Stay Connected with Local and Virtual Events
Many of Chapel Hill’s fall traditions are on pause this year; luckily there are still plenty of opportunities to connect with friends and enjoy online experiences. Check out these events—from virtual meetups to safely socially distanced outdoor excursions—and fill your calendar with activities to look forward to all month long.
Recurring EventsExtra time at home is a great opportunity to brush up on your skills or learn new ones. Every Tuesday at 10 a.m., slip on your tap shoes and shuffle, ball, change until your heart is content. The Orange County Department on Aging offers free virtual tap classes for seniors who have rekindled their love of dance and want to get together with others to learn routines.
The Chapel Hill Toastmasters Club invites you to join their weekly Saturday morning meetings from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. These virtual sessions focus on helping members and guests develop and refine communication and leadership skills.
If public speaking isn’t your cup of tea, check out the Quilting at Home Google Meet Up every Monday from 10 a.m. to noon. You can log in to mingle with other quilters and get tips while working on your own project or contributing to a group quilt that will be donated to charity.
After months of performance venues being closed, we’re all thirsty for live music—and musicians need our support now more than ever. Head over to Franklin Street to enjoy the Save the Music Outdoor Performance Series every Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership has arranged for a variety of talented performers to fill the streets with live music. All musicians will be wearing masks and people are asked to please tip and enjoy the music from a safe distance.
Get a jump start on your Christmas shopping with the Virtual Fall Arts on Market. This bi-annual community event will be held Sunday, November 29 through Wednesday, December 2. Using live video conferencing during the “booth hours,” patrons can speak with the artists and learn all about their creations and techniques.
One-Time OpportunitiesSt. Thomas More Catholic School is hosting a virtual 5K between Friday, November 6 and Sunday, November 8. Participants can run, walk or bike a course of their choosing anytime during that weekend, and all funds raised will be used for enrichment materials such as musical instruments, art supplies, writing and math programs, online resource subscriptions and teacher appreciation.
Chapel Hill’s own award-winning professional food writer, cook, recipe developer and cooking teacher, Sheri Castle, is offering a virtual cook-along on Saturday, November 7 at 5 p.m. Just register for the class, buy the groceries, then log in from your kitchen. Sheri will guide you through the creation of a three-course Italian meal that parents and kids can enjoy cooking and eating. This charity event is raising funds for the Chatham YMCA, and 100 percent of registration proceeds will go towards providing stability, comfort and basic needs for the most vulnerable in our community.
Keep the kids entertained with the Stone Soup Folk Tale Virtual Puppet Workshop on Saturday, November 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. During this one-hour crash course, your kids will learn the basics of staging their own Stone Soup puppet show using paper bag puppets and props, and they can also take in a pre-recorded Stone Soup puppet performance. Be sure to register by November 9 to participate.