Planning for the Future of CenterFest: Durham Arts Council Announces a Strategic Visioning Year
For 51 years, Durham Arts Council (DAC) has proudly produced CenterFest, celebrating the arts, supporting local artists, and bringing our community together through one of Durham’s most beloved cultural traditions.
As we look toward the future, Durham Arts Council has made the decision to pause CenterFest in 2027, allowing time for a strategic visioning year focused on the festival’s next chapter.
This is a pause, not a farewell. We are taking this opportunity to thoughtfully evaluate the festival’s future, strengthen community partnerships, explore new possibilities, and consider how CenterFest can continue to evolve alongside the community it serves.
We invite community members, artists, and supporters to help shape the future of CenterFest. Keep up to date in our ArtVibes e-newsletter for updates and an invitation to an upcoming public forum, where we will gather community feedback and ideas for the festival’s future.
We believe deeply in the power of the arts to bring people together. Events like CenterFest create meaningful opportunities for connection, shared experiences, and community pride, and we recognize the important role these gatherings play in making Durham such a vibrant place. |
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Our commitment to bringing the community together through the arts continues. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the Durham Art Walk Holiday Market on November 21–22, 2026, featuring approximately 200 local artists across 12 downtown locations. This free event offers a festive weekend of art, holiday shopping, and community activities, alongside the Downtown Durham Tree Lighting on November 21.
To the artists who have shared their talents, the sponsors and partners who have supported our vision, the volunteers who have given their time, and the generations of festivalgoers who have filled our streets with joy and creativity: thank you for making CenterFest such a special part of Durham.
We are proud of what we have built together over the past 51 years and hopeful about what the next chapter may bring.
Looking ahead, please save the date for CenterFest’s anticipated return in September 2028! |
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The Durham Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and local arts agency dedicated to supporting the arts in Durham and the NC Triangle Region since 1954. Each year DAC serves over 400,000 visitors and participants, over 2,000 artists, and more than 300 arts and cultural organizations through classes, workshops, events, grants, and advocacy.
DAC is a catalyst in the cultural development of Durham – it leads, inspires, and promotes excellence in and access to the creation, experience, and active support of the arts for all the people of our community. |
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