For those who enjoy any combination of art, food, and music, downtown Durham is the place to be this month.

Any Durham residents finding themselves in the vicinity of Doha, Qatar this April might take the opportunity to cheer on our local chamber of commerce as it competes for the Best Unconventional Chamber Project in the World title.

Durham is preparing for its own Mardi Gras celebration and is taking its lead from the undisputed Mardi Gras capitol of the U.S., New Orleans, while adding its own North Carolina flavor.

Durham residents have a front row seat in the latest food trend. A new development in dining sees the elevation of simple foods to superstar status with attention to detail and personalized chef-level dedication to quality.

The Lenovo Group Limited recently managed to spread their name and promote their brand via an unusual source. On the last Wednesday of November, volunteers from Lenovo took the time to give the John Avery Boys and Girls Club in Durham a makeover.

The 65th anniversary of the First Freedom Ride was celebrated last week to commemorate the day that nine groups of activists rode interstate buses to test the new legislation that desegregated them. In Durham, nine teams of women walked from Durham to Chapel Hill on the Journey of Reconciliation March to commemorate the women activists who contributed to the civil rights movement.

The Durham Public School is about to start a 3-year pilot project that will expand the options available to high-school students. The pilot project will operate out of the Holton Career and Resource Center. Traditional career options such as horticulture, small engine repair, and carpentry will be replaced by current and future options such as security and automated technology. The goal is to update courses to existing and emerging careers.

The newly relocated Caf Refectory, one of Durhams iconic eating and meeting places, has opened in its new location on the Durham-Chapel Hill Road. Once a typical, favorite hang-out for students, the caf has recently relocated outside of Duke University, meaning that it will be open to a wider public.