A Saturday in Carrboro
Hi! My name is Laney and I’m a junior from Jamestown, NC and a member of Tar Heel Social. While most students strive to live as close to campus as possible, I have found that life in the smaller town of Carrboro has many unique and exciting things to offer. One of my favorite aspects of living in Carrboro is walking around on the weekends. I decided to show you all some fun activities you can do while exploring this town that I call home!
The Carrboro Farmer’s Market is hands down one of the best places to be on a Saturday morning! Open from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Saturdays, the farmer’s market showcases produce from local farms, art from local creatives, and even coffee and pastries for breakfast. One of my favorite stalls at the market is called Yee Haw Doughnuts, known (and loved) for their freshly made sweet potato doughnuts. My friend and I treated ourselves to two doughnuts each, and we tried the chocolate-glazed and cinnamon-sugar varieties. They were served warm and we enjoyed every bite!
It would not be a successful visit to the farmer’s market if I did not buy some fresh veggies to use in meals later in the week. This week, I bought a small carton of baby eggplants for $2.50 and I chopped and roasted them with olive oil, salt, and pepper in the oven for about 20 minutes. Then I boiled some pasta and added the roasted eggplant and pesto for a delicious, fresh, and filling meal that also celebrated local agriculture!
Since October is nearing, this trip to the market was the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of fall! I’ll be buying pumpkins soon to carve and make roasted pumpkin seeds — one of my favorite fall snacks.
The next stop on my Saturday adventure was to get caffeinated at Gray Squirrel Coffee Company on East Main Street. I am a self-proclaimed coffee snob and I LOVE Gray Squirrel. Their menu is just small enough to give a good range of choices while not being overwhelming. Another thing I love about Gray Squirrel is that they pay their employees a living wage, which in turn creates a great environment. I ordered an iced maple latte with oat milk, and it was just the pick me up I needed for the rest of my day!
My final stop for the day was to thrift shop at CommunityWorx on West Main. Thrift shopping is one of my favorite activities to do with friends and it’s also a great way to practice reducing clothing waste. I always have fun shopping at CommunityWorx because they have such a diverse variety of products on sale. One of my favorite sections is the art section, as it allows me to try out different styles of artwork to decorate my living spaces but is reasonably priced enough that I can switch out different pieces if they don’t fit the decoration concept that I want. On this shopping trip, I bought two dresses and a skirt that a friend actually ended up altering for me. These pieces are now some of my favorites in my wardrobe!
Well, that’s it! An easy, relaxed day in Carrboro that highlights just a few of the great activities that this town has to offer. I hope that this blog encourages you to explore Carrboro and discover some of your own favorite things to do!