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.

NOTE: For a complete listing of events throughout the year and exact dates, visit the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough’s tourism website.

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. Burwell School Historic Site is offering Family Movie Nights.
During colder months, Last Fridays moves indoors, showcasing film, theater and musical performances.

For more information, contact the Hillsborough Arts Council by phone at (919) 643-2500 or by e-mail. The Arts Council is located in the Hillsborough Artists Co-operative in downtown Hillsborough, 102 W. King St.

MAY

Pops in the Park — Third Sunday in May 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 (919) 560-2736 or by e-mail or visit its website. Or contact the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough by phone at (919) 732-7741 or by e-mail.

Spring Garden Tour — Third weekend in May.

The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough offers a biennial spring garden tour in odd-numbered years.

For more information, contact the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough by e-mail or by phone at (919) 732-7741. Or visit its website.

Hogg Day — Friday night and Saturday of the third weekend in May 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 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 (919) 732-8156 or by e-mail. The chamber is located at 1000 Corporate Drive, Suite 301 in the Meadowlands Business Park, across from the Triangle SportsPlex.

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.

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 (919) 383-9722 by e-mail or visit its website.

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 website.

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 (919) 643-2500 or by e-mail or visit its website. The Arts Council is located at 220-B S. Churton 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 (919) 245-3330 or by e-mail or visit its website.

Holiday Parade — 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 (919) 732-8156 or by e-mail or visit its website. The chamber is located at 1000 Corporate Drive, Suite 301 in the Meadowlands Business Park, across from the Triangle SportsPlex.

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.