As a brief overview, the Bullpen is downtown Durham’s social district, in effect as of December 1, 2022. It’s a defined area in downtown where you can walk around with an alcoholic beverage (of course, there are some rules). Our social district supports local downtown businesses, while also providing some fun for residents and visitors.
Here are some things to remember:
- The Bullpen operates 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Outside of that time frame, drinks cannot be taken to go or consumed anywhere beyond the boundary of the business where you purchased the drink.
- You must be 21+ to order and take alcoholic drinks to go.
- Drinks must be purchased from a participating restaurant or bar and must be in an official Bullpen cup. The cup should have the Bullpen logo, the seller’s logo and the date and time on it. That means you cannot bring alcoholic beverages from home and drink them downtown, and you cannot drink alcohol out of cans or bottles.
A common question is “Where do I order drinks to go?” and the answer is simple. All you need to do is look for window clings on display at the businesses you visit.
Here are the options:
- Order Here: Business sells alcoholic beverages that can be taken out to the social district.
- Drinks Welcome: Business allows you to bring in to-go alcoholic beverages.
- Outside Drinks Not Permitted: Business does not allow you to bring in outside beverages.
As we mentioned, the Bullpen is a defined area of downtown with its own boundaries. Check out the map below.
For more need-to-knows, including a full list of participating locations, visit the Bullpen page on our website.
