Carrboro celebrates with 19th annual music festival

This weekend, thousands will gather in Carrboro for the town’s 19th annual music festival showcasing more than 200 different local artists in 29 different venues.

Jim Dennis, owner of Music Loft and festival coordinator for the second consecutive year, said he is excited for the coming weekend.

“The music festival is the largest event that the town of Carrboro puts on each year,” he said. “Weaver Street gets shut down from one end to the other and becomes a place that people can just stroll.”

The musical festival includes a lineup of local artists and a variety of music genres — from jazz and blues to Bollywood and Nordic music styles.

“It is a local celebration of local musicians,” Dennis said. “Generally speaking, it brings anywhere from 12,000 to 15,000 people into town for the weekend.”

Not only is the festival a celebration of local musicians, but it is also a celebration of local bars, restaurants and other businesses.

Zack Wilkinson, manager at Tyler’s Restaurant and Taproom, a venue for the event, said he is excited for tourists to visit.

“It helps promote Tyler’s and craft beer in North Carolina as a whole,” he said. “Most importantly it brings together the Carrboro community and being a part of the community is the greatest thing — we just love it.”

Several of the venues have appreciated the business that Carrboro Music Festival has brought for the past 18 years, but some, such as Johnny’s Gone Fishing coffee shop, are excited to participate in the festival for the first time.

Emily Taylor, marketing, events and social media coordinator for Johnny’s Gone Fishing, said she feels grateful for the event.

“This is a way for us to put ourselves on the map of Carrboro and bring more artists to our venue,” she said.

Johnny’s Gone Fishing plans to show off their venue for the festival. The restaurant is hoping to create a family-friendly atmosphere that instills trust in their customers, she said.

“It’s a super unique venue — a little mill house — that has a fun table setting,” Taylor said. “Visitors can expect really fun baristas and a very relaxed evening; we’ll have the place looking beautiful.”

For some artists, the Carrboro Music Festival creates new opportunities in a place where they originally established their roots.

Musician Gary Mitchell said the event is exciting for him personally, as he grew up in Chapel Hill and is finally fulfilling a lifelong dream.

“Being from Chapel Hill, it’s a big deal that we will be able to play at Cat’s Cradle Sunday afternoon,” he said. “I hope that we can fill the place and have a great time with the audience.”

The Carrboro Music Festival is a free two-day event with free transportation. On Sunday, from noon to 9 p.m., there will be a bus leaving the Carrboro Plaza Park and Ride Parking lot every 10 to 15 minutes. Parking will be free for all who park in Carrboro Plaza Park and Ride for the festival.

The music festival will also provide a coupon book to all shuttle riders that board at the Park and Ride, which will include discounts for several Carrboro businesses. The coupon books will only be distributed at the Park and Ride and will only be valid on Sunday.

“It’s probably the nicest, mellowest, family-friendly event that happens around here,” Dennis said. “We hope to have a big crowd.”

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