News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC 

(June 10, 2025) 

June is full of celebrations at Carrboro Town Commons! Bring your lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the last Freight Train Blues concert of the season on Friday, June 13.  Join us for Carrboro Orgullo Pride Celebration on Saturday, June 14.  Don't miss the Carrboro-Chapel Hill Juneteenth Celebration on Thursday, June 19.  We can't wait to celebrate with you all month!

Carrboro Orgullo Pride Celebration 

The Town of Carrboro is joining with El Centro Hispano to host the Carrboro Orgullo Pride Celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St.

There will be food trucks, dancing (of course!) and tables with resources, support and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. Enjoy food trucks, drag shows, music, and crafts for the kids.

A tradition that occurs before the festival is the Pride Piper Walk, which will start this year from El Centro Hispano, 201 W. Weaver Street. People will march together to the festival at Carrboro Town Commons. Meet at El Centro Hispano at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14. Join local officials to help roll Rainbow Ram down Weaver Street to Town Commons for the celebration. 

The Carrboro Orgullo Pride Celebration is a space to celebrate and share the diverse cultures, identities, and experiences of the local Latinx LGBTQ community. Organizers from El Centro Hispano are collaborating with the Town of Carrboro to bring an event that fosters unity, inclusivity, and empowerment by showcasing our community’s talents while providing social, healthcare, and advocacy resources, and family fun.

Check out all the Pride Month events coming up throughout Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

Final Freight Train Blues of the year to feature Gail Caesar and Lakota John Locklear

Enjoy Gail Caesar and Lakota John Locklear at this year's final Freight Train Blues Concert, Friday, June 13, 2025. The concert starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main Street. Bring your picnic, lawn chairs and blankets for a free evening of free live music on the lawn. Beer and food will be available for purchase at the events. 

The series is a collaboration among Music Maker Foundation; the Town of Carrboro, WUNC 91.5 FM, and The Forests at Duke.

Come out and enjoy the BIPOC Pop-Up Shop that will be taking place during the concert! 

Public parking  is available and free in downtown Carrboro. 

Learn more about the  2025 Freight Train Blues Concert Series.

Carrboro and Chapel Hill

to Celebrate Juneteenth

The Chapel Hill -Carrboro Juneteenth Festival will be held on Thursday, June 19 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St. 

Hosted by the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill, along with numerous community partners, the Juneteenth festival celebrates Black culture and community with music, art, food, and history.  Learn more about  parking for the event.

Juneteenth is the oldest national commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. Learn more about Juneteenth in Carrboro.

Black artisans and Black-owned businesses will offer everything from handmade jewelry and figurines, healthcare and other services. Black-owned food trucks and businesses will provide a variety of food and drink. Featured will be a Kids Zone, music and dance, a puppet show and the Bouncing Bulldogs. Exhibits will feature local Black history and culture.

Join the 2nd Friday Art Walk on June 13

Join the 2nd Friday Art Walk around downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill on Friday, June 13.

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 the Drakeford Library Complex are open from 6 to 8 p.m. 

Participating  venues and their exhibitions

Town Council Update

The Town Council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 17.  

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.

• The agenda for this meeting is available  online
• Watch the meeting live on  YouTube . 

Past Meeting Recap 

The Carrboro Town Council met on Tuesday, June 3, and took the following actions:

• Heard proclamations for Juneteenth, Pride Month, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Pollinator Week and Small Cities Month.
• Scheduled a Quasi-Judicial Public Hearing for a Special Use Permit-A (SUP-A) at 400 North Greensboro Street for June 17, 2025
• Issued a Street Closing Permit for the Fiestas en la Calle
• Made appointments to Selected Boards/Commissions

• Adopted the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget for FY 2026 

Watch the livestream on YouTube.

Learn more by reading the full Town Council Update .

Notice of Public Hearing: Carrboro Tourism Development Authority Budget

The Carrboro Tourism Development Authority (CTDA) will hold a public hearing on Monday, June 16, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. via Zoom to receive comments on the CTDA Board's recommended budget for 2025-2026.

The budget document may be viewed on the Economic Development page of the Town of Carrboro website . Comments may be emailed to EconDev@carrboronc.gov or presented at the public hearing on June 16.

• Review the CTDA FY 2025-26 budget: budget
• Visit the Town Calendar to find the zoom link

Carrboro observes Small Cities Month

Mayor Barbara Foushee proclaims June 2025 as Small Cities Month, and encourages the federal government, Congress, state governments, organizations, businesses, and all residents to recognize this event, and to work together this month and throughout the year to invest in small cities and towns to better the lives of all residents.

Small cities and towns strive to strengthen their communities through the provision of services and programs to improve the quality of life for all residents. 

Read the full Small Cities Proclamation 

Apply today for Camp Ignite

We are less than a week away from Camp Ignite Chapel Hill, but there is still time to apply!

If you are a female Orange County student who is looking for an unforgettable experience and wants to spend a week doing exciting, hands-on firefighting activities, sign up online for our FREE camp.

Camp  Ignite runs June 16-19, 2025 with support from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Chapel Hill Fire Department and Carrboro Fire-Rescue.

OWASA announces public hearing on 
proposed budget and rate increase 

OWASA’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget includes critical investments in our community’s infrastructure, including: 

• A treatment facility to reduce PFAS compounds in drinking water 
• A new clearwell to ensure complete disinfection of the community’s drinking water 

Members of the public can attend the hearing in person or observe online. Please submit written comments to the Clerk to the Board at mjohnson@owasa.org.  

Celebrate Pollinator Week in Carrboro

Mayor Barbara Foushee has proclaimed June 16-22, 2025, to be Pollinator Week in Carrboro.

The Town of Carrboro recognizes that human health ultimately depends on well-functioning, biodiverse ecosystems. Pollination provides significant environmental benefits and plays a vital role for trees and plants, producing much of our food supply, creating recreational and economic development opportunities and enhancing our quality of life.

Bees and other pollinators around the globe have experienced dramatic declines due to a combination of habitat loss, use of pesticides and the spread of pests and diseases, with grave implications for the health of flora and fauna.

In October 2014, the Town of Carrboro became the third municipality in the nation to be recognized as a Bee City USA. 

Mayor Foushee also signed the 2025 National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ monarch Pledge, committing the town to take meaningful action to protect the monarch butterfly. A goal of these initiatives is to promote healthy, sustainable habitats for bees, monarchs and other pollinators.

The Town has worked to create pollinator habitats by installing native bee nest boxes, establishing a pollinator garden, and planting pollinator-friendly vegetation to restore a riparian buffer.

Celebrate Pollinator Week:

• Enjoy a fun pollinator activity at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market on Wednesday, June 18, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St.
• Watch a pollinator movie screening on Sunday, June 22, at 3 p.m. at the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St.
• Read the full  Pollinator Week Proclamation

Check out our Monthly Events Newsletter to discover all the exciting programs and special events that are coming up!  

Please note that our Summer Brochure will be released in mid-April. Registration for our Summer programs begins on May 7 for Carrboro residents, and May 8 for all others. 

2025 Summer Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Program Guide 

The Carrboro Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources Department’s Summer program brochure is now available! This includes registration for 2025 Fall athletic leagues and 2025 summer camps.

Registration for Carrboro Residents begins on Wednesday, May 7 at 8:30 a.m. and registration for all other participants begins on Thursday, May 8.

Learn more about the Program Guide and How to Register.

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 11 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.