Summer is Sizzling Chapel Hill & Orange County, NC
Request a copy of the Chapel Hill/Orange County Official Visitors Guide or visit www.visitchapelhill.org for summer accommodation options & event details.
Alicia Stemper
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Summer is a wonderful time to visit Chapel Hill
and the Orange County region of North Carolina. Whether you are here visiting friends and family, on vacation or a weekend getaway, there is so much to do. the days are long and most of the attractions are free. Here are 10 Fun Things to Do This Summer.
1. Outdoor Music All types of music and food trucks abound at Fridays on the Front Porch held on the lawn of the Historic Carolina Inn from 5 pm – 8 pm on Fridays through late September. Enjoy concerts and food on the lawn Sunday mornings 11 am – 1 pm at Carrboro and Hillsborough Weaver Street Market locations and Thursday evenings 6 pm – 8 pm on the Carrboro market lawn. In Chapel Hill, enjoy Friday After Hours, 5 pm – 7 pm at the Southern Village Weaver Street and Concerts on the Village Green. Remember the Meadowmont Music Series and special events at Honeysuckle Tea House.
2. Hiking, Biking, Gardens & Trails At the North Carolina Botanical Garden see beautiful native plant landscaping, trails, educational exhibits, herb garden, carnivorous plants and more. Take a free guided tour of the display gardens the first Saturday at 10 am. Find parks, hiking, greenways and bike trails throughout Orange County. Guided tours at Coker Arboretum the 3rd Saturday of the month at 11 am. Take a kayak, flat bottom boat or canoe trip on University Lake or Cane Creek Reservoir on the weekends. In Hillsborough, enjoy the beautiful Riverwalk by the Eno River or hike the Occoneechee State Mountain Natural Area.
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3. History, Food & Art Tours Take one of the “Walk this Way” guided tours from Preservation Chapel Hill at the Horace Williams House. Tours ($5) include Town and Gown of East Franklin Street, Women on the Hill, Old Chapel Hill Cemetery and more. Take guided tours of the UNC campus from the UNC Visitors’ Center or guided 11 am Saturday tours ($6) of Historic Hillsborough. Weekly Food Tours highlight the award winning eclectic cuisine of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough. Take the 2nd Friday Artwalk in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
plus select Thursdays and Sundays. Get there early for the best selections. Enjoy tastings, chef demonstrations, food trucks, live music. Also Pick Your Own at farms and farm stands. Try the new Orange County Farm App. Come visit the new Blue Dogwood Public Market on West Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill. This indoor market will feature 12 fresh food vendors, retail vendors, and pop-ups celebrating local food.
5. Outdoor Movies Enjoy Movies by Moonlight on the Southern Village lawn every Saturday and on select Thursdays Movies Under the Stars begin June 7 – August 16 at 8:30 pm on the Wallace Parking Deck. Movies in the Park comes to the River Park in downtown Hillsborough. Bring a chair and blanket for the summertime fun outdoor event.
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4. Farmers & Public Markets Summertime means farmers markets with fresh farm produce, dairy products and items sold by farmers within a 50-mile radius. We have farmers markets in Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. You can shop on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays,
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visit Moorefields, for its last Sundays Open House through August from 1 pm – 5 pm. Drop by the Hillsborough Visitors Center in the historic Alexander Dickson House.
6. Last Fridays in Hillsborough Live music on the courthouse lawn as well as artists, food vendors and craftspeople set up their wares on the sidewalks in downtown historic Hillsborough the Last Friday of the month from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm through September. Also enjoy Art Walks and visit galleries, restaurants, museums and historic sites for special events. This summer tour Ayr Mount Historic Site, the Burwell School and the Orange County Historical Museum and
7. Forest Theatre Paperhand Puppet Festival The magical Paperhand Puppet Intervention Summer Festival Extravanganza is a sight to behold. This whimsical puppet show is weekends August – mid-September, plus Labor Day, in the beautiful outdoor UNC Forest Theatre.
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9. Shopping
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8. Beat the Heat or Stay Dry on a Rainy Day
Stroll, browse and shop in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough. You’ll find Southern Season, one of the largest gourmet emporiums in the country as well as antique stores, boutiques, specialty shops, memorabilia stores and more. You are sure to find the perfect keepsake to take back home. You will find numerous items made right here in Orange County.
10. Dining With nearly 300 restaurants to choose from, feast on everything from international and vegetarian to traditional barbecue, farm to table delights, southern favorites from fried chicken to shrimp and grits, and awesome burgers. Try the local farm fresh ice cream, gelato, handmade chocolates, gourmet cupcakes and more. Don’t forget our numerous craft beer offerings and unique spirits and cocktails in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough. There are many opportunities to dine outdoors under a Carolina Blue sky or star-filled summer night.
Infants to tweens come make, build explore and learn at Kidzu Children’s Museum at University Place. At the Morehead Planetarium & Science Center, enjoy the largest fulldome digital video planetarium in the southeastern US. For sports lovers see the free exciting Carolina Basketball Museum with its new video displays and memorabilia highlighting Carolina on the court. See the summer exhibits at Ackland Art Museum or catch a performance at The ArtsCenter.
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Summer FESTIVALS JULY 1 & July 4: Parades, Food, Music, Fireworks, and More. Visit www.visitchapelhill.org for details of holiday events on both days in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough AUGUST 3-SEPTEMBER 23, plus Labor Day in Chapel Hill: 19th Annual Summer Outdoor Paperhand Puppet Festival. In the Heart of the Fire, Fri–Sun and Labor Day in the Forest Theatre on the UNC Campus. (Weekend Sept 7–9 at NC Museum of Art in Raleigh). paperhand.org AUGUST 4: SlushFest celebrates beer, cider, wine slushies and snow cones at Botanist and Barrel in Cedar Grove. Select food. Tickets and information visit www.botanistandbarrel.com AUGUST 11: BikeFest 2018: The 23rd Annual Rural Heritage Tour in Orange County. www.ncbikefest.org SEPTEMBER 8: Bluegrass Festival at Moorefields. On the lawn at Moorefields, featuring music, food trucks, beer & wine. www.moorefields.org SEPTEMBER 14-15: Hog Day. BBQ Cooking Contest, Food, Live Music, crafts, kids’ activities and much more comes to Hillsborough. www.hogday.org SEPTEMBER 16: Sculpture in the Garden. Public juried outdoor exhibition of original outdoor sculptures by North Carolina artists opens for 12-week display. Preview party is September 15. ncbg.unc.edu SEPTEMBER 16: Curds & Crafts Festival. 4th annual artisanal cheese and craft beer festival hosted by Weaver Street Market taking place at Hillsborough’s Cloth Mill at Eno River. www.facebook.com/weaverstreet SEPTEMBER 20: Harvest Dinner. Chefs, market farmers and community enjoys a delicious locally sourced meal in Town Commons. Local beer and music. www.carrborofarmersmarket.com Chape l H ill /Or an g e Cou nt y Visitors B u r e au
501 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Visitors Center Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 3 pm www.visitchapelhill.org Phone (919) 245-4320 E-mail info@visitchapelhill.org www.visitchapelhill.org