Explore This Artistic North Carolina Town with Its Walkable Downtown Brimming with Local Shops and Cafes

There’s something about North Carolina’s art that makes it rich: its folk art drawn from varied backgrounds — including the Indigenous shadows of the land’s original inhabitants — the embrace of contemporary art, and the diverse natural landscapes and wildlife depicted in its scenes. Not all small towns are created equal, but there’s something warmly consistent in the small-town galleries and artists’ workshops you’ll find tucked in both cities and small towns across North Carolina. One such small North Carolina town, Pittsboro, is known for its art, drawing artists and visitors annually to its Fearrington Folk Art Show, one of the region’s most respected folk art shows.

Only about 40 minutes by car west of Raleigh, itself a city with a thriving art scene, and two hours northeast of Charlotte, with its historic homes, lush parks, and secret gardens, Pittsboro is just a stone’s throw away from the “Research Triangle,” the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill conglomerate with its renowned universities, booming tech industry, public art, and award-winning food scene. There’s even a tiger sanctuary less than 4 miles away.

Fearrington Village, an intentionally upscale sub-community of Pittsboro on what was once farmland, was designed as an opulent, English hamlet with boutique shops, restaurants, a gourmet market, a spa, and an inn inspired by a luxury hotel chain in Europe. Every year, typically in February, Fearrington Village hosts the Fearrington Folk Art Show, inviting artists from around the state to show and sell their work, charging a small entrance fee to visitors and attracting many art aficionados. The art show is the “it” event of the season but not the only reason to go: there’s plenty to do, eat, drink, and see year-round in Pittsboro’s walkable, artistic downtown.

Pittsboro’s downtown is a walkable little center with an iconic traffic circle and historic district, including the Chatham County Courthouse. Full of art galleries, cafes, and vintage stores, Pittsboro’s an easy place to hang out. Have a beer at Havoc Brewing, a meal at converted post office-turned-restaurant Postal Fish Company, or an old-fashioned soda at S&T’s Soda Shoppe, and immerse yourself in the quintessential North Carolina scene. Cafes abound: Davenport’s Cafe Diem is an eclectic local favorite, serving locally roasted, award-winning Carrboro Coffee Roasters and pastries. Aromatic Roasters sources coffee beans globally and roasts them locally before serving up crowd-pleasing classics. At Small B&B, even if you don’t spend the night, have breakfast in the charming garden patio.

The Pittsboro Gallery of Arts, formerly Joyful Jewel, is a collective gallery featuring dozens of artists. Check out the various styles — from pottery to woodwork — and collect something original. French Connections is a unique boutique sourcing global art; from African jewelry to French fabrics, there’s plenty to explore in this jam-packed gallery. Show of Hands Gallery features jewelry and rotating artists, and Reclamation is a vintage store featuring reclaimed pieces and regular ol’ antiques. Boutiques like New Horizons and Marigold feature goods and gifts, rounding out downtown Pittsboro. 

May’s Pottery is a few miles outside of downtown but worth a stop. Owned by a mother-son artistic duo, they incorporate influences from growing up in the Ohio River Valley to living abroad in Costa Rica. Between themselves, they cover a variety of styles, from porcelain work to functional stoneware.