Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Chapel Hill is a town in North Carolina and the home of the University of North Carolina (UNC), the oldest state university in the United States. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 48,715.

Culture

As is typical of college towns, Chapel Hill has historically tended to be politically liberal. It is recognized for the quality of its school system, which it shares with Carrboro.

Related Topics:
Liberal - Carrboro

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There is a music scene that the town shares with Carrboro. Cat's Cradle in Carrboro is often rated as one of the best clubs in the country for live music. The Squirrel Nut Zippers, Superchunk, Archers of Loaf, James Taylor, and Ben Folds are among the notable musical acts whose careers began in Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill has also been a center for the modern revival of old-time music with such bands as the Hollow Rock String band, the Fuzzy Mountain String band and the acclaimed Red Clay Ramblers.

Related Topics:
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Superchunk - Archers of Loaf - James Taylor - Ben Folds - Old-time music - Red Clay Ramblers

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Morehead Planetarium was, when it opened in 1949, one of only a handful of planetariums in the nation, and it has remained an important town landmark. During the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, astronauts were trained there.

Related Topics:
Morehead Planetarium - Mercury - Gemini - Apollo program

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

UNC has been very successful at college basketball, and an obsession with the sport has been one of the most distinctive features of the town's culture, fueled by the rivalry among the area's three teams: the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Duke Blue Devils, and the NC State Wolfpack. More recently, the town has received regional notice as the site of a large annual Halloween street party, with an attendance regularly exceeding 70,000.

Related Topics:
Basketball - Duke - NC State - Halloween

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chapel Hill was home to the Carolina Courage of the Women's United Soccer Association for the league's inagural season. The Courage played at Fetzer Field on the UNC campus during the 2001 season while their permanent home, SAS Stadium in Cary, was being built.

Related Topics:
Carolina Courage - Women's United Soccer Association - Fetzer Field - SAS Stadium

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The town has also become one of the largest centers of improvisational comedy in the country, behind Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. Even younger groups such as Chapel Hill High School Improv have repeatedly succeeded in maintaining both a solid fan base and a reputation for keeping their creative integrity intact (i.e. - not making profanity or vulgarity the focus of their shows.)

Related Topics:
Improvisational comedy - Chicago - New York City - Los Angeles

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For more than thirty years Chapel Hill has sponsored two annual street fairs, Apple Chill in April and Festifall in October. The fairs offer booths to artists, craftsmen, nonprofits, and food vendors. Performance space is also available for musicians, martial artists and other groups. Both fairs are attended annually by tens of thousands.

Related Topics:
Street fairs - Nonprofits - Martial artists

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~