Meals from the Market, including Trucks from the Market is DCP, Inc’s biggest fundraiser event. It is a series of meals from September to November that DCP enthusiasts offer to host at their home, restaurant or other venue. The meals have different themes and numbers of attendees. All the meals are donated by the hosts and the proceeds from ticket sales go straight to DCP, Inc. Tickets go on sale August 19 and sell out quickly. If you read some of these descriptions, locations and entertainment, you’ll see why. Buy Tickets!
Sat. 9/10
Son of a Butcherman (SOB) DCP Board member Sioux Watson and her British husband Paul Savery, son of a Brighton butcher, and also grandson and great grandson of butchers from Bristol, England, serve a four course meal featuring Savery family favourites from his home country.
Fri. 9/16
Chili-Fest in Love It or List It House in Cleveland-Holloway Maybe you’ve seen the houses being built along Elizabeth Street. These colorful homes are walking distance to Golden Belt, Ponysaurus, and Durham Central Park! One of them was one of the “list it” options on the 10-5-2015 episode of Love It or List It last year. Come see it first hand and join us as we enjoy tasty chili and beer.
Sun. 9/18
Sylvan Salon Series: The Music of George Gershwin for piano To benefit both Durham Central Park and the Mallarmé Chamber Players. Your music loving host and hostess are so proud of their newly renovated, historic home that they are inviting us all in to enjoy a special musical experience and a tour of their unique garden. The first of the “Sylvan Salon Series” will feature the music of George Gershwin performed by Dorothy Lewis-Griffith. A concert pianist, Lewis-Griffith made her orchestral debut at the age of fourteen with the North Carolina Symphony, and later gave her New York Debut at Town Hall. She has transcribed and recorded her own versions for piano solo of all Gershwin’s major works except the Cuban Overture.These are published on two CD’s by Etcetera.
Sun. 9/18
Vegan World Tour at Slaughterhouse Nein Slaughterhouse Nein is the name of an imaginary vegan pop-up restaurant that Greg uses when tagging photos on Facebook for friends to see what’s for dinner. Seitan, tempeh, and veggies are the only things on the chopping block here! Support Durham Central Park, and join us for a tasty vegan menu based on a mix of southern US, Indian, and Mexican cuisines.
Sat. 9/24
Bourbon Street Cuisine on Gloria Ave The Big Easy is known for its round-the- clock nightlife, vibrant live-music scene and spicy, singular cuisine– a melting pot of Cajun, Creole, Caribbean, Southern, French, African, and Spanish cultures further influenced by the city’s proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. Come join us in our historic Trinity Park home as we revisit New Orleans cuisine and laissez le bon temp rouler!
Sun. 9/25
Trucks from the Market! Durham Central Park, Inc. has produced several “food truck rodeos” in the park that have been wildly successful. Each one has been better than the last, with more food trucks participating and no long lines. The good folks at Pie Pushers and Only Burger are teaming up to organize this special opportunity to experience a private “mini-rodeo.” Each truck will prepare a sample of a special menu item they wish to share – to provide for a taste from each truck’s rolling kitchen! Bring out your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy this unique opportunity to sample multiple trucks in one evening! Fullsteam Brewery will be on hand offering two beers per ticket and a cash bar.
Tue. 9/27
Esperanza’s Mexican Mole and More! Esperanza – we all know her as “Pela” – is generously opening her Trinity Park home for a Mexican dinner party. As a native of Mexico City, she is enthusiastic to share her specialties. And just what is an “impossible cake?” Come and find out!
Wed. 10/5
Southern Supper honoring Pauli Murray at Cassilhaus To benefit both Durham Central Park and the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice. Enjoy delicious southern specialties in an architectural marvel at the edge of Duke Forest while learning about Pauli Murray- teacher, lawyer, poet, civil rights activist, Episcopal priest and writer. Enjoy a presentation by Barbara Lau, Director of the Pauli Murray Project in Durham, and special guests.
Fri. 10/7
Jazz Rocks: Jazz, Gemstones, Cocktails, & Canapés Groove, nosh, wet your whistle, mix ‘n’ mingle when jewelry store-turned nightclub hosts jazz singer Rah Bickley accompanied by jazz composer/arranger/pianist Ed Paolantonio. Local libations and ample farmer’s market bites will be provided by bartender and chef friends from Clouds Brewing and Triangle Seafood Market. For additional sensory stimulation, feast your eyes on newly discovered, sustainable-in-every-sense-of-the-word, color-change gemstone, Csarite®, and way more.
Sun. 10/16
An Encore Plus: Italian Feast to Warm the Heart Join us for another exciting multi course Italian feast, with premium wines, at Gocciolina’s, the 2016 Triangle Restaurant of the Year (N&O) and Durham’s 2015 Best Italian Restaurant (Indy) prepared by top chef Aaron Benjamin.
Sat. 10/15
Southern Harvest Meal at Threshold To benefit both Durham Central Park and Threshold. For more than 30 years, Threshold has served residents of Durham with severe and persistent mental illness. Threshold is open 7 days a week providing support necessary to keep members out of the hospital, to advance their education, to succeed in their work and to improve the quality of life for them and their families. Threshold members also prepare delicious home-cooked meals each day. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to enjoy tried and true southern favorites from Threshold members, staff and friends!
Thurs. 10/20
A Catalan Evening in Downtown Durham Located in the the northeastern corner of Spain, Catalonia is the diverse region that reaches from the Costa Brava to the Pyrenees Mountains. Home to Barcelona and Salvadore Dali, Catalonia is proud of their independence of identity, language and food. Matt Kelly, and his stellar staff at Mateo, will once again be pulling out all the stops to treat you to a night of Catalan deliciousness in the private dining room at award winning Mateo in downtown Durham.
Sat. 10/22 (rain date 10/23)
An Iberian Garden Party Anabela and Rune want to treat you to the sights, sounds and tastes of Portugal and Spain! We will see images from Portugal, listen to classic guitar themes of famous Spanish composers, offered by DSA guitar students, and there will be tapas, typical appetizers of Spain. The evening will end with a brief look at the life of Christopher Columbus presented by Portuguese historian, Manuel Rosa, author of COLUMBUS: The Untold Story.
Sat. 10/22
A Southern Italian Family-style Feast Chef Phoebe Lawless of Scratch will bring the experience of festive gatherings in this iconic region to our large tables at the Durham Central Park Cohousing Community. At the heart of the meal will be lamb, a celebratory food in the many diverse cultures that ring the Mediterranean Sea. The vivid seasonal produce of southern Italy will be in the foreground, contorni that highlight southern Italy’s extraordinary fertility. Vines are ubiquitous from Naples to Trapani, a tapestry of indigenous grapes and ancient wine traditions that produces more wine than any other region in the world. Jay Murrie of (Durham-based) Piedmont Wine Imports will pair small-farm organic wines of Puglia and Abruzzo to Phoebe’s family-style meal.
Thurs. 10/27
An Evening with Susan Werner for Durham Central Park What a concert this will be! And in the perfect location! Werner, critically acclaimed recording artist, is also composer and lyricist for the new Broadway-bound musical adaptation of BULL DURHAM, based on the 1988 film by Ron Shelton. The classic baseball film starred Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins — and for Werner’s performance, the Rickhouse provides a perfect panoramic view of the vintage Durham Bulls ballpark where much of the film was shot. “When it comes to crafting a song, Ms. Werner’s only peers are Jimmy Webb and Paul Simon.” – No Depression
Thurs. 10/27
Old North Durham: Sip, Savour and Laugh Three years in, the brothers and hosts are excited to turn heads and palettes. Expect nothing less than the whimsical wine and creative pairing from past years. An evening with Chef Sam Papinakas and Sommellier Yianni Papinakas carrying the tradition from Five Points to a new home in Old North Durham.
Fri. 11/3
Local Vocal The agents of Urban Durham Realty enthusiastically sell the benefits of living in Durham from their offices just a few doors down from the park. More like an art gallery than an office building, their colorful space on Foster Street will be the setting for an evening of dinner and music. Several a cappella groups from local schools will perform. Tasty tapas dishes and yummy desserts will be prepared by neighboring Foster Street restaurants, Piedmont and Rise.
Sat. 11/5 Brunswick Stew + Soulful Tunes @ Bull McCabes
Jam to the smooth sounds of Durham’s very own NC cover band, Plan B, while enjoying a pipin’ hot bowl of freshly made Brunswick Stew in the yard at Bull McCabes!
Sun. 11/6
Surprise! Sunday Supper under the Pavilion Experience the Pavilion as never before, transformed into a magical space in the heart of Durham Central Park. This will be a culinary experience you do not want to miss! Gather with us for a candle-lit, family-style feast celebrating our wonderful Durham Farmers’ Market and all it has to offer. Enjoy a surprise menu full of beautiful market produce and NC pasture-raised meats with gorgeous wines to match. We’ll share stories, pass bountiful platters, sway to music provided by a live folk-blues guitarist, and clink wine glasses over this multicourse feast – all while helping to support our beloved Durham Central Park. Please join us for an evening to remember!