1. Revolutionary War Living History Day
City: Hillsborough, NC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (877) 732-7748
Address: 150 E. King St.
Description: Hillsborough is one of the Triangle’s oldest towns and thus one of the few places where Colonial history is celebrated. By the late 18th century, the town was well established, and the state legislature met there during the American Revolution. In February of 1781, after fierce fighting along the Virginia–North Carolina border, British General Charles Cornwallis encamped his army in Hillsborough to prepare for the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, about 25 miles west. The town recalls its Revolutionary-era life with a re-enactment of camp life complete with musket fire by costumed Red Coats and Revolutionaries and camp-food cooking demonstrations. History buffs can also take a guided tour of the Revolutionary-era sites in the historic district. Viewing the re-enactment is free. The tour is $5.
2. Blue Bayou Club
City: Hillsborough, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (919) 732-2555
Address: 106 S. Churton St.
Description: On the main street in Hillsborough, the Blue Bayou is a small, laid-back place that hosts jazz and blues acts. National names like Tab Benoit, the Asylum Street Spankers, and the Reverend Billy C. Wirtz have played Blue Bayou. They serve hot dogs and Zapp’s chips, and plenty of beer. Covers vary depending on the act and can be as much as $25 or as little as $6.
3. Hillsborough Arts Council
City: Hillsborough, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (919) 643-2500
Address: 102 W. King St.
Description: The organization sponsors Hillsborough’s Last Friday events on the final Friday evening of each month. Last Friday consists of concerts on the old courthouse lawn in warm weather and indoor concerts or movies in cooler weather, sidewalk exhibitions of arts and crafts, a pie contest, gallery receptions, poetry readings, and similar artistic displays. Also an Arts Council project is Handmade Parade, an annual autumn march through town that features costumes, masks, and giant puppets created by local artists and parade marchers. The Arts Council promotes exhibits at local galleries, offers classes in various media, sponsors musical performances, and is actively pursuing the creation of a cultural center to serve Hillsborough and northern Orange County.
4. Orange County Arts Commission
City: Hillsborough, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (919) 245-2335
Address: 110 E. King St.
Description: The Orange County Arts Commission awards grants to fund projects proposed by artists, art organizations, and schools in the county twice a year. The commission is a co-sponsor, along with other area arts councils, of the Piedmont Laureate program, which names a laureate annually. The commission has a special focus on emerging artists, high school artists, and funding works of public art.
5. Little River Regional Park
City: Hillsborough, NC
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (919) 732-5505
Address: 301 Little River Park Way, Guess Rd.
Description: The 376 pristine acres of Little River Regional Park offer visitors a chance to see deer, turkey, beaver, bobcat, red-backed salamanders, and possibly black bear. Stands of hardwoods that have never been logged dot the steep slopes that rise from the Little River. Historic buildings, including an early 20th-century farmhouse, recall parts of the tract’s history as a tobacco farm. The park has 7 miles of single-track mountain bike trails and 7 miles of hiking trails. It is located north of Hillsborough off Guess Road. Park hours are 7 a.m. to dusk, May through September, and 8 a.m. to dusk October through April. The park is closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Admission is free.
6. Triangle Sportsplex
City: Hillsborough, NC
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (919) 644-0339
Address: 1 Dan Kidd Dr.
Description: With 80,000 square feet dedicated to an NHL-sized ice rink, a swimming center with three heated pools, weight and cardio fitness workout areas, a cafe, and a sports shop, Triangle Sportsplex is the largest sports center in the area. Outdoor facilities include basketball courts and a pond for canoeing. Many of the activities are organized classes or games, but the ice rinks are open to public skates as well. The Sportsplex offers after-school and day-camp programs for children.
7. Panciuto
City: Hillsborough, NC
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (919) 732-6261
Address: 110 S. Churton St.
Description: Panciuto prepares Italian specialties with a Southern accent, using local and sustainably grown meat and produce. Touches like a smear of hot pepper jelly added to bruschetta topped with a duck egg and warm Carolina Moon cheese remind diners that they’re in the South. The menu changes weekly and remains small so that the chef can attend to each dish carefully. The chef sources his ingredients from a cadre of 26 local farmers and cheese makers. The all-Italian wine list is sourced from small family vineyards. In Hillsborough’s downtown historic district, the elegantly comfortable setting is welcoming and the service is spot-on, prompt without being fawning.
8. Churton Street Gallery
City: Hillsborough, NC
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (919) 732-2685
Address: 100 S. Churton St.
Description: A 2009 addition to the downtown Hillsborough arts scene, the gallery focuses on art and crafts in North Carolina, including painting, pottery, and jewelry. Fans of North Carolina landscape painting can find some of the most popular artists in the genre, including Bob Rankin, Melissa Miller, Jennifer Miller, and Shannon Bueker.
9. Hillsborough Gallery Of Art
City: Hillsborough, NC
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (919) 732-5001
Address: 121 N. Churton St., Suite 1D
Description: A co-operative of 15 local artists and crafts makers runs the Hillsborough Gallery of Art. Membership is by jury. Members work in a variety of media, including paint, ceramics, photography, textiles, glass, metal, and wood, and the gallery hosts monthly shows featuring member works. The gallery’s storefront location in historic downtown makes it a high-traffic stop during the town’s monthly art walk.
10. Orange County Historical Museum
City: Hillsborough, NC
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (919) 732-2201
Address: 201 N. Churton St.
Description: The museum tells the story of Orange County and Hillsborough, its county seat, one of the oldest English settlements in North Carolina. While the traditional narratives of the Revolutionary War and Civil War eras are represented, the museum also does a good job of bringing attention to the roles of women and slaves in eras when they are often overlooked. Temporary exhibits have looked at the life of jazz legend Billy Strayhorn, whose grandparents lived in Hillsborough, and the desegregation of Orange County’s public schools. The museum is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m Tuesday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.