Ginny from the Blog

The Setting: Durham, NC.

The Time: From 6 to 11 p.m. Friday night

The Goal: Have as much fun as possible on a budget.

Here’s how it went down: One of my friends had tickets to the Durham Bulls game. I accepted his invitation. Then I got an e-mail from another friend reminding me the Bulls game was on the same night as the final concert in the Warehouse Blues series. What to do? How about both.

I’ve told you about the city-sponsored Warehouse Blues series before. It’s held on Friday nights during the summer at West Village. Anyway, the performers are top notch and it’s completely free. You can even bring your own beer.

Even though the concert series is over, it’s still worth heading over to West Village if you’re around downtown Durham. The developers have done an outstanding job transforming the shuttered Liggett & Myers tobacco factory into a gorgeous place to live, work and even play.

After the concert, we walked along the railroad tracks to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, at which point we realized we had forgotten our tickets in the car. Oops. No worries. For $6 you can buy yourself a spot on the lawn behind center field.

The Result: So for $6 we had five hours of outstanding entertainment and people watching on a Friday night.

The Bonus: I got to meet Lucky AND Friday nights at the DBAP always end with fireworks.

(OK, technically, I spent more than that b/c beer and dinner was involved, but I could have easily opted to eat before going out and not drink).

The Question: Any suggestions of other inexpensive ways to spend a Friday night around the Triangle?

I visited my old home in Durham Friday to watch a free blues concert at the West Village, which occupies the former Liggett & Myers campus. About 50 people plopped down on blankets and chairs between two renovated tobacco warehouses to hear Tad Walters and Book Hanks perform for the Warehouse Blues Series.

I used to live in a loft overlooking that courtyard. On Friday nights, I would hoist open my warehouse-sized windows and listen to the live music drift in while I cooked dinner. Then I would head downstairs with a glass of wine and mingle with neighbors, friends and city officials (the concerts are sponsored by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation).

But that was three years ago. I thought for sure that the concert series would have either been trimmed out of the city budget or that so many people would have caught on that it would have lost its intimate vibe.

I was surprised Friday to see that wasn’t the case.

The only thing that changed was the positioning of band. Everything else was still the same. Still a good mix of West Village residents, city staff and families. Still wonderful live music. And still free.

The series runs until mid-August. Check out the line-up here.