In this Chapel Hill Insider Issue…

⛅Chapel Hill Local Weather- High 62^o and Sunny☀️☀️☀️

📝Personal Note from the Editor on Autism Awareness Month

🎭Shakespeare in a Senior Home: Carrboro Theatre Revives a Classic with a Twist

📰Playa Bowls to Bring a Splash of Healthy Eating to Franklin Street This Summer

📰Words Take Root: Chapel Hill's Floraffiti Project Blooms with Messages of Hope

📰Animals and Plants Under the Celestial Spotlight: A Study of Solar Eclipse Effects

📢 We Want to Spotlight Local Businesses! Want Your Business to Be in Focus? Apply Here!

🗓️Upcoming Events (Updated)

A Personal Note from the Editor: Autism Awareness — A Mother’s Perspective

by Elana Etten

As we find ourselves in Autism Awareness Month, I'm drawn to reflect on a journey that's both deeply personal and universally challenging—the quest to bridge the gap of understanding between the neurotypical world and the beautifully complex spectrum of autism. As a neurotypical mother, my pathway to comprehending the world through my son's eyes has been paved with lessons on empathy, communication, and the vibrant tapestry of human neurodiversity.

Shakespeare in a Senior Home: Carrboro Theatre Revives a Classic with a Twist

In a refreshing twist on a timeless classic, Stone Soup Theatre Company breathes new life into Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" by setting the tale in a modern care facility, starring elder residents as the iconic lovers. This innovative adaptation retains the original's eloquent language while presenting the lovers' quest for autonomy and affection against the backdrop of their unique environment. The performance, which is designed to engage and captivate audiences with its 90-minute runtime and an intermission, aims to explore themes of love, age, and resilience.

Stone Soup Theatre Company, a community-based nonprofit dedicated to fostering the performing arts within the Durham and Chapel Hill areas, is proud to announce its return to the Center Theater in Carrboro, NC, for this special production. Scheduled to enchant audiences on April 5-7, 10-14, this adaptation promises a memorable experience that reinterprets the well-known narrative through an unexpected lens. For those interested in witnessing this creative endeavor, ticket details are available on the theatre company's website.

Playa Bowls to Bring a Splash of Healthy Eating to Franklin Street This Summer

Franklin Street in Chapel Hill is set to welcome Playa Bowls, a chain specializing in açaí bowls, beneath the Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery. Taking over a space vacant for over two years, this location will also see Starbucks moving in as a neighbor. Aimed at offering healthy dining options like smoothies, juices, and various bowls, Playa Bowls is targeted towards college students and the local community. The space will feature a lounge area and seating for about 15 people. Founded by surfers inspired by their travels, Playa Bowls emphasizes environmental sustainability in its operations. The community has mixed reactions, but the addition is part of a broader effort to rejuvenate downtown Chapel Hill.

Words Take Root: Chapel Hill's Floraffiti Project Blooms with Messages of Hope

Launched in early March, Floraffiti sows seeds to form meaningful words like "choice," "aware," and "safe" in various public spaces. This unique blend of botany and language serves as a creative medium to spark curiosity and dialogue about environmental justice. Founded in 2013 by Carter Hubbard and supported by local entities, Floraffiti has evolved into a significant cultural initiative.

This year, the project collaborates with local poets Cortland Gilliam and Liza Wolff-Francis to host poetry workshops focused on environmental justice themes. Participants' writings inspire the words chosen for planting, making the project deeply rooted in community expression. Accompanying the verdant words, QR codes allow passersby to hear poems read by their creators, further enriching the experience.

Floraffiti aims to make the concept of environmental justice more approachable, emphasizing the disproportionate effects of climate change on marginalized communities.

Animals and Plants Under the Celestial Spotlight: A Study of Solar Eclipse Effects

As the total solar eclipse scheduled for April 8 approaches, researchers and animal behavior specialists are gearing up to study its effects on wildlife and plant life. This celestial event, while brief, offers a unique opportunity to observe changes in natural behaviors that occur in response to the sudden shift from daylight to darkness and back.

The eclipse's impact is expected to be significant, prompting both plants and animals to exhibit behaviors typically associated with nighttime. For instance, as the eclipse nears totality, birds may gather or quiet down, and farm animals could head back to their shelters, mistaking the darkening sky for nightfall. Similarly, bees have been observed to halt their buzzing and return to hives, showing signs of disorientation with the return of sunlight.

Researchers have noted that even nocturnal animals like crickets and spiders adjust their activities, with crickets beginning to chirp and spiders engaging in web maintenance, activities usually reserved for the night. Moreover, certain species, like the Galapagos tortoise, have displayed unusual behaviors during past eclipses, such as increased mating activity.

Health on the Block

Location: Hargraves Community Center, 216 North Roberson St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Dates: April 6, 2024 Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Price: Free

There will be free health screenings including dental screenings, blood pressure checks, and food, games, and prizes for all! Registration is not required. Just show up!

Revolutionary War Living History Day

Hillsborough Visitor Center 150 E King, Hillsborough

Every year, the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough invites the public to experience the local history of the American Revolution with a day of family-friendly events. With live reenactors. Click here for more information.

Carrboro Open Streets

Downtown Carrboro, 101 East Weaver St, Carrboro, NC

Date: April 7, 2024 Time: 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Price: Free

Solar Eclipse Party

Morehead Planetarium & Science Center, 250 East Franklin St, Chapel Hill

Date: April 8, 2024 Time: 12:30 PM to 4:45 PM

Great Streets Workshop: Downtown Public Right-of-Way Plan

Downtown Chapel Hill, The Junction,136 East Rosemary St, Chapel Hill

Date: April 9, 2024 Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Click Here for Details and Parking Information

Film for Autism Awareness Month:

The Reason I Jump

Date: Saturday, April 6th , 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Where: Chapel Hill Library, Meeting Room B

 Unleash Your Creativity: No Shame Theatre

No Shame Theatre makes its return to Carrboro on Sunday, April 7th, offering a platform for anyone to perform original five-minute pieces in a variety of formats. The event, free to attend but open for donations, takes place at the Carrboro Century Center, starting at 4 pm. Performers can sign up an hour before the show, and all are welcome to either showcase their talents or enjoy the performances. Profits from donations will support a local charity, making the event a celebration of creativity and community support.

April 6, 2024

Cat’s Cradle

Tupelo Crush @ Speakeasy

Location: Speakeasy 113 W Carr St, Carrboro, NC 27510-2248

Date: April 6, 2024 Time: 9:00 PM

Clef Hanger's Spring Concert

Memorial Hall, 114 East Cameron Ave, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Dates: April 6, 2024 Time: 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Planning Ahead…