Summertime (and the Opportunities are Endless)

RECREATION & LEISURE

Ralph Waldo Emerson described summer as a time to “live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”

As such, the term “Summer” has come into usage as a verb: an action. In Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Orange and Chatham Counties, summer has become less about leisure and more about movement—a call for activity, exercise, and fun.

Here, then, are a few notable recreation-related dates, events, and celebrations so emblematic of summer that they taste like sweet tea.

Happy campers on “the Hill”

Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Senior Recreation Supervisor Lizzie Burrill and Recreation Division Manager Jonathan Ray noted that there was still space available in summer youth camps.

“We’ve got some spaces still available for day camps at McDougal Middle School for rising 1st through 5th graders, and also Teen Extreme Camp for rising 6th through 8th graders,” Burrill said, who added that Chapel Hill also had space in half-day specialty camps like ultimate frisbee (ages 9 to 15), tennis camps (ages 7 to 14), and Art Exploration Camps (aged 7 to 11).

“Those are all open for registration,” Burrill said, “and we offer financial assistance for all of our camps.”

Summer registration will begin on May 19th at 8:30 a.m. for Orange County residents; non-residents will begin on Thursday, May 21st at 8:30 a.m. through the “www.chapelhillparks.org”.

“These are for our programs,” Burrill clarified, “but camp registration is already open.”

Burrill noted that the summer program registration includes team basketball team, which runs from June through August for youths aged 10 to 18.

“We also have a youth volleyball skills lab series at Hargraves Center on Wednesday nights for middle and high schoolers,” she added, “and that’s drop in, pay at the door.”

The Teen Center will be open over the summer, Monday through Saturday (4:30 – 8:30 p.m.) for middle and high schoolers.

Summer events truly kick off in high gear in Chapel Hill in June, with activities and opportunities that reflect partnerships with nonprofits and others in town.

Chapel Hill Community Arts and Culture and Parks and Recreation will host the Pride Promenade on Saturday, June 6, starting at Peace and Justice Plaza at 12 noon and then proceeding to 140 West Plaza. Photo by Randy B. Young

“Saturday, June 6, is our Pride Promenade, and that’s through Chapel Hill Community Arts and Culture,” Burrill said. “It starts at Peace and Justice Plaza at 12 p.m. (noon), and they walk to 140 West (Plaza).”

“But Parks and Recreation is doing a teen-specific rainbow kickback and after party at the Chapel Hill Teen Center. There’s a pre-event social…and then, from 3 to 6 p.m., they can come back for an after-party.”

Also in June, the Chapel Hill / Carrboro Juneteenth celebration will be held at Hargraves on Friday, June 19th.

“There will be live performances, oral histories, local businesses and non-profits, and food trucks,” Burrill said.

At the Chapel Hill Community Center, work will begin on the new climbing wall, which is slated to incorporate elements of the current wall to double the climbing surface.

“The tentative timeline is to start the week after summer camps end,” Ray said. “We hope to start construction on the new wall next week.”

Ray hoped the new climbing wall would be installed before recreational basketball in November.

Turning toward Autumn, May 19th also marks the start of registration for adult fall leagues like adult softball, bocce, adult volleyball, and (pickleball).

“These are considered fall programs,” said Ray, “but we register for them in the summer just to have time to put the teams and schedules together.”

As the country marks its 250th anniversary on July 4th, Chapel Hill has announced a reimagined community gathering in place of standard fireworks. Technology will meet creativity in a July 4 drone show at Chapel Hill High School.

Carrboro registration ongoing

Recreation Administrator for the Carrboro Recreation and Parks’ Programs Division, Charles Harrington, explained that summer registrations for all participants will be live on May 7th.

“We actually opened our summer camp registration last January,” Harrington said, “but we still have several camps that have vacancies, so we encourage people to check out our website (https://townofcarrboro.org/348/Recreation-Programs).”

“We’ve got several instructional programs, including the baseball pitching class with (former pro pitcher) Pat Curran, tennis play day, youth and adult tennis lessons—both lunchtime adult and evening youth and adult classes,” Harrington added. “In June and July, we also have new camps that are art-focused for teens.”

“Juneteenth (on June 19th) this year will be at Hargraves Center,” Harrington said, “and the next week, we’ll partner with El Centro on (our LGBTQ++) Pride event on Friday, June 26th at Town Commons. That’s a separate event from Chapel Hill’s Pride Promenade.”

Taniyah Green, 6, is all smiles as she has her face painted by William Gattis (@Gatface) at the 2025 Juneteenth Celebration at Carrboro Town Commons. This year’s celebration will be at the Hargraves Center on Friday, June 19. Photo by Randy B. Young.

Harrington stated that the popular Elizabeth Cotten Freight Train Blues Concert Series will start up next week, on Friday, May 15th (6:30 to 8:30 p.m.) and through June 12th.

While Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation’s July 4th plans are “up in the air” (with an evening drone show),” Carrboro will be no-less celebratory.

“Our Carrboro 4th of July celebration falls on a Saturday this year, so we’re partnering with the Farmer’s Market,” Harrington said. “The Market will occur as usual, but we’ll also have music, face painters, and lots of attractions from roughly 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.”

Independence Day kicks off along the streets of western Carrboro with first installment of Cardinal Track Club’s 22nd annual Le Tour de Carrboro, the “Four (miles) on the 4th” road race.

Turning toward fall, Carrboro will also begin its fall athletic league registrations, including fall baseball, the popular NFL (co-ed) flag football, adult co-rec ultimate Frisbee, and adult co-rec softball.”

“Chatham: water you waiting for?”

Chatham Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources is taking advantage of Jordan Lake’s proximity for its water confidence class, said Chatham Program Supervisor Mallory Peterson.

“It’s going to be a two-part class taking place on back-to-back Wednesdays (May 27th and June 3rd) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Jordan Lake’s Ebenezer Beach,” Peterson said proudly. “This class is for people aged 12 and older, so it could be for teenagers or adults.”

“Some people don’t know how or never learned to swim as a child,” Peterson said, “Here’s a chance for them to learn some survival skills and to build that confidence around water. It’s a free class, with a translator available.”

Peterson said that Chatham had just published their summer program guide a few weeks ago, covering May through August, 2026 (https://heyzine.com/flip-book/218703765c.html).

“We’re offering over 25 different camps,” she said. “We have our traditional camp at our Northwest District Park, and then we have a variety of sports, theater, arts, cooking, dance, teen camps, STEM camps, happening at the Chatham Grove Community Center and at the Art Center. On top of that, we’ve got our basic fan-favorite classes like our tap dance, our stained glass, clay hand building…and CPR classes.”

Peterson said it’s a perfect time to consider renting out Chatham’s swimming pool or picnic shelter at Northwest District Park, though Chatham also offers programs farther afield.

“We offer a lot of really fun outdoor recreation this time of year,” Peterson said, “like kayaking and canoeing trips, stand-up paddleboarding trips, guided hikes, and others.”

“We just have so much of our fun stuff coming up May through August,” Peterson added.

“Hitting to all fields…”

Participants at one of 2025’s Carolina Godiva Summer Series track meets hit their stride. The free Wednesday evening meets continue (except the week of July 4), May 20th through August and will tentatively return to the Durham Academy track. Photo by Randy B. Young.

The Carolina Godiva Track Club’s annual summer track meets will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20. The series runs most Wednesdays (weather permitting), tentatively at the Durham Academy Track.

Orange County is offering some notable programs and events coming up soon, including a Pond Clinic on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., which will be preceded by a catch-and-release fishing tournament with prizes for youths aged 5 – 17. The event will take place at 6602 Orange Grove Road in Hillsborough.

And seniors, put on your dancing shoes for a “Senior” Prom from 3:30 – 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, staged by the Orange County Department on Aging at Hillsborough’s Passmore Center in Hillsborough. The registration deadline is Wednesday, May 13.

Hot times; cool ideas

It is said that “Summertime is always the best of what might be (Charles Bowden). That being the case, locals are staring down the barrel of hope, health, and community. So, break out the calendar and pen: like “the livin’ in Summertime,” it’s easy…

A Dartmouth College graduate, Randy B. Young first worked as an award-winning advertising copywriter in New Hampshire, then in communications at UNC for over 30 years. He maintained an award-winning newspaper feature covering Recreation and Exercise in the Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Orange County. Retired and living in Chapel Hill, Randy continues to write for regional publications both locally and in New England, and his book, And the Stars Flew With Us, is available through Amazon and at independent bookstores. He coaches track at Chapel Hill High and has a photography business, Pierless (sic) Photography. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocalReporter.press