About Hillsborough

Events

SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT
Are you interested in holding a special event? You may need to fill out a Special Event Permit application. View the Special Event Policy to determine whether your event requires a permit. 

 

EVENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH
Mark your calendars and join us for some of Hillsborough’s major annual events.

For a complete listing of events throughout the year, visit the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough’s Web site.

YEAR-ROUND

Last Fridays — 6 to 9 p.m. the last Friday of each month in downtown Hillsborough.

  • April through September, artists, musicians, food vendors and craftspeople set up their wares on the sidewalks of the downtown historic district. A band is featured on the lawn of the Old Orange County Courthouse, while businesses, galleries, studios, restaurants, museums and historic sites remain open, offering special events. A filmmaker’s film series also is offered in the Masonic Lodge.
  • During colder months, Last Fridays moves indoors, showcasing film, theater and musical performances.

For more information, contact the Hillsborough Arts Council by phone at 643-2500 or by e-mail. The Arts Council is located in the Hillsborough Artists Co-operative in downtown Hillsborough, 102 W. King St.

 

APRIL

Pops in the Park — Last Sunday in April in Cameron Park, beside the Central Office of the Orange County Board of Education, along Cameron Street.

  • Bring your picnic basket, chair and blanket and enjoy this free outdoor concert by the Durham Symphony Orchestra.

For more information or a rain location, contact the Durham Symphony Orchestra by phone at 560-2736 or by e-mail or visit its Web site. Or contact the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough by phone at 732-7741 or by e-mail.

 

MAY

Spring Garden Tour — Third weekend in May.

  • The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough offers a biennial spring garden tour in odd-numbered years. The 2009 tour takes place May 16 and 17.

For more information, contact the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough by e-mail or by phone at 732-7741. Or visit its Web site.

 

JUNE

Walkable Hillsborough Day — 8:30 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday in June in downtown Hillsborough.

  • Promote pedestrian connectivity and foster community spirit in this event, which features guided walks of varying lengths and exertions. The event is coordinated by the Walkable Hillsborough Coalition and sponsored by the Hillsborough Parks and Recreation Board.

Hog Day — Friday night and Saturday of the third weekend in June in downtown Hillsborough.

  • Orange County’s largest festival features family fun, food, live music, crafters and a large classic auto show.
  • The event starts Friday night, when 36 teams begin facing off to cook the best barbecue. Gates open at 6 p.m. for a concert at 7.
  • The eating starts the next day when the festival continues with rides and games from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, contact the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce by phone at 732-8156 or by e-mail. The chamber is located at 102 N. Churton St.

 

AUGUST

BikeFest — Second Saturday in August in downtown Hillsborough.

  • The BikeFest Rural Heritage Tour offers a choice of several lengths of bike rides beginning in downtown Hillsborough. Included in this event is a free, family-oriented Historic District Fun Ride. Fun Ride participants bike at their own pace in a seven-mile tour of historic sites in and around Hillsborough.

For more information, contact Carolina Tarwheels Bicycle Club by phone at 383-9722 by e-mail or visit its Web site.

 

SEPTEMBER

Celebration of the Automobile Car Show — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the last Saturday in September at the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail on Elizabeth Brady Road.

See cars and their drivers on one of the first NASCAR tracks to open. The speedway, which closed in 1968, is the only remaining dirt track from NASCAR’s inaugural 1949 season.

For more information, contact the Historic Speedway Group by e-mail or visit its Web site.

 

OCTOBER

Handmade Parade — Second Saturday of October in downtown Hillsborough.

  • The “walking theatrical performance” features giant puppets, stilt walkers, performers, musicians and lots of handmade costumes. Anyone may participate.

For more information, contact the Hillsborough Arts Council by phone at 643-2500 or by e-mail or visit its Web site. The Arts Council is located in the Hillsborough Artists Co-operative in downtown Hillsborough, 102 W. King St.

 

DECEMBER

Daniel Boone Craft Fair — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the first full weekend in December at the Big Barn Convention Center, located at 388 Ja-Max Drive in the Shops at Daniel Boone.

  • The annual craft fair features local and statewide vendors selling hand-crafted items.

For more information, contact the Daniel Boone Merchants Association by phone at 245-3330 or by e-mail or visit its Web site.

 

Holiday Parade — 3 p.m. the first Saturday in December on Churton Street in downtown Hillsborough.

  • The annual Holiday Parade features marching bands, cheerleaders, floats and a cheery little man from way up north.
  • Following the parade, join Hillsborough’s mayor and others to celebrate the holiday season with the lighting of the town tree.

For more information, contact the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce by phone at 732-8156 or by e-mail or visit its Web site. The chamber is located at 102 N. Churton St.

 

Candlelight Tour — Noon to 7 p.m. Sunday of the first full weekend in December.

  • Visit historic buildings, churches, sites and private homes in Hillsborough during this annual self-guided tour. Shuttle service is provided in town and to tour sites that are not within walking distance.
  • Many of Hillsborough’s shops and restaurants are open special hours during the tour.

For more information, contact the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce by phone at 732-8156 or by e-mail or visit its Web site. The chamber is located at 102 N. Churton St.