Things to Do in Cary, NC

Families gathered around a modern park plaza and water feature, like Downtown Cary Park in Cary, NC
Photo by Rui YAO on Unsplash

Cary is where the Triangle goes for concerts, soccer and the best new park in the state. It was founded in 1856 as a railroad settlement, turned into a tech town after Research Triangle Park opened in 1959, and is now home to SAS and Epic Games and about 180,000 people. It is roughly 10 miles from downtown Raleigh and 15 minutes from the airport. Here is how I use it.

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The best things to do in Cary

Downtown Cary Park

Seven acres at 327 S Academy St that opened in November 2023 and immediately became the best park in the Triangle for a Saturday: The Nest playground with two giant cardinal play structures, a splash pad, the Bark Bar and Barkyard for dogs, Market 317, gardens and lawns. About 750,000 people visit a year. Park in the library deck or Town Hall deck.

Koka Booth Amphitheatre

The lakeside outdoor venue at 8003 Regency Pkwy hosts national tours, the NC Symphony summer series, Hum Sub Diwali in October and the Chinese Lantern Festival from late November to early January. Bring a chair and get there early for lawn spots.

Fred G. Bond Metro Park

310 acres at 801 High House Rd, one of the largest municipal parks in the county: a lake with pedal boat, kayak and canoe rentals, the Lazy Daze playground, wooded trails, a challenge course and a 300-seat amphitheater. Gates open 7:30am and close at sunset.

Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve

140 acres and about three miles of trails at 2616 Kildaire Farm Rd, through a stand of Eastern hemlocks that have no business growing this far from the mountains. Free, and the Stevens Nature Center is good with kids.

WakeMed Soccer Park

Home of the NC Courage and North Carolina FC at 201 Soccer Park Dr, a 10,000-seat stadium that also hosts the NCAA College Cup. A Courage game is one of the best family sports outings in the Triangle.

Page-Walker Arts and History Center and Cary Arts Center

Page-Walker (119 Ambassador Loop) is the 1868 railroad hotel built by town founder A.F. Page, now home to the Cary Heritage Museum. The Cary Arts Center (101 Dry Ave) is a 48,000 square foot theater, studio and gallery complex on the site of Page’s 1870s academy.

Cary Downtown Farmers Market

Year-round Saturdays at 160 E Park St beside the park: 8am to noon April through October, 9am to noon November through March.

Fenton

The 92-acre district at Cary Towne Blvd and I-40 that opened in 2022 with Wegmans, Paragon Theaters and a strip of restaurants. This is Cary’s night out.

American Tobacco Trail

About 6.5 miles of the 22-mile rail trail run through western Cary and Apex toward Durham. Flat and shaded, good for bikes and strollers.

Events to plan around

  • Pimento Cheese Festival, April, Downtown Cary Park.
  • Spring Daze Arts and Crafts Festival, late April, Bond Park.
  • Ritmo Latino Festival, May, North Academy Street.
  • Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival, late August at the Town Hall campus. 2026 was the 50th.
  • Hum Sub Diwali, October at Koka Booth, free.
  • NC Chinese Lantern Festival, late November through early January at Koka Booth.
  • Heart of the Holidays, downtown decorations and events from late November into January.

Neighborhoods to know

Downtown Cary is the historic railroad core along Academy and Chatham. Fenton is the new-build dining and shopping district by I-40. West Cary around Parkside Town Commons is newer and closer to RTP and Morrisville. The Regency Park and Kildaire Farm corridor in south Cary has Koka Booth, Symphony Lake and Hemlock Bluffs. Next door, Apex is 10 minutes south and worth its own trip.

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