: 8:1 Yearly Tuition $15,730-$27,375 Special Requirements Sign up on website to attend “A Window Into Waldorf Tour,” complete the application package, attend a parent-teacher consultation and complete a prospective student visit.

EMPOWERED MINDS: AN ACTON ACADEMY

TODDLERS - K

Serving children 18 months old through 8th grade in French, Spanish, or Mandarin immersion tracks.

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3001 Academy Road, Suite 300, Durham, NC 27707

1ST GRADE - 8TH GRADE 5510 Barbee Chapel Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

311 Oakwood Ave., Durham 919-439-8028; empoweredmindsacademy.org Focus A Black-led micro school that offers an authentic Montessori experience and learner-driven community where children: cherish freedom; take responsibility for their learning; discover gifts, passions and purpose; are active in the design and execution of their education; and find joy in hard work and diving into subjects through hands-on and collaborative challenges. Each child begins a journey to learn how they can serve others and change the world. By uncovering, reclaiming and reconnecting with their truths, learners will better understand who they were, who they are and who they must be. Aims to provide a world-class, high-quality educational experience with a focus on character development as well as socio-emotional and lifelong learning. Grades K-5 Total Enrollment 25 Student/Teacher Ratio 10:1 Yearly Tuition $9,405, $250 annual supply fee. Special Requirements Visit, trial day and interview.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN DAY SCHOOL

305 E. Main St., Durham 919-688-8685; fpdayschool.org Focus A nonprofit, nonreligious, Five Star and nationally accredited program offering continuity of care. When infants and toddlers join, they stay with the same friends and teachers until they enter its pre-K class. Teachers are “brain builders” and promote a safe, nurturing place for children no matter their racial, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds – all learn, play and grow together. Grades Infant to Pre-K Total Enrollment 64 Student/Faculty Ratio Infants, 4:1; Toddlers, 5:1; Age 2, 8:1; Age 3, 9:1; Age 4-5, 12:1 Yearly Tuition $15,732-$20,112 Special Requirements Teacher/family orientation, tour and two transition days before beginning full time.

GORMAN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

3311 E. Geer St., Durham 919-688-2567; gormanchristian.org Focus Partners with parents to provide an excellent education with a biblical worldview while developing strong Christian character and values. Grades Transitional kindergarten-Grade 8 Total Enrollment 115 Student/Faculty Ratio 12:1 Yearly Tuition $8,910 Special Requirement Administrator meets parents and child.

HAW RIVER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

2428 Silk Hope Gum Springs Rd., Pittsboro 919-533-4139; hawriverchristian.org Focus A nonprofit, interdenominational, covenantal private school community providing an excellent classical Christian education. Grades Junior K-12 Total Enrollment 180-plus Student/Faculty Ratio 7:1 Yearly Tuition Junior Kindergarten half day, three day/five day: $4,075/$5,660; K half day, $6,450; K full day, $9,195; Grammar (grades 1-6), $9,195; Logic School (grades 7-8), $9,750; Rhetoric (grades 9-12), $9,750. NC Opportunity Scholarship accepted. Sibling discounts and tuition assistance may apply.

HILL LEARNING CENTER

3200 Pickett Rd., Durham 919-489-7464; hillcenter.org Focus Transforms students with learning differences into confident, independent learners through a halfday school, summer program and yearround tutoring offerings. Grades 1-12; Summer (1-8); Tutoring (K-12) Total Enrollment 175 Student/Faculty Ratio 4:1 Yearly Tuition $26,990. Financial aid available (One- and two-hour options for grades 9-12) Special Requirements Application and interview.

HOPE CREEK ACADEMY

4723 Erwin Rd., Durham 919-932-0360; hopecreekacademy.org Focus Provides structure without rigidity for students with special needs, particularly individuals on the autism spectrum, who may struggle in a traditional environment.

S C H O O L S & E D U C AT I O N

Grades K-12 Total Enrollment 70 Student/Faculty Ratio 3:1 Yearly Tuition $30,000; limited financial aid available, accepts school grants Special Requirements School visit, relevant school and psycho-educational records.

IMMACULATA CATHOLIC SCHOOL

721 Burch Ave., Durham 919-682-5847; immaculataschool.org Focus For more than a century, Immaculata has educated a diverse student body with a focus on character development, faith formation and academic excellence. Grades Pre-K-8 Total Enrollment 500 Student/Faculty Ratio 10:1 Yearly Tuition $9,808-$13,024 Special Requirements Entry test, copy of student’s school records and current teacher recommendations. Application fee is $100.

INTERNATIONAL MONTESSORI SCHOOL

Early Childhood Campus (18 months-kindergarten): 3001 Academy Rd., Bldg. 300, Durham; 919-401-4343; Elementary and Middle School Campus (first-eighth grades): 5510 Barbee Chapel Rd., Chapel Hill 919-401-4343; imsnc.org Focus Combines Montessori with language immersion in Mandarin, French and Spanish to provide a global education. Grades Age 18 months–Grade 8 Total Enrollment 200 Student/Faculty Ratio Varies by level Yearly Tuition See website for tuition rates; need-based financial assistance available Special Requirements Children entering elementary classes must be proficient in the classroom language. Visit website for application requirements and deadlines.

JORDAN LAKE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

1434 Farrington Rd., Apex 919-387-9440; jlsaeducation.com Focus High school/college preparatory, inclusive special education. Grades K-12+ Total Enrollment 40 Student/Faculty Ratio 7:1 Yearly Tuition K-8, $16,900; Grades 9-12, $18,450 Special Requirements Application, interview and two-day tryout.

5:1; Ages 13-24 months, 6:1; Ages 25-36 months, 9:1; Ages 37-48 months, 10:1; Ages 4-5, 13:1; NC Pre-K Program, 9:1; Ages 6-12, 14:1 Yearly Tuition Varies by age, program & partner discounts with Duke, UNC, UNC Health and first responders Special Requirements Application fee of $25 and registration fee of $150. Child care vouchers and scholarships accepted.

THE LERNER JEWISH COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL AND EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTER

1701 Lakewood Ave., Durham 919-493-5882; lakewoodavenue.com Focus Stable, well-educated teaching staff ensures consistent care in a high-quality early childhood program influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach. Ages 1-5 Total Enrollment 33 Student/Faculty Ratio Ages 1-3, 4:1; Ages 3-5, 8:1 Tuition Toddlers/Middlers, $2,175/month; Preschoolers, $2,075/month Special Requirements The director offers in-person or virtual tours and admissions conversations for families on weekday mornings or afternoons.

1935 W. Cornwallis Rd., Durham 919-286-5517; jewishforgood.org/learning Focus A learning community dedicated to educating mensches, one child at a time. An integrated curriculum incorporates exceptional academics, Jewish culture, values and traditions. Grades Age 6 weeks–Grade 5 Total Enrollment 215 Student/Faculty Ratio Elementary school, 9:1 Yearly Tuition $15,000-$22,800. See website for ranges by unit. Special Requirements Application, parent virtual visit, student assessment and teacher recommendations, depending on age.

LEGACY ACADEMY FOR CHILDREN

LIBERTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

LAKEWOOD AVENUE CHILDREN’S SCHOOL

515 E. Winmore Ave., Chapel Hill 919-929-7060; lachapelhill.com Focus Preschool students are actively involved in multisensory activities, including art, music, language, math, science, brain power and physical activities. Classrooms, gardens, a water park and playgrounds are designed to be fun and nurturing. An after-school program and summer camp for children up to 12 years old are also offered. Five Star licensure, NAEYC Accredited and NC Pre-K Program site. Ages 6 weeks-12 years Total Enrollment 115 Student/Faculty Ratio Full-capacity maximums: Infants,

3864 Guess Rd., Durham 919-471-5522; lcsdurham.org Focus Students will acquire knowledge and wisdom with a biblical worldview as demonstrated through service and leadership in worship, missions, care and growth. The core values of truth, intellectual development, potential in Christ, Christian personnel and operational integrity are woven in with worship. Grades Pre-K-12 Total Enrollment 305 Student/Faculty Ratio 22:1 Yearly Tuition $7,580 Special Requirements Entry test and interview. 

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL

4512 Pope Rd., Durham; 919-493-8541; mcsdurham.org Focus Students learn in a vibrant, nature-rich Montessori community where they are guided toward self-discovery and realizing their unique contributions to the world. Grades Age 18 months–Grade 8 Total Enrollment 180 Student/Faculty Ratio Age 18 months-3, 6:1; Ages 3-6, 12:1; Grades 1-3, 12:1; Grades 4-6, 12:1; Grades 7-8, 8:1 Yearly Tuition 18 months-age 3: half day, $21,975, full day, $23,975; Ages 3-4: half day, $20,250; Age 3-kindergarten, full day, $22,250; Grades 1-6, $22,250; Grades 7-8, $26,450 Special Requirements Application, family meeting and student visit. More information can be found at mcsdurham.org/admissions1/application-dates-info.

MONTESSORI DAY SCHOOL

1702 Legion Rd., Chapel Hill; 919-929-3339; mdsch.org Focus A faculty-operated school, a well-equipped learning environment and an enriched Montessori curriculum to meet the needs of children with a wide range of abilities. On-site aftercare available. Grades Toddler-Grade 6 Total Enrollment 70 Student/Faculty Ratio 10:1 Yearly Tuition $7,552-$12,650 Special Requirements Interview process includes general evaluation and meeting with parents.

MONTESSORI FARM SCHOOL

2400 Broad St., Ste. 2, Durham 919-732-5026; montessorifarmschool.com Focus Montessori education with a special emphasis on nature study and activities including gardening and animal care. Ages 3-6 Total Enrollment Up to 24 Student/Faculty Ratio 8:1 Yearly Tuition Pre-K, $12,777; K, $15,141 Special Requirements Set up an appointment to visit.

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MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF DURHAM

2800 Pickett Rd., Durham; 919-489-9045; msdurham.org Focus Authentic Montessori education embracing the joy of learning and educating the whole child. Grades Age 6 months–Grade 6 Total Enrollment 188 Student/Faculty Ratio Varies by child’s level. Tuition Varies by child’s schedule & financial aid award. Special Requirement Campus tour.

THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF RALEIGH

7005 Lead Mine Rd., Raleigh; 919-848-1545; msr.org Focus Montessori school that prepares students to become well-rounded global citizens through rigorous, hands-on curriculum that combines guided and self-directed learning with real-life experiences. Accredited by the American Montessori Society. Grades Age 15 months–Grade 6 Total Enrollment 380 Student/Faculty Ratio Toddler, 6:1; age 3-grade 6, 12:1 Yearly Tuition $15,750-$27,150; tuition assistance and NC Opportunity Scholarship opportunities. Special Requirements Assessment or entrance exam (determined by grade level) and interview.

PINEWOODS MONTESSORI SCHOOL

109 Millstone Dr., Hillsborough 919-644-2090; pinewoodsmontessori.com Focus Every child deserves to develop their full potential in a nurturing, peaceful environment that honors their unique journey. Through time-tested Montessori principles in intentionally prepared and inclusive environments, the school delivers an authentic Montessori education that empowers children to engage the world with confidence, compassion and a love of learning. Ages 18 months–Grade 6 Total Enrollment approx. 150 Student/Faculty Ratio Young Children’s Community (18 months-3 years) 12:2+; Primary (3-6 years), 20:2+; Lower Elementary (6-9 years), 22:2+; Upper Elementary (9-12 years) 25:2+

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

Yearly Tuition $10,110-$13,750, based on program; $650 new family fee Special Requirements Contact admissions@ pinewoodsmontessori.com for more information.

PRIMROSE SCHOOL OF CHAPEL HILL AT BRIAR CHAPEL

81 Falling Springs Dr., Chapel Hill 919-441-0441; primrosechapelhill.com Focus A Cognia-accredited preschool delivering an exclusive learning approach that balances purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers to encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion. Grades Infant to pre-K Total Enrollment 180 Student/Faculty Ratio Infant, 4:1; toddler, 6:1; early preschool, 8:1; preschool, 12:1; pre-K, 15:1 Yearly Tuition $1,632-$2,005 per month for full-time enrollment. Infant, $2,005; toddler, $1,915; early preschool and preschool pathways, $1,800; preschool, $1,680; private pre-K, $1,632. Special Requirement $175 preregistration fee (birth-pre-K)

PRIMROSE SCHOOL OF CHAPEL HILL EAST

4527 Pope Rd., Durham; 919-491-5686 primroseschools.com/schools/chapel-hill-east Focus Every day is built around a simple promise: Children learn best when play has purpose and guidance is warm, skilled and consistent. As a Cognia-accredited Early Learning Center, the school delivers a proven curriculum that balances purposeful play with nurturing guidance from experienced teachers, encouraging curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion. Grades Infant to pre-K Total Enrollment 185 Student/Faculty Ratio Infant, 4:1; toddler, 6:1; early preschool, 8:1; preschool, 10:1; pre-K, 12:1 Yearly Tuition $1,545-$1,924 per month for full-time enrollment Special Requirement $300 preregistration fee for birth to pre-K.

S C H O O L S & E D U C AT I O N

QUALITY EDUCATION INSTITUTE

800 Elmira Ave., Bldg. B, Durham 919-680-6544; qeidurhamnc.org Focus Empowering students through quality education in a God-centered, rigorous learning environment. Grades K4–Grade 5 Total Enrollment 50 Student/Faculty Ratio 12:1 Yearly Tuition $11,000 Special Requirement Assessment for all grade levels.

SOUTHPOINT ACADEMY

7415 Fayetteville Rd., Durham 919-544-5652; southpointacademy.org Focus Prepares students to become ethical, well-rounded and self-sufficient citizens by providing a world-class education in a nurturing Christian environment. Grades K-6 Total Enrollment About 60 Student/Faculty Ratio 10:1 Yearly Tuition $7,000 Special Requirements Application, tour, meeting with administrator and student testing.

ST. THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC SCHOOL

920 Carmichael St., Chapel Hill 919-942-6244; stmcsnc.org Focus As a mission of the Catholic community of St. Thomas More, the school provides an exceptional education for each learner in a God-centered environment through a community focused on spiritual development, academic pursuits and service to others. Grades PreK-3 to Grade 8 Total Enrollment 387 Student/Faculty Ratio PreK-3, 10:2 (teacher and assistant); PreK-4, 15:2; Grades K-2, 25:2; Grades 3-5, 25:1; Grades 6-8, 25:1 Yearly Tuition Pre-K, $9,470-$13,920; K-8, $11,160-$14,500

THALES ACADEMY

Locations in: Apex, Cary, Clayton (Flowers Plantation), Holly Springs, Knightdale, Pittsboro, Raleigh, Rolesville and Wake Forest. Visit thalesacademy.org for schoolspecific info and to apply online. Focus Offers a high-quality, affordable, private pre-K–12 education rooted in classical curriculum and direct instruction, Thales Academy provides students with a strong foundation to excel academically; to develop strong character, critical thinking and practical skills; and to be prepared to thrive in college, careers and life. Student/Faculty Ratio Varies by grade level Yearly Tuition Pre-K, $6,300; K-5, $7,500; 6-12, $8,000 Special Requirements Admissions are made on a rolling basis, and decisions are made after a full review of the application, checklist items and a student interview.

TRIANGLE DAY SCHOOL

4911 Neal Rd., Durham 919-383-8800; triangledayschool.org Focus A welcoming community devoted to academic excellence that ignites intellectual curiosity, fosters compassion and integrity, and nurtures creativity, inspiring confidence in students to lead a life of purpose. Grades Transitional kindergarten-Grade 8 Total Enrollment 350 Student/Faculty Ratio 9:1 Yearly Tuition $17,420-$21,730; financial aid available. Special Requirements Application & interview required.

TRINITY SCHOOL OF DURHAM & CHAPEL HILL

4011 Pickett Rd., Durham 919-402-8262; trinityschoolnc.org Focus To educate students within the framework of Christian faith and conviction; teaching the classical tools of learning; providing a rich, yet unhurried, education; and communicating truth, goodness and beauty. Trinity staff and teachers partner with parents to educate students with bright minds and open hearts.

The school was founded in 1995, and the campus is nestled on 22 acres between Durham and Chapel Hill. Grades Transitional kindergarten-Grade 12 Total Enrollment 640 Student/Faculty Ratio Lower School, 7:1; Middle School, 8:1; Upper School, 8:1 Yearly Tuition $7,120-$30,890 Special Requirements Visit website for details including steps to apply, registration for campus tour and info sessions, and financial aid information.

WILLOW OAK MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S HOUSE

1476 Andrews Store Rd., Pittsboro 919-240-7787; willowoakmontessori.org Focus Multi-age classrooms with self-directed learning in a stimulating, authentic Montessori environment. Newly built school with a variety of outdoor spaces for learning and play. Ages 3-5 Total Enrollment 42 Student/Faculty Ratio 13:1 Yearly Tuition Full day, $12,810; Half day, $9,555 Special Requirements $75 application fee, one-time joining fee, toilet-trained. Limited financial aid available.

Regional Boarding Schools ASHEVILLE SCHOOL

360 Asheville School Rd., Asheville 828-254-6345 ext. 4022; admission@ashevilleschool.org; ashevilleschool.org Focus Academic excellence, a tight-knit community, strong values and a breathtaking location converge to create an unparalleled educational experience. The school’s blend of tradition and innovation prepares students not just for college, but for a lifetime of success and fulfillment. Its diverse student body represents 29 states and 18 countries. 

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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Transforming students with learning differences into confident, independent learners. Programs for K-12 Students

School

Summer

Tutoring

With Orton-Gillingham-based instruction and research-based strategies, Hill helps students thrive in the classroom and beyond.

Ready to learn more? Scan to explore Hill programs.

3200 Pickett Road, Durham, NC 27705 admissions@hillcenter.org 919.489.7464 | hillcenter.org

CE LE B RAT ING 4 7 Y E AR S I N T H E C H A P E L H IL L COM M U N I T Y

Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment 260 Student/Faculty Ratio 6:1 Yearly Tuition $78,950, boarding; $48,850, day students Special Requirements Full application, student essay, parent statement, graded writing sample and recommendations from an English and math teacher.

N.C. SCHOOL OF SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS

1219 Broad St., Durham; 919-416-2600; 901 Burkemont Ave., Morganton; 828-347-9100; ncssm.edu Focus To educate academically talented students to become state, national and global leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; advance public education; and inspire innovation for the betterment of humankind through challenging residential (both in Durham and Morganton), online, summer and virtual learning driven by instructional excellence and the excitement of discovery. Grades 11-12 Total Enrollment 680 residential students in Durham; 300 in Morganton; and about 500 in NCSSM Online Student/Faculty Ratio 7:1 Yearly Tuition NCSSM is a public school. There are no fees associated with applying or attending. Special Requirement See ncssm.edu/apply.

SAINT MARY’S SCHOOL

900 Hillsborough St., Raleigh 919-424-4000; admission@sms.edu; sms.edu Focus An independent, college preparatory, boarding and day school dedicated to academic excellence and personal achievement. Girls are accepted and empowered in their learning to grow spiritually and socially, and recognized for their passions and interests, including those yet to be discovered, through the development of critical thinking, crosscultural intelligence and new media literacy. Apple School, dual-enrollment for college credit and 25 AP courses with a 12th grade capstone program, college counseling, arts program and 13 sports. Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment 307 Student/Faculty Ratio 8:1 Yearly Tuition $66,500, boarding; $34,275 for day students. Need- and merit-based financial aid available. Special Requirements Application, recommendation from school administrator, student statement, a transcript from the applicant’s current school, standardized testing scores and an interview.

SALEM ACADEMY

NOW ENROLLING: TODDLER • PRESCHOOL • ELEMENTARY

1702 Legion Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 919.929.3339 For more information, please contact admin@mdsch.org or visit mdsch.org.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

601 S. Church St., Winston-Salem 336-721-2643; salemacademy.com Focus Girls learn to think deeply, lead boldly and live well. As the nation’s oldest educational institution for girls and women, Salem Academy combines academic rigor, leadership development and intentional wellness programming to prepare students to thrive in college and beyond. Offers dual-enrollment college courses at Salem College in lieu of AP program and competition in six sports. Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment 70 Student/Faculty Ratio 6:1 Yearly Tuition $55,930; $29,520 for day students; $46,900 five-day boarding option Special Requirements Interview, essay and transcripts, as well as optional teacher recommendations and optional testing.

Durham Charter Schools (Admission by lottery.)

CENTRAL PARK SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN

Lower school (K-3): 724 Foster St., 984-340-1832; Upper school (4-8): 1001 North St., 984-340-9693; cpsfc.org Focus Child-centered approach to project-based learning. Integrates the arts, outdoor and social-emotional learning, state standards and family partnership. Grades K-8 Total Enrollment 600 Student/Faculty Ratio Lower, 16:1; upper, 19:1 Special Requirements Tours, offered Oct.March, strongly encouraged. Lottery is in March; applications are accepted Nov.-Feb.

COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF DIGITAL AND VISUAL ARTS

311 Dowd St. 919-797-2340; communitydva.org Focus Growing students academically, socially and emotionally. Grades K-8 Total Enrollment 144 Student/Faculty Ratio 15:1

DISCOVERY CHARTER SCHOOL

501 Orange Factory Rd., Bahama 984-888-5504; discoverycharterdurham.org Focus Science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Grades 6-12 Total Enrollment 525 Student/Faculty Ratio 11:1 Special Requirements Open enrollment January-February; attending a tour during this time is strongly encouraged.

DURHAM CHARTER SCHOOL

4612 Kemp Rd.; 919-956-5599; durhammcharter.org Focus To build a world-class school that empowers scholars to thrive in college, career and life. Grades K-12 Total Enrollment 1,450 Student/Faculty Ratio 20:1 Special Requirements Application and lottery for admission. School uniforms. Now accepting waitlist applications for 2026-27 school year. Open enrollment for the 202728 school year begins December 2026.

EXCELSIOR CLASSICAL ACADEMY

4100 N. Roxboro St.; 919-213-8585; excelsiorclassicalacademy.org Focus Excelsior means “higher” in Latin, reflecting the school’s mission to help students reach their full potential through a rigorous, inclusive education grounded in responsibility, integrity, diligence, excellence and educational equity. Kindergarten through eighth grade combines a classical liberal arts curriculum with research-backed instruction, following the Core Knowledge Sequence and Singapore Math to build deep content literacy, problem-solving skills and a lifelong foundation for learning and citizenship. Qualified middle schoolers can earn high school credits early. The upper school curriculum (grades 9-12) transitions into advanced intellectual development and college preparation through classical pillars that includes required coursework in logic, rhetoric and a culminating senior thesis, alongside North Carolina-standard math benchmarks and robust Honors and Advanced Placement pathways. Through partnerships with NC School of Science and Math and Durham Tech, students can take

S C H O O L S & E D U C AT I O N

synchronous remote classes taught by NCSSM instructors and earn dual high school and college credits. Students can potentially earn an associate degree in arts or science in teacher preparation, fine arts, engineering, business, marketing or nursing by graduation. Offers a dedicated bus service; lunch and uniform financial assistance for qualifying families; structured before- and after-school programs. Grades K-12 Total Enrollment 1,100 Student/Faculty Ratio 15:1 Special Requirements Open application & enrollment. If applications exceed available spots, state-required random lottery determines admission. Enrollment runs mid-Dec. to mid-to-late Feb., with a lottery in late Feb. or early March.

KESTREL HEIGHTS CHARTER SCHOOL

Elementary and Middle: 4700 S. Alston Ave. 919-484-1300; kestrelheights.org Focus A small, diverse and inclusive learning community that empowers its scholars to sharpen academic knowledge, demonstrate creative expression and expand leadership abilities to prepare for success in high school, college and beyond. Grades K-8 Total Enrollment 369 Student/Faculty Ratio 15:1

KIPP DURHAM COLLEGE PREPARATORY

1107 Holloway St.; 919-973-0285; kippnc.org Focus An academically rigorous, college-preparatory program working to prepare students with the academic, intellectual and character skills that will enable them to achieve unparalleled success through their educational journey and into the competitive world of the future. The school’s success is built on high expectations, extended hours, innovative and individualized teaching methods, expanded academic opportunities and the unwavering commitment of scholars, families and teachers. Grades K-8 Total Enrollment 400 Student/Faculty Ratio Varies by grade level.

MAUREEN JOY CHARTER SCHOOL

RESEARCH TRIANGLE HIGH SCHOOL

NORTH OAK ACADEMY

VOYAGER ACADEMY

107 S. Driver St.; 919-908-1600; joycharter.org Focus To develop the whole child through high-quality instruction, school-community partnerships and the promotion of a positive self-identity. Grades K-8 Total Enrollment 650 Student/Faculty Ratio K, 16:1; Grades 1-3, 22:1; Grades 4-8, 24:1 Special Requirements Application released in December; lottery in March. 2201 E. Geer St.; 919-695-9900; nhaschools.com/schools/north-oak-academy Focus Providing a high-quality, tuition-free education in a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Academic excellence paired with a Moral Focus program that emphasizes character development, including values like respect, perseverance and compassion. Grades K-6 (expanding by one grade level each year until eighth grade). Total Enrollment 520 Student/Faculty Ratio K, 25:1; Grades 1-6, 28:1 Special Requirements Enrollment is open to all students residing in N.C., and no tuition is required. An application is necessary for enrollment, with a lottery system used if applications exceed available seats.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE CHARTER ACADEMY

2418 Ellis Rd.; 919-957-7108; researchtrianglecharteracademy.org Focus Provides a strong academic foundation while fostering character building and community involvement. Emphasizes a well-rounded, balanced approach through a combination of rigorous academics and extracurricular opportunities to support holistic student development. Grades K-8 Total Enrollment 613 Student/Faculty Ratio K, 25:1; Grades 1-8, 28:1 Special Requirements Lottery.

3106 E. N.C. Hwy. 54 919-998-6757; researchtrianglehighschool.org Focus Preparing students for a fast-paced world powered by science, technology, engineering and math while celebrating creativity, the arts and the humanities as engines of innovation. Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment 573 Student/Faculty Ratio 14:1 Special Requirements Lottery. Elementary: 4210 Ben Franklin Blvd.; Middle: 101 Hock Parc Ln.; High: 4302 Ben Franklin Blvd. 919-433-3301; voyageracademy.net Focus Project-based learning. Grades K-12 Total Enrollment 1,390 Student/Faculty Ratio 18:1 Special Requirements Applications accepted online Jan. 1-Feb. 28; lottery held on the first Friday in March.

Orange/Chatham Charter Schools

(Admission by lottery. Check with school for key dates.)

ENO RIVER ACADEMY

K-8: 1212 NC Hwy. 57 N., Hillsborough; 9-12: 1100 NC Hwy. 57 N., Hillsborough; 919-644-6272; enoriveracademy.org Focus A science, technology, research, engineering, arts and mathematics curriculum that builds upon a nearly 30-year tradition of academic and artistic excellence. Grades K-12 Total Enrollment 870 Student/Faculty Ratio 14:1 Special Requirements Initial enrollment based on lottery in February; students waitlisted once slots are filled. 

Be who you are. Discover who you can be. Now accepting applications for the 2027-28 school year!

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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S C H O O L S & E D U C AT I O N

THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL

437 Dimmocks Mill Rd., Ste. 33, Hillsborough; 919-245-8432; theexpeditionschool.com Focus Embraces the natural curiosity of children and empowers them to become innovative problem solvers and community builders, and to provide excellent education through an experiential, projectbased, STEM-focused curriculum. Grades K-8 Total Enrollment 380 Student/Faculty Ratio Grades K-4, 21:1; Grades 5-8, 22:1. Resource/other non-classroom staff not included in ratio. Special Requirements Lottery application cut off in Feb.

passing a proficiency exam. There is a considerable body of research that outlines the benefits of DLI programs for students, including higher academic performance, greater cognitive development and mental flexibility, increased creativity and divergent thinking, high levels of proficiency in the program language and in English, positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors, and enhanced career opportunities. Schools Bethesda Elementary*, Club Boulevard Elementary, Holt Elementary, Lakewood Elementary*, Lyons Farm Elementary, MerrickMoore Elementary, Southwest Elementary, Brogden Middle. (*Admission to the Bethesda and Lakewood programs are handled at the school level and not through the district’s annual lottery.)

WILLOW OAK MONTESSORI CHARTER SCHOOL

MONTESSORI

1476 Andrews Store Rd., Pittsboro 919-240-7787; willowoakmontessori.org Focus Multi-age classrooms with self-directed learning in a stimulating Montessori environment. Newly built school with various outdoor spaces. Assists children in achieving their potential as responsible global citizens by nurturing self-confidence and independent decision making. Grades K-8 Total Enrollment 280 Student/Faculty Ratio 15:1 Special Requirements Lottery in March.

Montessori education consists of multi-age, interdisciplinary, child-centered learning environments; its curriculum is designed to foster independent and self-directed learning based on student interest. Peer-reviewed research suggests that the Montessori approach effectively accelerates academic and social development and creates stronger, lifelong learners who are more successful across academic environments. Schools George Watts Montessori Elementary, Little River Montessori Elementary, Morehead Montessori Elementary, Lucas Montessori Middle, Lakewood Montessori Middle

WOODS CHARTER SCHOOL

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

160 Woodland Grove Ln., Chapel Hill 919-960-8353; woodscharter.org Focus Empowers students to achieve their full potential and develops young citizens equipped with a solid academic foundation, a passion for learning and exemplary character. Grades K-12 Total Enrollment 514 Student/Faculty Ratio Elementary, 15:1; middle and high school, 20:1 Special Requirements Applications open Oct. 15 – Jan. 15; February lottery.

Durham Public Schools’ Application Programs

Students who wish to attend a DPS application program must apply during the application period, which typically opens the first week in January each year for the following school year. Parents and students interested in learning more about the programs offered can visit dpsnc.net or attend the Showcase of Schools, held Nov. 14 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Northern High School, 4822 N. Roxboro Rd.

Regional Application Programs YEAR-ROUND CALENDAR

These schools operate on a year-round calendar with three-week breaks between each nine-week instructional period and a five-week break during summer. The yearround calendar provides consistency throughout the year to strengthen learning. It also provides more frequent breaks for improved school/life balance and allows for students to explore their own interests or receive extra academic support. Schools Easley Elementary, Eastway Elementary, Holt Elementary, Hope Valley Elementary, Oak Grove Elementary, Pearsontown Elementary, W.G. Pearson Elementary, The School for Creative Studies (grades 6-8), Rogers-Herr Middle

DUAL-LANGUAGE IMMERSION

These programs use two languages for literacy and content instruction for all students. The schools provide the same academic content and address the same state standards as traditional educational programs where instruction is in only one language. Elementary DLI programs begin with 90% instruction in Spanish in kindergarten, then transition to 80% in first grade, 70% in second grade and then 50% in the final grades. The goal is for students to become biliterate and bilingual. The only entry point to the DLI cohort is kindergarten, though some students may petition to enter in later grades by

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The goals of the International Baccalaureate program are to help students develop into adults who are confident, critical and independent thinkers with a global perspective. The program seeks to provide a transformational form of education focused on individual learner profiles, and it centers learning on problem solving and real-world, global challenges. Students develop world language and intercultural communication skills. In DPS, students enrolled in IB programs study in English, French and Mandarin. Peer-reviewed research suggests that students who attend IB programs have more developed critical thinking skills and global awareness and are more likely to successfully attend college. Schools Burton Elementary, E.K. Powe Elementary, Shepard Middle and Hillside High (cohort group only)

Other Application Programs CITY OF MEDICINE ACADEMY

200 Wisteria Ave.; 919-560-2001; cma.dpsnc.net Focus Students take both core academic and health sciences curriculum to prepare them for careers in healthcare. The local medical community partners with the school to provide field experiences for students in the form of clinic rotations and internships at local offices and facilities. Students have dual enrollment opportunities with Durham Technical Community College to earn college credit to fasttrack their professional degrees. Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment 330

DURHAM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

400 N. Duke St.; 919-560-3926; dsa.dpsnc.net Focus Academic rigor and excellence are emphasized in traditional classrooms, while students also pursue different types of arts education. Students may concentrate in visual or performing arts disciplines, including chorus, band, orchestra, piano or guitar; dance; acting or technical theater; painting, drawing, clay, sculpture or photography; writing through literature, newspaper or yearbook; and game design, digital media or film. Grades 6-12 Total Enrollment 1,824

DURHAM SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY

3727 Fayetteville St.; 919-560-9183; dpsnc.net/o/durhamschooloftechnology Focus Rigorous IT and computer science courses of study prepare students for post-secondary learning in the field. Through a partnership with Durham Tech, students can earn college credit and/or professional certifications in IT and computer science fields while in high school. 

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

FAST FACTS DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 511 Cleveland St., Durham 919-560-2000; dpsnc.net

• Graduation rate: 80.3 percent • DPS class of 2025 earned $72.2 million in scholarships • Data from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction shows that 45 out of the 55 Durham Public Schools participating in the state’s accountability program reported proficiency gains during the 2025-26 school year, and 38 met or exceeded growth. • Nearly 70 percent of all schools earned a grade of A, B, or C. No school had an F grade. • City of Medicine Academy was ranked No. 14 among the state’s 2,593 schools for academic growth, and J.D. Clement Early College High School was ranked No. 98. Learn more about individual schools.

SCHOOL YEAR DATA* Total students

29,710

AVERAGE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT Elementary

399

Middle

High

479 729

AVERAGE CLASS SIZE** K-2ND

13.27

3RD-8TH

16.64

*based on the 2025-26 school year **based on individual student grade levels

SUPERINTENDENT Durham Public Schools Board of Education appointed Anthony S. Lewis superintendent of Durham Public Schools in August 2024. He earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees in special education from Alabama State University in Montgomery and his Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He started his career as a public school principal in Montgomery, Alabama. He’s consistently led schools and districts to success over his 23 years as an educator.

S C H O O L S & E D U C AT I O N

Students have access to internships, shadowing opportunities, mentoring and instruction by industry professionals. Located on Hillside High School’s campus. Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment 217

IGNITE! ONLINE ACADEMY

5321 Ephesus Church Rd.; 919-886-4737; ignite.dpsnc.net Focus Transforms the learning experience through culturally responsive, personalized instruction in a fully online setting. The school serves K-12 students who are ready to own their learning and prepare to become leaders. Students in lower grades have the opportunity to get in-person support outside of synchronous (live) online learning, and in-person social activities are offered for all students. Grades K-12 Total Enrollment 322

J.D. CLEMENT EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL

1801 Fayetteville St.; 919-560-2696; echs.dpsnc.net Focus This Cooperative Innovative high school is located on North Carolina Central University’s campus. Students take both honors and AP-level high school courses and college courses in this academically rigorous program. They can earn up to two years of university credit, and all course fees and material expenses are covered. Students who demonstrate a high degree of responsibility, independence and intrinsic motivation are best positioned to succeed here. Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment 367

REGIONAL ASSIGNMENT MODEL Families in Durham Public Schools are assigned to one of five regions based on their address. Students have an assigned school for elementary, middle and high school that is based on their address. Every student also has the option to apply for a year-round school, an International Baccalaureate program, a Montessori school or a dual-language immersion program within their region. Ignite! Online Academy is a virtual learning option for all students across the district. This regional model ensures that students in all parts of the county have access to schools that are equitable, close to home and supported by short school bus routes. DPS has 57 schools across the district, and it embraces a philosophy that all schools are great schools. Families do not need to access a magnet program to ensure that their child receives a high-quality education with personalized learning support, caring educators and programs that nurture social and emotional learning. All schools are staffed with licensed teachers – many of them national board certified – advanced academic options and AIG programs, support for exceptional children’s services, comprehensive student supports and more. All elementary schools also offer weekly Spanish instruction, enhanced arts education and Everyday STEM by Design instruction. All students in the district receive free breakfast and lunch, as well as free transportation. You can find a school locator map and more information at dpsnc.net.

DURHAM EARLY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

41 Moore Dr.; 919-972-3600; dpsnc.net/o/health-sciences Focus Students take courses that prepare them for careers in healthcare while also completing their high-school diplomas. By the time they graduate, students will earn healthcare credentials or associate degrees that will enable them to graduate directly into the workforce, including job opportunities at Duke Health. The school was created through a partnership among DPS, Durham Tech (where the renovated campus will be housed), and Duke Health, which has committed to hiring 50-60 of its graduates each year. Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment 164

SOUTHERN SCHOOL OF ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY

800 Clayton Rd.; 919-560-3968; dpsnc.net/o/ southernschoolofenergysustainability Focus Comprehensive Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics magnet program. Students explore five pathways, find their niche, and commit to developing 21st century skills required in today’s rapidly changing world. In working with myriad community partners, students participate in authentic experiences, collaborating to identify local, national or global sustainable issues and develop solutions and action plans where energy and sustainability studies are woven throughout elective and core curriculum. Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment 1,304

From Wonder to Wisdom Pre-K through 12th Grade students learn to think imaginatively, take initiative, and embrace the challenges of our world today.

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S C H O O L S & E D U C AT I O N

Learning starts with connection.

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Now Enrolling Ages 0-5 Primrose School of Chapel Hill East

(919) 491-5686 | PrimroseChapelHillEast.com Each Primrose school is a privately owned and operated franchise. Primrose Schools is a registered trademark of Primrose School Franchising SPE, LLC. ©2026 Primrose School Franchising SPE, LLC. All rights reserved.

uke University professor Aaron Kay says a new

$750,000 grant from the USAA will accelerate research into an emerging field at the Fuqua School of Business’ Veteran Transitions Research Lab. The grant will expand the 5-year-old lab’s operational capacity and further support collaborations in social and organizational psychology. Aaron says insights from his research into social justice and inequality issues, such as employers’ hidden biases in recruiting and retaining military veterans, can help companies build better human resource policies – turning analysis into practice. Aaron co-directs the VTRL alongside University of California at Santa Barbara professor and social psychologist David K. Sherman and Sean Kelley, a third-generation U.S. Navy veteran and executive-inresidence at Duke’s business school. Sean says the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life became clear as soon as he entered the workforce. “I feel like I took the uniform off and stepped into some of the same things that we study now,” Sean says, recalling his first job after active duty as a Veteran Transitions Research Labʼs Connor Gibbs and Aaron Kay at Duke Universityʼs Fuqua School of Business.

HIRING

HEROES

Duke researchers uncover ways to improve post-military careers WO RDS & P H OTO GR AP HY

B Y A N N A - RH E S A VE R SO L A

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VETERANS

logistics leader at Starbucks in 1995. “I was like, ‘I don’t know if I belong here or not.’ I didn’t have words for it at the time, like ‘belonging.’” By 2015, Sean was helping establish a military veteran training program at Microsoft when he attended a National Center for Women & Information Technology conference and heard Aaron present research on how gendered language in job descriptions affects companies’ recruitment of women. The two wondered whether similar patterns might affect military veterans. Those conversations sparked a research initiative that eventually became the VTRL, giving them a chance to examine workplace barriers that veterans face through a lens of social justice and inequality largely overlooked by mainstream academia. Their early work revealed an interesting paradox: Hiring managers who viewed prospective candidates with military experience as heroes were also likely to place them in underemployed and underpaid positions.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF VTRL

ABOVE VTRL co-directors David Sherman, Aaron and Sean Kelley at last yearʼs summit. The VTRL hosted its fifth annual summit in September. Fortune 500 corporations, nonprofits and veteran-connected groups attended to learn and share research conducted by collaborators nationwide, including the University of California at Santa Barbara, Columbia University, Oklahoma State University, UNC–Chapel Hill, Penn State, Washington State University and Vets in Tech. LEFT N.C. Department of Military and Veteran Affairs Secretary Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette shares remarks at the 2025 summit.

“Thinking of someone as a hero is very flattering and very positive,” Aaron says. “But those generalizations don’t help someone because they don’t treat them as individuals with a range of abilities, motivations and so forth. Like any stereotype, it comes with a lot of deindividuating information we apply to someone, which doesn’t give them a fair shake.”

DATA MATTERS

U.S. Army veteran Charlotte La Belle, global head of military affairs at Amazon, says active employee resource groups can help veterans find community at work. But VTRL’s data revealed a deeper understanding of what connection means, specifically that a sense of belonging plays a critical role in a successful transition.  106

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VETERANS

“You’re in shock, a little bit, when you’re going straight from active duty to a new role,” she says. “Veterans, they move duty stations, and you’re thrown into a place where no one has their families and friends, and you’re forced to be friends very early, so you have a community right away. But when you’re thrown into a new job, you have to create that community in a very different way.” Amazon, one of VTRL’s founding sponsors, employs approximately 50,000 veterans and 11,000 military spouses in the U.S. alone, out of a global “The hero stereotype is hard for people to catch because it sounds so positive,” Aaron says, speaking on how perceptions of workforce of roughly 1.5 military veterans can shape generalizations. “Still, it can also lead to inferences about a person that might not be helpful, leading to million. The company assumptions that, ‘I know what that person can handle, what that person wants out of life and what they want out of their job.ʼ” adjusted policies around return-to-office requirements, leaves of clear roles, rules, communication or paths for advancement, absence for military moves and internal transfer systems based on but the employer operates much more informally, that mismatch VTRL research in order to improve job satisfaction among its veteran can create friction, even if both the veteran and employer might employees. Other corporate sponsors include Call of Duty otherwise be a good fit.” Endowment, CVS Health, Microsoft, USAA Foundation and the According to the Department of Defense, more than 200,000 Walmart Foundation. personnel leave the military each year, and roughly 6 million of the Charlotte also points to early military-specific mentorship as an nation’s 15.7 million veterans are work-eligible. Connor says essential tool for helping veterans navigate the cultural shift into helping those veterans successfully navigate the transition to corporate life. “I would have loved to have had a military mentor civilian life can have broader impact on the military itself. assigned on day one,” she says. “Making sure veterans are well supported after they leave the “My whole world was turned over because Amazon, although it has military is not only important for veterans themselves,” Connor says, structures similar to the military in some ways, obviously it’s not the “but may also have implications for recruitment and, ultimately, same. Having someone who understands that, who came from the national security.” military in that same way, is pretty important. We’ve been working on N.C. Department of Military and Veteran Affairs Secretary a mentor platform like that – one that’s a little more intentional.” Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette reinforces the importance of the VTRL’s work. The U.S. Air Force Academy alum and UNC School of Law MORE RESEARCH NEEDED graduate says it took months – and the help of a former classmate Connor Gibbs, a postdoctoral scholar at VTRL, sees an opportunity – to secure her first job after medical retirement. to help veteran-serving organizations, employers and policymakers “My own transition showed me how even highly trained understand the data so they can better support veterans and veterans can face barriers that have nothing to do with talent or military families. readiness,” Jocelyn says. “That experience is exactly why research “The military is a highly structured institution, while civilian from the VTRL matters: It gives employers real data to understand workplaces can vary tremendously in how much structure they veterans’ skills, dismantle outdated stereotypes, and strengthen provide,” Connor says. “If a veteran enters a workplace expecting North Carolina’s workforce and economy.” 108

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people &places Tae Park, Christina Jones, Cristina España, Sana Siddiqui and Megan Patton.

Eight-piece band Conjunto Caribe keeps the dance floor full with salsa, merengue and Latin jazz.

Kayla Earley of ViiV Healthcare, recipient of the Presidentʼs Award; Paola Jaramillo of Enlace Latino NC, which earned the Gilbertson-Clark Visionary Award; Presidentʼs Advocate of the Year Award honoree Stefanía Arteaga; El Centro Hispano President & CEO Pilar Rocha-Goldberg; Elaijah Lapay; and Enlace Latino NCʼs Walter Gómez.

Genesis López, Sonia Rodriguez, Sor Angela Hoyos-Munoz, Rebecca Narcizo, Claudia Camarena, Rosalina Palacios, Yuli Bermudez and Erika Sánchez.

Taking Centro Stage

BY LYDA CO S GROV E P H OTO GRA PH Y CO U RT E SY O F E L CE N T R O H I S PA N O El Centro Hispano celebrated its 34th anniversary gala at The

Historic Wakefield Barn on June 27, bringing together 200 supporters for an evening honoring “the strength, generosity and spirit of our community,” says Pilar Rocha-Goldberg, president and CEO of the nonprofit. The organization has spent more than three decades expanding opportunities for the Triangle’s Latino residents through education, advocacy, economic development and civic engagement. Guests enjoyed cultural performances, raffles, awards and moving speeches, all while raising funds to further the organization’s work to build bridges and inspire positive change. 110

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

Angelica Davila Ramirez, Mercedes Leyva and Elsa Huerta.

Benefit auctioneer Benjamin Farrell.

Set in Stone BY LYDA CO S GROV E

Community members gathered to meet the Epoxy Depot team, mingle with fellow Chamber members and welcome the business to the area. This is the second Epoxy Depot for store manager Pete Simon, who has operated the company’s Charlotte location since 2022 and now brings his expertise to the Triangle. With 26 franchise locations nationwide, Epoxy Depot specializes in professional-grade coatings, equipment, products and training for epoxy and concrete applications. Its offerings span decorative flooring, concrete overlays, stains, dyes and deeppour epoxy for projects such as river tables.

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH CALDERON

Epoxy Depot marked the grand opening of its Durham location at 1500 E. Club Blvd. with a ribbon-cutting celebration hosted by the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 19.

Epoxy Depot’s Gregg Rothberg, Aaron Hebner, Khalilah Christie, Karson Gomez, Pete Simon, Kaitlyn Pennington, Julie Simon and Steven Moore Jr.

DECI Program Services Director Jonathan Levens and Advocacy, Training & Community Outreach Director Sonja Beckford; N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services Director Kelly Crosbie; DECI President and CEO Chrissy Sailstad; and DECI Pre-Employment Transition Services Instructor Amani Henderson. DECI President and CEO Chrissy Sailstad, DECI board member and immediate past president and CEO Alan Wayne, and Ken Gregory, DECI board member and former president and CEO.

Going Strong BY BE LLA PIRE S Durham Exchange Club Industries Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to

supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Durham and surrounding counties, commemorated its 60th anniversary July 22 with a celebration that brought together current and former employees, community advocates and government officials. The event also marked a leadership transition, with new president and CEO Chrissy Sailstad and COO Tate Moorefield sharing remarks. Former president and CEO Alan Wayne, who led the organization from 2007 to 2026, received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of North Carolina’s highest civilian honors, and DECI unveiled the Gregory Enrichment Center, named for the organization’s second president and CEO, Ken Gregory.

Two months earlier, on May 19, DECI hosted its first Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Resource Fair at the Durham Armory, connecting individuals with disabilities and their families to employment opportunities, training programs and community services. More than 55 local organizations participated, while government officials and nonprofit leaders discussed ways to break down barriers to employment and support greater independence for people with disabilities.

DECI Director of Customer Service and Business Development Kara von Blon and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services I/DD Employment Lead Claire Colligan.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026

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wedding

Kenneth Hughes & Valerie Sauer B Y S O PH I A A B B OT T | P HOTO GR AP HY BY S U S A N N A CO L B E RT P HOTO GR AP HY, S US A N N ACO L B E RTPHOTOG RAPHY. COM

Wedding Date April 17, 2026 Occupations Valerie is a permanency policy consultant with the

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and Kenneth is a software engineer at Fidelity Investments. Crossed Paths Valerie and Kenneth matched on Tinder as undergrads – Val at UNC and Kenny at Elon University – in April 2015. Their first date was over cheese fries at Chapel Hill’s Linda’s Bar and Grill. In 2022, they put down roots in Durham, where favorite pastimes include date nights at Queenyʼs, splitting Mongolian beef at Sake Bomb and hanging out with their water aerobics crew at Edison Johnson Recreation Center. The Proposal “We’ve known each other for more than 11 years, so our relationship has always been rooted in intention, honesty, practicality and taking our time,” Val says. The couple got engaged after an afternoon nap following a tour of what would eventually become their wedding venue, The Lincoln on Geer. “It was quiet, simple, deeply personal and perfectly reflective of the life we’ve built together,” Val says. The Big Day The festivities began with a welcome party at Boxcar Bar + Arcade before Val and Kenny exchanged vows at Lincoln on Geer, which also hosted the reception. Val found her dream dress thanks to a surprise entry by her maid of honor and childhood best friend, Emma Dendy, who secretly entered her in an Ivory & Main giveaway. When Val won, she and both moms and the bridal party made a whirlwind 48-hour trip to Long Island to find “the dress.” Kenny, meanwhile, wore a customtailored suit from Indochino. Friend and wedding planner MacKensie Kvalvik helped bring the couple’s vision to life with bright, saturated spring colors and a maximalist aesthetic. The ceremony included a ring blessing, personal reflections from friends and dual officiants Marty Davidson and Danielle Badaki, and a performance of James Taylor’s “Something in the Way She Moves” by Val’s uncle and stepdad. In fact, friends and 112

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family played a hand in many details: Kenny’s mom, Linda Hughes, assisted with flower arrangements while friends Emma and Susan Linn baked and decorated the cake. Friends Gail Markland and Orobosa Idehen handled Val’s hair and makeup, respectively. Val’s stepbrother, Will Jackson, designed the invitations. The couple also put a personal spin on the traditional bouquet toss: Instead of flowers, they threw T-shirts featuring their cat, Beans, who also made an appearance on custom temporary tattoos. American Party Rentals supplied the decor, and DJs Alec Shahzad and Seth Felder kept the party going well into the night, until the newlyweds departed on the Bull Ride. Favorite Moments Kenny says he’ll never forget their first dance. “Everything just clicked,” he says. “It was one of the only moments all day where it truly felt like it was just the two of us, and I remember feeling completely present and grateful that everything had fallen into place.” Val recalls looking around the reception, taking in the family and friends who had shaped and supported their lives: “There’s something incredibly moving about being surrounded by so much love while also feeling completely celebrated and accepted as your most authentic self,” she says.

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