Last Friday Art Walk Begins February 24 in Hillsborough

Head to Boshamer Stadium for Carolina Baseball

In the News

Carolina Jazz Festival is February 23-25

Your Special Valentine’s Day

Carolina Inn

Red Window

Body & Soul at FRANK

February 2012

2012 Chapel Hill/Orange County Tourism Enewsletters

January 2012 Tourism Newsletter
February 2012 Tourism Newsletter

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Kidzu Children’s Museum

30th Annual Hillsborough Hog Day is May 18-19, 2012 in central North Carolina

Major Annual Events

(For details, go to Calendar of Events and search on a specific date or date range, or call the sponsoring organization.)

2012 Events

January

January 15-20. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, UNC campus, Chapel Hill. UNC Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, (919) 962-6962.

February

February 1-19. North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival, Carrboro. North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival, (919) 338-8150.
February 18. Revolutionary War Living History Day, Hillsborough. Alliance for Historic Hillsborough, (919) 732-7741.
February 23-25. Carolina Jazz Festival, UNC campus, Chapel Hill. UNC Department of Music, (919) 962-1039.

March

March 10. NCHSAA Basketball Championships, 1A and 3A Classifications, Dean Smith Center, UNC campus, Chapel Hill. North Carolina High School Athletic Association, (919) 962-2345.
March 21-April 8. Birdhouses on Parade, Chapel Hill. The Carolina Inn, (919) 918-2711.
March 31. Children’s Easter Egg Hunt, River Park, Hillsborough. Orange County Recreation & Parks, (919) 245-2660. Hosted by Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County Parks Depts.

April

April 14. Earth Action Day, Southern Community Park, Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill Parks Dept, (919) 968-2784.
April 14. 4th Annual Hillsborough Arts and Crafts Show, Alexander Dickson House Lawn, Hillsborough. Hillsborough Arts Council.
April 14-15. Chapel Hill Spring Garden Tour, Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill Garden Club, (919) 962-0255.
April 15. Outdoor Family Pops Concert, Hillsborough. Durham Symphony, (919) 491-6576.
April 28-29. Piedmont Farm Tour, Countywide. Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, (919) 542-2402.

May

May 6. Carrboro Day, Carrboro Recreation & Parks Department, (919) 918-7364.
May 13. UNC Spring Commencement, Chapel Hill. UNC Office of Special Projects, (919) 962-0045. May 13. Mother’s Day Skate, Hillsborough. Triangle Sportsplex, (919) 644-0339.
May18-19. 30th Annual Hillsborough Hog Day. Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce, (919) 732-8156.
TBA Greek Festival, East Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill. St. Barbara Church, (919) 484-1600.

June

June 2. Youth Fishing Rodeo, Chapel Hill. Orange County Recreation & Parks Department, (919) 245-2660.

July

July 4 Independence Day Events:

August

August 11. Bike Fest: The Rural Heritage Tour, Hillsborough. Carolina Tarwheels Bicycle Club, (919) 383-9722.

September

Music Festival, Carrboro. Carrboro Music Festival, (919) 918-7307.
Hillsborough Jazz Festival http://www.hillsboroughartscouncil.org
Celebration of the Automobile Car Show, Historic Occoneechee Orange Speedway, Hillsborough, (919) 636-0751.

October

Festifall Street Fair, Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill Parks & Recreation Department, (919) 968-2784.
Efland Ruritan Rodeo, Efland. Efland Ruritan Club, (919) 919-619-8638.
University Day, Chapel Hill. UNC Office of Special Projects, (919) 962-0045.
West End Poetry Festival, Carrboro. West End Poetry Festival, (919) 918-7364.
Hillsborough Handmade Parade, Downtown Hillsborough. Hillsborough Arts Council, (919) 643-2500. (Hopes to return in 2012)
Halloween Carnival, Carrboro. Carrboro Recreation & Parks Department, (919) 918-7364.
Homegrown Halloween, Chapel Hill. Town of Chapel Hill, (919) 968-2760.

November

Artists Open Studio Tour, Countywide (two weekends). Orange County Artists Guild, (919) 933-7880.
Jupiter Ball, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. Morehead Building, (919) 843-3474.
Carrboro Film Festival, Carrboro. Carrboro Film Festival, Carrboro Century Center.
Ladies’ Night Out in Hillsborough Downtown Merchants (919) 732-8156

December

Holiday Events:

NCHSAA Football Championships. North Carolina High School Athletic Association, (919) 962-2345.
UNC Winter Commencement, Chapel Hill. UNC Office of Special Projects, (919) 962-0045.

Burwell School (The)

Dead Mule Club (The)

Giving His Voice: The Mayor of Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Gay & Lesbian Travel in the Triangle

Tired of the old clichè gay vacation spots? Grab your partner and visit beautiful Chapel Hill. With a liberal arts college at its heart, Chapel Hill is truly a “college town”. Full of professors, students, and professionals from the nearby Research Triangle Park, it is also considered one of the most liberal towns in North Carolina and a great destination for the gay traveler. U.S. Senator Jesse Helms once suggested erecting a fence around the town instead of building a new zoo in Asheboro.


The combination of the youthful university community and the culture that comes with one of the most over-educated populations in the country provides for a visit rich with culture, clubs, southern cuisine and trees as far as the eye can see. Chapel Hill, along with the neighboring Triangle cities of Durham and Raleigh, are very gay-welcoming communities.  Chapel Hill’s gay community is as woven into the mainstream to a degree unmatched by any outside the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.





Chapel Hill is home to the oldest state university in the country, yet the area is also home to other unique “firsts.”

  • Chapel Hill was the first municipality in the state to include sexual orientation as a category under North Carolina hate crimes law.
  • The Chapel Hill town council was the first in the state to support the repeal of the North Carolina Defense of Marriage Act.
  • Chapel Hill was the first municipality in the state to elect an openly gay council member.
  • Orange County was the first county in North Carolina to elect an openly gay county commissioner.
  • Carrboro was the first community in the state to elect an openly gay mayor.
  • A Chapel Hill Presbyterian church was the first in the state to become More Light congregation.


Because of the abundant cultural attractions of Chapel Hill, the bucolic college town is the preferred place to stay for NC Pride, in Durham in late Sept, and the NC Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, in late August.
 
Here’s a sample of how gay travelers might plan their itinerary:
 
A two-day visit to Chapel Hill begins with morning coffee at the tree-draped Cafe Driade (once featured on Rachel Ray’s $40 a day).  This would be followed by shopping at A Southern Season in University Mall, a 59,000 sq.ft. Flagship gourmet emporium that is one of the largest specialty-only gourmet markets in the United States.


Next, travelers will want to drive five minutes to the centerpiece of Chapel Hill, Franklin Street, which houses a variety of restaurants, shops, theaters, clubs, and bars. Franklin Street cuts a three-mile swath through Chapel Hill and on into neighboring Carrboro, the town’s lovely sister city. Carrboro is the kind of small southern town where the past and the present seemed to have been fused into a single moment.  Many of the buildings on Main Street and Weaver Street, the two main drags, haven’t changed in half a century.  While in Carrboro, enjoy lunch and people-watching on the lawn at Weaver Street Market, followed by exploration of Carrboro’s numerous downtown galleries and shops.
 
Afternoons can be spent exploring the UNC campus with must-see visits to the Wilson Library on the campus’ main quad as well as the Ackland Art Museum.
 
Chapel Hill’s West End is a perfect place for dinner—Gay travelers might want to try a progressive dinner—a grand meal divided among four Chapel Hill restaurants that are in close proximity—start at the bar at Lantern (423 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, 969-8846, lanternrestaurant.com), which is hidden in the back of the restaurant. The bar makes specialty cocktails like the Red Geisha: fresh organic strawberries with lime, ginger and vodka. Next, walk right across the street to Tallulah (456 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, 933-1177, www.talullas.com) for small Turkish dishes like yaprak dolmasi: hand-rolled grape leaves filled with rice, spices and currant stuffing. For dessert, walk next door to Elaine’s on Franklin (454 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, 960-2770, www.elainesonfranklin.com), known near and far for its chocolate cake. And finish the evening with a glass of wine at West End Wine Bar (450 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, 967-7599, www.westendwinebar.com).




Pool players will enjoy Tyler’s Speakeasy or the Cellar’s (under the wine bar).  If you’re here on Friday check out Blend located on the 100 block of Rosemary Street.

On the second day, visitors might explore some of the natural areas surrounding the Town—walks along the Bolin Creek Greenway. The North Carolina Botanical Garden, located in the center of Chapel Hill, is the largest natural botanical garden in the southeast, with 600 acres of nature trails, carnivorous plant collections, aquatics, and herb gardens. Hikes in the Duke Forest just north of town or canoeing on University Lake are other great options to spend a weekend afternoon.

On Saturday night, the 25-minute drive to Raleigh is worth the time.  Hargett St. in Raleigh is the center of a 3 club area—Legends for the younger set, CC’s (directly across the street) for the slightly older crowd, and Flex (2 blocks up West St.) for the Leather/Levi/bear crowd.


Hotel Best Bets

For a complete list of hotels, log on to www.visitchapelhill.org.

As part of the exciting revitalization of downtown Chapel Hill, The Franklin Hotel opened in early 2007. “A jewel in the crown of Chapel Hill’s New West End,’” (Metro Magazine, October 2006), The Franklin is the first luxury boutique hotel located on Franklin Street in the heart of Chapel Hill’s historic downtown.

The Carolina Inn, a historic hotel located in downtown Chapel Hill. Historic charm, modern amenities, gracious service, and memorable food blend beautifully here, an AAA Four Diamond Award Winner & Member of Historic Hotels of America.  The Inn is conveniently located on the doorsteps of the University of North Carolina, in the heart of downtown Chapel Hill, North Carolina.


Inspired by the beauty of Italy, The Siena Hotel will captivate you with its elegance. A Four Diamond recipient since 1987, this luxury boutique hotel adds its distinctive European character to the area. Step through the doors of this elegant Tuscan villa to discover a luxurious dècor of hand-selected European antiques, Italian marble floors and majestic columns, against a backdrop of rich colors and fabrics.


For information about Orange County call the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau toll free at 1-888-968-2060.  Ask for an Official Visitors Guide or visit the bureau’s web site at visitchapelhill.org.  When you are in town, please drop by the Visitors Center at 501 W. Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill.  The hours are Monday-Friday 8:30 am – 5 pm and Saturday 10 am – 2 pm.

Find Gay Welcoming, TAG Approved® Hotels in the Area

Gay Hotels in Chapel Hill and Gay Friendly Hotels in Chapel Hill

 

Cholanad Restaurant and Bar

Orange County Agricultural Summit is February 13, 2012

The British Are Coming to Hillsborough

Orange County Increase Focus on Arts In 2012

North Carolina Comedy Festival Returns to Carrboro

Clay Centre (The)

A Stone’s Throw Gallery

Strays Art Gallery & Shipping Center

Top 12 in 2012

Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours - Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough

Triangle Food Tour—Chapel Hill and Carrboro

Food Tours Available in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough

Chapel Hill’s Martin Luther King Jr Week Activities are Jan 15-20

December 2011

Catch a Tar Heel Basketball Game During the Holidays

See Carolina Inn’s 12 Days of Christmas through December 31

Homepage Content

Restaurants Open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

Jim Watson’s Christmas Special

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with Music, Food and Fun

Welcoming back Fetch Antiques

Orange County Commissioners Issue Proclamation to Herald Sun, Publisher, Rick Bean

Tell Us Why Orange County is A Great Place to Live!

Congratulations to UNC Men’s Soccer Team

Chapel Hill Holiday Home Tour Dec 10-11

Classic “A Christmas Carol” Returns to Hillsborough

Joe Rowand Art Gallery

Seagrove Pottery at University Mall

Seagrove Pottery (Carrboro)

Downtown Chapel Hill

ELF Fair Comes to Carrboro

Hillsborough Holiday Weekend

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” comes to Chapel Hill

“Home for the Holidays” Storytellers

Holiday Events in Chapel Hill Kick Off With Tree Lighting

Holiday Home Tours in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, NC Highlight Architecture and Literary

Kidzu to Open in University Square Location

Public Invited to West Franklin Street Holiday Block Party

Orange County Holiday Events 2011

25th Annual Hillsborough Candlelight Home Tour Pays Tribute to Architect John Berry

Chapel Hill InnTown

6th Annual Carrboro Film Festival is November 20

Ladies’ Night Out in Hillsborough

Annual Car Show Comes to Hillsborough

November 2011

Welcome Tar Heels and Blue Devils for Final Home Game of 2011

Orange County Open Studio Tour

Homegrown Halloween

Welcome Tar Heels and Demon Deacons

Travel Planning for Spring 2012 Can Include this Beautiful Spring Garden Tour in Chapel Hill, NC

On-Going Exhibits and Events

Click here for on-going events Events Calendar

Fun and Games at Late Night With Roy

Welcome Tar Heels and Hurricanes

Newsletter Subscription Confirmed

You have been added to our email list. Thank you.

Holiday Happenings in Orange County, NC

Haunted Tours In October

Welcome Tar Heel and Cardinals Fans

Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau wins Two State Tourism Marketing Awards

Estate Boutique

Bread & Butter Bakery

Artizan Gifts

6th Annual West End Poetry Festival

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan

UNC Hosts Guided Walking Tours

Come to Hillsborough’s Last Fridays on September 30

Tedesco’s Pizza

Festifall 2011

Select Corporate Housing

Temporary Living Company

Chapel Hill Public Library

Carrboro Music Festival

Eno River State Park

Uniquities

Welcome UNC and UVA Fans

Free Spirit Freedom - Outdoor Cultural Affair

Welcome Football Fans

September 2011

The Thrill at Hector’s

Eno River Farmers’ Market

Second Annual Hillsborough Jazz Festival

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Chapel Hill to Host MONEY Magazine “Take Charge Live!” Event

Money Magazine’s “Take Charge Live” in Chapel Hill


Did You Know?

You can read what Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt is saying about his town in the article Giving His Voice. Click Here.

On-going exhibits and events run for long periods of time, like a month or over several months. Examples are museum, art and photography exhibits, outdoor farmers' markets and the like. We list them here because run over a multiple day, week or month period.

Sports Illustrated has called Chapel Hill the best college town in America, and for good reason: It has served the town and the University well since the latter was established in 1793.