It’s a big week for Cary! Nearby at the WakeMed Soccer Park, The Soccer Tournament (TST) returns to bring exciting 7-on-7 action. So if you are interested in visiting Downtown Cary this weekend as a traveling soccer fan, as a local, or for any other reason, we have you covered so you don’t miss out on anything!
Events on Friday (5/29)
One Tribe Drum Circle & Fire Show
May 29 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – 310 South Academy Street
One Tribe Rhythms & Friends will perform every Final Friday from 7 – 8:30 p.m., March – October at the Old Library Site next to the Ivey-Ellington House.
As a part of the Cary Art Loop, join One Tribe for a free, family- friendly, drum circle with fire spinning by Caroleeena & Friends! Leading up to fire performances starting at 8 p.m., the drum circle will involve singing and “low impact” West African dances. All are welcome, no experience needed, and participants can bring their own instrument or borrow one! Come celebrate our community!
Cary Art Loop’s signature event is the Final Fridays Art Crawl held on the last Friday of each month from 6 – 9 p.m. Final Friday events are hosted by businesses and galleries on a monthly basis. Large crowds of art appreciators enjoy original art in our local art galleries, live music and many other exciting must see & do activities.
Discover Dance: Bharatanatyam Session
May 29 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm – Downtown Cary Park
Ramya S. Kapadia is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist and educator specializing in Bharatanatyam dance and Carnatic music. She has performed and taught across the United States and abroad, presenting solo and ensemble works that celebrate the beauty and storytelling power of these South Indian classical traditions. Through her Natyarpana School of Dance & Music, she shares these art forms with diverse communities, fostering cultural appreciation and accessibility for all ages.
As a Teaching Artist with the Durham and United Arts Councils, Arts Access, and the Tennessee Arts Commission, Ramya integrates the principles of Bharatanatyam with STEAM education, emphasizing inclusion for children with special needs. Her work as a choreographer and educator has been recognized with honors such as the Ella Pratt Emerging Artist Award, the NC Dance Alliance Choreography Fellowship, and an Artist Support Grant from the NC Arts Council. She has also been commissioned by organizations including the American Dance Festival, Durham Independent Dance Artists, and Roopa Cultural Arts to create new works that reflect the evolving global nature of Bharatanatyam.
For the Discover Dance series, Ramya and her ensemble will guide participants through movement, rhythm, and storytelling inspired by Bharatanatyam. Their session will introduce families to the expressive gestures and cultural roots of this ancient form while celebrating connection, creativity, and community through dance.
As always, this event is an additional hub for the Cary Art Loop where you can explore artistic creations, crafts, and imaginative activities. Come to the Park for this family-friendly celebration, where retailers and food trucks add to the festive atmosphere of local arts and delicious cuisine.
Events on Saturday (5/30)
Cary Farmers Market
May 30 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm – East Park Street
Join the Cary Farmers Market for the traditional market season along East Park St., next to Downtown Cary Park.
Find a wonderful lineup of vendors offering all locally made and locally grown items. Shop for freshly-harvested produce, humanely-raised meat, and artisan-made goods. Stop by the info booth to learn about their matching program for SNAP/EBT.
Children can also get their very own Farmers Market Passport and participate in the Eat-A-Rainbow program, which encourages children to eat healthy, nutritious foods. Learn more about the new location, nutrition programs, and other information on their website or their Facebook and Instagram pages for regularly updated weekly information.
CaryLIVE! – Fancy Gap
May 30 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm – Downtown Cary Park
Elevate your evenings with the vibrant rhythm of CaryLive! Join us at Downtown Cary Park for a captivating concert series, where the stage is set for memorable musical moments. Free and open to the public, this enchanting experience welcomes all to come together, enjoy the rhythms, and bask in the beauty of community and music under the stars.
Fancy Gap–singer/songwriter Stuart McLamb (The Love Language) and songwriter/producer Charles Crossingham–today shared their stirring new single “Gold Coast.” Capturing both the closeness of love and the ache that distance brings, the emotionally resonant track was originally envisioned as a driving rock song, yet took a new direction when McLamb recorded a one-take performance—just guitar and voice, captured live on a single microphone. “It was just supposed to be a test to see if the song would work stripped down,” he recalls. “But when Charles heard it, he said, ‘There’s something magic here. Don’t lose this feeling.’” The duo built a lush but understated soundscape around the unfiltered performance to create a recording–mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer Craig Alvin (Kacey Musgraves, Real Estate) at Nobel Steed Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL–that feels like a memory unfolding in real time. “The song is about what happens when you keep chasing a new horizon but can’t shake what you left behind,” says Crossingham. “You can hear that tension in the way it breathes—it never tries to be perfect; it just feels honest.”
“Gold Coast” is out now alongside a video crafted by acclaimed editor Jessica Ledoux (Netflix’s All the Light We Cannot See, HBO’s Vinyl), who wove together years of McLamb and Crossingham’s own camera footage into a deeply personal visual collage. “This video isn’t about us as a band; it’s about everything that makes life worth writing songs about,” says McLamb. Crossingham adds, “The song and video feel like your life flashing before your eyes. It’s powerful to see all those years of footage woven together into one big memory. I’ve known Jessica since I was 15, so collaborating on this with her felt full-circle. Stu had a great vision for what this could be, and it all just clicked.”
Fancy Gap’s self-titled debut album was released last year to praise and support from FLOOD Magazine, Indy Week, Big Takeover, Twangville, and Analogue, among others, as well as performed on PBS North Carolina’s Shaped By Sound. The album, also mixed by Alvin, featured additional contributions from Sharon Van Etten, Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara (vocals on “Filthy Habits”), Will McFarlane (Bonnie Raitt, The Mountain Goats, Etta James), Rami Jaffee (The Foo Fighters, The Wallflowers), and Jon Graboff (Willie Nelson, Noel Gallagher, M. Ward, Norah Jones). The band has also performed with artists including Old Crow Medicine Show, The Nude Party, American Aquarium, Futurebirds, Susto, and more.
Stay tuned for more additions to our 2026 lineup, you won’t want to miss a beat of CaryLive!
Be sure to bring a chair or blanket for a comfortable viewing experience.
These are the notable events taking place this weekend, but there is always something to do in Downtown Cary! Be sure to check out the directory to see the restaurants, bars, and shopping in the area!
If you are visiting for TST in particular, the Town of Cary has created a helpful webpage for exploring the Cary area beyond Downtown that is worth checking out!