The major buzz this weekend is the 4th Annual Triangle Chili Challenge! This Sunday, the Downtown Cary Food & Flea is serving up gallons and gallons of the best chili in the Triangle. With over 65 local vendors and artisans, a craft beer tent, a wine garden, a live music, this tradition has quickly become one of Cary’s favorite Autumn events.
November is the perfect time for a heaping bowl of warm chili. For just $5, you can taste each contestant’s recipe, and even cast your vote on who served up the best chili you’ve ever tasted! Other than the tasting fee, the event is free, so come downtown and be part of this warm community tradition.
Friday, November 8
- Bond Brothers Blood Drive at Bond Brothers, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Come give your community a helping hand by donating blood! The Blood Connection will be onsite, and all participants will receive a $10 Bond Brothers gift card.
Saturday, November 9
- Triangle Smash Don’t Trash at Bond Brothers, noon-3 p.m. Community members are encouraged to bring their old pumpkins to be composted rather than landfilled! The event will host pumpkin smashing stations, informational booths, and delicious beer available for purchase. All compost created from “Smash Don’t Trash” will be shared with our friends at Gracious Harvest Community Garden.
- Downtown Cary Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m.-noon. Enjoy fresh seasonal produce from local farmers, bluegrass music on the front porch of the Ivey-Ellington house, and tables from local vendors. Kids can enjoy the kid’s table with activities, and well-behaved dogs are welcome!
Sunday, November 10
- 4th Annual Triangle Chili Challenge at Downtown Cary Food & Flea, noon-4 p.m. Enjoy chili samples from a variety of food businesses and organizations, then cast your vote for the best in the Triangle. There will be live music, a beer tent, wine garden, and 65 local artisans. Event is free, but there is a tasting fee of $5 to taste and vote on chili. Proceeds go to the Special Olympics of North Carolina.
- Thanksgiving Cookies at Once in a Blue Moon Bakery, 1-4 p.m. Come learn how to decorate cookies like a pro! Students will learn how to outline and flood cookies with royal icing, as well as use stencils and spray color to take cookies to the next level. All supplies included! Suitable for ages 13 and over, and beginners are welcome!
Explore the New Cary Library!
As you may have heard, this past weekend we cut the ribbon on the long-awaited new Cary Regional Library! With hundreds of people in attendance, we had lines out the door as people waited to sneak a peak of the roughly 30,000 square feet, carrying over a hundred thousands books!
Believe it or not, there was a time when our library’s collection was small enough to fit inside a tiny wooden building, owned by mayor Waldo Rood. In the 1940’s and 50’s, citizens were so hungry for books that a small book-mobile carried a modest collection through town every few weeks. You’d wait outside to see the traveling cart, return your book and pick out a new one. The Jr. Woman’s Club of Cary, lead by Daphne Ashworth, established a permanent library for the town in 1960. At one point, the library was small enough to fit inside Serendipity Gourmet Sandwiches, and barely had enough books to fill the shelves. If you’re interested in the history of our town’s library, we’ve written about it for you!
So if you’re looking for an easy adventure this weekend, stop by and see the impressive new facility in your own back yard! Generations of Caryites worked hard to bring books, stories, and educational library programming to the town. The new Cary Regional Library will offer programs for toddlers, preschoolers, kids, and adults. Not to mention, with a collection size of around 150,000, you are sure to find the perfect book to enjoy on these chilly autumn nights.