Cultural & Recreational Events
Ackland and Hanes Art Museums – exhibitions of works by faculty and students can be found at the Hanes Museum, while the Ackland Museum features a diverse collection that spans the ages from ancient Rome and Greece to the present. Located at 101 South Columbia Street, Chapel Hill. (919) 966-5736, https://ackland.org
American Dance Festival – revered as one of the world's greatest dance festivals by the New York Post. The annual 6-week performance season in Durham is a premier event in the Triangle and in the world. All prominent modern dance figures and companies are at some time associated with this festival. (919) 684-6402, https://americandancefestival.org/
ArtsCenter (for performing and visual arts) – founded in 1974, The Arts Center of Carrboro is a 21,000 square foot cultural arts center. A wide range of classes, concerts and programs are offered in the Center's 300-seat theater, 6 classrooms, several studios, and gallery. Locate at 300-G East Main Street, Carrboro. General information (919) 929-2787, Box Office (919) 929-2787, https://artscenterlive.org
Cane Creek Reservoir – 540 acres in size with 3 billion gallons of water storage and 31 square miles of watershed. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6:30AM to 6PM and on Sundays from 1PM to 6PM. Offering picnicking, boating and fishing. Located off Highway 54 West, 10 miles west of Carrboro. Tours of the lake are available on a pontoon boat by calling Orange Water & Sewer Authority at (919) 968-4421, Ext. 275. For other information, call the Warden's Office at (919) 942-5790.
The Carolina Theatre – lovingly restored 1926 performance hall presenting jazz musicians, dance ensembles, comedians, animal acts and more. Located at 309 West Morgan Street, Durham. (919) 560-3030, https://carolinatheatre.org
Carrboro Farmers' Market – regarded as one of the finest local markets in the country. Open Saturday mornings year-round from 7AM to Noon, and Wednesday afternoons from 3:00PM to 6:00PM, from late April through mid-November. Located on Laurel Avenue, next to Carrboro Town Hall. (919) 280-3326, https://www.carrborofarmersmarket.com
Carrboro Branch Library – located in McDougle Middle School at 900 Old Fayetteville Road. (919) 969-3006
Carrboro Senior Center– located at 300 East Main Street, Carrboro. (919) 968-2075
Chapel Hill Farmers’ Market – located at 201 S. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill (University Place).
Open Saturdays 8:00AM to Noon and Tuesdays 3:00PM to 6:00 PM. (919)-533-9496.
Chapel Hill Public Library - located at 100 Library Drive. (919) 968-2777, https://chapelhillpubliclibrary.org
Chapel Hill Senior Center – located at 2551 Homestead Road. (919) 968-2070
Collegiate Sports – in this area, sports command a high level of interest. UNC, Duke and NC State have all produced national champions in the NCAA. UNC's basketball team (the "Tar Heels") play in the Dean E. Smith Center, known by everyone as "The Dean Dome." UNC Football at Kenan Stadium provides an exciting way to spend a beautiful fall afternoon under Carolina blue skies. Duke (Wallace Wade Stadium), and NC State (Carter-Finley Stadium) also have state-of-the-art facilities. More than just basketball and football, UNC holds NCAA Championship titles in Men's Lacrosse and Women's Soccer. The Universities have also produced nationally ranked field hockey, volleyball, golf, tennis, baseball, swimming and wrestling teams.
Cybrary – located Carrboro Century Center, 100 North Greensboro Street. (919) 918-7387, https://carrboro.com/index.shtml
Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts – Home to the Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Symphony,
North Carolina Theatre and Broadway Series South. Four world-class performance venues: Memorial Auditorium,
Meymandi Concert Hall, A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater and the K.D. Kennedy Theater (919) 831-6011
https://www.martinmariettacenter.com/
Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) – with over 150 events a year, there's something for everyone. From rising new artists to superstars from around the world, DPAC sets the stage for both contemporary and legendary Broadway shows, concerts, comedy, and family shows. Located in The American Tobacco District of Durham at 123 Vivian Street. (919) 688-3722, https://www.dpacnc.com
Eno River Farm – Family-owned farm offering pick your own, wholesale, produce stand, and homemade ice cream March-December. Seasonal activities for the family from early September-December. (919) 245-8775, https://enoriverfarms.com
Eno River State Park – located at 6101 Cole Mill Road, Durham. (919) 383-1686
FestiFall Street Fairs in Downtown Chapel Hill – scheduled each year in the Fall.
FRANK Gallery - Founded in 2010, FRANK is both a fine art gallery representing the best of the local artists, as well as a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the community through the arts. Located at 201 S. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill. (919) 636-4135 https://www.frankisart.com
Hog Day in Hillsborough – held annually in September. https://www.hogday.org
Horace Williams House – maintained by the Chapel Hill Preservation Society as a cultural center and art exhibition space. Recitals by vocal and instrumental soloists and by chamber music ensembles occur as part of its yearly programs. Most concerts are free. Located at 610 East Rosemary Street. (919) 942-7818
Jordan Lake – 47,000-acre lake located near Chapel Hill and Durham offering water-loving residents a great place to visit. In addition to providing flood control, water supply and fish conservation, the lake is open to the public for swimming, sailing, boating, skiing, and wind surfing. Camping, hiking, bird watching, fishing, and picnicking can be enjoyed all around the lake. (919) 362-0586
Kenan Football Center Hall of Honors (UNC) – features the Heavner Theater for football archives, display cases of historical artifacts, interactive kiosks, video presentations and vintage photographs. Located in Kenan Stadium, Stadium Drive. (919) 966-2575
Kidzu Children's Museum – offers a hands-on learning environment for young children up to age 8, with interactive exhibits, weekly programs and other special events. Located at 201 South Estes Drive (University Mall), Chapel Hill. (919) 933-1455, https://www.kidzuchildrensmuseum.org
Koka Booth Amphitheatre - Hosts over 60 events between April and October. Located among 14 acres of hardwoods and pines right next to a lake. Can seat up to 7,000. Home to the North Carolina Symphony, Summerfest and Wake Med Movies by Moonlight. Located at 8003 Regency Parkway in Cary. (800) 514-3849
Morehead Planetarium – home to one of only 10 Zeiss star projectors for indoor astronomy, the Planetarium offers scientific programs and exhibits, and an art gallery. Located at 250 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill. (919) 962-1236; recorded show information (919) 549-6863, https://moreheadplanetarium.org
Museum of Life and Science – one of the nation's top children's museums featuring hands-on exhibits, a butterfly house, a railroad train (Ellerbee Creek RR), year round science classes for children and adults, as well as educational and entertaining programs focusing on natural and physical sciences and technology. Located at 433 West Murray Avenue in Durham. (919) 220-5429, https://www.lifeandscience.org/
North Carolina Arts and Crafts Gallery– displays of various arts and crafts. Located at 212 West Main Street, Carrboro. (919) 942-4048, https://www.nccraftsgallery.com
North Carolina Botanical Gardens and Coker Arboretum – the largest natural botanical gardens in the Southeast, featuring 3 miles of woodland trails and 367 acres of varied habitat dedicated to the research and conversation of indigenous plants. The Arboretum's 5-acre garden contains more than 500 species of plants, a 300-foot native vine arbor and a stone gathering circle. Located on Old Mason Farm Road (North Carolina Botanical Gardens) and East Cameron Avenue (Coker Arboretum). (919) 962-0522, https://ncbg.unc.edu/
North Carolina Museum of Art – located in Raleigh, its collections are highly respected and generally recognized as the best in the southeast. (919) 839-6262, https://ncartmuseum.org/
North Carolina Museum of History – located in Raleigh, the museum features permanent exhibits such as the Civil War exhibit and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, as well as various rotating exhibits. (919) 807-7900, https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org
Museum of Natural Sciences – located in Raleigh, the museum highlights the environment of North Carolina. The marine mammal exhibit is considered one of the finest in the country and includes two massive full-sized whale skeletons. It also houses a Discovery Room with touchable nature-study specimens. (877) 462-8724, https://naturalsciences.org
North Carolina State University Arboretum – located in Raleigh, the arboretum has something in bloom every day of the year. The 6,000 varieties of plants on this site are representative of 45 countries. The 8-acre site features a Victorian gazebo, a Japanese garden, and a French paraterre. The 300-foot long perennial border is a nationally noted landmark. (919) 515-7641, https://jcra.ncsu.edu/
North Carolina Symphony – a major national symphony, which is highly respected as one the nation's leading regional orchestras. The Symphony has played to rave reviews at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. International celebrities are frequent concert performers. (919) 733-2750, https://www.ncsymphony.org
Orange County Historical Museum – located at 201 North Churton Street in Hillsborough. (919) 732-2201, https://www.orangehistorync.org/
Orange County Public Library – 137 W. Margaret Lane, Hillsborough. (919) 245-2525, www.orangecountync.gov/3009/Library
Parks & Recreation Departments – offering a variety of recreation areas and a wealth of recreation opportunities. From organized sports leagues (baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, etc.) to classes in pottery, dance, swimming, aerobics, basketry, magic, balloon art, tennis, creative dance, drawing, painting, music, art, scuba instruction, water exercises, gardening, basic canoeing, basic climbing, tai chi, jazzercise, film making, ceramics, ... the list goes on. Chapel Hill - (919) 968-2784, Carrboro - (919) 918-7364, Orange County - (919) 245-2660, Durham - (919) 560-4355
PlayMakers Repertory Company/Paul Green Theatre– North Carolina's only year-round professional resident theatre prides itself on preserving the classics as well as performing modern works. (919) 962-PLAY, https://playmakersrep.org
Professional Sports – Raleigh is home to the professional hockey team, The Carolina Hurricanes….919-834-4000
Zebulon is home to the AA baseball team, The Carolina Mudcats…………......…919-269-CATS
Durham is home to the AA baseball team, The Durham Bulls…………..…........…919-687-6500
Charlotte is home to the professional football team,
The Carolina Panthers...704-358-7800
and the professional basketball team,
The Charlotte Hornets..........................704-467-6387
as well as the
Charlotte Motor Speedway, home to NASCAR races.
Sarah P. Duke Gardens – bordered by 35 acres of pine forest. The formal garden lies in a valley on Duke University's West Campus where, in the spring, you will find 20 acres of blooming flowers in terraced gardens. The center of the formal garden is a lily pond with a wisteria-covered pergola, the perfect setting for a garden wedding. Less formal plantings are found in the forest trails. This group of plants makes up one of the largest collections of southeastern natural plants in the United States. (919) 684-3698, https://gardens.duke.edu
Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre – located in Southern Alamance County, 15-miles south of Burlington, North Carolina, it provides outdoor drama entertainment during the summer months. Evening shows include such favorites as The Sword of Peace and Pathway to Freedom. Children's theatre productions are also offered on Saturday mornings during the summer. The stage props are replicas of the 18th century Cane Creek Meeting House and the Simon Dixon Grist Mill. All seats are General Admission; tickets may be reserved but not for specific seats. Tickets may also be purchased at the box office. (336) 376-6948 or https://studio1online.org/snow-camp-outdoor-theatre/
Triangle SportsPlex –Year-round ice skating, aquatic center, fitness center, meeting room, game room, massage and tanning. Located at 101 Meadowlands Drive, Hillsborough. (919) 644-0339, https://www.oc-sportsplex.com/
University Lake – built by UNC-Chapel Hill in 1932 and operated by the Orange Water & Sewer Authority, the 213-acre lake serves both as a drinking water source and a favorite outdoor recreation spot for Chapel Hill-Carrboro residents. The UNC rowing teams still use the reservoir as their primary practice site. Picnicking, fishing, sunbathing, paddle boats, canoes, rowboats and trailing motors available to rent. Because it is a drinking water source, swimming and gasoline-powered boat motors are not allowed in the lake. Visitors may, however, bring non-trailered boats (such as canoes and kayaks) and their own electric motors as long as they pass the lake warden's inspection prior to launch. N.C. fishing laws apply. Days and hours of operation are seasonal and vary from year to year. Contact the Warden's office at (919) 942-8007.
University Libraries – (919) 962-1301, https://library.unc.edu/.
Walnut Creek Amphitheater – contemporary concerts featuring everything from rock, alternative, pop, country, jazz, classical, gospel and rhythm and blues. Located at 3801 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh, (919) 831-6400.