Motorco-Bloody Brunch and Dtown Market

When I read about this event on S. Durham Moms Meetup I was skeptical.  I couldn't imagine that Motorco, a bar and music hall in Downtown Durham, could be remotely kid-friendly.  However, we decided to head over a few weekends ago just to see what it was all about.

What we liked: On select Sundays, Motorco offers a musical performance in addition to a usual pairing with several food trucks including Kokyu Korean BBQ and Parlour Ice Cream.  On the first and third Sundays they also host Dtown Market for local artists and vendors in combination with this event.

Back to our little family's experience.  We walked up, and I was sure that, being primarily a bar, they would turn us away or it would be totally inappropriate for us.  However, we saw some kids hanging around outside enjoying some delicious eats from Kokyu who was parked outside so we continued on.  We walked inside.  Not only did we see adults mingling and enjoying a drink, we saw a few dogs milling about, and kids dancing around and watching music.  They have a large bleachers section that the kids were having a ball climbing up and down, and they were all entranced by the musicians, Hindugrass.  While the music was incredibly entertaining for the kids and they got to learn about all sorts of new instruments like the sitar, it wasn't music that was intentionally geared for kids.  Turns out we had a wonderful time and would like to head back next time there's a kid-friendly performance.  It's nice to know that not all fun kids' outings need to be at places that completely cater to kids and not adults.

What we liked:  We loved that this was a place where everyone was welcome and kids and adults could all enjoy music together.

What we would change/cautions: It is a bar, so there are a lot of adults there.  That means that families have to be respectful of other audience members.  In addition, since it is a bar and musical venue there are plenty of non-kid-friendly corners that you need to keep an eye on.  Many of the events at Motorco are not kid-friendly, so make sure to check their calendar to make sure that the event of the day is appropriate.  They will usually say "for all ages" if it is one that they can attend.

Website and other important information:

Website: http://motorcomusic.com/

Some other reviews about Motorco and Bloody Brunch:

http://blog.thegourmez.com/2011/06/the-bloody-brunch-motorco-and-ko-kyu-bbq/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/motorco-durham (check out the review from Dan C. for info. about the venue and kids)

Address: 723 Rigsbee Ave, Durham, NC 27701

Photos: 

1. A view of the outside of Motorco

2. All of the kiddos looking out the windows