Whether it’s the arts, music, food, beer, ice cream, animals, outdoor movies or fireworks, there are plenty of amazing Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough festivals and events to check out this summer. Here are 12 fun summer events and festivals not to be missed in 2025.
Southern Village on the Green events include Sunday & Thursday Night Live Music, Summer Movies on the Green ( Saturdays through September 13) at $6.25 person beginning at 8:45 pm) and other special events. Make sure you Wine Down Wednesdays at La Vita Dolce. Follow along the SV event calendar.
Movies on the Southern Village Lawn
Head to Steel String's Pluck Farm for the Midsummer Celebration on June 21. The holiday is a celebration of the summer solstice, marking the longest day of the year and the onset of summer. Make flower crowns, listen to Nordic music, face paint, make your own crafts, play lawn games, pick books for summer reading, food and more from 12 pm - 9 pm.
Midsummer Celebration at Pluck Farm (Steelstring Brewery Website)
Last Fridays & Art Walks in Hillsborough this summer are June 27, July 25 and August 29. See the Makers Markets with art, live music, art making activities, face painting, roaming poets and 20+ Art galleries and venues open. Live on the Lawn comes to the Margaret Street side of the Old Courthouse lawn. Don't miss the Living arts collective with drumming and dance. Hang out in in the River Park or stroll the Riverwalk trail. Activities run 6 pm – 9 pm.
Last Friday in Hillsborough by Steven Paul Whitsitt
Happy Independence Day at Carrboro’s 4th of July Celebration with costume contests, bike decorating, People’s Parade, Frederick Douglass essay reading, and afternoon of music, food, games and more. Events run 9:30 am – 4 pm. Old Fashioned Fourth of July is on the lawn of Horace Williams House at 610 E. Rosemary Street from 1 pm - 3 pm. Enjoy music by the Village Band, ice cream, lemonade and flags while supply lasts. Bring your blankets and chairs to see the Town of Chapel Hill’s Fireworks at Southern Village Community Park. Event opens at 7 pm with fireworks at 9:20 pm. Attendees are encouraged to bring picnic supplies. Coolers, blankets, and chairs are allowed on the shuttles from the Jackson Deck to Southern Community Park. Please bring water, as it is not provided at the event.
Fireworks at Southern Village by Town of Chapel Hill
Watermelon Festival at Chapel Hill's Spring Haven Farm is July 4-6 each day from 10 am – 6 pm. Tickets are $14.95 and must be purchased online in advance. Sip on the sweetest watermelon drinks, eat fresh watermelon and hang with with farm animals. Play on the new playground and take a tractor ride. Food trucks also onsite. Come spend the weekend and raise a glass to summertime.
Summer would not be summer without tomatoes. The Carrboro Farmers’ Market celebrates all things tomato on Tomato Day 2025 on Saturday, July 12. Shoppers can enjoy freshly-sliced tomato samples, live music, tomato recipes, and a raffle with prizes from local businesses. CFM farmers grow over 70 varieties of tomatoes. The market opens at 7 am and the event starts at 8:30 am and will run until noon.
Tomatoes at the Carrboro Farmers' Market by Visit Chapel Hill
10th Annual Blueberry Fest at Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm is July 12 from 10 am - 4 pm. The day is filled with locally produced fresh donuts, cookies, and desserts, wood-fired pizza, local cheese and charcuterie, blueberry lemonade, face painting, live music, wine and cider flights, local craft beer, frozen adult drinks and of course u-pick blueberries. $5 per person.
National Ice Cream Day is July 20. Head to Maple View Farm for a delicious cool treat.
From August 1–23, visitors will experience the transformative power of public art created by 60 artists and artist-teams from throughout the Southeast during the biennial Uproar Festival of Public Art. Wander as you will through downtown areas of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough and university spaces, you’ll encounter awe-inspiring sculptures, immersive installations, and more. There will be a juried winner and a public winner, so vote for your favorite. The outdoor art locations are easy to navigate, and audio descriptions are available for individuals with low vision. On Saturdays August 2, 9, 16, ride an air conditioned trolley in Chapel Hill and Carrboro from Noon - 8 pm, leaving from the Chapel Hill/Orange County Welcome Center at 308 W. Franklin Street.
Jury award winner from 2023 Uproar is Davis Erickson by Steve Murray
From August 8–September 28 enjoy the 25th Annual Forest Theatre Summer Giant Puppet Show with the theme The Gift by Paperhand Puppet Intervention. Honor the rare gift that is life on Earth as you experience the magic of giant puppets, masks, stilts, painted cardboard and cloth, illuminated puppets and shadows all set to original live music in a performance for all ages. Shows Fri-Sun and Labor Day at the Forest Theatre on the UNC Campus. Matinee shows are on Sunday, September 14, 21 and 28.. Tickets range from $15 - $25. (Photo at the top of blog is a past Puppet Show at the Forest Theatre by Milada Vachudora)
Kick back and kick off the weekend as summer winds down and fall is near in Chapel Hill with The Carolina Inn’s Fridays on the Front Porch. August 22 - October 24, you can enjoy food, beer, wine and music on The Inn’s expansive lawn from 5 pm – 8 pm.
The popular Hog Day returns to the River Park in downtown Hillsborough, 114 E. Margaret Lane, September 12-13- On Friday 6 pm – 10 pm and Saturday 10 am – 6 pm, enjoy live music, local handmade crafts and gifts; local food vendors, classic car show, children’s area, 5K Run, Pigs on Parade Art Project, the BBQ cookoff contest with lots of BBQ to enjoy.
Kids games at Hillsborough Hog Day by SP Murray
