News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC 
(May 7, 2024) 

May is the month of sunshine and flowers -- and the buzz of cicadas! Carrboro is also buzzing with spring events as Freight Train Blues continues this Friday with a free concert at Town Commons. We're calling all emerging young artists who are residents of Orange County to apply for a summer arts apprenticeship! Bike Month events are in high gear.  Save the dates for the Carrboro Bike Breakfast on May 14 and the Community Bike Ride with Mayor Barbara Foushee on  May 17!  Have a wonderful weekend celebrating Mother's Day with all the beautiful Moms out there, and the women who are mentors and mother figures to someone special. 

May is Bike Month in Carrboro:

Take delight in every ride!

Mayor Barbara Foushee has declared May to be Bike Month in Carrboro, encouraging residents to add biking to their transportation routines; to become advocates for biking, bicycle infrastructure, and bicycle-friendly laws and policies; and to take delight in every ride.

Biking is an easy way for people to reduce their carbon footprint and advance the Town’s climate action goals by avoiding the use of single-occupancy vehicles and reducing reliance on non-renewable resources for transportation. 

National Bike Month is also an opportunity to experience the joys and health benefits of biking, to get outside during the spring season, and to see and experience the community at a different scale and pace.

Did you know? Carrboro became the first community in North Carolina to be designated a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.

Check out all the events planned for Bike Month, including: 

• Bike & Roll to School Day - Wednesday, May 8, before and after school
• Bike on Bus Workshop at the Carrboro Farmers' Market – Saturday, May 11 from 9 a.m. to noon at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St. 
• Carrboro Bike Breakfast – Tuesday, May 14 from 7 to 10 a.m. at Libba Cotten Bikeway 
• Community Bike Ride with Mayor Foushee starting at 8 a.m. Friday, May 17 from Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St.  

More information:

• Find more bike events.
• Read the Mayor's Bike Month Proclamation.

Freight Train Blues to feature Gail Ceasar, Javier Montano and Lakota John Locklear

The upcoming  concert of the Music Maker Foundation’s Freight Train Blues series is set for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 10, at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main Street. 

The concert will feature Gail Ceasar, whose music has roots that run deep in Virginia soil. Taught the blues by her uncle, Pete Witcher, Gail’s Piedmont style is “reminiscent of Etta Baker and Elizabeth Cotten” (Bluegrass Situation). 

Also playing is Javier Montano, a young singer/songwriter, born and raised in North Carolina with Mexican roots (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon and Chiapas Mexico). 

Lakota John, a living representation of the musical cultures of southeastern North Carolina, is featured in the lineup. He is a member of the Lumbee Tribe who combines the blues with the indigenous music of his ancestors.

The Town of Carrboro proudly presents the Music Maker Foundation’s Freight Train Blues series of live concerts every Friday evening between May 3 and June 21, 2024, at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main Street. Concerts start at 6:30 p.m.  The series is a collaboration among  Music Maker Foundation; the Town of Carrboro; WUNC 91.5 FM; and The Forests at Duke. Funding for this year’s series was also provided by Spark the Arts.

Bring your picnic, lawn chairs and blankets for a free evening of live music on the lawn. Beer and food will be available for purchase at the events. 

Find more about free public parking available in downtown Carrboro.

Check out the full line up and learn more about Music Maker Foundation and Freight Train Blues.

Carrboro Town Council Update

Meeting agendas and updates are issued from the Town Clerk’s Office. To receive these by email or text, sign up for Carrboro Town News.

Civic involvement is a valued tradition in our community. Reach the Town Council with your ideas, views, and questions at Council@carrboronc.gov

Coming Up

The Carrboro Town Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 7.  The agenda will be available on Legistar.

The Town Council meets at Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or can view the livestream YouTube.com/CarrboroNC  OR at on Legistar.

Recap of Past Meeting  

The Council met on Tuesday, April 23, and took the following actions on the agenda.

• Authorized the Town Manager to execute a Supplemental Agreement with NCDOT and adopted a new capital project ordinance for Morgan Creek Greenway Phase 1 (EL-4828A) to reflect additional funding and update the project milestones.
• Set a public hearing on text amendments to the Land Use Ordinance relating to water quality buffers, road buffers, fences, and setback variances for June 4.
• Authorized the Town Manager to issue a Business Revolving Loan Program loan of $32,000 plus closing costs to Heather Swanson.
• Amended the Town Code to increase the civil penalty of parking in a handicapped parking space without the appropriate tag or identification from $50 to $250.
• Authorized the Town Manager to execute a Supplemental Agreement with NCDOT and to adopt a new capital project ordinance for the South Greensboro Street Sidewalk Project (C-5650) to expand the project scope, reflect additional funding and update the project milestones.
• Held a public hearing on Land Use Ordinance Text Amendments to the Land Use Ordinance to add a new restaurant use for neighborhood cafes and to allow additional residential density in certain zoning districts. 
• Approved the reallocation of funds within the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) fund for two proposals from affordable housing nonprofit providers, maintenance and repair of recreation facilities and bolster the program providing financial assistance to qualified Carrboro residents.
• Awarded American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) Funds for affordable housing projects from EmPOWERment ($600,000 to contribute to the acquisition and upgrade of the 10 affordable homes) and Habitat for Humanity of Orange County ($1 million to assist in phase one of the 75 affordable homes planned on Rogers Road). 
•  Approved a Special Use Permit-A Extension Request for an extension for a Special Use Permit-A for Veridia Architecturally Integrated Subdivision at 810 Old Fayetteville Road.

Watch the livestream of the meeting.

Council Meeting Schedule 

 View the 2024 Council Calendar.

Town Council 

The Town Council, which is the legislative and policy-making body for Carrboro, comprises Mayor Barbara Foushee, Mayor Pro Tempore Danny Nowell, Council Member Catherine Fray, Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, Council Member Jason Merrill, and Council Member Eliazar Posada. More information is available on the Council webpage.

Join the 2nd Friday Art Walk on May 10

The 2nd Friday Art Walk around downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill returns on Friday, May 10.

Rain or shine, Downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill will showcase The Carrboro-Chapel Hill 2nd Friday Art Walk. 

Explore art galleries, artist studios, shops and restaurants. There will also be live music, performances, spoken word poetry and more. Venues are generally open late afternoon and evening hours. Exhibits at Carrboro Town Hall and Carrboro Century Center are open from 6 to 8 p.m. 

Learn more about the participating venues and their exhibitions.

Do you use the Baldwin Park Playground?

We want your input!

The Town of Carrboro Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources Department is planning to replace the playground area amenities at Baldwin Park, 400 Broad St.

Take a survey and tell us how you use the park: 

• Survey In English
• Encuesta En Español

Want to give your feedback in person? 

Drop by Baldwin Park anytime between 4:30 and 6 p.m. Thursday, May 16, 2024. At our Public Input in the Park event, there will be refreshments, kids activities, and friendly staff in attendance.

For more information, email info@carrboronc.gov .

Traffic Alert - Roberson Street from Maple Avenue to S. Greensboro Street closed evenings

Roberson Street from Maple Avenue to S. Greensboro Street will be closed in the evenings through about mid-May during utility work. The temporary closures will take place in the evenings from 6 p.m. until about 3 a.m. Monday to Friday. Roberson Street will reopen every evening at 3 a.m. and remain open to traffic during the day. 

The utility work underway is associated with The 203 Project, the new library and civic building under construction at 203 S. Greensboro St. 

2024 Carrboro Pride Vendor Application Open

Carrboro is planning for its Pride Dance Party to be held from 5 to 8 PM Friday, June 28, at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St.

Join us for food, dance, and frolicking on the lawn. This is a free, family-friendly, festival celebrating all that unites us and makes us unique.

If you’re interested in participating as a vendor or by setting up an information or resources table, fill out the application form.

Please Note: Selections for tablers will prioritize groups, organizations or businesses providing support and resources for our LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual) community.

2024 Carrboro Music Festival

Performer Application Now Open

The Town of Carrboro is now accepting online applications for the 2024 Carrboro Music Festival. The application deadline for submissions is May 31, 2024. 

The Carrboro Music Festival is a celebration of local musicians throughout Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Orange County.  The festival also includes performers from surrounding counties located between the Triangle and Triad regions of the state. 

For more information, visit: www.carrboromusicfestival.com

Apply to be a performer at the 2024 Carrboro Music Festival.

Save the Date: Manchester City and Celtic FC To Meet In Kenan Stadium July 23

Fans from all over the country and the world are coming to town to watch a soccer game on July 23, 2024. 

English soccer champions Manchester City and Scottish side Celtic FC will play an exhibition match in Chapel Hill as part of the FC Series. It’s the second straight summer Kenan Stadium will host the FC Series after Chelsea and Wrexham played there in 2023. 

In addition to the excitement at Kenan, the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro are planning a week of activities downtown including photos with mascots, pop up tee-shirt sales, and local tailgating opportunities. 

Read more about the July 23 soccer match.

Public parking available in downtown Carrboro

It’s easy to find free two-hour public parking in Carrboro, where you can access convenient parking at 10 public lots all over town.

Please remember that the Carr Mill Mall parking area is for mall customers and is not a public parking lot. Leaving the mall premises after parking risks towing. When in doubt, always park in public lots, and enjoy a hassle-free and relaxed shopping and dining experience.

Find more information including an interactive parking map on our Downtown Parking webpage.