5 Free Things to Do at Duke in March 2026

Spring into gardening tips, enjoy a powerful musical performance and experience thought-provoking discussions

A collage features five photos of free events taking place at Duke in March 2026

Campus will come to life at Duke as spring arrives in March with a full slate of events that includes a panel event celebrating a new exhibit, a gardening symposium, a musical performance and a lecture series.

Each month during the academic year, the Working@Duke editorial team searches the Duke Events Calendar to find five free things to do at Duke. The selections highlight the wide range of activities and programming available to community members. Check back in April for the next batch of events.

March 4 – Consumer Reports Archives Exhibit Opening and Panel Discussion

Duke University Libraries hosts a special event 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Rubenstein Library Holsti-Anderson Family Assembly Room featuring a panel discussion and gallery talks highlighting the opening of two exhibits. “This Sneeze Is for Science,” features photography and visual narratives depicting scientific testing; and “Test, Inform, Protect: The Consumer Reports Archives at Duke University Archives,” explores the history and impact of Consumer Reports over its 90-year history. Panelists are from both Consumer Reports and Duke University. Registration is requested here.

March 14 – Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Vegetable Gardening Symposium

This half-day symposium from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. features speakers advising on vegetable gardening topics that include: Veggies 101, Planning Your Garden and Hearty Landscapes – Foodscaping for Joy, Beauty & Abundance. This event takes place at Stanford L. Warren Library and is in partnership with Sarah P. Duke Gardens and Durham County Cooperative Extension, and made possible by the Durham Library Foundation. The Hattie Meadows Gardening School is a free community learning project to spread knowledge and the love of gardening. Registration is encouraged.

March 19 – Creative Belonging: The Qiang and Multiethnic Imagination in Modern China

This Asian Pacific Studies Institute Speaker Series discussion is based on the book by Pomona College’s Yanshuo Zhang about the Qiang, one of modern China’s officially recognized ethnic minorities. “Creative Belonging” investigates the formation and evolution of the Qiang as a people, a concept and a cultural history. The event takes place at 3 p.m. at Rubenstein Library Carpenter Conference Room 249.

March 21 – Duke Chorale & Durham Medical Orchestra: 'Carmina Burana'

The Duke Chorale, SONAM (Singers of New and Ancient Music) and the Durham Medical Orchestra all join forces for this spring concert at Baldwin Auditorium that features Carl Orff’s "Carmina Burana" at the heart of the program that begins at 7:30 p.m. The concert also features selections from Gustav Holst’s "The Planets" and the world premiere of "Dialogues from the Garden" by composer Reyna Alston.

March 26 – Midday Meander at Sarah P. Duke Gardens

Join Sarah P. Duke Gardens’ Director of Learning and Community Engagement Kavanah Anderson for a conversational stroll through the Gardens to swap plant stories, dig into horticultural histories and enjoy multisensory observation. Registration is required for the 12:15 p.m. walk, and the meeting location will be included in a program reminder email.

Send story ideas, shout-outs and photographs through our story idea form or write working@duke.edu.

Follow Working@Duke on X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and subscribe on YouTube.