A Guide to Family Fun in Carrboro

By Elsa Hasenzahl
Staff Writer

In Carrboro there are many fun and exciting things for families to do together –many of which are free! Here are a few good ideas for ways your family can spend quality time together.

● The Century Center in Carrboro offers many family related activities, such as Toddler Preschool Playtime on Tuesdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Other popular rotating events include Kid’s Bingo and the Lollipop series with story telling, music, puppets and clowns. Some programs do cost a small participation fee. A monthly calendar of events at the Century Center can be found at http://www.ci.carrboro.nc.us/RP/PDFs/CCMonthlyCalendar.pdf.

● The 2nd Friday Art Walk is also kicked off at the Century Center with a reception on the second Friday of every month from 6 to 9 p.m. Many galleries and other local artistic hot spots in Carrboro, such as Nested, Open Eye Café, NC Crafts Gallery and Padgett Station just to name a few, participate in the 2nd Friday Art Walk. This is a free night, and a great way to introduce kids of all ages to art in your community. The event will take place this month on the 13th and next month on May 11. A complete list of participating businesses and galleries may be found at http://2ndfridayartwalk.com.

● The ArtsCenter also offers some great opportunities for families to become involved in the arts. Not only does the ArtsCenter offer classes in a wide range from music, to theatre, to fine arts, but they also have a variety of summer camps for grades first through seventh. Also, performances for children are held at the ArtsCenter every month, such as puppet shows and performances of popular children’s stories like “Junie B. Jones.” For the monthly calendar, visit: http://www.artscenterlive.org/index.php?a=Events&b=Complete%20Calendar&month=5&year=2007.

● If story time is something that is appealing for your family fun, the Carrboro Branch Library, located in McDougle Middle School, offers Children’s Story Times for free. Toddler story times are every Thursday at 4 p.m, preschool story times are every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The library also has family programs the third Sunday of every month at 3 p.m. For future events at the Carrboro Branch Library, visit http://www.co.orange.nc.us/library/libcal/#CBL.

● Carrboro has a number of public parks, which are perfect for family afternoons. Many have playground equipment, basketball and tennis courts, multi-purpose fields, picnic tables and more. The Anderson Community Park even has a leash-free dog park, so the whole family really can come along! A thorough listing of all the parks in Carrboro along with their locations and amenities is located at http://townofcarrboro.com/RP/parks.htm.

● Of course Weaver Street Market is another wonderful family hangout, especially with the free live music on Thursday nights and Sunday mornings each week. “After Hours” at Weaver Street Market on Thursday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. attracts hundreds with local bands performing, dancing, and grilled food for sale on the lawn. The first “After Hours” of the season is coming up soon on April 26. On Sunday mornings, “Jazz & More Brunch” brings the community together as well, with free brunch starting at 8 a.m. and music performances from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For a calendar listing of events at Weaver Street Market, visit http://www.weaverstreetmarket.com/eventCalendar/calendar.php.

● Music is very popular in Carrboro, especially the annual Carrboro Music Festival, another free event. Sept. 30, 2007, will mark the 10th anniversary of the festival. In 2006, the Town Commons was transformed into a kid’s paradise with arts and crafts, an inflatable house and slide, and even “Lulu the Love Fairy” –Mother Goose’s cousin. Visit http://www.carrboromusicfestival.com/ for your guide to the festival.

● If you cannot wait until September for free music in Carrboro, the Rock & Roll High School students will be performing again this summer. For older kids who play instruments, this is a fantastic opportunity to perform live in front of the community. At the camp, kids learn how to write music and lyrics, as well as record and perform with fellow band members. For more information on this, visit www.rockandrollhighschool.org.

● Believe it or not, the Farmers’ Market can be just as fun for kids as adults, so it is another great place to go for family fun. On Saturday, April 21, starting at 8:30 a.m., the Carrboro Farmers’ Market is going to once again inspire green-thumbs by giving away cherry and Sungold tomato seedlings to children along with instructions for plant care. The Market began giving away seedlings in 2005. The Farmers’ Market takes place in the Town Commons on Saturdays from 7 a.m. till noon. Visit http://carrborofarmersmarket.com/ for more information.

● The first Sunday in May, Carrboro families can look forward to Carrboro Day. This year’s will take place May 6 from 12:30 to 7 p.m. Carrboro Day takes place between Town Hall and the Town Commons with games, arts & crafts, food, videos and performances ranging from music to dance to poetry. More information on Carrboro Day can be located at http://www.carrboro.com/carrboroday/.

● El Centro Latino offers resources and programs for the Latino community in Carrboro and throughout Orange County. Not only do they offer support for families and adult education, but El Centro Latino has programs for children as well such as preschool bilingual education, after school chess, and after school tutoring. For more information, visit http://elcentrolatino.org/programs.html.

In Carrboro, there are many opportunities for families to spend quality time together through programs and events which attract kids of all different ages. Of course, never underestimate the special opportunities each day for families to share quality time, whether it is sitting down to dinner, reading a book together, or taking a walk.