Not often is a town best known for a college basketball team, but Chapel Hill, North Carolina is instantly recognized as the home to the UNC Tar Heels. Regardless of Chapel Hill's source of fame there are many things that bring people to this area of North Carolina. Chief among them is Chapel Hill's location as one corner of the Research Triangle Park. The Research Triangle Park was formed in 1959 as a way to improve the economy of the area by taking advantage of the three great universities in the area.
The University of North Carolina dominates the town of Chapel Hill due to its size and youthful culture. Some of America's great musicians can trace their beginnings to Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina. James Taylor, Ben Folds and Squirrel Nut Zippers are among the notable musical acts whose careers began in Chapel Hill.
As visitors to the area you will certain to visit the campus of the Univerity of North Caolina at Chapel Hill. However, there are many other things to see and do while staying in the area. Among them are the Morehead Planetarium which opened in 1949.The Occoneechee Speedway Trail is one of the few remaining dirt tracks from the earliest days of NASCAR. The Old Slave Cemetery has its only record of burials inscribed on the headstones of the graves that remain.
UNC has been very successful at college basketball, and an obsession with the sport has been one of the most distinctive features of the town's culture, fueled by the rivalry among the area's three teams: the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Duke Blue Devils, and the NC State Wolfpack. More recently, the town has received regional notice as the site of a large annual Halloween street party, with an attendance regularly exceeding 70,000. If you are in town during this party, be sure to join in.
Many people come to enjoy the two annual street fairs, Apple Chill in April and Festifall in October. The fairs offer booths to artists, craftsmen, nonprofits, and food vendors. Performance space is also available for musicians, martial artists and other groups. Both fairs are attended annually by tens of thousands.