North Carolina's Orange County may not have the reputation that California’s boasts, but now, it’s making a name for itself as home to one of the country’s coolest little towns.
Hillsborough has been nominated for Budget Travel Magazine’s Coolest Small Town in America. Out of hundreds of towns nominated by their residents and fans, Hillsborough ended the first round of the contest with the highest number of votes at 6,492, and is now a finalist in the last round with 14 other towns.
Budget Travel chose 15 towns with populations fewer than 10,000 to be in the running for the title. It says the winner should have a “certain something that no place else has,” and Hillsborough locals think the town has it.
Hillsborough residents cite several reasons for its nomination as the coolest small town — its thriving literary and art scene, rich history, and local food and businesses being among them.
The town’s culture of creating and sharing art and literature can be seen in its community events, many of which are hosted by the Hillsborough Arts Council. Events like the Last Fridays Art Walk in historic downtown provide artists with a space to showcase and sell their work and interact with the community, said arts council chairman Neil Stutzer. Some businesses open their doors for receptions on Last Fridays to give artists an opportunity to gain support and encouragement from community members and visitors in a social setting.
In 2014, the Wall Street Journal featured Hillsborough as “America’s Little Literary Town” because of its high concentration of nationally renowned novelists and TV writers, pointing to the town’s quietude as a factor in its appeal to these authors — but commenters on Budget Travel’s contest page say that Hillsborough is “anything but sleepy.”
Other events that contribute to Hillsborough’s art culture include the Handmade Puppet Parade and the Parlor concert series, where small-scale musicians perform in historic houses on weekends.
Many Revolutionary War and Civil War-era buildings now serve the community as visitor’s centers, churches, historical sites and venues. William Hooper, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was even buried in the town. Artist and Hillsborough Gallery of Arts co-owner Michele Yellin said she always highly recommends that visitors see the historic locations, but that they also check out local restaurants, businesses, hikes and walks.
“It’s a vital, thoughtful, creative community, and the town committee is very concerned with keeping the small-town appeal going, which is awesome,” Yellin said.
