The Chapel Hill Insider has been going for a little over three years. Somewhere in the last year I noticed I kept bending it south: a Chatham Park story here, a Pittsboro breakfast there. At some point you stop leaning and start a second newsletter.

The moment it clicked was the 79°West breakfast in August, where I sat in a room of Chatham business owners and felt something I couldn't ignore: the energy, community, and connection. Then earlier this month I sat through the State of Chatham breakfast and left with a notebook full of what's coming here. And new and old connections to individuals and organizations that have stories that need to be shared.

So here's the deal. Every Friday you'll get the news that affects Chatham County in plain language, a feature on a neighbor worth knowing, and the calendar for the next two weeks. No press-release voice. No "Triangle area" filler. If it isn't Pittsboro, Siler City, Goldston, Moncure, Bynum, Chatham Park, anywhere else in Chatham County, or directly affecting the people who live here, it isn't in here.

Hit reply and tell me what you want to see.

Until next time,
Elana Etten
Editor
The Pittsboro Post

The 76th Annual Chatham County Agricultural & Industrial Fair runs Thursday, Sept 17 through Sunday, Sept 20 at the Chatham County Fairgrounds in Pittsboro. Four days of livestock exhibits, agricultural displays and competitions, rides, games, vendors, talent showcases, music, and the fair food you spend the rest of the year thinking about. It is the closest thing Chatham has to a family reunion with a Ferris wheel.

Chris Ehrenfeld, owner and CEO of BOLD Companies, has bought Chatham Mills from Tom Roberts, who acquired the 1925 textile mill when it closed in 1997 and spent nearly three decades turning it into the retail center it is today. At its peak, the mill was the largest woven clothing label manufacturer in the world. Today it's home to Chatham Marketplace, the grocery co-op that has anchored the property for 20 years, plus The Sycamore, 39 West Catering, Forest Hall, Deep Water Jujitsu, Magnolia Roots salon suites, Chatham Social Dance, and Xyzagen's headquarters. Ehrenfeld says his first goal is to preserve what's there and fill about 25,000 square feet of vacant space; longer term, he plans to develop more of the 32 acres, half a mile north of the circle. He lives in the county and has served as chair of the Chatham EDC, the Chatham Education Foundation, and the CCCC Foundation.

Pittsboro commissioners meet Monday, Sept 14, at 6 p.m. at the Ag Center (1192 US 64 Business West), and the agenda is the biggest of the year. The headline is a new Town Hall at 204 J.A. Farrell Street, now estimated at $12.63 million all-in: $10.9 million for construction, plus furnishings, AV for a 100-seat boardroom, demolition of the existing building, and a $500,000 contingency. Monday's vote would approve the schedule and schematic design, not the financing; demolition would start in November, construction in July 2027, and move-in near the end of 2028.

Also on the agenda: $38,000 for a six-month Downtown Master Plan and parking study, a coordinated Economic Development Strategic Plan, a possible partnership with NC IDEA called Scale Chatham to support local entrepreneurs, Chatham Park's annual report, the Robeson Creek Master Plan, and downtown rules that would keep out electronic gaming, flea markets, pawn shops, and shooting galleries while allowing tattoo studios in the outer C-2 sections. Public comment requires registering with the town clerk beforehand. The meeting streams on the town's YouTube channel.

Chatham County Schools students outperformed their peers statewide in the 2025–26 accountability results released this month. Across 11,915 state assessments, 66.1% of students scored grade-level proficient against 59.2% statewide, and the four-year graduation rate climbed to 92.3% against North Carolina's 88.8%. Eleven schools exceeded expected growth, and Seaforth High and Chatham Early College earned "A" performance grades. Three campuses did not meet expectations: Chatham Middle, Margaret B. Pollard Middle, and ONE Academy. The State of Chatham data, drawing on the prior year, also ranks Chatham sixth among all North Carolina districts in the share of high schoolers taking AP exams.

Records obtained by the Triangle Business Journal show state officials spent much of 2024 questioning whether VinFast had the money and commitment to build its promised 7,500-job plant at the Triangle Innovation Point site near Moncure. The state sued the automaker this spring seeking to exercise its contractual right to reacquire the site, and Chatham County voted in July to terminate its roughly $400 million incentives agreement. County officials say none of those incentives had been paid out. What happens to the land if the state succeeds in reclaiming it is the question to watch.

Two residential developments totaling 657 proposed lots across roughly 522 acres went before the Chatham County Planning Board on Sept 1: the 574-lot Fearrington Preserve on 365 acres, and the 83-lot Floresta Springs on about 157 acres off Elmer Keck Road. The board also took up a request to rezone roughly 372 acres from R-1 Residential to Conditional District Compact Community for the Fearrington project. Floresta Springs is a second attempt. An earlier version called for 120 lots and was withdrawn. If you want to know what Chatham will look like in ten years, watch the planning board.

The town started asphalt repairs the week of Sept 8 on Lindsey St, Millbrook Dr, Cobble Ridge Dr, May Farm Rd, Knobhill Ln, Chatham Forest Dr, and N Masonic St. About two weeks of work, lane closures, minor delays.

Three local governments are taking applications for citizen boards right now, and the deadlines are stacked. Siler City closes today at 5 p.m. Chatham County's advisory committee applications close Friday, Sept 18, with some vacancies tied to specific commissioner districts. The Town of Pittsboro is seeking one Extraterritorial Jurisdiction seat on its Planning Board through Wednesday, Sept 23. It's the lowest-barrier way to have a say in how this county grows.

Thursdays Sept 17, 24 Pittsboro Farmers Market | Pittsboro's Pop-Up Park | 3:00–6:00 p.m. | Year-round, everything from within 50 miles. Celebrity Dairy, In Good Heart Farm, Vortex Roasters. | visitpittsboro.com

Fridays Sept 11, 18, 25 Briar Chapel Farmers Market | The Green at Great Meadow Park | 4:00–6:00 p.m. | Small, friendly, and right at the end of the workweek. | visitpittsboro.com

Saturdays, Sept 12, 19 Chatham Mills Farmers Market | Front lawn and parking lot, Chatham Mills | 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Growers only. | visitpittsboro.com

Tuesdays, Sept 15, 22 Fearrington Farmers Market | Fearrington Village | 4:00–6:00 p.m. | Producers only. | visitpittsboro.com

Wednesdays, Sept 16, 23 Growers & Makers Market | 420 East 3rd Street, Siler City | 4:00–7:00 p.m. | Rain or shine. | visitpittsboro.com

Fri–Sat, Sept 11–12 28th Annual Flatwoods Festival | Bennett | Fri 5:00–8:00 p.m., Sat 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. | The Tri-County Ruritan Club's antique car, truck, and tractor parade, plus food, crafts, and live music. | visitpittsboro.com

Sun, Sept 13 19th Annual PepperFest | The Plant, 220 Lorax Ln, Pittsboro | 12:00–6:00 p.m. | The opening bell, a condiment competition, pepper talks, garden tours, a vendor market, and live music. Nineteen years of this. | visitpittsboro.com

Thu–Sat, Sept 17–19 Hoppin' John Fiddlers' Convention | Shakori Hills Community Arts Center | Old-time fiddle contests across a range of categories, three days of it. | shakorihills.org

Thu–Sun, Sept 17–20 76th Chatham County Agricultural & Industrial Fair | 191 Fairgrounds Road, Pittsboro | Thu 5:00–10:00 p.m., Fri 4:00–10:00 p.m., Sat 1:00–10:00 p.m., Sun 1:00–8:00 p.m. | Adults $6, kids 6–12 $4, under 5 free, disabled vets with ID free. Midway ride tickets $1.25, or a $25 wristband per session. Chatham County students get in free Thursday with a school ID. Opening ceremonies Thursday at 6:00 with the Sheriff's Department Honor Guard. Saturday brings the dance program, the Little Miss Chatham County Fair pageant, and the fashion show. | chathamcountyfairnc.com

Sat, Sept 12 Goldston Main Street Cruise In | Main Street, Goldston | 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. | Every second Saturday. Classics, hot rods, imports, race cars, anything with wheels. Grab a bite at Lizzie's or Rufus'. | visitpittsboro.com

Sat, Sept 19 Oktoberfest in Pittsboro | Carolina Brewery, Pittsboro | 12:00–8:00 p.m., live music at 4:00 | Beer tapping party, seasonal food, and a brat sandwich. | carolinabrewery.com

TODAY, Fri Sept 11 Deadline: Siler City Boards & Committees | Siler City Town Hall, 311 North Second Ave | 5:00 p.m. | The Board of Commissioners takes up appointments at its September meeting. Apply online or pick up a printed application. | silercity.gov

Mon, Sept 14 Pittsboro Board of Commissioners | Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center, 1192 U.S. 64 Business West | 6:00 p.m. | Town Hall, downtown plan, Chatham Park report. Register with the town clerk to speak. | pittsboronc.gov

Wed, Sept 16 Wake Up Wednesday | Carolina Brewery & Grill, 120 Lowes Dr, Ste 100, Pittsboro | 8:00–9:30 a.m. | Third Wednesday networking with breakfast, coffee, and a new guest speaker each month. $7 cash or $8 by card, and bring exact change if you can. | visitpittsboro.com

Fri, Sept 18 Deadline: Chatham County Advisory Committees | 5:00 p.m. | Several vacancies, some tied to specific commissioner districts. Apply online. | chathamcountync.gov

Wed, Sept 23 Deadline: Pittsboro Planning Board ETJ Seat | Town Hall, 287 East Street, Suite 221-A | 5:00 p.m. | One Extraterritorial Jurisdiction seat. Apply online or on paper. | pittsboronc.gov

Fri, Sept 25 Mental Health Matters | 79° West, Pittsboro | 8:00–9:15 a.m. | 79° West's monthly community conversation bringing practical mental health education to Pittsboro. | 79west.org

Thu, Sept 17 Healthy AI Use: Avoiding an Echo Chamber | 9:00–10:30 a.m. | How AI can shape opinions and decisions, how to spot confirmation bias in a chatbot, and how to use the tools without letting them agree with you all day. | chathamcountync.gov

Sat, Sept 19 NC History Between the Lines: A Home on the Field | Historic Chatham County Courthouse, 9 Hillsboro St., Pittsboro | 9:30 a.m. | The Historical Museum's monthly book club takes on Paul Cuadros's 2007 account of building a soccer program at Jordan-Matthews High School while Siler City was being reshaped by the poultry industry. Free, but sign up so they have a head count. | chathamhistory.org

Tue, Sept 22 Goldston America 250 Film Series | Goldston Public Library | 4:00–6:00 p.m. | Fourth Tuesday screenings through December marking the country's 250th. | chathamcountync.gov

Wed, Sept 23 Improv Theatre at The Plant | Fair Game Beverage Company Wheelhouse, 192 Lorax Ln, Pittsboro | 6:00–7:30 p.m. | Fourth Wednesday. Dan Sipp, Jane Allen Wilson, and Anoo Tree Brod build a show out of your suggestions. Free, donations appreciated, and the bar is open. | fairgamebeverage.com

Saturdays Come Out and Play Sculpture Show | 17-acre homestead | 12:00–8:00 p.m. | Twenty-fifth year. Dozens of artists, no participation fee, artists keep everything they sell. | visitpittsboro.com

Thursdays Storytime with Johanna Banana | McIntyre's Books, Fearrington Village | 10:30–11:30 a.m. | Toddlers and preschoolers, all ages welcome, free. | fearrington.com

Wed, Sept 23 Tiger Tales Tour | Carolina Tiger Rescue | 9:00–11:30 a.m. | Story time, an animal craft, and a tour. Built for a morning with a kid. | carolinatigerrescue.org

Fri–Sun Twilight Tours at Carolina Tiger Rescue | 5:00–8:00 p.m. | Adults 18+. You're the only visitors in the sanctuary. Runs through October. | carolinatigerrescue.org

See you next week,

The Pittsboro Post is supported by anchor sponsor Meri Lynch of Coldwell Banker HPW.