Once-In-A-Lifetime Four-Day Bull Moon Rising Experience Celebrates Space Exploration and Cultural Similarities and Differences Around the World with Free Family-Friendly Events

For the first time in North Carolina, a giant breathtaking spherical replica of the moon – with a diameter of nearly 23 feet – will hang above Bull City as part of a free community experience Oct. 31 through Nov. 3. Presented by the City of Durham’s Cultural & Public Art Program, the Museum of Life and Science, Keep Durham Beautiful and Austin Lawrence Partners, the world-renowned touring installation, Museum of the Moon, will be open to the public for four days during “Bull Moon Rising.”

The mesmerizing, internally lit sculpture will be suspended over CCB Plaza in downtown and supported by free events and fundraising components giving back to the community. The campaign aligns with celebrations for Durham’s 150th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and will explore themes of history, innovation and entrepreneurship with the tens of thousands expected to attend.

The touring installation by U.K. artist Luke Jerram – which has been presented in more than 30 countries and experienced by over 4 million people worldwide to date – will make its only planned North Carolina stop when it comes to Durham during Halloween weekend. The larger-than-life artwork features 120 dots per inch of detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface, with each inch of the spherical structure representing 6,458 feet of the moon’s surface.

Events around CCB Plaza during the four-day event include:

Thursday, Oct. 31:

6 p.m. – Illumination of the Moon, hosted by local drag stars Vivica C. Coxx, Stormie Daie and Naomi Dix

6 p.m. – Reading of the highly acclaimed children’s book, “Goodnight Moon,” by Mayor Steve Schewel

6 p.m. – Paperhand Puppets Halloween-themed performance featuring family-friendly puppetry

6:30 p.m. – Durham Medical Orchestra’s Brass group performance

Friday, Nov. 1:

8 p.m. – Bull Moon Ball black tie ticketed fundraising gala at Unscripted Hotel, benefitting Durham’s Museum of Life and Science and Keep Durham Beautiful

9:19 p.m. – Blackspace Music Cypher rhythmic performance showcasing local emerging artists

Saturday, Nov. 2:

5:30 p.m. – Community dinner featuring local food and beverage vendors, with family-style tables and food trucks stretching down Orange Street

8 p.m. – Batalá Drum samba reggae performance with traditional drums

Sunday, Nov. 3:

9 a.m. – Moon Movement class with Community Power Yoga

“We’re beyond thrilled to put on this spectacular event that is accessible to everyone, bringing our community together to celebrate all things Bull City,” said Stacey Poston, manager of the City of Durham’s General Services Department Arts, Culture and Sustainable Communities Division. “Bull Moon Rising combines so much of what makes Durham unique. We’re incredibly proud to present this emotionally stirring fusion of art, science and true wonder in the center of our city, and we can’t wait to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with locals and visitors alike.”

Museum of the Moon will be available to view 24 hours a day from Thursday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Nov. 3. Advanced tickets for the Bull Moon Ball fundraiser will be available for purchase soon and all other events are free to the public. For information, including events, details on sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, parking, road closures, inclement weather, and more, visit www.bullmoonrising.com and follow the event on Facebook.

Museum of the Moon
Museum of the Moon is co-commissioned by a number of creative organizations brought together by Luke Jerram and Norfolk & Norwich Festival. These include: At-Bristol, Kimmel Center, Lakes Alive, Provinciaal Domein Dommelhof, Brighton Festival, Greenwich and Docklands International Festival, Without Walls, Les Tombées de la Nuit, Rennes and Cork Midsummer Festival. The artwork has also been created in partnership with the UK Space Agency, University of Bristol and The Association for Science and Discovery Centres.

The City of Durham’s Cultural & Public Art Program

The City of Durham Cultural Advisory Board serves as an advisory board to the City Council and the City Manager, and its functions include: assisting the City’s General Services Department on matters related to the Cultural Master Plan; advising the City on funding for local arts and cultural organizations; and the promotion of economic and workforce development through arts and culture, including the recruitment and retention of cultural nonprofit organizations and for-profit cultural businesses.

The City of Durham Public Art Committee serves as an advisory body to the Durham City Council and the City Manager, and its functions include assisting the City's Office of Economic and Workforce Development on matters relating to public art; implementation of the Public Art Policy; and reviewing proposals for public art projects brought to it by the City administration; and making recommendations to the Cultural Advisory Board regarding project approvals. For more information about the City’s Public Art Program, visit www.durhamnc.gov.

Durham’s Museum of Life and Science

Durham’s Museum of Life and Science is one of North Carolina's top family destinations, located less than five miles from downtown Durham. Its mission is to create a place where people — from young children to older adults — embrace science as a way of understanding themselves, their community, and their world. Situated on 84-acres, the immersive environment of this outdoor science park and two-story science center inspires curiosity, the capacity for scientific thinking, and the desire for lifetime learning. The Museum is proud to be an accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. To learn more, visit: www.lifeandscience.org.

Keep Durham Beautiful

Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc. is a nonprofit, volunteer organization working in partnership with the City of Durham’s General Services Department and Durham County to encourage businesses, residents and community organizations to conserve and enhance the appearance and environment of Durham. Keep Durham Beautiful’s mission is to engage and inspire individuals to take greater responsibility for their community environment through litter prevention, waste reduction and community greening. Projects include supporting volunteers for litter cleanup events and beautification activities, providing small grants for community beautification projects, facilitating a cost-share program for community and street tree planting, offering a tool lending library, providing environmental stewardship outreach and coordinating public-private-volunteer partnerships. In the last year, Keep Durham Beautiful engaged 3,500 volunteers who together picked up 75,000 pounds of litter and helped plant 1,090 trees. For more information, visit www.KeepDurhamBeautiful.org.

Austin Lawrence Partners

Austin Lawrence Partners is a nationally recognized, privately owned real estate development company with over 32 years of experience in real estate acquisition, development, property management, asset management, research, interior design, marketing and sales. Since its formation in 1983, the company has developed a diverse portfolio of over 30 assets totaling over three million square feet. While specializing in multi-family residential, ALP has experience in development across multiple asset classes including single family, office, retail, land development, hospitality, historic preservation, and mixed-use. In addition to receiving the highest of industry and community awards, ALP’s assets have positively impacted the cities and communities of which they have developed in. ALP has offices in Aspen, CO, and Durham, NC, where they have completed local projects including Unscripted Hotel and One City Center, and have more projects currently in development and/or under construction. To learn more about ALP, visit www.austinlawrencepartners.com.