Durham 150 Closing Ceremony Will Be Great Show! Actors, Singers, Videos, & An Anthem

You’ve undoubtedly been hearing about the Durham 150 Closing Ceremony Presented by Duke University and Duke Health — it’s taking place on November 2 at DPAC.                                                             

Nearly one year ago, Discover Durham and the Museum of Durham History (with major sponsor support from the City of Durham) announced the year-long commemoration of the incorporation of the City of Durham. Since then, we’ve seen Durhamites and visitors enjoy Durham from near and far, watching films, attending conferences, enjoying conversations, and sharing meals together, all in the name of Durham 150.

With over 150 events and projects this year to honor history and education, innovation and entrepreneurship, social equity and robust democracy, and arts and leisure, it has been a non-stop invitation to delight in the best of the Bull City. All of that energy will be bottled into one evening, with an all-star creative team behind the helm of the Closing Ceremony masterly encapsulating over 150 years of history into one evening. Jim Wise, local historian, journalist, and author, is one of the members of the creative team.

It’s been 50 years since Jim first saw the Apollo moon landing, over four decades since Research Triangle Park was even on the map and a quarter-century since Durham began renovating its tobacco-grown downtown facade to become home to the innovative startup capital that’s now making national headlines. He was a new Duke University alum when Jim Goodmon first decided that bringing baseball back to Durham meant investing in our Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Now, just a block north of home plate, Jim was an integral part of the creative team that outfitted a program to celebrate 150 years of Durham at DPAC, the largest stage between D.C. and Atlanta.

It’s safe to say he’s looking forward to November 2 almost as much as he anticipated Neil Armstrong taking those historic first steps onto moon rock.

“Durham 150 has been an opportunity to get re-involved in the community,” Jim Wise says. “The Closing Ceremony is going to be a good show.”

On November 2, our community will serve as a captive audience while actors, singers, videos and an anthem are presented. Both young and old, newcomers and longtime residents will be privy to reverential looks back at Durham heroes and be granted opportunities to cast a glance forward.

For someone like Jim Wise — who saw everything from the first clock repair shop spring up in Durham, to the first craft breweries, and the first wave of new restauranteurs soon to make national headlines — this is a huge occasion.

Get your tickets to the show today. You won’t want to miss it.