Visit Hillsborough, NC

Historic Hillsborough Guided Tours
2025-03-08 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-03-15 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-03-22 10:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | Hillsborough Visitors Center, 150 E King Street, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Experience American history through the unique perspective of one of North Carolina’s oldest and most historically significant towns, with a guided walking tour of downtown Hillsborough. Established in 1754 as the seat of government for Orange County, Hillsborough’s colonial legacy and signs of its importance in North Carolina and American history can be seen everywhere.
The tour begins at the Hillsborough Visitors Center, located in the eighteenth century Alexander Dickson Farm House, and guides visitors to a variety of historic places from the site of a 1790s African American-owned distillery to the 1840s Orange County Courthouse and the grave of one of North Carolina’s signers of the Declaration of Independence.
This is an in-person walking tour that sometimes crosses uneven terrain. Please plan to be walking or standing for the duration of the event, wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring a water bottle (plus your curiosity)!
For groups that are concerned about the length, duration, or terrain of the tour. Please, contact The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough for other options, including bus tours.
Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/3277bebb-5a4c-48ec-9a1e-0c4e287138b5

Tame the Flame: Secrets to Reduce Inflammation Naturally
2025-03-08 15:00 - 16:30 | Snow Approach Foundation, 133 East King Street, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Inflammation affects every aspect of our health, from digestion to energy levels. It even impacts our emotional well-being as emotions can become trapped in the body, leading to inflammation and stuck energy. Join expert Melanie Yukov, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Community Herbalist, and Orofacial Myologist, for a free 1.5-hour workshop that dives into what inflammation is, how it manifests, and how to manage it naturally. You’ll learn about anti-inflammatory foods, herbs, emotional triggers, and label-reading tips to avoid hidden inflammatory ingredients. Walk away with actionable talking points and powerful practice tools to reduce inflammation and reclaim your vitality. Must RSVP: https://root2risewellness.org/reflux-masterclass-form

Reel Rock 19 @ Eno River Brewing
2025-03-08 19:00 - 22:00 | eno river brewing, 329 Eno Mountain Rd, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
This will be a ticketed event (tickets available HERE) to watch three short films, with viewings starting at 8pm: Reel Rock 19 showcases three world-premiere climbing films spanning disciplines, characters, and continents: a heartfelt story of second chances in love and climbing on Squamish’s legendary Cobra Crack; an outrageous 18-day big wall epic on Patagonia’s towering Torre Central; and the pursuit of a lifelong dream—a 5.15 first ascent—made possible by an unlikely partnership. Reel Rock 19 is on tour worldwide starting March 2025.
DEATH OF VILLAINS: A former child climbing-prodigy confronts his struggle with disordered eating to attempt his life-long dream of climbing a groundbreaking 5.15 first ascent, with the help of an unlikely, and controversial partner.
Featuring: Kai Lightner & Joe Kinder
RIDERS ON THE STORM: Three Belgian big-wallers endure eighteen days of howling snowstorms, frozen feet, and gnarly runouts in their attempt to make a long-coveted alpine first ascent.
Featuring: Siebe Vanhee, Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll & Nico Favresse
THE COBRA & THE HEART: A turbulent 20-year saga of love, loss, and redemption: a whirlwind romance, a crushing defeat on a legendary climb, a religious epiphany, and family betrayal, all building to a desperate bid for a rare second chance—at love, fatherhood, and climbing.
Featuring: Didier Berthod, Thomasina Pidgeon & Cedar Pidgeon

Mini Monarchs Family Movement Class
2025-03-10 11:00 - 12:30, 2025-03-17 11:00 - 12:30, 2025-03-24 11:00 - 12:30 | Monarch Movement Company, 360 Executive Ct. #105, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Move at Monarch!
Movement, Music, Tumbling and Sensory play for crawlers through confident walkers with their caregiver. Infant siblings are welcome to attend with their family.
Mondays 11:00-11:30am
Feb 3-March 24 $120

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE STORY, Vol. Xl: Jeffery Beam
2025-03-11 10:00 - 18:00, 2025-03-13 10:00 - 18:00, 2025-03-18 10:00 - 18:00, 2025-03-20 10:00 - 18:00 | Hillsborough Gallery of Arts, 121 N. Churton St., Hillsborough, 27278
In 2013, the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts began an annual show highlighting the work of a local writer by responding visually to his or her work. In the past, this show has been inspired by the work of writers with local ties: Michael Malone, Lee Smith, Allan Gurganus, Jill McCorkle, Nancy Peacock, John Bemis, Elizabeth Keckly, composer Billy Strayhorn, poet Jaki Shelton Green, and singer/songwriter Mary Rocap. The work of North Carolina poet, Jeffery Beam, will be the focus of this year’s show. The gallery’s 20 artists have each chosen a poem from Mr. Beam’s body of work as inspiration for a piece of art in their chosen medium.
Sculptor Lynn Wartski has based her piece, “Dryad Slumber,” on Beam’s poem, “The Green Man’s Man,” published in 2010 in the collection “From Gospel Earth.” Most of her recent sculptural work has dealt with animal forms, so this was a welcome opportunity to create a figurative piece; in “Dryad Slumber,” Wartski represents a figure who blurs the lines between plant and animal, giving the viewer a peek at the inner life of a forest nymph. Wartski writes, “For me, it is usually a turn of phrase that catches my attention.” She found inspiration in the poem “The Green Man’s Man.”
Scratchboard artist, Sally Terrell, was inspired by Jeffery Beam’s poem, “Credo.” Terrell was especially drawn to Beam’s idea of communicating through unspoken words rather than the ones that are said. The truth of this message, as well as the addition of a chickadee in the last stanza, confirmed Terrell’s choice of this poem for her beautiful piece, “The Periwinkle and the Chickadee.”
Glass artist, Pringle Teeter, chose the poem, “Paracelsus: Concerning the Iris in the Vase,” which includes a line about “The glass-blower’s tincture.” Teeter focused on the lines of the poem that include inspiring colors to create her two glass pieces. The sparkling green of her vessel, “Luna Moth,” and the undulating purple sides of her piece, “Purple Petals,” are both nods to the poem.
Nancy Smith created a portrait inspired by Jeffery Beam’s poem, “Ars Poetica: the Queen.” Her portrait, “Following the Goddess, Jewel of the Hive,” was created using a variety of media, including bees wax. In describing her inspiration from the poem, Smith writes, “I was reminded that, like the queen bee, we exist in a world of our own creation. And like her, our creation is built not by us alone, but always in collaboration with others. I think her message is that there is a great responsibility in discerning guidance from other beings in our lives.”
The images in Jeffery Beam’s poetry provided fertile inspiration for the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts’ 20 visual artists. Their work will be on display from February 11th through March 23rd with a reception in the gallery on February 28th from 6-9pm during Hillsborough’s Last Friday Art Walk. In addition, HGA will host a reading by Mr. Beam in the gallery on Sunday, February 23rd from 4-6pm. Both events are free and open to the public.

About the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts:
The Hillsborough Gallery of Arts is owned and operated by 20 local artists and represents these established artists exhibiting contemporary fine art and fine craft. The Gallery’s offerings include painting, sculpture, scratchboard, ceramics, jewelry, glass, metals, encaustic, enamel, fiber art, weaving, gourd sculptures, and wood. 121 N. Churton Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Phone: (919) 732-5001. The gallery is open 10am-6pm Monday – Saturday, and 12pm-4pm on Sunday. More information can be found on the HGA website: http://www.HillsboroughGallery.com

Drop-in Life Studio
2025-03-11 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-03-25 18:30 - 20:00 | Eno Arts Mill, 437 Dimmocks Mill Road, Suite 17, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Join us for Life Drawing sessions facilitated by Tom Stevens. Each session offers multiple rounds of gesture and pose drawings with a live nude model. Artists provide their own materials. We must have 5 pre-registrations to run the studio, so please pre-register if possible. Absolutely no photography or video allowed in the sessions. Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/drop-in-life-drawing-with-tom-stevens

Thursday Jazz at Yonder
2025-03-13 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-03-20 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-03-27 20:00 - 22:00 | Yonder: Southern Cocktails & Brew, 114 W King St, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Each Thursday from 8-10 Yonder presents live jazz with some amazing local, and traveling jazz musicians.
Les Trois Chats
Katharine Whalen’s JazzSquad
Crystal Bright and Griffanzo
Taz Halloween with Griffanzo
New Morning Jazz

KÜF KNOTZ & CHRISTINE ELISE

Pete the Cat: Original Art by James Dean
2025-03-14 - 2025-03-15, 2025-03-21 - 2025-03-22, 2025-03-28 - 2025-03-29 | Hillsborough Visitors Center, 150 E King Street, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
“Pete the Cat: Original Art by James Dean” on view in Hillsborough, NC, 1/3/25 through 4/3/25
Hillsborough, NC – The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough and Mike’s Art Truck are excited to present “Pete the Cat: Original Art by James Dean.” This selection of Dean’s popular “CAT-themed” paintings will be on display from January 3 through April 3, 2025, at the Alexander Dickson House, the historic building which houses the Hillsborough Visitors Center.
Artist James Dean, self-taught creator of that iconic blue feline, Pete the Cat, graciously shares a unique collection of his original paintings in this exhibition. The show is expected to confirm once again that “Everybody Loves Pete.” Exhibition artwork is available for purchase directly through Mike’s Art Truck. For information email mikesarttruck@centurylink.net, or visit their website at www.mikesarttruck.com. All of the exhibition artwork can be viewed on the same website.
The Alexander Dickson House and Hillsborough Visitors Center is located at 150 E. King St., in downtown Hillsborough, NC. Admission to the exhibit is free and open to the public during regular visitor hours. Free parking is available. For more information about Historic Hillsborough, including the Visitors Center, please visit http://www.visithillsboroughnc.com.

Eno River Farmers Market
2025-03-15 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-22 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-29 10:00 - 12:00 | Eno River Farmers Market Pavillion, 144 E. Margaret Ln, Hillsborough, NC, United States
Eno River Farmers Market in downtown Hillsborough offers farm fresh vegetables and fruit, cheese, pasture raised meat and eggs, wood fire baked goods, prepared foods and crafts from local growers and producers. Our vendors are selected with great care based on the quality and diversity of their offerings; vendors must be local (within 60 miles of Hillsborough for traditional foods; within NC for specialty items such as peaches and apples) and the original producers of their products. We have live music, master gardeners, arts and crafts activities, chef demonstrations, and more!
The market is open on Saturdays year round! April-November: 8am-12pm, December-March: 10am-12pm
For More information visit our website: https://www.enoriverfarmersmarket.com/?fbclid=IwAR3Mfp4vM2d3wnvffaELfzGfLbEtFPLwJBEmDU5BDVmsUa-71Opb2qvpITw#home

A Presentation on Classic Books with First Monday Book Club
2025-03-19 17:30 - 19:30 | Hillsborough Presbyterian Church, 102 W. Tryon St. , Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Join the First Monday Classic Book Club and the Orange County Historical Museum for a presentation on Classic Books. Members of the club will share their favorite classic books, what makes them great, and their culture significance. Attendees will be invited to share their favorite books and engage in discussion on the books highlighted.
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March 19
5:30 PM
Hillsborough Presbyterian Church
102 W. Tryon Street

Songwriters in The Round
2025-03-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Yonder: Southern Cocktails & Brew, 114 W King St, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Kirk Ridge hosts a monthly Songwriters in The Round at Yonder. Each month three singer/songwriters share their stories and songs on Yonder stage.

FREE: ERB Drink ’n’ Draw with Anne & Arthur Fine Arts Supply
2025-03-20 18:00 - 20:00 | eno river brewing, 329 Eno Mountain Rd, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Networking, artist hangout, skills share, yummy drinks

Join us for all of these parts and more as you sit with other artists for a 2-hour event, hosted by Anne & Arthur owner Erin Campbell at Eno River Brewing in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
NOW A FREE EVENT! Join us and claim your seat at the communal tables inside ERB to sketch and find inspiration with other artists. The first portion of the event will be semi-structured and the remaining free form. We are grateful to partner with Eno River Brewing and encourage purchasing their delicious craft beers, wine, or NA beverages in the taproom!

This event is held in a taproom. Mature big kids and teens are welcome to attend when accompanied by a parent or trusted adult per the taproom policies.

Cost: $0

Held Thursdays: March 20, April 17, May 22, June 19, July 17, August 21, September 18, October 23, November 20

Holi at the Rookery
2025-03-23 13:00 - 16:00 | The Rookery, 115 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
We want to celebrate life, love, color, and spring here at The Rookery!
Join us in the Hindu celebration of Holi- the festival of color!
We will have music from the incredible @dejayru to keep the party vibes going!
We will have colors available for sale! But you’re also welcome to just come have a drink and watch! (No outside colors allowed)
The event is free, & all are welcome so bring your friends, your aunties, your dog, everyone!!

RATS (Rudimentary Arts Techniques Studio) Spring Break Camp for 8-10 Year Olds
2025-03-24 09:30 - 12:00 | Margaret Lane Gallery Annex/ F-Stop 2, 302 W Corbin, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
SURF’S UP! Spring Break is here, time to surf this wave of art basics for kids ages 8 to 10 who are seriously interested in art. Bonus, students will be exposed to topics we will be deep diving in the RATS 2025 summer camps.
LEARN: The essentials of drawing and painting, with a focus on expression
CREATE: A daily drawing or painting on paper
Monday: ABSTRACTION
Do you love patterns and doodling? Each day will have a different focus, dealing with line, shape and shading, patterns, expression, and texture used by famous abstract artists, who were, in turn, greatly influenced by child art.
Tuesday: ANIMAL DRAWING
Focussing on fundamentals, we’ll be sharpening our pencils and our wits as we bring animals to life with pencils and charcoal. RAWR!!
Wednesday: STILL LIFE
What, you hear a rustling in the flowers? Must be one of those dang animals we drew yesterday! Oh, well, give it a treat and hand it a brush while we slosh around in watercolors, exploring composition, color and shadow.
Thursday: PET PORTRAITS
Since that animal from yesterday who was disrupting our still life studies won’t go away, we’ll ask him to pose for us. We’ll also bring in photos of our favorite pets and draw them.
Friday: SELF-PORTRAIT
Say cheese and smile, because after a week of these RATS Workshops, you have become an official RAT. Celebrate by drawing and painting your own cheesy self portrait, using the materials you choose.
There are two sessions offered:

For Year Round School: Monday, March 24 thru Friday March 28, 5 weekday mornings, 9:30 am-12pm
For Traditional Calendar School: Monday March 31 thru Friday April 4, 5 weekday mornings, 9:30am-12 pm

For children ages 8 to 10
Location: Margaret Lane Gallery Annex/F-Stop 2, 302 W Corbin Street, Hillsborough, NC
$ 210 for the week (to register for individual sessions and for multi-family-member discounts, contact gallery)
Registration link: www.margaretlanegallery.com/workshop-registration
Registration deadline: Three days before start

Last Friday Art Walk Events at Margaret Lane Gallery
2025-03-28 18:00 - 21:00 | Margaret Lane Gallery, 121 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Last Friday Art Walk in Downtown Hillsborough Friday March 28, 6-9 pm. Here at the Gallery we will have:
– Opening reception for All A-Flutter, featuring work from local artists. You will have an opportunity to meet many of the artists as well as view their work.
– Viewing of Moments and Memories, the 2nd Cedar Ridge High School International Baccalaureate Art Senior Art Show at the Gallery — featuring Artwork by Naomi Dyreng and Wyatt Blevins. You will have an opportunity to meet the students during the art walk.
– 5 rooms and an upstairs filled with work from local artists
– Tax Free String band — toe-tapping music on the front porch, 6-8 pm.
– Community creativity tables in the front yard — lots of art supplies for you to use in creating your own artwork
– Light refreshments, camaraderie, inspiration, and fun.

Churton Street Stroll
2025-03-29 10:30 - 12:30 | River Park, 140 East Margaret Lane , Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Join us for this fascinating walking tour and discover the stories behind the sixteen historical markers that line four blocks of one of the Piedmont’s oldest streets. They start in the 1600s and go right through to the 1960s. The FULL stories behind the people and events depicted briefly on the markers are often much more interesting than might be supposed. In just two hours, you’ll hear about all 16, and even visit some of the subjects in the town cemetery. Along the way you’ll meet surveyors, merchants, generals, governors, lawyers, scientists, enslaved people, and much more.
It turns out the “cute” little town of Hillsborough has had a very outsized impact on Orange County, North Carolina, the United States, and even the world.
Tours start at 10:00 AM, we will meet at the Arch across the street from Weaver Street Market (228 S. Churton) to embark on this surprising adventure.
Details
For questions, please contact Barney Caton at hauntedhillsborough@gmail.com.
Tickets: Tours are $15 per ticket. Buy them here: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/67562535-3d95-449c-8453-dd9c682850fd
Time: Tours begin at 10:00 am and will last 2 hours. Each tour will be limited to 20 participants
Meet your Guide: Tour-goers will meet at the arch located in River Park, across from Weaver Street Market.
Parking: Guests have access to free parking at the parking deck next to Weaver Street Market, the Riverpark Pavilion, or any street parking available.
What to Bring: This is an in-person walking tour. Please bring water and wear comfortable walking shoes.
