In the fall, Carolina hosted a fantastic event called the North Carolina Literary Festival. For a few days in September, our campus was swarming with thousands of people who love books, from high-brow literary types to kids eager to meet the guy who writes the scary Goosebumps series. It was fun, educational and free.

I’m reminding you about the literary festival because, as we are about to begin a new year, I want to encourage you to take advantage of some upcoming events that will be happening in your own backyard. You will be welcome, let me assure you. From time to time, I hear people talking about Carolina in a way that assumes events on campus are only for students, faculty and staff and maybe alumni. That’s not the case at all. Local residents have a standing invitation to visit any time to take advantage of artistic performances, exhibits, lectures and other fun activities open to the public.

Naturally, the university is also a great place to learn, even outside the classroom. For example, have you ever wished you better understood issues about energy and global warming? Will solar energy ever be a practical alternative? What about wind energy? Next month, you’ll have the chance to meet face-to-face with some of the researchers and entrepreneurs who are on the cutting edge of energy technology and ask them your questions — or offer them your ideas.

As part of its second annual Solar Energy Symposium, the UNC Solar Energy Research Center will sponsor a public forum at the William and Ida Friday Center the evening of Jan. 15. Anyone who’s interested can check out video presentations and interactive displays on green energy technologies. You’ll also be able to discuss the issues directly with a panel of scientific, business and government leaders who are leaders in their field. It’s free, and we’ll even feed you.

Coming up Feb. 16-20, we’ll have the way-cool CHAT Festival, sponsored by our Institute for the Arts and Humanities, with help from all over the Triangle. If you’re fascinated by movies like “Avatar” that blend the virtual and the real worlds — or if you are just trying to understand what it is about the Sims, Second Life and FarmVille that is so appealing to your children — then you need to come.

They call it a digital arts and humanities festival, which means that you might get to participate in a video game “performance” with actors and sets or see dancers interact with personal robots and a human-size yo-yo. You will also meet the faculty, students and others who came up with the sophisticated technology behind digital arts and games.

Now, for the CHAT Festival, you will need to register ahead of time (http://www.chatfestival2010.com/register.html) and there is a fee, but it’s a bargain for a five-day experience. The same is true for the wonderful music and dance performances at Memorial Hall and for the PlayMakers Repertory Company plays at the Center for Dramatic Art. You do need tickets, but they are reasonably priced. And our department of music hosts many free concerts at Hill and Person halls and the Kenan Music Building that the public is welcome to attend.

That’s true for most of what happens here at Carolina. You don’t need tickets or an invitation to visit our campus. You don’t even need a special reason. Roam in the Coker Arboretum, sit on a wooden bench and contemplate nature on your next lunch break. Wander through the Ackland Museum and gaze upon the artwork there. Breathe in the wonderful smell of musty books that permeates Wilson Library and visit one of the many special collections or exhibits on display. Stop by our Visitors’ Center for a brochure or to take a guided tour to hear some of the stories about this historic place.

Our place is your place, and the door is always open.

Holden Thorp is chancellor of the UNC at Chapel Hill. Readers can contact him at holden_thorp@unc.edu.