BY ELIZABETH BRIGNAC
So you’ve just moved to Morrisville—or maybe you’re simply interested in learning more about it. You’ve found a unique and special place. With just under 33,000 people, Morrisville is the smallest of the five main towns in Western Wake, and it runs at a small-town pace. “We’re a lot more laid-back,” says one resident, comparing Morrisville to other Triangle towns. Locals discuss their greenways, libraries and farmers market fondly and enjoy Morrisville’s relaxed atmosphere.
Yet this calm little town sits at the center of the busy Research Triangle and brings more multiculturalism to the table than almost any town in the state. The combination of what used to be a sleepy North Carolina railroad town with the large businesses and diverse population of the Triangle makes Morrisville unique.
To learn more about life in Morrisville, here are some of the first things you should do.
Visit the Western Wake Farmers Market
On Saturday mornings, the Western Wake Farmers Market draws much of the Morrisville community to the Healthy Food Hub site, a location next to Morrisville Town Hall developed in partnership with the farmers market and the Morrisville Community Garden. The Hub includes green space for events and an educational garden, and offers easy access to the Morrisville greenways.
This farmers market brings together much of what makes Morrisville special. Locals and visitors show up to stroll through the market, which is spacious, relaxed and chatty. Musicians play live music while shoppers check out everything from flowers and produce to goat cheese and quail eggs. Volunteers at the nearby educational garden do a brisk business growing produce (all of which is donated to Dorcas Ministries) and collecting materials for the community compost bin.
If you want a sense of the small-town community to which you now belong, enjoy a visit to the Western Wake Farmers Market.
Enjoy Indian Food and Culture
Whether you are Indian or Indian American yourself or simply enjoy exploring Indian culture, you will enjoy Morrisville’s cultural resources. As of 2024, Morrisville’s Asian population is 42% and growing. A large percentage of those residents come from India, attracted to the area by work in the Research Triangle—so many that Morrisville is sometimes called North Carolina’s “Little India.” From Indian food and clothing to dancing and celebrations, you can experience it all here.
The Indian food options in Morrisville are exceptional. Swagat Indian Cuisine specializes in North Indian food. Tower Restaurant serves vegetarian cuisine with what it describes as a “South Indian twist.” Naga’s South Indian Cuisine serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Hyderabad House Biryani Place RTP specializes in biryani, a South Indian rice dish.
And there are many others—Morrisville’s Indian cuisine is known throughout the Triangle.
If you’d like a more active way to experience what the town has to offer, try taking classes at Indigo Dance Evolution Academy (IDEA), a Bollywood performing arts and fitness academy. Dance instructor Priya Chellani has brought her expertise in Mumbai-style dance training to the Triangle, where she has been training dancers of all ages and skill levels for many years. Chellani has sought to bring classical Indian dance training to a wide audience, reaching out to both Indian and non-Indian clients.
If you’d like to explore Indian clothing options, Morrisville offers a number of Indian stylists and clothing stores. Try Sara Elegance or Stylish Me. Whether you need something formal or informal; traditional or contemporary, the shopkeepers will help you find it.
Finally, the Town of Morrisville celebrates Indian culture throughout the year in town-sponsored events.
In October, celebrate Diwali with music, food and fireworks. In March, revel in all things colorful at Morrisville’s Holi event. Throughout the year, residents and visitors can enjoy Indian food and festivals with their Morrisville neighbors.
Explore Local Greenways
Morrisville centralizes its greenways. Literally. From Town Hall in the center of town, visitors can easily access Hatcher Creek Greenway, a popular local trail. “You can just go out your door and find a trail to go on,” says one resident when asked what she enjoys about living in Morrisville. Crabtree Creek Greenway picks up at the end of Hatcher Creek Greenway if you want a longer trail. Visitors can stop and enjoy Crabtree Creek Nature Park or continue exploring, since, like many area trails, Crabtree Creek Trail interconnects with the Triangle’s large network of greenways. Keep going until you feel like stopping, enjoying natural beauty all along the way.
Play a Niche Sport
Morrisville offers unique access to unusual sports for North Carolina. Morrisville hosts the Major League Cricket games in the United States, and Church Street Park offers cricket pitch lanes, which the town expanded in 2023. People who want to learn more about the sport can connect with the Triangle Cricket League, which sponsors teams, offers classes, and provides state-of-the-art cricket facilities with opportunities for both indoor and outdoor play.
Morrisville also has the only two badminton clubs in the Triangle: the Triangle Badminton Club and Triangle Badminton and Table Tennis. These facilities offer indoor play, equipment and classes for anyone who’s interested.
If you’d like to access your inner ninja warrior, check out Warrior Tech to learn about obstacle course racing. Participants can enjoy overcoming obstacles on complex and challenging indoor and outdoor courses. Warrior Tech offers camps, fitness training and classes for children and adults.
Finally, in the absence of actual rock walls and cliffs in the Piedmont, climbers can build their skills at Triangle Rock Club, which offers exceptional facilities and classes to anyone who would like to explore rock climbing. The business has extended to other locations, but the Morrisville location was the first to open in 2007. It offers 27,000 square feet of climbing surface and opportunities for both rope climbing (in which climbers wear a harness secured to a rope for safety) and bouldering (climbing lower-level rock walls without safety harnesses). The facility offers fitness and yoga classes in addition to their many climbing classes.
Town Events
An excellent way to get to know your hometown is simply to enjoy Town of Morrisville events. With seasonal celebrations and festivals, movies and music in the park, and parties unique to Morrisville—like the S’Morrisville event in August (s’mores galore!)—there’s always something going on. These events are popular and a great way to get to know your new community.
Morrisville is a friendly, laid-back place. If you get out and look around, it shouldn’t take you long to feel at home here. Welcome to the area!
Where to Go to Cool Off in Morrisville
By Elizabeth Lincicome
Looking for a way to beat the heat? Morrisville is home to a wide range of spots for keeping cool over the warm summer stretch.
Indoor Sports
Escape the heat while staying active indoors at facilities like Triangle Badminton & Table Tennis, which is open to players of all ages and skill levels and has been named a U.S. Table Tennis National Center of Excellence. The facility offers badminton, pickleball and table tennis, as well as summer youth camps, group classes, private coaching and a fully stocked pro shop. “It’s a fun way to get out of the heat and have some fun and learn to compete,” says manager Amy Karpinski.
Triangle Badminton and Table Tennis
2900 Perimeter Park Drive #200, Morrisville
Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center
Morrisville’s Aquatics Center facility has three swimming areas including a six-lane lap pool, a children’s pool and an enormous program pool for recreational swimming. The program pool features a retractable glass roof that can be opened in the summer.
“Dive into the indoor aquatics area, complete with a sprayground for kids, or if you prefer staying on dry land, check out the facility’s fully equipped weight room
and cardio deck,”says Katie Gruninger of the Morrisville Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department.
The facility is open to the public from 6 a.m.–8:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. on weekends. Visitors can access the pool by becoming members, buying passes or paying a small fee for a single-day’s use. Visit the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department at morrisville.gov for more information.
1301 Morrisville Parkway, Morrisville
Sweet Treats
What summer day would be complete without something cool and sweet to top it off? Morrisville Mayor TJ Cawley cites a couple of local ice cream shops as particularly great options. “Kilwins in Park West Village is good, and Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream is excellent,” says Cawley.
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream
115 Parkside Valley Drive, Suite 30, Morrisville
handelsicecream.com/store/morrisville
Kilwins
3308 Village Market Place, Morrisville
kilwins.com/stores/kilwins-morrisville
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