Orange County's 5th Annual Creek Week is March 21-29, 2026.

Orange County Creek Week celebrates the streams, lakes, and rivers that connect our communities. It's a weeklong series of activities like a litter cleanup challenge, community science BioThon, invasive plant removal, green infrastructure tours, and more!  

Orange County Local Business & Community Members

Whether you're a local business or a community member, we invite you to participate in our annual celebration of local waterways this year. We're currently accepting your ideas for engagement.  Want to host water-based activities or share valuable resources?  Let us know! Email Merrill at mrobinson2@townofchapelhill.org.

Creek Week Kickoff

Are you a local government or nonprofit organization in Orange County that promotes local waterways, environmental practices, and water environments and what to share your knowledge? Come be a vendor at the Creek Week Kickoff on March 21, 2026 from 11:00am to 3:30pm at the Drakeford Library Complex (203 S. Greensboro St.) in Carrboro. Vendors interested in tabling the event please contact Merrill at mrobinson2@townofchapelhill.org. There is no fee to table, and no fee for all attendees. 

Weeklong Activities 2026 Creek Week

Countywide – Community Scavenger Hunt

Free| Join us for a countywide scavenger hunt during Creek Week, where you'll uncover hidden treasures and explore the wonders of our local creeks, and enter to win a prize. Pick up a scavenger hunt card at a Creek Week event or the option to print your own.

Check out the scavenger hunt resources tab for more information.

Chapel Hill Public Library Book Display 

100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill 

 Check out the display table for water related books and our healthy waterway kits near the Main Hub 

Local Businesses Celebrating Creek Week 

If you are a local business interested in promoting Creek Week, Email Merrill Robinson mrobinson2@townofchapelhill.org. 

Events 

Thursday, March 19

4:30 - 6:30 pm | Rain Garden Prep Day | Dorothy N. Johnson Community Center (501 Rainey Ave, Hillsborough, NC)

Free| Help expand the rain garden at Dorothy N. Johnson Community Center to be planted with more wetland plants. Emailstormwater@hillsboroughnc.gov for more information.

Accessibility details: 

• Offered in English and Spanish
• Nearest bus stop is 0.1 mi away

Friday, March 20 

9:00 - 11:30 am| Bluestem Conservation Cemetery Hike and Service Day| Bluestem Conservation Cemetery (1900 Hurdle Mills Road, Cedar Grove NC)

Free| Hike Bluestem's grassland and woodland trails before volunteering on a creekside service project. Learn how a community conservation cemetery is actively protecting waterways, soil health, and wildlife habitat.  

Accessibility details:  

• Porta potties available
• Involves moving
• walking on natural pathways digging/raking/land work

Saturday, March 21 

11:00 am - 3:00 pm | 2026 Creek Week Kick-Off Event| Drakeford Library Complex in Carrboro, NC (203 S. Greensboro St. Carrboro, NC)  

Free| 2026 Orange County Creek Week Kick Off Event provides an education and engagement opportunity by connecting government resources and nonprofit organizations with area residents. The event includes outreach tables, a speaker series, and free event activities related to the environment and water resources. 

Accessibility details:  

• Program is in English with translation services available
• ADA Accessible Space
• 381 feet from nearest bus stop

For specific event accommodations email Stormwater@carrboronc.gov 

12:00 - 4:00 pm | ERA Creek Week at Confluence| Confluence Natural Area (4214 Highland Farm Road, Hillsborough NC)

Free| Drop by the Confluence Natural Area for hands-on exploration and activities as we celebrate Orange County Creek Week! Activities will include macroinvertebrate catching down at the river, self-guided hiking opportunities, and other hands-on learning activities all about local creeks and waterways! 

 Accessibility details: 

• Some activities will take place in the covered, paved pavilion
• Paved sidewalk near two accessible parking spots
• Restrooms are accessible by a paved path
• Other activities will be in the nearby fields and by the creek. Both are accessed in trails with roots and dirt. Less than 100 feet from parking lot to pavilion.

All Day | Haw River Assembly: 36th Annual Clean-Up-A-Thon|Haw River Area (Various Areas in the Haw River Community)

Free| The Haw River Clean-Up-A-Thon is our annual event that raises watershed-wide awareness about the impacts of our consumption habits while bringing people together to clean the river and local creeks. The 36th Annual Clean-Up-A-Thon takes place Saturday, March 21, 2026. Register a cleanup site in Orange County or join an existing group now through March 15, 2026. Haw River Assembly provides materials and can help coordinate trash pick-up! Contact Haw River Assembly at events@hawriver.org to register.

9:30 am – 12:00 pm| Volunteer Work Day | Chapel Hill Library (100 Library Dr, Chapel Hill, NC)

Free| Grab your gloves and pitch in to improve our Pritchard Park ecosystem. We'll remove non-native and invasive species, plant native trees and perennials, and maintain natural areas in the park. Dress for working outdoors and wear close-toed shoes appropriate for walking on uneven terrain. Volunteer Workdays take place on Saturday mornings once a month.

 Contact Dale at dmorgan@townofchapelhill.org  to be notified about Pritchard Park volunteer workday updates. 

 Accessibility details:  

The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library. 

Photography: We frequently take photos and videos at our events. Here's what we do with them.

1:00 - 3:00 pm | Faces of the Forest |Chapel Hill Library (100 Library Dr, Chapel Hill, NC)

Free| Join Chapel Hill Public Library, Community Arts & Culture, Parks & Recreation, and the Chapel Hill Community Clay Studio to unveil Faces of the Forest! 

Trees make life on Earth possible. On this Spring Equinox, as leaves emerge from buds, we’ll celebrate trees and art with a new ceramic art installation in Pritchard Park. Get acquainted with some of our favorite native trees while viewing Faces of the Forest, a collection of twelve ceramic faces and masks created by Chapel Hill’s own Levi Yakubu, a fifth-generation Nigerian potter. Come “meet” some new faces, learn about our local trees, and experience public art! 

 Here’s what’s happening on March 21: 

• Artist talk and clay demo with Levi Yakubu
• Staff-led and self-guided walks through Pritchard Park to see the new artwork
• Performance by Chapel Hill Poet Laureate Donovan Livingston
• Interactive clay station with the Community Clay Studio team

 This program is free and open to all. Check Facebook and Instagram for weather-related program changes. 

Accessibility details:  

The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library. 

Photography: We frequently take photos and videos at our events. Here's what we do with them. 

9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Rain Garden Workday | Dorothy N. Johnson Community Center (501 Rainey Ave, Hillsborough, NC) 

Free| Community workday to install native grass in the new rain garden extension.

 Accessibility details:  

• Offered in English and Spanish

Saturday, March 22 

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm | Hillsborough Invasive Species Removal | Hillsborough Visitor Center (150 E King St Hillsborough, NC)

Free| Join Hillsborough Tree Board in removing invasive species along Riverwalk. Wear closed- toed shoes and clothes that can get messy. Please bring your own tools (e.g. loppers, hand pruners, or saw). 

Monday, March 23 

4:00 - 5:00 pm | From Lawn to Lake: Pets, Plants, Pollution & How Your Backyard Matters |Chapel Hill Public Library Outdoor Classroom (100 Library Dr., Chapel Hill, NC) 

Free| Join the Town of Chapel Hill for a workshop about understanding the connection between our backyards and our waterways. Learn about common forms of backyard pollution and how you can make a difference! The event includes an Enviroscape demonstration and a short nature walk. 

 Accessibility details:  

• Program offered in English and Spanish
• Stationary and Light Walking (less than 0.5 miles) 
• Mixture of paved and unpaved paths 

Tuesday, March 24 

2:00 – 4:00 pm | Hillsborough Trash Cleanup |Hillsborough Riverwalk (Park at Nash and Kollock St, Hillsborough, NC) 

Free | Make our public spaces cleaner by removing trash with Town of Hillsborough staff 

Wednesday, March 25 

10:00 - 11:00 am | Celebrate Creek Week at Little River |Little River Regional Park Natural Area (301 Little River Park Way, Rougemont, NC)

Free| Learn about the importance of our streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Meet Myrtle the turtle, and other critters. Participate in a litter clean-up, a river scavenger hunt, or create a river critter of your own to take home. 

Accessibility details: 

• Moving
• Access to paved trail

Thursday, March 26 

6:00 - 8:00 pm | Storytelling Event: World Water Day |Steel String Brewery in Carrboro (106A S Greensboro St, Carrboro NC) 

Free| RSVP Online | Join us at Steel String Brewery in Carrboro, NC for a live storytelling event in celebration of World Water Day. We'll hear stories from our neighbors on the theme of “renewal.” Flame Tree Story and Story First Design host quarterly storytelling events in the Triangle to increase connection and build community. Interested in joining the audience and supporting storytellers? All are welcome!  There is a suggested contribution ($5, $10, or $15 pp) at the door. Interested in telling a story about water and renewal? Check back soon to complete a short form to tell your story. 

 9:30 - 11:00 am | OWASA Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour | OWASA Wastewater Treatment Plant (170 Old Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill, NC)

Free| Register| Visit OWASA's Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant to learn how we test and treat the community's wastewater to protect our waterways and downstream communities. Tour will be capped at 15 participants. Questions? Contact Brianna Cater bcarter@owasa.org

 Accessibility details:  

• Some components indoor, but mostly outdoor
• Restrooms and locker rooms available
• Lots of walking and stairs
• 10 ft to get from parking lot to where tour starts

Friday, March 27 

5:00 - 6:00 pm | Mountain Mint Planting Event | Lower quad - in front of Wilson library (UNC campus)

Free| Provide seed packets of mountain mint, soil, and pamphlet on best care. Will provide a place for students to pot their plants and learn about the stormwater implications. Students will be encouraged to bring their own planting vessels. 

Saturday March 28

9:00 - 11:00 am | Hillsborough Trash Cleanup | Bellevue Branch (154 Hayes St, Hillsborough, NC) 

Free| Clean up trash along Bellevue Branch. Wear closed-toed shoes. Not for participants under 16 years of age. 

10:00 - 12:00 pm | Community Cleanup & Litter Sweep | Carrboro's Lower Municipal Lot (7), entrance off of Boyd Street (behind 300 E. Main, Carrboro NC) 

Free| Sign Up Join Us for A Community Cleanup & Litter Sweep  

Roll up your sleeves and help keep our community beautiful! We’ll gather at 10:00 AM at the Libba Cotten Bike Path, meeting at Carrboro’s Lower Municipal Lot (7) (entrance off Boyd Street, behind 300 E. Main). From there, volunteers will be assigned to nearby cleanup locations to make a big impact together. 

 Whether you’re a longtime resident, a student, or just love spending time outdoors, this is a great way to give back, meet neighbors, and make a   visible difference in our community. 

 What to Bring & Know: 

• Dress for the weather and wear clothes that can get dirty, including close-toed shoes. 
• Gloves and grabbers will be provided (personal work gloves encouraged) 
• Waivers must be signed on-site before participating 
• Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian (no drop-offs permitted) 
• Community service verification letters are available upon request

 Accessibility details:  

• Gendered Facility Restroom (Carrboro Arts Center) available
• Moving (walking speed) 
• Nearest bus stop is 500 ft away at E Main Street at Arts Center Stop

Contact Stormwater@Carrboronc.gov if specific accommodations need to be made.

1:00 - 3:00 pm | Riverwalk Bioswale Maintenance |  (329 Eno Mountain Rd, Hillsborough, NC)

Free| Refresh the bioswale on Hillsborough's River Walk with new plants 

3:00 - 6:00 pm | Creek Week Celebration | Eno River Brewing (29 Eno Mountain Rd, Hillsborough, NC)

Free| Hosted by Eno River Brewing- Celebrate the end of Creek Week with good food, fellowship, and learning about local organizations who protect our waterways!