LIVE ON THE LAWN

5:30-8:30 PM
Old Courthouse
(104 E King St.)

A 5-person string orchestra, all dressed in white, plays under a blue tent at Last Fridays.

Alongside the Last Fridays Makers Markets, catch the Live on the Lawn: Performance Series presented by HAC (April - October, 2025, 5:30-8:30 PM) on the South Lawn of the Old Orange County Courthouse!

Immerse yourself in exciting performances, including dance troupes, bands, vocalists, comedians, poets, and more!

We encourage you to pop up a lawn chair, lounge on a blanket, or bring your own art projects to participate while you witness Live on the Lawn through writing, coloring, painting, knitting/crocheting, or any mobile art that lights your fire!

2026 PERFORMANCE DATES:

⭐ APRIL 24

⭐ MAY 29
⭐ JUNE 26
⭐ JULY 31
⭐ AUGUST 28
⭐ SEPTEMBER 25
⭐ OCTOBER 30

APRIL 24, 2026

Monarch Movement Companu dance troupe with their heads back and arms out, mid-dance.

5:30-6:30 PM Monarch Movement Company Youth Dance Performance

Experience the joy of dance! Monarch Movement Company is a welcoming, inclusive dance and movement community for the whole family. Monarch Movement cherishes creativity and supports each individual’s journey toward movement mastery and personal growth. Their nurturing community and talented instructors are dedicated to fostering a space where families can explore high-quality dance, yoga, and movement.

Ginger Lipscomb walking down the Old Courthouse runway in a blue and green floral jumpsuit and matching crochet wrap.

6:30-7:30 PM Last Fridays Spring Fashion Show!

Celebrate fashion as an art form with this community-based Spring Fashion Show! NC fashion designers and local accessory crafters collaborated to assemble FOUR capsule collections that will dazzle as they strut down the Old Courthouse walkway-turned-runway. Then shop the Post-Show Market, where several of the participants will be selling their goods and answering questions about their collections.

Participating Designers:

Thread Your Path

Thread Your Path is a cozy sewing school in Hillsborough, NC where kids and adults learn to sew, create, and have fun with fabric. Classes, afterschool, parties, and private lessons are hands-on and relaxed, helping students build confidence & skills, making projects they love. It’s a welcoming place to slow down, try something new, and discover the joy that comes from making things with your own hands. See what you can learn to make!

Kate Berry modeling a orange and yellow plaid blouse.

Kate Berry Studio

After working as a primary care nurse practitioner for 17 years, Kate Berry McNulty's auto-immune problems forced to her to retire. She has sewn all her life, and decided that it was time to lean into her creativity and fashion sense. Kate designs and creates bright and one-of-a-kind clothing, inspired by “dopamine dressing”. She can help people design stunning pieces that will make them feel great to wear!

Meghan Nicholson modeling a buffalo check twisted headband.

Meghan Nicholson of Threaded by Grace

A small, faith-inspired handmade business specializing in thoughtfully sewn fabric accessories, including quilted tote bags. Inspired by a love for creativity and faith, Threaded by Grace blends timeless, shabby-chic style with modern practicality. At the heart of Threaded by Grace is the belief that handmade goods can serve as gentle reminders of faith, comfort, and grace in daily life—where faith meets fabric.

Kimberly Mann

Kimberly Mann Inc. is a faith-based fashion brand founded by Kimberly Mann in 2025 that offers custom designs and alterations through personalized consultations. Kimberly Mann Inc has presented collections for runway shows to bring awareness to mental health issues and to promote domestic violence awareness. Kimberly Mann Inc is also presenting a new collection in shows later this year.

Kayleigh Michelle

Kayleigh Michelle is a recent Fashion Design graduate from SCAD. There, she completed her conceptual Senior collection, What She Didn’t Feel, featured on Vogue Runway, PAPER, and in King Kong Magazine. Michelle’s passionate about creating wearable works of art with non-traditional silhouettes for a diverse audience, proving that all women are worthy of wearing such art. She currently works as HAC’s Marketing Coordinator and continues to do sewing commissions in her spare time.

Kathryn Schnabel posing in her studio in front of a wall of colorful paint tubes.

Kathryn Schnabel of Windy Garden Studio

Kathryn Schnabel is a textile painter with an affinity for abstract, expressive color. She uses opaque and transparent layers blended with wax resists to create ethereal compositions filled with movement. Extending her artwork into textile design is an engaging next step for Kathryn. "I'm used to helping people live with color, so the energy of wearing color is new and different for me. People are so happy when art and color reflects who they are."

Amal Kassir with her poetry journal, smiling in front of the Old Courthouse.

7:30-8:30 PM Poetry Open Mic with Amal Kassir

In honor of Earth Month and the Hillsborough Climate Challenge, Hillsborough's Poet Laureate Amal Kassir hosts a community Open Mic, inviting residents to share poetry about land, nature, and the places that ground us. Participants may read poems they wrote themselves or pieces written by others that speak to the spirit of the earth. Those who attend the April workshops are encouraged to share the poems they created.

A sign-up sheet will be available on site for those interested in participating.