CenterFest is Durham’s largest cultural and community event, as well as North Carolina’s longest running street art festival. It will take place Saturday, September 17th, and Sunday, September 18th, 2022.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It will be an in-person festival after a two-year pause.
Fall is looking great around the Triangle, whether you’re looking for something spooky or totally kid-friendly! Check out our HUGE list of fall festivals, as well as our list of pumpkin patches, haunted trails and corn mazes! We have also put together a big list of Halloween events and Trick or Treat events!
This is a free event, but donations are welcome, and there’s a suggested donation of $5 at the gate.
CenterFest takes place in downtown Durham, about one mile south of I-85 and just north of the Durham Freeway (NC 147). CenterFest will involve the closing of nearly the entire downtown Loop.
The festival will be on Main and Chapel Hill Streets in the Five Points and CCB Plaza areas.
Main and Chapel Hill Streets will be closed, as well as Market Street and parts of Parrish. Blockages will be placed at Morgan and Mangum Streets. Many municipal parking lots surround the CenterFest site, as well as neighborhood street parking. Some lots will charge a special event parking fee while others are free.
Find a map and parking information here.
The festival will include visual art, music, dance, storytellers, street performers, kids’ activities, and more.
Creative Kids Zone
The kids’ zone is in the parking lot next to the durham Council. Some of the activities are fee-based.
- Hands-on art activities
- Face painting
- Family-friendly music and cultural programming at the DAC Stage (see below.)
- 12 to 2 p.m.: Kidznotes Instrument Petting Zoo
- More
CenterFest Saturday Music and Performers
Main Dance Stage at CCB Plaza
- 10:00AM Nina’s School of Dance
- 11:00AM Nrithyarpana Dance Academy
- 12:00PM Ninth Street Dance
- 1:00PM Empower Dance Studio
- 2:00PM Walltown Children’s Theatre
- 2:20PM Magician Shaun Jay
- 3:40PM Bouncing Bulldogs
- 4:20PM African American Dance Ensemble
Main Music Stage at CCB Plaza
- 11:20AM Beauty Operators
- 12:20PM The Durham Savoyards, Ltd.
- 1:20PM Tea Cup Gin
- 3:00PM La Fiesta Latin Jazz Quintet
- 5:00PM Durham Jazz Orchestra
Five Points Stage
- 10:20AM Durham Bullhorns
- 11:00AM Big Celtic Fun
- 12:00PM Bruce Piephoff
- 1:00PM The Holland Brothers
- 1:40PM Batala Durham
- 2:00PM Emily Musolino
- 2:40PM Batala Durham
- 3:00PM The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs
- 4:00PM Secret Monkey Weekend
- 5:00PM Andy Coats
DAC Stage
- 12:00PM Frank Lee Pierce
- 12:45PM Matthew Chambers
- 1:30PM Mad Science
- 2:15PM Willa Brigham
- 3:00PM Isabel Valls
- 3:45PM Michael Melia
- 4:30PM Ben Kimmel
Oasis stage
- 11:00AM Vito Di Bona
- 12:00PM Erim Akpan
- 1:00PM Stevan Jackson & Howard P. Brown, Jr.
- 2:00PM Pippa Hoover
- 3:00PM Sentimental Johnny
- 4:00PM Sadie Rock
Roaming performers
- 1:00-3:00PM Chris ‘Juggle Boy’ Fowler
- 1:00-4:00PM Mr. Rainbow the Clown
- ALL DAY Silver Drummer Girl
Sunday CenterFest Music and Performers
Main Dance Stage at CCB Plaza
- 11:40AM Encore Academy of Dance
- 12:40PM Takiri Folclor Latino
- 1:40PM Laasya School of Dance
- 3:00PM Footnotes Tap Ensemble
- 4:00PM Visual Artist Merit Award Ceremony
Main Music Stage at CCB Plaza
- 11:00AM Heart of Carolina A Cappella
- 12:00PM Good Rocking Sam
- 1:00PM The Yardarm
- 2:00PM Ricardo Diquez
- 3:20PM Diane Carter & DCB
- 4:20PM Mighty Messengers of Soul
Five Points Stage
- 11:00AM Tiny House
- 12:00PM Neville’s Quarter
- 1:00PM Couldn’t Be Happiers
- 2:00PM Nixon, Blevins & Gage
- 3:00PM The Goodloves
- 4:00PM Duck Duck Goose
DAC Stage
- 11:30AM Joanne Schulz
- 12:15PM Pam Ross
- 1:00PM My Friend Paul
- 1:45PM Wildflower
- 2:30PM Regina Gale, the Singing Poet
- 3:15PM Michael Paris
- 4:00PM Susan Riggs
Oasis Stage
- 12:00PM Angela & Will
- 1:00PM Hall Ashmore 2:00PM Remona Jeannine
- 3:00PM Kirby Heard
- 4:00PM Solar Hearts
Roaming Performers
- 1:00-3:00PM Chris ‘Juggle Boy’ Fowler
- 1:00-4:00PM Mr. Rainbow the Clown
- 3:00-4:00PM Durham Street Piano
- ALL DAY Silver Drummer Girl
Visual Art at CenterFest
Art will include:
- Ceramics
- Digital media
- Drawing
- Fiber
- Glass
- Jewelry
- Leather
- Mixed media
- Painting
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Sculpture
- Wood
Kids’ Activities
The Kids Zone for CenterFest will be in the parking lot next to the Durham Arts Council Building, 120 Morris Street, Durham. There will be family-friendly performances, arts and crafts, the DAC pop-up clay studio, and more.
Accessibility
The festival is wheelchair accessible. If you have other accessibility needs, please get in touch with Durham Arts Council in advance of the festival.
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Triangle on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and it's also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
More Festivals
Check out a big list of fall festivals in the Triangle, or take a quick look at a few upcoming festivals here:
