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THE CHAPEL HILL INSIDER
FROM THE INSIDE…
Inside This Issue: Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro is one of the only accredited big cat sanctuaries in the country — and they just completed their first-ever international rescue. Meri Lynch is back with Market Watch, and this month she's taking you to Chatham County where the median home price just jumped 10% in a single month (and yes, Disney is really building there).UNC parts ways with Hubert Davis after a gut-punch first-round exit, while the women’s team keeps dancing into the Sweet 16. Plus: Chapel Hill Community Center closes for renovations, the community remembers Mae McClendon, “No Kings” marches into town Saturday, and your packed two-week events guide.
LET’S STEP INSIDE →
Feature Story
There Are Tigers in Pittsboro. No, Seriously.
Okay, real talk — how long have you lived in the Triangle and not known there's a tiger sanctuary twenty minutes from Chapel Hill?
Because same.
Carolina Tiger Rescue is tucked away on Hanks Chapel Road in Pittsboro, and it is not a zoo. It's a fully accredited wildlife sanctuary — one of the only big cat sanctuaries in the country recognized by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries — and it's been quietly doing incredible rescue and conservation work right in our backyard since 1986. We're talking tigers, lions, cougars, caracals, servals, bobcats, and even kinkajous. These animals were rescued from roadside zoos, private owners, traveling circuses, and situations where they had no business being in the first place. Now they live in large outdoor enclosures with proper care, enrichment, and dignity.
And they just pulled off something historic. In January, Carolina Tiger Rescue completed Operation Sanctuary — their first-ever international rescue, bringing five tigers all the way from Honduras to Pittsboro. The effort was a collaboration with Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and Little French Key, involving custom transport crates, international permits, and veterinary oversight across thousands of miles. The sanctuary is raising $100,000 to cover the costs of transport, veterinary care, and the lifelong care of the five new residents.
The community also recently mourned the loss of Naveen, a beloved tiger who passed in February after a brief illness that involved brain damage from what veterinarians described as a non-infectious inflammatory response. If you've ever taken a tour, you may have met him along the path.
And yes — you can visit. Public guided tours run every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday year-round. It's a half-mile walk through the sanctuary with trained volunteer guides who introduce you to the animals by name and share their individual rescue stories. Tours run about an hour and a half to two hours, and all ages are welcome — but you need to book tickets in advance. No walk-ins.
For the grown-ups: Twilight Tours are running now through October on weekend evenings. Adults only — the sanctuary is closed to everyone else, and you get the whole place to yourselves at dusk, which happens to be when the big cats are most active. If a lion decides to serenade your group? That's just your Friday night now. Tickets are $32 per person, and they sell out.
Got little ones? Tiger Tales Tours are designed for kids ages 2–9 with storytime, a craft, and an up-close meet with the cats. They also sell out fast.
And here's a fun footnote: comedian Marc Maron recently appeared on Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and chose Carolina Tiger Rescue as his charity. So the secret is officially getting out.
If you're looking for a family outing that's not another trip to Target, or a unique date night that doesn't involve a reservation on Franklin Street — this is it. Pack some snacks, make a day of it, and swing through downtown Pittsboro afterward for dinner. You won't regret it.
Carolina Tiger Rescue 1940 Hanks Chapel Rd, Pittsboro, NC (919) 542-4684 carolinatigerrescue.org Tickets required in advance — book early, they sell out.
From Last Week
Market Watch with Meri Lynch
Your monthly Chapel Hill & Chatham County real estate check-in
If you haven't driven down to Pittsboro in a while, you might want to sit down for this. This month Meri breaks down:
Meri Lynch, REALTOR with Coldwell Banker, HPW
The big number: Chatham County's median sales price just hit $688,685 — up 10% in one month
Why homes are selling faster than last year even with more inventory
Chatham Park's newest phase and what 22,000 residential units means for Pittsboro
Yes, Disney. In Pittsboro. What Asteria means for our market
How all of this Chatham County growth is quietly affecting Chapel Hill homeowners
When to start having "the conversation" if you're thinking about selling
Questions? Reach out to Meri Lynch at https://merilynch.hpw.com/
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Upcoming Events
🎉 LOCAL EVENTS THIS WEEK
March 26–April 8 + Looking Ahead
🎵 Live Music
Friday, March 27 Live Music at Cat's Cradle | 300 E. Main St., Carrboro | Doors 6 PM, Show 7 PM | Rescheduled from January | catscradle.com Live Music at Cat's Cradle Back Room | Doors 7 PM, Show 8 PM | catscradle.com
Saturday, March 28 Live Music at Cat's Cradle Back Room | Doors 7 PM, Show 8 PM | SOLD OUT | catscradle.com
Monday, March 30 Madison Cunningham w/ Annika Bennett | Cat's Cradle | Doors 7 PM, Show 8 PM | Tickets from $43 | Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter. If you haven't heard her yet, fix that before the show. | catscradle.com
Tuesday, March 31 Indigo De Souza | Cat's Cradle | Doors 7 PM, Show 8 PM | Asheville-born indie rock. This one's going to be special. | catscradle.com
Friday, April 3 Remember Sports and Youbet | Cat's Cradle | Doors 7 PM, Show 8 PM | catscradle.com
Friday, April 10 Billie Marten | Cat's Cradle | Doors 7 PM, Show 8 PM | catscradle.com
🎭 Theater & Arts
Wednesday, April 8 – through April 26 Steel Magnolias at PlayMakers | Paul Green Theatre, UNC Campus | PlayMakers Repertory Company's production featuring Emmy-nominated Sharon Lawrence ("NYPD Blue," "Shameless") and Beth Grant ("The Mindy Project," "Little Miss Sunshine"). This is going to be a hot ticket. | playmakersrep.org
Thursday–Sunday, April 9–12 The Price by Arthur Miller | The ArtsCenter, 400 Roberson St., Carrboro | Presented by Redbird Theater Co. | April 9–11 at 7:30 PM, April 12 at 3:30 PM | $30 | artscenterlive.org
Friday, April 10 2nd Friday Artwalk | Carrboro & Chapel Hill | 6–9 PM | Free | Galleries, studios, and pop-ups open their doors across both towns. Always worth the stroll.
Ongoing through April 27 "Down to Earth" Exhibition | The ArtsCenter, 400 Roberson St., Carrboro | Art made from recycled, natural, or sustainable materials themed around the environment, climate, and sustainability | Free | artscenterlive.org
👨👩👧👦 Family & Kids
Saturday, April 11 UNC Science Expo | Morehead Planetarium & Science Center, UNC Campus | 11 AM – 4 PM | Free | 100+ hands-on activities and science demos. Great for families. Part of the NC Science Festival. | moreheadplanetarium.org
Saturday, March 28 Carrboro Egg Hunts | Town of Carrboro | Grab a basket and join the hunt! Two hunts happening Saturday. Check carrboronc.gov for times and locations.
Ongoing: Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays Carolina Tiger Rescue Tours | 1940 Hanks Chapel Rd, Pittsboro | Various times | Advance tickets required | Tiger Tales Tours for kids ages 2–9 with storytime and crafts. Plus Twilight Tours for adults only (weekends through October, $32/person). | carolinatigerrescue.org
Ongoing: Fridays–Sundays Morehead Planetarium & Science Center | 250 E. Franklin St., UNC Campus | Fri 2:30–6 PM, Sat 10 AM–6 PM, Sun 1–6 PM | Planetarium shows and exhibits for all ages | moreheadplanetarium.org
🏛️ Community & Civic
Saturday, March 28 "No Kings" March & Rally | 140 West Plaza → Carrboro Town Commons | Gather 3:45 PM, Rally 5:00 PM | Free | Organized by Indivisible Orange County. Expecting 5,000+ participants. Nonviolent and family-friendly. | nokings.org
Saturday, March 28 Earth Hour in Carrboro | 8:30–9:30 PM | The Town Council has designated this hour for Carrboro to go dark in solidarity with the global energy awareness movement. Turn off the lights and sit on the porch for an hour.
Saturday, March 28 Spring Ag Fest | Chatham County | 10 AM – 3 PM | Celebrating local agriculture, forestry, and natural resources
🎓 Talks & Learning
Thursday, March 26 2026 Frank Porter Graham Lecture: Curing Sickle Cell and Other Investments in a Healthier World | UNC Campus | 5:30 PM | Free | unc.edu
Monday, April 7 Carolina Science Cafe: Science Under Pressure | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E. Main St., Carrboro | 6–7 PM | Free | UNC's Vice Chancellor for Research on what's at stake for federally funded science. Light appetizers provided. Drinks available for purchase. Hosted by Morehead Planetarium. | moreheadplanetarium.org
🧓 Senior Center
Wednesday & Thursday, April 1–2 Introduction to iPad | Seymour Senior Center, 2551 Homestead Rd, Chapel Hill | 1–3 PM | $10 | Learn email, Siri, the App Store and more. Call (919) 968-2070 to enroll.
Friday & Saturday, April 10–11 Google Docs & Google Drive | Seymour Senior Center | 1–3 PM | $10 | Two sessions covering document creation, sharing, and cloud storage. Call (919) 968-2070 to enroll.
⚠️ HEADS UP
Chapel Hill Community Center is closed starting March 23 for HVAC replacement. Expected to reopen in May. Plan accordingly if you use the facility for fitness, programs, or meetings.
Town offices and services in Carrboro will be closed Friday, April 3 for the Good Friday holiday.
How would you like the Events Section to be organized
Local Stories
FROM AROUND TOWN
📰 LOCAL NEWS
From Around Town
UNC Parts Ways with Hubert Davis
It's the end of an era on the Tar Heel sideline. UNC fired head men's basketball coach Hubert Davis this week after five seasons and a 125-54 record. The move came five days after the Tar Heels blew a 19-point second-half lead to VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament — a collapse that was as painful to watch as you'd expect. Davis, who took UNC to the national championship game in his first season and won the program's first ACC Tournament title in seven years, leaves behind a complicated legacy: undeniable highs, inconsistent stretches, and a fan base that respects the man even if the results weren't enough. No word yet on the search for his replacement, but expect this to move fast.
UNC Women's Basketball Heads to the Sweet 16
While the men's season ended in heartbreak, the Tar Heel women kept the tournament run alive. The No. 4 seed UNC women's basketball team defeated No. 5 Maryland 74-66 to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16. It's been a strong season for this program, and the postseason momentum is real. Keep an eye on this team.
Chapel Hill Community Center Closes for HVAC Replacement
Heads up if the Community Center is part of your routine: it closed this week (starting Monday, March 23) for a full HVAC system replacement. The Town expects it to reopen in May. Plan accordingly if you use the facility for fitness, programs, or meetings.
Carrboro Remembers Mae McClendon
The Carrboro community is mourning the passing of Mae McClendon, a beloved community leader whose decades of impact were recognized by Mayor Barbara Foushee on 97.9 The Hill last week. McClendon's life and legacy were described as foundational to Carrboro — the kind of person whose influence runs so deep, you feel it even if you never knew her name.
Chapel Hill Insider is your weekly guide to the people, places, and stories that make our community special. Know someone we should feature? Have a story tip? Reply to this email.
INsight from the INSIDER
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious." — Albert Einstein
Some weeks, the best discovery is something that was already here. Go find something new in your own backyard this weekend — whether that's a tiger sanctuary, a protest, or a quiet seat at a science cafe with a cold beer.
Chapel Hill Cartoon Map
Big news: Ed King's beloved hand-drawn Chapel Hill Cartoon Map is now available digitally! In partnership with the original artist, we've brought this charming map—capturing every quirky corner and beloved business in our town—into the digital age.
Click to view the map online!
Until next time,
Be in the know!