Summer at the American Tobacco Campus
Filed under: Durham, North Carolina
The American Tobacco Campus started up another summer of free concerts in downtown Durham. These concerts go on intermittently, about every 3 to 4 weeks, through early October. This year, all concerts are on Friday evenings. I think this is a great event and one that I’ll definitely be attending whenever I can. Last year, I attended several of these. The quality of the music was hit or miss, so you might want to check out samples from the artists before you go. Mostly, though, it’s not a question of the group’s ability–the artists are all high-quality–but just a question of music genre. If the group is playing a style of music that you like, I think it’s a great opportunity to hear some great (usually local) musical talent.
You can really just show up for the free entertainment, but to make the night more of an outing, many local businesses (like Locopops) show up to sell food. These companies subsidize the concerts to get people to come out and buy food. There are usually several options, including some outdoor grilling, and there’s always Mellow Mushroom. Or head over to nearby Brightleaf Square before the concert where there are more options.
Seating on the grassy area can be limited, but usually there’s place to squeeze in if you show up just a bit early. If you want to be close enough to actually see the performers, though, you’ll probably want to be there before the concert starts. Guests bring lawn chairs or blankets and often have picnics, either purchased or brought from home, to accompany the music. Since the Campus is surrounded by buildings, the sun is low enough in the sky to not be too much of a bother.
I think this is a great event, and a steal at $0, especially because you’d pay top dollar for a similar quality of entertainment elsewhere.
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