A guide to local festivals, from Strawberry Jamboree to Día de los Muertos
A Carrboro crowd listening to music during a previous Carrboro music festival. Photo courtesy of Scott Scala.
As a Tar Heel, there is no shortage of activity around UNC’s campus. There is always a game, performance, lecture or special event to attend.
Because of the constant buzz around campus, it’s easy to stay inside the UNC bubble. But if you step outside that bubble and venture to the areas beyond campus, you can find countless free, community-centered events that demonstrate Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s charm.
Carrboro Music Festival
Initially started as an extension of France’s Fête de la Musique, the Carrboro Music Festivaltakes place every fall with local bands performing at various locations across Carrboro and Chapel Hill.
Elizabeth Boisson, the founder of the festival, took inspiration from France’s annual summer solstice celebration to first launch what would become the Carrboro Music Festival in 1998.
Carrboro is unique for its eclectic music scene, Boisson said.
This year, the festival will take place on Sunday, September 28. Recent festivals have featured more than 100 bands across a variety of stages at local restaurants and venues, includingCat’s Cradle, Weaver Street Market and Lanza's Cafe.
“Everybody’s just laughing and smiling, because no matter where you’re walking, you’re hearing music,” Jackie Helvey, who works on the festival selection committee, said.
Boom Unit Brass Band performs at the Carrboro Town Commons during the Carrboro Music Festival in Carrboro, N.C. on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024.
Festifall Arts Market
Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture hosts community events every fall at the plaza on 140 W. Franklin St. Each day of the event features a unique theme, bringing together local artists, musicians and vendors.
The 2024 event featured a Carolina Day that celebrated all things North Carolina, as well as a Día de los Muertos celebration highlighting Chapel Hill’s Latino community.
The event will span two days in October later this year.
Artists perform during the Ballet Folklorico Mexican Tradition of Julio Ruiz at the Festifall Arts Market celebrating Día de los Muertos in Chapel Hill on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2024.
Carrboro Film Fest
The Carrboro Film Fest is an annual event that will take place January 23-25, 2026,at the Drakeford Library Complex. Attendees can watch a variety of shorts and feature films.
“It’s a welcoming home for arts and arts lovers,” Bryan Reklis, the director of the festival, said.
The weekendlong event celebrates and interrogates Southern culture through film, Reklis said. The film festival was founded by Helvey before its current leadership by Reklis.
Anyone can submit a Southern film to be considered, as long as at least one cast or crew member of the film is Southern.
The 14th annual Carrboro Film Fest serves as a good platform for people in the UNC community to show their filmmaking skills. Photo courtesy of Alex Boerner.
Northside Festival
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Every year, the Marian Cheek Jackson Center hosts the Northside Festival to highlight the presence of the historically Black neighborhood in Chapel Hill. The festival typically takes place on the last Saturday in April, right before the end of the spring semester.
The festival is open to everyone, regardless of if they are a Northside resident. Community members can eat at a potluck, play games and listen to the talents of local performers. There are also a variety of opportunities to volunteer with setup and operations.
Attendees dance in the street at the Northside Festival on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Photo courtesy of Ella Gray Blair.
Strawberry Jamboree
Every Wednesday and Saturday from April through October, community members can stop by the Carrboro Farmers' Market at the Carrboro Town Commons to check out local vendors.
The Carrboro Farmers’ Market also hosts the annual Strawberry Jamboree, a festival celebration of strawberry season. The Strawberry Jamboree takes place in early May, kicking off the strawberry season with live music and free activities that highlight North Carolina’s strawberry harvest.
“It’s just a wonderful place for community,” Maggie Funkhouser, the market manager for the Carrboro Farmers' Market, said. “It’s a place where you can meet up with your friends, where you can walk around, you can listen to some music, you can buy some strawberries or coffee or a loaf of bread.”
Strawberry Jamboree is designed to celebrate local strawberry farmers who sell their harvest at the Carrboro Farmers' Market.
Strawberries wait to be bought at Jean's Neighborhood Market in Apex. As the weather warms, berry picking in the Chapel Hill area becomes a popular activity.
Whether it's searching for the new music at the Carrboro Music Festival or celebrating the history of Northside, there is a plethora of local activities always available to take part in.