It’s time to end Carrboro’s musical domination over Chapel Hill.
Franklin Street has taken a backseat to the thriving arts scene of downtown Carrboro, and the Carrboro Music Festival is a big reason why. Chapel Hill needs similar attractions if we’re going to compete with the hipsters next door. While downtown events like this weekend’s Festifall are a good start, the town needs more events geared specifically toward music.
The Carrboro Music Festival, which took place last weekend, is a joint project of Carrboro’s Recreation and Parks Department and the Carrboro Music Festival Planning Committee. The weekend festival attracts artists of all genres from the area to perform in a blocked-off segment of downtown Carrboro. The 2013 estimated attendance was 10,000. Also, it was free.
One can imagine the incredible success such a festival would have on Franklin Street. Though the logistics of a festival would be intricate, if Carrboro can figure it out, then surely we stand a chance.
Franklin Street already contains a vibrant, well-frequented bar and restaurant scene.
The street is closed every year for Halloween, so blocking it off would not be unprecedented.
If comparably meager Weaver Street in Carrboro can earn the title of a “mini-Bourbon Street” from the Chapel Hill News, how much more sensational could a Franklin Street festival be?
One would be hard-pressed to find a more suitable location. Franklin Street seems poised to take on a music festival. It would offer yet another potential outlet for supremacy in a healthy Carrboro vs. Chapel Hill rivalry.
Chapel Hill should not be complacent in the face of such an opportunity. Franklin Street is ready, are you?
