A world record fell Friday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Almost 5,000 people wore sweatbands on their heads during the third inning of the Bulls’ 5-2 win over the Charlotte Knights.
The official count of 4,990 was submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records after the attempt. It surpassed the previous mark established in 2014, when of 4,673 people in Louisville, Ky., wore the retro exercise headgear.
The record attempt came in conjunction with the Bulls’ “Stranger Things Night.” The theme night tied in with the “Stranger Things” series on Netflix. The show follows a team of “Dungeons & Dragons”-loving pre-teens after their friend disappears from their small Indiana town, which is situated near a mysterious research laboratory with a supernatural secret.
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The series, created by Matt and Ross Duffer, who grew up on a tobacco farm outside Duke Forest in Durham, has many movie references from the 1980s. There have been two seasons so far with Season 3 in the works.
The Bulls, who wore 1980s “Stranger Things”-inspired uniforms, teamed with Republic Wireless for the record attempt. Republic Wireless used the event to introduce Relay, a smartphone alternative for kids. It’s like a walkie-talkie but works like a cellphone.
The Bulls also extended the theme night to their concession stands. Some stands offered Belgian waffles, which is the favorite snack of a character on the show. The team also strung Christmas lights around the DBAP.
Increasingly, Guinness sets up corporate events aimed at building publicity through record attempts. In 2014, Nexen Energy set the mark for most people dressed as Batman, gaining headlines worldwide.
The Duffer Brothers, born and raised in Durham, drop quite a few Durham-area references in the Emmy-winning hit sci-fi series “Stranger Things” that they write, direct and produce.
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