POSTED IN THIS ISSUE
Issue #4 · Friday, October 2, 2026
Inside This Issue: Yesterday, the Chatham Chamber loaded a bus at MOSAIC and spent the day showing off the county, from Carolina Tiger Rescue to the opening of Shakori Hills.
I was on it, and what I saw is the start of something new here: the Bus Tour series.
Meanwhile, Pittsboro is deciding what its new Town Hall should look like, the county spent two days on affordable housing, and Shakori Hills, Oktoberfest and First Sunday all land on the same weekend.
LET'S GET INTO THE POST →
FEATURE STORY
A Day on the #VisitChatham Bus Tour
I am still learning Chatham County. I have heard the names for months, but I had not been to any of them. So when The Chatham Chamber loaded a bus on Thursday morning, I took a seat.
By the time we returned at half past five, I had seen a 25-year-old orchid, stood a healthy distance from a tiger named Amir, tasted a fruitcake that dismantled everything I thought I knew about fruitcake, watched a pretty cool mayor greet us with red velvet cupcakes, and taken a melodious walk through the woods.
Nine stops. One county. Tigers, pottery, orchids, fruitcake, and a festival in the woods.
We want to thank Meri Lynch Realty for sponsoring this issue!
YOUR CHATHAM WEEKEND
🎶 SHAKORI HILLS GRASSROOTS FESTIVAL: THROUGH SUNDAY
Where: Shakori Hills Community Arts Center, 1439 Henderson Tanyard Road
Cost: At the gate, $205 for four days or $53–$76 for a single day. Chatham County residents get $5 off day tickets with proof of residence, and kids 12 and under are free with a parent or guardian.
The 22nd Fall GrassRoots Festival opened Thursday and runs through Sunday: four days of music, dance, art, camping, and workshops, from bluegrass to zydeco.
🥕 BRIAR CHAPEL FARMERS MARKET: TODAY
When: 4–6 p.m.
Where: Great Meadow Park, Briar Chapel
Fresh produce, pasture-raised meats, native plants, local honey, baked goods and prepared foods.
🥬 CHATHAM MILLS FARMERS MARKET: SATURDAY
When: 8 a.m.–noon
Where: Chatham Mills, Pittsboro
A growers-only market with produce, meats, eggs, baked goods, preserved foods, plants, handmade crafts and more.
🍰 SOUTHERN SUPREME HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: THROUGH SUNDAY
When: Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 1–5 p.m.
Where: 1699 Hoyt Scott Road, Bear Creek
The 2-pound fruitcake is 20 percent off in the showroom only, with a limit of 12.
🍺 OKTOBERFEST AT THE PLANT: SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
When: Noon–6 p.m.
Where: The Plant, Lorax Lane, Pittsboro
Cost: Free
Live music from accordionist Miles Hoyle, The Solutions and Perfectly Adequate, plus garden tours and a vendor market.
🎨 FIRST SUNDAY PITTSBORO: SUNDAY
When: Noon–4 p.m.
Where: Downtown Pittsboro Pop-Up Park, 50 W. Salisbury St., and along Hillsboro Street
Live music, food trucks, and dozens of artisans selling jewelry, art, textiles, woodwork and soaps.
COMING UP NEXT WEEK
🎭 ANCIENT ARTS FESTIVAL: OCT. 9–11
When: Friday 2–10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Where: Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center, 1192 U.S. 64 West Business
A tattoo and oddity expo with live tattooing, a tattoo contest, oddity and macabre art vendors, a masquerade costume contest, live music and food trucks. Paperhand Puppet Intervention is on the lineup, too.
🎪 GOLDSTON OLD FASHION DAY: SATURDAY, OCT. 10
When: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Downtown Goldston
Downtown Goldston's annual street festival.
AROUND TOWN
PITTSBORO'S NEW TOWN HALL IS TAKING SHAPE
At a special meeting Monday, Pittsboro commissioners leaned toward a more traditional look for the new Town Hall: a gabled roof, residential-scale materials and traditional details. They also asked for different colors, more brick, clearer signage, better pedestrian access and outdoor gathering space.
The building would be two stories and about 18,000 square feet, near Thompson Street and J.A. Farrell Street. Staff's preliminary construction estimate is about $10.9 million, and the full project estimate is $12.631 million. The goal is to finish by the end of 2028, when the town's lease at Main Street Station runs out.
The same meeting took up Robeson Creek Park, roughly 72 acres. Commissioners debated waiting until April to adopt its master plan, so another season of invasive-species removal can show more of what the land holds.
CHATHAM SPENT TWO DAYS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING
County commissioners held a two-day public retreat on affordable housing Monday and Tuesday at the Agriculture and Conference Center. The agenda covered the county's 2023 housing plan, gaps in housing services, and ideas for adding affordable homes.
For scale: the 2023 plan estimated that about 7,351 Chatham households, roughly a quarter, were spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing.
If your organization builds or preserves affordable housing, the county's Housing Trust Fund has $325,000 in grants available for 2026–27. Final proposals are due Oct. 21.
THE POST SCRIPT
Nine stops.
One bus.
And a series that starts next Friday with Goldston, the day before Old Fashion Day.
If this issue made you want to see more of Chatham, forward it to one neighbor who would want to see it, too.
Have a Chatham County story we should know about? Hit reply and tell me.
See y’all next Friday!
The Pittsboro Post is supported by anchor sponsor Meri Lynch of Coldwell Banker HPW.
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