News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC 

(March 12, 2026) 

This Friday, downtown Carrboro will be bustling with the 2nd Friday Art Walk - always a fun way to start the weekend! In celebration of Women's History Month, Carrboro is offering a free special event called Rise & Rhythm on Saturday at the Drakeford Library Complex. Segue from your farmers' market shopping and drop on by! Later this month, join us in celebration of clean water, community pride, and environmental stewardship at the annual Creek Week events. Did you know that the first day of spring is right around the corner? 

Rise and Rhythm: Celebrate Women's History Month 

CARRBORO, NC -- Join us on Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Drakeford Library Complex, 203 S. Greensboro St., for our Women's History Month Program: Rise & Rhythm. 

Enjoy inspiring performances, speakers and a variety of local vendors while supporting and celebrating women's history and empowerment in our community.

Stop by at 11 a.m. to enjoy the Vendor Fair and stay for the program beginning at 12 p.m.

The program, which runs from noon to 3 p.m., will feature a welcome from Mayor Barbara Foushee; a reflection from former Poet Laureate Liza Wolff-Francis; spoken word from Penlope Tovar and Adri Urlab; a dance performance by Izzy Jackson and Talya Ziya; and vocal performances by Ever Harris and Ripley Florek. 

In addition, the program features a presentation by Sarah Womack, vice president of operations for the Kay Yow Foundation.

The program's keynote speaker will be Kirtisha Jones, principal of McDougle Elementary School. 

A panel discussion “Voices of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow” will be moderated by Ebony Burnett, vice president of strategic partnerships at Shift Ed, with featured panelists Carrboro Poet Laureate Dr. Amanda Bennett; Kirtina Jones, assistant principal of Northside Elementary School; Pilar Rocha-Goldberg, president & CEO of El Centro Hispano, Inc.; and Elinor Lim, a senior at Carrboro High School. 

Carrboro Poet Laureate Dr. Amanda Bennett will close the program with poetry. 

This program is free and open to all ages.

Learn more about Women's History in Carrboro.

Community History Book Club

Carrboro Poet Laureate, Dr. Amanda Bennett will be at the Community History Book Club on Thursday, March 12 at 6:00 p.m. at the Chapel Hill Public Library. This event is organized with Dr. Simona Goldin in partnership with Chapel Hill Community History and Bridging the Gap.

This week’s theme is “Resistance, Mutual Aid & Collective Power.” Renowned scholar and award-winning author Dr. Freddie Parker will speak about the 1969 UNC Cafeteria Workers’ Strike.

Carrboro Poet Laureate Dr. Amanda Bennett will guide the group in a participatory activity and share her poetry.

Everyone is welcome and you do not have to have read the book to participate.

Come listen, learn, and be in community.

Learn more about the Book Club.

Enjoy the 2nd Friday Art Walk on March 13

Enjoy the 2nd Friday Art Walk around downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill on Friday, March 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. 

Check out the participating venues and their exhibitions.

Prescribed fire operations planned for Jordan Lake Educational State Forest

from the NC Forest Service, March 11, 2026

N.C. Forest Service personnel at Jordan Lake Educational State Forest in Chapel Hill are planning to conduct prescribed fire operations on a 74-acre tract, weather permitting, within the next several days. The burn is planned for an area encompassing the Demonstration Trail, which flanks a peninsula in the southern section of the educational state forest.

Visitors to Jordan Lake ESF and surrounding areas should expect the presence of smoke on days when prescribed fire is being implemented. Depending on burn location and wind direction, evidence of smoke may still be present a few days after the burn. In the interest of safety, all visitors should choose alternate trails if visiting the forest the day of the burn.

Learn more about the prescribed fire operations.

CREEK WEEK 2026

Join the Town of Carrboro in supporting Orange County Creek Week, March 21–29, 2026, a countywide and regional celebration of clean water, community pride, and environmental stewardship. Check out the full list of activities and events. Stormwater staff will be hosting several events in Carrboro, including:

Saturday, March 21, 2026: Creek Week Kickoff

11 a.m. - 3 p.m. ‎at The Drakeford Library Complex

The Creek Week Kickoff Event provides an education and engagement opportunity by connecting government resources and nonprofit organizations with area residents. The event includes outreach tables, a speaker series, and free event activities related to the environment and water resources.

Saturday, March 28, 2026: Litter Sweep

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Libba Cotten Bike Path

Roll up your sleeves and help keep our community beautiful! We’ll gather at 10 a.m. at the Libba Cotten Bike Path, meeting at Carrboro’s Lower Municipal Lot (7) (entrance off Boyd Street, behind 300 E. Main). From there, volunteers will be assigned to nearby cleanup locations to make a big impact together.

Carrboro to survey residents about Town services

What do you think of Town services? The Town of Carrboro seeks to find out through a survey being issued to a random sampling of residents. 

Results are used in Town planning efforts to identify future improvements. 

The Carrboro Community Survey will be mailed to 2,000 randomly selected Carrboro households. Respondents can complete and return by mail, or take the survey online or by phone. Everyone who completes the survey will be given chance to enter a random drawing for a $500 Visa gift card. For non-English speaking households, foreign language translation will be available in multiple languages. 

The Town has selected ETC Institute to help with the survey. As a way of thanking everyone who participates, ETC Institute will randomly select one respondent to receive a $500 Visa gift card. 

A report of the survey findings will be released later this spring. For more information, contact Communication and Engagement Director Catherine Lazorko at clazorko@carrboronc.gov 

Town Council Update

CARRBORO, NC --The Carrboro Town Council will meet next at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

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 www.YouTube.com/CarrboroNC  OR at https://carrboro.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx   

• The meeting agenda will be available at  https://carrboro.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
• Access the livestream direct link to view the meeting on YouTube

Past Meeting Recap 

The Carrboro Town Council met on Tuesday, March 10 and took the following actions: 

• Approved the Condominium Agreement and Condominium Deeds with Orange County for the Operation of the Drakeford Library Complex and authorized the Town Manager to sign all required documents, upon final review by the Town Attorney. 

Watch the meeting livestream on YouTube.

Kay Marion & The Neo Symphany featured at Sunday Concert

The final 2026 Black History Month Concert (Sunday, March 8) featured Kay Marion & The Neo Symphany. 

Kay and her band had the whole performance space singing and swaying along to both popular covers as well as original songs. What a beautiful, energetic way to end this year's concert series.

Thanks to everyone who came out to all our Black History Month Events. We look forward to seeing you next year!

Applications to open for free

Stormwater Site Assessments

The Town of Carrboro is pleased to announce that applications for free residential stormwater site assessments through the Watershed Residential Assistance Program (WRAP) will reopen March 21 to April 30, 2026.

WRAP provides Carrboro homeowners with no‑cost, on-site stormwater assessments conducted by Town Stormwater staff. These assessments help residents understand how water moves across their property and identify opportunities to reduce runoff, slow erosion, and improve the health of local creeks and streams.

About the Program

WRAP supports homeowners in implementing nature-based stormwater solutions that can:

• Reduce stormwater runoff and erosion
• Protect local streams and structures
• Strengthen resilience to heavy rain events

Following the assessment, participants receive a detailed report with tailored recommendations. Homeowners may also be eligible to apply for cost-share funding to help install recommended practices such as rain gardens, streambank repair, vegetated swales, and other green infrastructure.

Learn more about WRAP.

Mayor' s Moment - March 2026

I can’t believe we’re already in March—Daylight Saving Time is coming up, and spring is just around the corner. This month brings meaningful observances such as Women’s History Month, International Women's Day, Pi Day, Earth Hour, and Transgender Day of Visibility. Each offers an opportunity to celebrate one another and build meaningful connections within our community.

Recently, the council has taken several key actions. One significant decision was to pause the East Weaver Street pilot for one year to allow for additional outreach and engagement with our downtown businesses, patrons, and residents. We believe this additional time will help ensure thoughtful input and collaboration moving forward.

The council has also begun budget discussions following our priority-setting retreat and a high-level budget outlook presentation from the town’s finance department. Budget planning begins months before the town manager presents a recommended budget in May 2026. We look forward to robust community input as this important process continues.

In addition, we’ve received updates on municipal greenhouse gas emissions and our decarbonization goals as we track progress toward climate targets. We also discussed recovery efforts related to Tropical Storm Chantal, including FEMA public assistance, received an informational presentation on the stormwater enterprise fund program and received updates on transportation projects.

I encourage everyone to explore the Town’s new website, where you can find information about council meetings, town projects, community events and festivals. You can also learn more on how to stay engaged and connected through the Stay Engaged section of the website.

Constructive relationships between community members and local government make civic engagement not only desirable but essential. By working together, we can foster more equitable and sustainable outcomes and continue improving the quality of life for all.

--Mayor Barbara Foushee

Save the Date: Carrboro CD and Record Show

The 38th Biannual Carrboro CD and Record Show will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 19 in the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St. in downtown Carrboro. Admission is free. 

The event will feature over 40 tables of new and used CDs, vinyl records, and music memorabilia. 

Feel free to stop by and browse through what the vendors have to offer.  You never know what you may find!   

For more information, contact Gerry Williams at 919-260-0661 or gerrycw51@gmail.com or visit www.musicalroots.net

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