News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC 
(Sept. 3, 2024) 

Fall in Carrboro means it is Festival Season. Save the date for the Carrboro Music Festival and the West End Poetry Festival as you take in the beautiful photos from last month's Festival Latinamericano.  Learn more about the Street Rejuvenation Project led by Public Works. The Town Council resumes regular meetings next week. Take note that Early Voting starts soon! All this and more in Carrboro This Week.

Festival Latinoamericano highlights cultural diversity of Carrboro and Orange County 

On Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024, the streets of Carrboro were packed with people for the ninth annual Fiestas en la Calle, an outdoor festival of music, arts, food and community that celebrates the Triangle’s diverse Latin American population.

The festival is a project of El Centro Hispano, the longest-serving Latino nonprofit in North Carolina, which opened in 1992 and added an office in Carrboro in 2010.

Check out the story about the festival from The Daily Tar Heel.

Carrboro brings some of Triangle's

most beloved community festivals

• Carrboro Music Festival: Sept. 28-29, 2024 
• West End Poetry Festival: Oct. 17-19, 2024 
• Carrboro Film Fest – Jan. 24-26, 2025

Carrboro is proud to continue to showcase a diversity of musicians from the Piedmont with FREE concerts at Town Commons, the Cat’s Cradle, and venues across the town with the return of the Carrboro Music Festival (opening afternoon on Saturday, Sept. 28 with Open Mic from 2 to 4 p.m. at Town Commons, with a full day of outdoor concerts on Sunday, Sept. 29); followed in October by the West End Poetry Festival (Oct. 17-19) featuring Poetry in the Round and a Community Poem Reading. 

The Carrboro Film Festival which has historically occurred in November will shift to January (Jan. 24-26, 2025) and continue offering a lineup of independent films that challenge and expand our understanding of Southern culture.

Read more details about our Fall Festivals

See the Carrboro public parking map

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 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12. The agenda will be available prior to the meeting.

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 on Legistar. 

Watch the livestream via YouTube here.

Language Access

The Town of Carrboro offers free language translation and interpretation services to residents. Information: 919-918-7391 or info@carrboronc.gov

La Ciudad de Carrboro ofrece servicios gratuitos de traducción e interpretación de idiomas a los residentes. Información: 919-918-7391 o info@carrboronc.gov

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. Learn more about the Carrboro Town Council.

Carrboro roads treated with pavement preservation technology bringing new environmental protections

You may have noticed crews working around town Aug. 26-30 as part of the Town of Carrboro’s annual street resurfacing and maintenance program. New this year is that crews are applying a special material to roadways that brings environmental benefits while extending the life of the pavement. 

When first sprayed onto roads, the material brings a yellow appearance, which will go away as the material is absorbed. The product being applied will extend the service life of roads and bring the added benefits of reducing vehicular emissions and mitigating the effects of urban heat islands.

“The goal of the product we are using is to keep the roads in great shape and reduce life cycle costs” Public Works Director Kevin Belanger said. “The added environmental benefits of this product align well with the Carrboro Comprehensive Plan goals .”

Pavement Technology Inc., the company that developed the material being used on local roads, touts its “pavement preservation technology with photo-reactive materials capable of decomposing toxic mobile-sourced pollutants and creating solar-reflective ‘cool pavements.’” The result is an integrated approach to roadway management that extends the surface life of asphalt and concrete pavements while reducing air pollution and battling urban heat, according to the company. 

The annual resurfacing program is supported through NC Department of Transportation Powell Bill funding.  This year’s resurfacing and rejuvenation contract is about $700,000 and is administered by the Public Works Department.  Later in the year, the contractor will also be conducting milling and resurfacing on other roads around town as part of the contract. 

Questions

If you have any questions related to the project, please contact Public Works Department at (919) 918-7425 or email pworks@carrboronc.gov

See the list of roads in the maintenance program.

Downtown Area Plan

Get Involved! Carrboro Downtown Area Plan kicks off this fall  

CARRBORO, NC -- The Town of Carrboro invites community input as it prepares The Downtown Area Plan. The study focuses on the Main Street, Jones Ferry Road and Greensboro corridors, as well as all of Downtown Carrboro.

Over the next 13 months, the Town will host a variety of meetings, events, and engagement opportunities that will be open to the public.

Get involved! Here’s what you can do … 

1. Check out the webpage about the project at https://engage.carrboronc.gov/
2. Subscribe to receive updates and stay involved (including a survey coming soon!)
3. What is your vision for Downtown Carrboro? Let us know - https://engage.carrboronc.gov/carrboro-downtown-area-plan
4. Save the date for a community workshop set for Thursday, Sept. 19, at Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St.

Initial outreach in the yearlong planned engagement for the Carrboro Downtown Area Plan kicked off on Sunday, Aug. 25, at the Festival Latinoamericano organized by El Centro Latino on Weaver Street in Carrboro. Thanks to everyone who dropped by to share what you love or think needs improvement in downtown Carrboro and the areas immediately adjacent.

This Downtown Area Plan is a specific implementation step identified in the Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan to help guide decisions related to:

• Public spaces
• Land use
• Downtown Infrastructure and Streetscapes
• Branding and Urban Design
• Building Appearance
• Redevelopment and Infill Opportunities

Background about the Plan 

The Downtown Area Plan is part of the implementation of the Carrboro Connects 2022-2042 Comprehensive Plan, unanimously adopted by the Town Council in June 2022.

The Downtown Area Plan is a study with the goal of creating a multi-modal friendly downtown that is inclusive and inviting for all residents.

The planning and engagement process and its recommendations will support and advance Race and Equity and Climate Action in the Town of Carrboro.

Are you ready? Carrboro Music

Festival coming up!

On Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, the Carrboro Music Festival will host 100 acts all over Carrboro, all for free. The music festival begins at 1 p.m. and runs all day. 

One of the largest free music festivals in North Carolina, the festival marks its 27th year. Established in 1998, the festival was originally held on June 21 as an official affiliate of the Fête de la Musique, which is also known as 'Make Music Day'. 

The kickoff event on Saturday, Sept. 28, is Open Mic at Town Commons, 301 W. Main St, from 2 to 4 p.m. Later in the evening Saturday, Dawn Landes and Chessa Rich will be featured at the Cat’s Cradle backroom. No tickets are required, and all shows are free! 

Get the complete list of shows at the festival website or download the festival app. DON’T MISS the hip-hop show from 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday at the Cat’s Cradle backroom! 

This year, the Carrboro Music Festival is featuring free educational workshops starting at 10:30 a.m. at Town Commons, the Century Center and other locations! These include learning about synthesizers, recording, accordions and more! (some workshops require registration and have limited availability). Register online and look under "Special Events". If you don't have an account, you will need to create one before registering.

To sign-up for a workshop, please go to carrbororec.org then click on online registration. Our workshops can be found under Special Events. 

For all other Carrboro Music Festival information please visit Carrboromusicfestival.com  You can also download the free Carrboro Music Festival App on your smartphone.

The event is a product of a coordinated effort by the Carrboro Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources Department and the Carrboro Music Festival Planning Committee.

This program is supported by the Town of Carrboro and the Carrboro Tourism Development Authority.  Generous support is also provided by the local business community.  Please visit the sponsorship page for a complete list of sponsors.

Quick links for more information:

• To see the music lineup, visit www.carrboromusicfestival.com .  A festival guide and map will be available soon, along with a sortable Excel database to search bands by name, genre, location, and time.  Any changes that occur after the Festival Guide & Map is published will be reflected on the Excel file.  
• Download the Carrboro Music Festival phone app.!  The phone app. will be a standalone app. available by searching 'Carrboro Music Festival' in your phone's app. store.  
• FREE park & ride shuttle from the Jones Ferry Road Lot. See the Festival Shuttle Map
• There will be limited public parking. Please check the parking map.

Festival Parking, Shuttles and Alternative Transportation

Each year, the festival draws a large number of attendees.  Please consider alternative modes of transportation when accessing the event.

We highly-encourage festival attendees to walk or bike to the venues if possible.  We need to be able to accommodate our performers and allow them to park in designated areas near their respective venues, so public parking may be limited in some lots.  If attending the festival by car, please utilize the FREE park & ride shuttle from the Jones Ferry Road lot.

The Town of Carrboro has partnered with Chapel Hill Transit to provide a free shuttle for festival goers.  The shuttle will run on Sunday from 12 noon to 9 p.m. from the Jones Ferry Road Park & Ride Lot, located just south of the intersection of Old Fayetteville Rd. and Jones Ferry Rd., across from the entrance to Poplar Place Apartment Homes and beside University Lake Rd.

Shuttle service will run approximately every 15-20 minutes and drop-off locations exist near most of the music venues.

Draft Short Range Transit Plan in Orange County - Provide your feedback!

News from Orange County, NC

Orange County is seeking feedback from community members on the draft Short Range Transit Plan. Take the online survey at https://orangecountysrtp.com/ any time through Sept. 11. 

The project team will be conducting popup events throughout Orange County throughout  September. These events will provide transit riders and residents with an opportunity to hear about the plan and provide input.  Events are as follows: 

• Efland Cheeks Community Center – 117 Richmond Road, Mebane, NC 
  Friday, Sept. 6 --    9:30-11:30 a.m.  
• First Fridays at Eno Arts Mill – 437 Dimmocks Mill Rd, #17, Hillsborough, NC 
  Friday, Sept. 6 --   6-9 p.m. 
• Mebane Farmer’s Market – 102 E Ruffin St, Mebane, NC 
  Saturday, Sept. 7 --   8:30 a.m. - Noon 
• Cedar Grove Community Center – 5800 NC HWY, NC-86, Hillsborough, NC 
  Tuesday, Sept. 10 --   11 a.m. - Noon 

For more information about the Short Range Transit Plan and upcoming engagement opportunities, please visit: https://orangecountysrtp.com

Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources

Monthly Events Newsletter

View the Monthly Events Newsletter and discover all of the exciting programs and special events that are coming up!  Registration for  Fall programs begins on Aug. 28 for Carrboro residents and Aug. 29 for all others. 

Check out the Monthly Newsletter.

Early Voting Begins on October 17

Orange County offers early voting to all eligible, registered Orange County voters who wish to vote early, in-person rather than voting absentee by mail or on Election Day at your assigned polling place.

Please note that the early voting location in Carrboro will be at the Carrboro Town Hall Complex at 108 Bim St. 

Previously the plan was to use the new Carrboro Library, but the opening has been delayed past the first day of early voting.

Learn more about early voting in Orange County.

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.