Visit Chapel Hill & Orange County, NC

02/07/2025

You could literally spend hours in this gift shop and still not see everything! Unique, local AND complimentary gift wrapping. We love this shop!

Take a look at this sampling of what you might find This & That Gift Gallery in Carrboro. Save and share this post with your friends who you think would like to know!

📍 118 E Main Street, Carrboro
🕚 Open daily 11 am - 6 pm

02/07/2025

Planning to visit the charming town of Hillsborough, North Carolina? Check out top picks of where to eat 🍽and shop 🛍 by QC Exclusive based in Charlotte. Looks like they have great taste in food and style!

This charming small town is only two hours from Charlotte, and these are our top picks of where to eat and shop in Hillsborough NC.

02/06/2025

Embraced by locals as a lunch time favorite spot in Chapel Hill! Take a look at nationally recognized Merritt's Store & Grill and add to your list of must try spots to eat.

02/05/2025

Make plans to attend!
The Sheer Resilience of Free People of Color in Orange County, NC

Join Judge Beverly Scarlett for a presentation and reading of her newest book, Sheer Resilience. This untold story delves deep into the forgotten past of Free Communities of Color in Orange County, North Carolina. Step into the pages of history and witness the true stories of numerous families who endured the harsh realities of the apprenticeship system—a brutal chapter in our nation's history that tested the limits of human endurance.

Guests will have the opportunity to engage in a short Q&A following the presentation. Copies of Sheer Resilience will be available for sale through the Burwell School Historic Site gift shop. Light refreshments will be served.

02/04/2025

🎨✨ Immerse yourself in an evening of art and culture at the Eno Arts Mill's "First Fridays at the Mill" on Friday, February 7, from 7-9 PM!

This month's event showcases "TRANSCENDENCE," featuring the 2024 Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation BIPOC Artist-in-Residence Tyamica Mabry, alongside Angel Triplett, Artistry by Tayon, Dr How, Hausson Byrd, and Rasheem Kilo Pugh.

Experience:

- 🎶 Music curated by DJ Damu
- 🖼️ Open studios featuring the Eno Arts Mill Studio Artists
- 🌮 Delicious bites from Tacos Mama Chava
- 🍺 Refreshing beer from Ponysaurus Brewing, plus wine and non-alcoholic options
- 🎨 Free art-making activities for all ages with Mer Haggerty

Don't miss this opportunity to connect with the local art community and explore captivating works that transcend the ordinary. See you there!

02/01/2025

The Town of Carrboro is proud to recognize and celebrate Black people and Black history in Carrboro and across the nation during Black History Month.

All residents and visitors are encouraged to participate in local Black History Month events and to learn about and celebrate the lives, history, and contributions of Black people this month and throughout the year.

01/31/2025

Check Out What's Happening in February: Valentine's Day, Black History Month, UNC Baseball, Carolina Jazz Festival, New Sneak Pique Videos, 2nd Friday Artwalk & More (Photo of Tonya's Cookies & Bakeshop) https://icont.ac/50Xg6

01/29/2025

🔊Nothing like the sounds of Bob Marley and reggae music!

Get your tickets now for the 25th Annual Bob Marley Bash happening at The Cats' Cradle of NC Saturday February 1st. Jamaican food and local vendors will be on hand.

Get all the details below ⤵️

01/28/2025

💖Been thinking about how to have a memorable Valentine's Day weekend?

Feb. 15th from 7pm to midnight at The Story Venue on Franklin Street: you'll enjoy a delicious buffet dinner provided by Mediterranean Deli, Bakery and Catering, libations, and a live auction. Plus, a DJ will have you dancing to the soundtrack of a joy-filled night!

Your ticket price ($120 for two tickets and $75 for one ticket) includes dinner, non-alcoholic beverages, and dancing. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. All cuisine and all beverages have been donated by Med Deli; The Story Venue has also been donated.

🎟Tickets: https://www.actsofkindnessch.org/la-fundraiser
100% of ticket cost, beer & wine purchases, and donations will go to The Global Empowerment Mission for LA County Wildfires

01/27/2025

Death of a Salesman on stage at PlayMakers Repertory Company Jan 29 - Feb 16!

Bear witness to the tragic unraveling of W***y Loman, a weary salesman chasing the elusive American Dream. Amidst family strife and shattered illusions, his journey becomes a haunting exploration of identity, disillusionment, and the relentless pursuit of success. Experience one of the most powerful and enduring plays in American history.

BY ARTHUR MILLER
DIRECTED BY MICHAEL WILSON

Tickets: https://playmakersrep.org/show/death-of-a-salesman/

📸 PlayMakers Repertory Company

01/24/2025

This weekend, plan to get comfy in Hillsborough's unofficial living room - Yonder: Southern Cocktails & Brew for cocktails, mocktails, great bartenders, live music, and art!

🕓 Friday and Saturday 4 pm - midnight
📍114 W. King Street

Standup comedy this Sunday: The Sunday Show with Jeremy Alder begins at 7pm, tickets $15 available online - get there early for best seats

01/24/2025

What Happened? Orange County in Colonial Times: The Wild West

Europeans began settling in Orange County around 1740. However, the migration pattern in North Carolina was different from the other twelve British colonies. In the other colonies, Europeans landed on the coast and moved westward as they required more land to satisfy the needs of their growing population. North Carolina’s geography inhibited this pattern of expansion. The coast was inhospitable, resulting in many shipwrecks. European settlers typically landed in the northern and southern parts of Carolina and moved inward along the Tidewater rather than westward. Additionally, travel to the west was difficult because rivers were shallow and rocky and they flowed more in a north/south direction than east/west. Therefore, the European settlers who moved to central North Carolina, traveled from the north, moving southward down the Piedmont.
These settlers chose to move to Orange County because it was the frontier. The government of the colony was located in the Tidewater. Piedmont North Carolina was essentially autonomous. This situation afforded three important advantages: 1). freedom from government interference in matters of faith, 2). cheap land, and 3). essentially no behavioral prescriptions and restrictions.

Read more on Orange County in Colonial Times, courtesy of Courtney Smith/ Orange County Historical Museum and News of Orange County ⤵

https://www.newsoforange.com/community/article_de4fb184-d80e-11ef-b56a-cb9d0691e5a5.html

📸 The original Sauthier map held at the British Library in London

01/22/2025

On this cold,❄️🥶 wintry day when you may be stuck inside, you can still explore the towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough.

Here's how: head over to our website https://www.visitchapelhill.org/ , scroll halfway down to this map, hover and click or tap on the icons for a fun way to 'visit' each location.

Stay safe, stay warm!!!!



Visit Hillsborough, NC
Visit Carrboro NC

01/21/2025

Staying on Top of The Midway

Some call it Midway; some call it Chapel Boro; we call it cool. It’s in and around Graham Street. Where else can you hang at a jazz/hockey bar, play outdoor corn hole while enjoying an Acai fruit bowl, followed by a go at it nostalgic arcade game — Pacman! Space Invaders! — while having a cold brewski. And if that’s not your scene, you can delight in a New York-style bagel, browse a thrift store, then take a left or right and you’re either in Carrboro or downtown Chapel Hill.

Read more in this week's Orange Slices:
👉 https://icont.ac/50WGv

📷 The Purple Bowl

01/15/2025

Inspired by a life of nomadic travels, The Nomad Restaurant brings you a world of flavors in Downtown Hillsborough!



View all of our Sneak Piques videos in our on-line mini film fest and let us know your favorites
https://www.visitchapelhill.org/sneak-piques/

01/15/2025

During the colder months, Pluck Farm - Steel String Brewery is hosting 🔥Bonfire Nights🔥 every Saturday at sundown 4:30 to 7pm - with special Christmas Tree recycling & burning parties on January 18th and 25th from 4 to 7 pm. Drop off your dried up tree or bring it day of!

Heaters and fire pits will be lit during the day, and by sundown the bonfire will be lit.

They'll have s’mores and hot drinks available at the bar – mint tea, hot chocolate, hot cider in addition to the usual beer, wine, cider, kombucha, NA beer and soda plus a food truck for bites.

📍 Pluck Farm 6901 NC 54 West in Mebane

01/13/2025

!Save the Date!

The Chapel Hill - Carrboro NAACP will be holding its annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day of commemoration Monday, Jan. 20. The event will begin with a rally at 10 a.m. at the Peace and Justice Plaza located at 179 E. Franklin Street in Chapel Hill

Following the rally, participants will march down Franklin Street to the historic First Baptist Church for a commemoration day service at 11 a.m. featuring keynote speaker Rev. Kendal McBroom, Director of Civil and Human Rights, General Board of Church & Society, United Methodist Church.

The event – whose theme this year is “Our Future, Our Fight” – is free and open to the public.

Other Dr. MLK Jr. Celebrations:
📅 January 18, Youth Celebration at Carrboro Century Center, 1pm
📅 January 19, Memorial Celebration at William & Ida Friday Center, 5pm

01/10/2025

🎬 Get Ready for the Carrboro Film Festival! 🎬

Mark your calendars for a weekend of incredible films from local and international filmmakers at the Carrboro Film Fest.

📍 Where: Carrboro Century Center 100 N. Greensboro St in Carrboro, NC
🗓️ When: January 24-26, 2025 with a Pre-Festival Kickoff on January 13th at the Chelsea Theater in Chapel Hill
🎥 What: A variety of films, including shorts, documentaries, and narrative features, showcasing the diverse and vibrant talent of independent creators.

This is your chance to experience the magic of storytelling, meet filmmakers, and immerse yourself in a community of film lovers.

👉 Tickets on Sale Now – Don't miss out!
🔗 https://www.carrborofilm.org/events