It’s time to celebrate 150 years of Cary together! Downtown is set to host a celebration of Cary’s 150th birthday — we think this town of ours is looking pretty good at 150.
Scheduled for two weekends, celebration events will take place from 4pm to 10:30pm on the 24th and 31st.
Academy Street (from Park St. to Dry Ave.) will be blocked for the entire celebration event on the 24th, and the old library site will host on the 31st. The full schedule of events and a map are available on the Cary the Cary150 website.
“It will be great to see the community celebrate together,” said Virginia Johnson, the Cary’s Town Clerk.
“We can’t wait for this 150th celebration. Cary is so awesome at throwing festivals, even this week’s Cary history moment is about festivals. To have a big festival for our birthday, it’s really exciting,” added Johnson.
According to Johnson and a Town of Cary news release:
“A Journey Through a Dream of Light,” an immersive experience of light, art, and technology transforms the Cary Art Center into a large-scale outdoor projection exhibit. LEVR Studios will use animation that highlights the use of innovative technologies and projection mapping for a dazzling 10-minute show set to music, projected on the exterior of the Cary Arts Center. It will run on a loop from dusk until 10:30 p.m. each day of “Celebrate Cary.” In addition to the event dates, the show will run July 25, July 30, and August 1.
Carolina Circus performers will thrill onlookers with a daring fire show July 24 and LED show July 31 while also entertaining the crowd each day with magicians, roaming acrobats, balloon twisters, and an aerial show. They will also hold several “Hoop Jams” teaching kids how to hoop.
There will be a stage with cultural performances and a DJ as well as large games for the entire family to play. Kids’ crafts and activities will be provided by the Goddard School of Cary. Onlookers can also enjoy live muralist Britt Flood, a bubble artist and living statue, “Mirror Man” by Image Circus.
Many of Cary’s bakeries and sweet shops are offering specially priced Sesquicentennial Sweets from July 24 through August 1. Participants can choose from cupcakes, turnovers, bread, teacakes, crepes, Whoopie Pies and more. Pick up a Bingo card at any participating shop to track your treats and enter for a chance to win prizes. The full list of participating shops, specials and prizes can be found at Cary150.org.
The past, present and future will be on full-display in downtown during the celebration. One can’t help but think about where Cary has come from while walking around our downtown, seeing the shops and buildings that make Cary such a special place, and while taking in the ongoing construction and updates to the downtown park that points towards Cary’s future.
“When you’re in downtown Cary you can’t help but think about the past, present and future. Just celebrating what’s to come and having this festival downtown really does that,” added Johnson.
For more about the Cary 150 celebration visit Cary150.org, and come join in the celebration on the 24th and 31st!