Are you ready for some fun this spring? The Town of Holly Springs is, with planned favorite festivals, events, and more!
Spring Fling
Saturday, March 25
Community Yard Sale 8 a.m.-noon
Spring Fling 10 a.m.-noon
Ting Park, 101 Sportsmanship Way
Are you hunting for some fun this spring? Then bring in the new season with Spring Fling at Ting (Stadium)! This Town of Holly Springs event is a morning of games and activities for the whole family. Kids can hop like a spring on free inflatables and participate in numerous vendor games and activities tailored towards families and young ones. A bunny meet-and-greet is sure to make memories as children get the chance to say hello to a familiar friend during a fun photo opportunity. Kids and parents alike will enjoy unique brunch and snack options. And finally, make sure you bring your baskets because Spring Fling caps off with a huge, free hunt for toy- and candy-filled eggs.
This annual event also includes a community yard sale.
Whether hunting for deals or eggs, Spring Fling is the perfect way to spend your morning. Hop into Spring the Springs way!
Chalk of the Town
Saturday, April 22, 5-8 p.m.
Holly Springs Cultural Center
300 W. Ballentine Street
Chalk of the Town is a new community festival hosted by the Town of Holly Springs that celebrates the visual and performing arts and allows everyone in the community, no matter the skill level, to show off their artistic talents through chalk and other mediums.
Explore the creative works of local artists and enjoy a variety of art forms alongside unique food and beverage vendors and roving musicians. It’s a great opportunity to meet and connect with artists, exchange ideas, and be inspired by the variety of art on display. Enjoy art from a whole new perspective as experts and novices alike embark on a shared experience.
“We’re excited to bring this new event that is uniquely community-driven and distinctly creative,” said Holly Springs Parks & Recreation Director LeeAnn Plumer. “It’s a great opportunity to see and celebrate professional works of art locally.”
Relax, create, unwind, and amaze when you visit what will surely be the chalk of the Town!
International Food Festival
Saturday, May 5, 5-9 p.m.
Holly Springs Cultural Center, 300 W. Ballentine Street
The Town of Holly Springs is hosting the second annual International Food Festival at the Holly Springs Cultural Center. This award-winning festival is back this year with new vendors and expanded options that showcase the culinary diversity of Holly Springs and our community as a whole. With a selection of international food, beer, and wine options, you’re booking a ticket to culinary discovery!
“We were incredibly pleased with last year’s festival and are thrilled to build off of the successes of our inaugural event with more selections from around the world,” Plumer said.
Enjoy cuisine from multiple different countries as you expand your palate by trying new dishes, or enjoy familiar favorites from across the globe. Sample smaller dishes or feast on larger entrees that are sure to expand your horizons. New this year is a broader beer and wine menu with favorites from around the world.
Complete your trip with cultural ambassadors who share insight and information from countries large and small, no passport required! Come see the event everyone is talking about and bring an empty stomach!
Enjoy a quiet run or hike on historic property just a stone’s throw from the bustle of downtown Holly Springs at the Mims Park Nature Trails, opening in early March! The new trails wind through the 17-acre wooded site, traveling along rolling hills, to a natural spring, and past the historic gravesite of G.B. Alford, who led the successful effort to petition the N.C. General Assembly to incorporate the Town of Holly Springs in 1877.
The location of the natural springs is found along a short loop trail that can be most quickly reached via a hard-surface trail leading from the W. Earp Street trailhead. The natural surface trails, best accessed from a trailhead along W. Ballentine Street near the Cultural Center, are composed of compacted dirt and clay found on site, so the conditions of the trails will vary depending on the weather. Alford’s gravesite is along the eastern section of the 0.8-mile natural surface loop trail.
“These trails are unique because they are the only true natural-surface trails currently available on public land in Holly Springs,” said Park Naturalist Steve McElhaney.
The trails aren’t paved greenways or mulched 8-foot-wide trails, like those at Bass Lake Park. The Mims Park trail’s five-foot-wide dirt and clay path meanders through the loblolly pines, and poplar and beech trees.
“When you’re walking these trails, you can feel like you’re deep in the forest,” McElhaney said. “You feel refreshed.”
The natural-surface loop trail is for pedestrians only and should be avoided following significant rain and snow events for safety and trail preservation. Bicycles are not permitted on the natural-surface trail at any time.
A fully accessible route from the trailhead on W. Earp Street to the springs uses a type of light gravel called ‘Chapel Hill Grit’ that provides a hard surface for those using mobility devices, such as wheelchairs and walkers.
With two trailheads, abundant parking is available at the nearby Cultural Center and Town Hall parking lots and along W. Ballentine Street.
McElhaney is leading a trail hike along the Mims Park Nature Trails on Monday, March 20. McElhaney will take hikers along the loop and stop to discuss local tree species, wildlife, the history of the springs and property, and G.B. Alford’s burial site. The free hike is open to the public, and no registration is necessary. For details about the hike visit www.hollyspringsnc.gov/mims.
The hike is one of the Year of the Trail events offered by the Town. The year-long state initiative celebrates and draws attention to North Carolina’s vast network of trails, greenways, and blueways. For more information, visit www.hollyspringsnc.gov/yearofthetrail.
About Mims Park
In 2011, the Town of Holly Springs acquired the 17-acre Mims Park property, once part of the historic, 180-acre Mims Estate and adjacent to the existing Mims House (nationally registered as the Leslie-Alford-Mims House).
The parkland is densely forested with a mixture of mostly hardwood trees with some pine trees present as well. Large oaks, beech, and tulip poplars are scattered throughout with magnolias, holly trees, and ferns in the understory. A variety of wildlife includes deer, rabbits, foxes, squirrels, amphibians, and many bird species. Steep slopes are present, especially on the southern half of the property. In addition to the natural spring, water features include Utley Creek, which runs northeast to southwest along the western border of the property and ranges from 5 to 15 feet wide.
While a decade-old park master plan calls for a number of proposed amenities at the site, including a farmers market pavilion and Parks & Recreation program building, the plan is being reevaluated as part of the Town’s current update to the Downtown Village District Area Plan, which will shape how the downtown area of Holly Springs grows in years to come. Interested in providing feedback? Visit www.hollyspringsnc.gov/downtownplan.
“A lot has changed in Holly Springs since 2011 and we want to take the opportunity to verify that the assumptions of that original park master plan still fit within the context of Holly Springs in 2023 and beyond,” said Park Planner Matt Beard.
While the Mims Park Nature Trails are the first development on the property, future work could include adding more amenities to the park site while preserving its natural beauty and environmental value. In the meantime, Beard said, the nature trails are meant to exist as lightly upon the land as possible.
“We intend to keep the property as it would be in nature,” Beard said. “This includes not removing downed trees from the site, as fallen trees serve as important habitat for a number of animals.”
If a tree falls across the trail, the Town will clear a path through the tree, but the tree will otherwise remain where it falls.
