Finding Community at the Dentist's Office + AI and Your Taxes: Read This First + Your April Events Guide

A Chapel Hill mom's honest account of finding a pediatric practice that got it right — on the very first visit.

Let's just say dental visits have been a challenge for us. My son has special needs, and past experiences at other facilities left us handling his dental care at home for longer than I'd like to admit. But he's getting older, and I knew we couldn't put this off any longer. We needed more than a cleaning — we needed a dental home. A practice that could grow with him long-term. Maybe even braces one day. And most importantly, a team that would meet him where he is.

I did my research. Read every Google review I could find. And something about Clifton & Mauney Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry on Vilcom Center Drive kept coming up — especially from other parents of kids with special needs. So we went.

Before we even walked through the door, I could tell this was going to be different. The office had followed up with us several times before the appointment — not just the standard confirmation texts, but real communication. They asked about my son. They wanted to know about his needs. And they clearly did something with that information, because when we arrived, they were ready.

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April 9-23

Thu, Apr 9 Willy Tea Taylor w/ Jodi Jones | Cat's Cradle Back Room, 300 E. Main St., Carrboro | Seated show | Doors 7pm, Show 8pm | Americana storytelling done right | catscradle.com

Fri, Apr 10 Billie Marten w/ Squirrel Flower | Cat's Cradle | Doors 7pm, Show 8pm | Dreamy indie-folk double bill — two artists who write songs that feel like quiet confessions | catscradle.com

Fri, Apr 10 Wild Party w/ Pretoria | Cat's Cradle Back Room | Doors 7pm, Show 8pm | catscradle.com

Sat, Apr 11 2nd Annual Study Hall Music Fest | Cat's Cradle Back Room | Doors 5pm, Show 6pm | catscradle.com

Sun, Apr 12 Field Medic | Cat's Cradle Back Room | Doors 7pm, Show 8pm | catscradle.com

Tue, Apr 14 Sarah Kinsley w/ Charlie Burg | Cat's Cradle | Doors 7pm, Show 8pm | catscradle.com

Wed, Apr 15 Kishi Bashi w/ Bayonne | Cat's Cradle | Doors 7pm, Show 8pm | Violin loops, orchestral indie pop, and a live show that earns every minute | catscradle.com

Sat, Apr 18 Eliza McLamb | Cat's Cradle | Doors 7pm, Show 8pm | catscradle.com

Mon, Apr 20 The Moss w/ Hotel Fiction | Cat's Cradle | Doors 7pm, Show 8pm | catscradle.com

Thu, Apr 23 Easy Honey / Homemade Haircuts | Cat's Cradle Back Room | Doors 7pm, Show 8pm | catscradle.com

Wed, Apr 8 – Sun, Apr 26 Steel Magnolias | PlayMakers Repertory Company, Paul Green Theatre, UNC Campus | Six sassy southern women, a beauty salon, and two and a half hours of laughing and crying in equal measure. Starring Emmy-nominated Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue, Shameless) and Beth Grant (The Mindy Project, Little Miss Sunshine). This one's a hot ticket — get in before it closes. | playmakersrep.org

Thu–Sun, Apr 9–12 The Price by Arthur Miller | The ArtsCenter, 400 Roberson St., Carrboro | Presented by Redbird Theater Co. | Thu–Sat at 7:30pm, Sun at 3:30pm | $30 | Miller at his best — two brothers, a lifetime of choices, and a house full of furniture nobody wants. | artscenterlive.org

Fri, Apr 10 2nd Friday Art Walk | Downtown Carrboro & Chapel Hill | 6–9pm | Free | Galleries, studios, and pop-ups open their doors across both towns. A great excuse to wander. | visitchapelhill.org/events

Ongoing through Apr 27 "Down to Earth" Exhibition | The ArtsCenter, 400 Roberson St., Carrboro | Art made from recycled, natural, or sustainable materials exploring environment and climate. Free. | artscenterlive.org

Sat & Sun, Apr 11–12 Savannah Bananas vs. Texas Tailgaters | Kenan Memorial Stadium | 7pm both nights | The Bananas' first-ever Chapel Hill appearance — Banana Ball, dance-offs, and controlled chaos under a Carolina sky. Downtown is rolling out the yellow welcome mat with fan specials at local restaurants. Shuttle service available from Park & Ride lots ($10 round-trip). | visitchapelhill.org

Fri & Sat, Apr 10–11 Tarheel Antiques Festival | Barn at Lloyd's Dairy (I-40 & I-85) | Antique vendors, auctions, and appraisals. $7 weekend pass. | visitchapelhill.org/events/annual-events

Sat, Apr 11 UNC Science Expo | Morehead Planetarium & Science Center, UNC Campus | 11am–4pm | Free | 100+ hands-on activities and science demos. Part of the NC Science Festival. Great for curious kids of any age. | moreheadplanetarium.org

Sat, Apr 11 EGGstreme Spring Fling | CCCC Pittsboro Campus | 10am–1pm | Free | Egg hunts by age group, bounce house, crafts, food trucks, glitter tattoos, and the Spring Bunny. Rain date: Sunday, April 12. | chathamcountync.gov

Sat, Apr 11 Puppy Yoga with Paws4Ever | 437 Dimmocks Mill Rd, Hillsborough | 2pm | Yoga. With puppies. That's the whole pitch. | eventbrite.com

Wed, Apr 9 Games Night at Bru's | Bru's, Carrboro | 5:30pm | Free | Low-stakes games, no networking scripts — just a chance to meet new people and connect naturally. Come solo or bring a friend. Registration encouraged. | Register here

Sat, Apr 11 Revolutionary War Living History Day | Alexander Dickson House, 150 E. King St., Hillsborough | 10am–4pm | Live reenactments, dancers, historic tours. Family-friendly and free. | visithillsboroughnc.com

Mon, Apr 14 Greene Tract Design Workshop | Morris Grove Elementary, 215 Eubanks Rd, Chapel Hill | 2–5pm | Carrboro is inviting the public to help shape the future of the Greene Tract — undeveloped land owned jointly by Orange County, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro near the Rogers Road neighborhood. If you care about affordable housing and community development, this is where the conversation is happening. | chapelboro.com

Sun, Apr 19 Carrboro Day | Town Hall, Town Commons & Weaver Street | Noon–4pm | Free | The annual celebration of everything that makes Carrboro, Carrboro — live music, Latin dance, good people. Honey Magpie, One after 919, and Wake Moody performing. | carrboronc.gov

🧓 Senior Center

Fri & Sat, Apr 10–11 Google Docs & Google Drive | Seymour Senior Center, 2551 Homestead Rd, Chapel Hill | 1–3pm | $10 | Two sessions covering document creation, sharing, and cloud storage. Call (919) 968-2070 to enroll.

Next weekend, the Savannah Bananas will play their first-ever games at UNC's Kenan Stadium — and Chapel Hill is going all in. The viral baseball entertainment team takes on the Texas Tailgaters on April 11 and 12 as part of their 2026 Banana Ball World Tour. If you've never seen Banana Ball, think baseball meets improv comedy meets a dance party. The team has a sellout streak dating back to 2016, and downtown Chapel Hill is rolling out the yellow welcome mat with fan specials at local restaurants. Chapel Hill Transit is running Tar Heel Express shuttles from Park & Ride lots ($10 round-trip). Parking on Stadium Drive closes starting April 9, so plan accordingly. Chapel Hill Welcomes the Savannah Bananas | UNC's Kenan Stadium

CHCCS FACING HARD CHOICES — AND A PACKED BUDGET MEETING

If you have kids in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, this week is one to pay close attention to. The school board is holding a public budget hearing Thursday, April 9 — and on the table is a proposal to cut 23 staff positions to address a financial crunch that's been building for months. This isn't happening in isolation. It's layered on top of the ongoing school consolidation conversation that has already put families on edge — the potential closure of five elementary schools, including Ephesus, Estes Hills, Frank Porter Graham, Glenwood, and Seawell. Together, these decisions are shaping what CHCCS looks like for years to come. If you have a stake in the outcome — and most of us do — this is the moment to show up, speak up, or at minimum know what's being decided in your community's name.

CARRBURRITOS IS COMING — AND ELMO'S IS OFFICIALLY HISTORY

For a certain generation of Carrboro residents, Elmo's Diner was a rite of passage — the kind of place you took out-of-towners, celebrated birthdays, and lingered over breakfast long after the check came. It closed. Then the space became Grata. Then Grata closed. And now, Carrburritos — a popular local burrito spot with a devoted following — is taking over the West Main Street location. For Elmo's faithful, it's another chapter in a longer goodbye. For Carrburritos fans, it's a legitimately great location in the heart of downtown Carrboro. Either way, that beloved corner is finally getting some life back in it, and that's worth knowing — especially if you're planning a Carrboro night out in the next few weeks.

THE SENATE SEAT SHUFFLE: GRAIG MEYER'S REPLACEMENT IS CHOSEN

Graig Meyer has been one of the most recognizable names in Orange County politics for years — a familiar presence in conversations about education, transit, and local government. With his departure from the NC Senate, the question of who fills that seat matters to a lot of people in this community. The Orange County Democratic Party has answered that question: Jonah Garson has been selected through the party's internal nomination process to carry the district forward. He wasn't chosen by a primary vote — this was a committee decision, which means some voters are only now learning his name. As the 2026 election cycle heats up, Garson is the name to watch for anyone paying attention to who represents this area at the state level.

CHAPEL HILL IS TRADING FIREWORKS FOR DRONES ON THE FOURTH

If you've ever stood on Franklin Street on the Fourth of July next to a dog who's absolutely losing it, or held a noise-sensitive child through thirty minutes of booming overhead, you might actually welcome this news: Chapel Hill has announced it's replacing traditional fireworks with a drone show this year. The move is part of a broader national trend — drones offer precision choreography, no fire risk, and dramatically less noise. Some people are already mourning the fireworks. Others are quietly relieved. Whatever your feelings, the night sky over Chapel Hill on July 4th is going to look a little different in 2026, and it's worth knowing before you make your plans.

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