CARRBORO - The Cat’s Cradle and the Town of Carrboro are offering local music-lovers a rare treat next month: the opportunity to hear three of North Carolina’s top musical acts outside under the stars for free.

The Cradle and Carrboro will present Tift Merritt, Megafaun and Mandoline Orange in a free concert on the Carrboro Town Commons – where the Carrboro Farmers Market is held – at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 21.

The show, called Cat’s Cradle in the Commons, will serve as a record release show for Merritt, whose new album, “Traveling Alone” will be released on Yep Roc Records on Oct. 2.

While the concert is free to the general public, vouchers guaranteeing entry are available at catscradle.com and at various local businesses. Vouchers, which guarantee the holder entry to the show before 6 p.m., are limited to two per person.

“There is no capacity for Town Commons, only a history of shows with varying reports on how many folks were there,” said Steve Balcom of the Splinter Group, which is helping to promote the show. “We are committed to keeping it to those levels so 5,000-6,000 is the estimate.”

The Town Commons has hosted a number of free concerts in the past. The Squirrel Nut Zippers played there in 1997, and The Arcade Fire and Superchunk played an afternoon show there in support of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008.

Since parking is limited, concert-goers are encouraged to walk, bike or ride the bus to the show. Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase at the concert. No coolers, lawn chairs or backpacks will be allowed within the venue.

Merritt, who began her musical career with her band The Carbines playing in local clubs such as the Cave and the Cradle, has gone on to release studio albums (not counting “Traveling Alone”) that have drawn widespread national acclaim, including numerous best-of lists and a Grammy nomination in 2004.

The psychedelic rock trio Megafaun, based in Durham, has drawn high marks from critics for its four albums, especially last year’s self-titled disc.

Chapel Hill’s Mandolin Orange – Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz – draws on bluegrass and rock-and-roll traditions. The duo released its sophomore double LP, “Haste Make/Hard Hearted Stranger” last year.