Story by Lindsey Chester. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – With Hurricane Irene making an uncertain path toward the North Carolina coast this weekend, The Town of Cary today officially announced they would cancel the 2011 Lazy Daze Festival.

For the safety of everyone involved, the decision was announced Thursday at 2:30 in email messages through the town.

After consulting with local, state, and federal forecasters and emergency management officials, the Town of Cary has cancelled Saturday’s Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival because of the significant potential for unsafe conditions due to high winds from Hurricane Irene.

In thirty-five years of hosting the festival, the Town has never been forced to cancel. The event will not be rescheduled for later this year.

“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our artists, entertainers, guests, volunteers, and workers,” said Town of Cary Festivals Coordinator Joy Ennis, who recalled the August 13th weather-related collapse at the Indiana State Fair that killed seven an injured 40 people.  “For over three decades, we’ve built a reputation for  providing one of the most wonderful festival experiences in the nation, and with our not being able to meet that standard this year, we’re really left with no other choice but to wait until Lazy Daze 2012.”

Ennis pointed out that, for several reasons, the festival could not be postponed to Sunday or moved to another date entirely.  “First, we set up the festival one day before, so with the Hurricane’s effects being here on Saturday, there would be no way to prepare for a Sunday festival.  And, if we do sustain damage in Cary, we’ll know that on Sunday, and our first priority will have to be to help our community recover from the storm.  As for picking another day later this fall, most of our artists, venders, and entertainers are already committed to other events, so we wouldn’t be able to get them here on what for them would be such late notice.”

Lots of disappointment abounds from artists who plan to show, organizations that have booths planned and volunteers who were eager to lend a hand. We will all have to wait until next year- or at least until Spring Daze, held in April.

Story by Lindsey Chester. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC- Lazy Daze is a tradition in Cary, spanning 35 years from the first event brainstormed by Cary resident Jerry Miller, whose drawing is the official symbol of the event.  This year, Jerry Dolls make their debut along with other new attractions.

Thirty five years is a long time to carry on a tradition and not go stale. But every year Joy Ennis, Town Of Cary Festivals Director, and the volunteer Festivals Committee come up with ideas to keep things fresh- even if the weather is 100 degrees!

This year 385 artists from 16 states have been selected to be part of this juried festival. Joy said she “Hopes the weather cooperates” because in 2008 a hurricaine loomed and in 2009 the day was rainy on and off. Last year the festival granted area 33 non- profit groups a total of $35, 000 , a direct result of a record turnout.

Joy added that the inclusion of “the new arts center opens up a whole new avenue because artwork really represents the festival”.

New This Year

Joy Ennis told me the committee has commissioned five “Jerry Dolls” that will be hidden all around the festival area. If people find all five, they will be registered to win prizes. Think “Where’s Waldo”- Cary-style. The Jerry dolls resemble the Jerry Miller drawing used as the Lazy Daze logo.

If you like competition, check out the timber and ice sculpting area where artists will use chain saws to make their creations which will then be judged.

Feel like playing chess, Harry Potter style? Giant game board for chess and checkers will be set up for play.

Artist’s  demonstrations have always been a part of the festival. This year, with the opening of the new Cary Arts Center, those demos have been moved inside. Seven groups will be highlighting their skills which include: Capital Quilters Guild, the Gifted Hands Chapter of the Embroidery Guild of America, the Woodturners Guild of North Carolina, Cary Clay Cooperative, NC Society of Goldsmiths, Carolina Designer Craftsmen, and Cary Players.

Cultural Arts Row will be located beside the Arts Center, where groups will hand out information about their work.

An Artist Shopping CD is available. All categories and listings of artists are on the Lazy Daze webpage under Shopping List

Returning

Performance artist the Silver Lady will be back. Dressed in period costume and painted silver head to toe, she stands as still as a statue until you place a donation in her bucket.  Then she moves to accept it, and returns to her still state.

Look for these other roving entertainers:

• Interactive Theatre of Jeff
• Shadow Players Stage Combat Group
• Balloons with Magic Tom
• Magic by Francis Ignasio

Kids World is back and will offer food and scheduled entertainment. The misting tent is located here for cooling off the family! Kid’s World is located at the corner of Academy and Park Streets just across from the Cary Public Library and is brought to you by Carolina Parent Magazine.

Kid’s World Entertainment Schedule

Two Stages of Live Entertainment

Fidelity Plaza will host live music including the Cary Town Band, high school bands and the Grass Cats. Check the schedule. The second stage is located in “Lazy Land” and will feature Applause! Theater, International Ballet Academy and others.

Each year the festival gets bigger and has spread from the main Academy Street area, to encompass food stalls in Ashworth Village, and artists booths extending down East and West Chatham Street.

See The Map

LD10 – Shop CD – Map

More Info:

Lazy daze is always held in Downtown Cary, on the last Saturday of August- this year August 27th from 9-5pm.

For more info  including parking and  free shuttle visit the Town’s Lazy Daze web page

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Events coverage on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Frantz Automotive.

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Story and photos by Lindsey Chester

Cary, NC- At the recent Lazy Daze Grants ceremony the artwork was unveiled that will represent the Lazy Daze Festival this August. I had the opportunity that night to meet the artist, Grace Li Wang. She agreed to a future interview.

The weather had again decided it was winter in Cary, but inside Grace’s studio the sun was shining. Many of her vibrant paintings feature the sun above a  lush field or undulating waves and here the weather is always fair. The table in the middle of the room displayed five large works with boats and fields and trees. Happiness radiated off these canvases. I’d had cabin fever and a cold for about a week and my mood immediately lifted.

I asked Grace how her work was selected to represent Lazy Daze. She told me that Joy Ennis, the Town of Cary’s Festivals Director, approached her last July. The committee was familiar with Wang’s work and asked her to create a painting. Her painting depicts the Lazy Daze Festival. A glowing sun shines down on  Academy Street lined with vendor tents, balloons and lots of people with Cary Elementary School (soon to be Arts Center) in the background. The painting will be displayed on all promotional materials beginning in June.

Grace

Grace is a native of Taipei, Taiwan and moved to the States in 1964 with her family, settling in Greensboro. Her father was a professor at A & T University during the civil rights era.

When she graduated from N.C. State’s School of Design in 1974, she liked the area so much that she stayed, later moving to Cary in 1978.

Her design degree led her to a career as an industrial designer creating visual identity and point of sale displays for corporations including Ericsson, Black & Decker and F.H.I. (Family Health International). Her successful career led to many recognitions in her field, and she showed me a book full of these commendations.

Her awards include:

• Designers Choice Awards from the International Design Publications
• Distinguished Art and Design Graphics Awards from the International Society for Technical Communications
• COMPLEAT Communication Design Award
• International Assoc. of Business CommunicationOzzie Award for Design Excellence
• … and many others

She left the corporate world and ran her own marketing firm from 1991-1996. Then in 1999 Grace decided to paint full time and run her own  gallery in North Raleigh for several years. She describes a feeling of bliss and contentment when she paints that has fueled her belief that she was meant to create art full time.

Of her work Grace says:

“I want to create vibrant images that become the active force in expressing colors and forms in nature, with emotional qualities that are strong and radiate energy and exuberance.” She adds that she wants her art to “move (her) audience, to feel the vibrancy and energy of life through expressive works of dramatic and bold colors…and see art as an extension of their own cultural experience”.

Inspiration

Van Gogh, Matisse, Gaugin and many others in the Fauves and Impressionist movements are very much in evidence. Her bold colors and brush strokes have a great similarity to these masters.

Two Shows In Cary:

Currently Grace has two exhibits in Cary with a third planned for August. You can see her collection titled “Radiance in Nature” at Stonehaven Jewelry and “Radiance Fields” at Chatham Street Cafe through the end of March. A new gallery, Chamber Arts Gallery will be opening soon in Ashworth’s Village. For August they will hang a show of Wang’s work to coincide with Lazy Daze.

All of these works are for sale and can also be viewed on her website.

Staff reports. Photo by Brooke Meyer.

Cary, NC- In our story this week about the recent Lazy Daze grant reception, one of the 33 grant recipient organization names was inadvertently omitted.

Cary Ballet Conservatory received a grant from the organization to fund their “Celebration of Children in the Arts”. This festival is planned for October and showcases talented youth, not only in dance, but in martial arts, music, visual art and other performing arts.

During the festival, families can participate in craft activities during the flexible time of the open house format.

Joy Pike (L), Lazy Daze 2011 chair and artist Grace Li Wang (R)

Story and photo by Lindsey Chester

Cary, NC- The Lazy Daze Festival Committee presented 33 area non-profit organizations with grant money on Thursday, Jan. 27 at the Page-Walker Arts and History Center. Councilman Erv Portman noted that this is “a milestone for Lazy Daze grants. With these awards tonight, over $500,000 have been given since its inception” in 1980.

Best One-Day Festival in the Nation?

In his opening remarks, Lyman Collins said that “Lazy Daze is a community driven event” and added  “that Cary is all about presenting great things for our citizens.”

He pointed out that Sunshine Artist magazine gives Lazy Daze the highest ranking for a one-day festival in the nation. Last year was one of the best attended events in festival history, and led to additional funds for the grant program totaling $35,000.

Exhibitors came from over 17 states and all remarked how welcoming and well organized our town was.

It Takes a Team

None of this would be possible without the help of teams of volunteers who partner with the town staff. Joy Ennis is Cary’s Festivals Director, and last year Brenda Larson was the Festivals  Committee Chairperson. As the outgoing chair, it was her duty to announce the winners. She did so with humor, at times adopting a Scottish accent and using a bit of her native French.

Next year’s chairperson, Joy Pike, is busy with plans for this Summer’s event (to take place Aug 27). She and Cary artist Grace Li Wang closed the ceremony with the unveiling of Grace’s painting which will to be the official art for Lazy Daze 2011.

2011 Lazy Daze Grantee List

All organizations filed for the grants before an October 2010 deadline, and had to be a registered 501c3 group. More than seventy groups applied for grants, and 34 received them. The best part for CaryCitizen was that we knew almost everyone who received an award! Check our archives, and read about events they have each sponsored.

Here is the official list of the award winners and what their plans are:

• The Cary Public Library- assist with their adult program offerings including their Aspiring Author series
• The American Turkish Association of NC- will support their community events like Nazim Hikmet Poetry Festival
• Asociacion Puertorriquenos Unidos de Carolina del Norte- the money will help with operating expenses to promote future events
• Cary-Apex Piano Teachers Association- will sponsor their annual guest recital free to the public, and their annual master class.
• The Cary Family YMCA- to support their work at Camp Y-rageous,to enhance their arts offerings for kids who can’t afford camp.
• Cary Ballet-will fund their annual “Celebration of Children in the Arts” festival in October
• Cary Photographic Artists-to support artists to create poster size works for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Gala.
• The Cary Players- will assist with costs for this year’s Love Bits and Bites production in February
• Cary Town Band- money will support their 2011 concert schedule.
• Cary Visual Art- will partially fund their Public Art Focus Lecture series at the Page- Walker.
• Center for Volunteer Caregiving- they will create a photgraphy exhibit depicting the mission of the center
• Concert Singers of Cary- the award will help with operating costs of this group and the Cary Childrens’ Choir and Youth Chorale.
• Diamante, Inc- will sponsor a Latin night during the Twilight Concert series during the Ritmo Festival in August
• Fine Arts League of Cary-funds will be used to offer a series on creativity
• The Friends of Page-Walker- money will help to preserve artifacts that are donated to the organization
• Brussels Chamber Orchestra- will be hosting their third annual Cross Currents Music Festival in Cary
• The Heart of Cary Association- is beginning their plans for a downtown Children’s Museum
• Hum Sub, Inc- will fund their Diwali and a spring festival called Basant Bahaar
• International Ballet Company- is providing lecture demonstrations to local schools
• Ivy Community Service Foundation of Cary- the grant will be used  for a mentoring program called Cultivating Adolescent Potential
• Kids Together- is moving forward with a water play feature in the Kids Together Playground
• Life Experiences- plans to use their money to expose their adults with developmental disabilities to the arts
• Martin Luther King Jr Taskforce- will support events throughout the year showcasing diverse people’s contributions to the world
• NC Eid Festival- will help the community to learn more about Muslim culture.
• NC Historical Enrichment Society-they will improve their Environmental Theater program
• Philharmonic Association- will offset costs of sheet music, and assist financial aid for needy students, and guest expenses
• The Scottish Cultural Organization of the Triangle- will sponsor a ceilidh concert with Scottish fiddle music, dance, poetry.
• The Carying Place-will expand the arts component of their children’s program
• The Mariposa School-money will help support their annual event Maripalooza
• Triangle British Brass Band- will host three free concerts at Sertoma Amphitheatre
• Triangle Jazz Society- is producing the Smooth and Sweet Jazz Festival with Marcus H Mitchell
• Western Wake Artists Studio Tour- produced 2 free public art exhibitions, and their grant will fund publicity
• Cary Teen Council-gives a scholarship each year to an outstanding graduating senior

The sheer breadth of these organizations and the impact they have on our town was overwhelming.

Cary continues to amaze me. Congratulations to all the grant winners!

Photos by Suzie Wolf. Notes by Matt Young.

Cary N.C. – As we often do, we had photographers roaming the crowds of Lazy Daze where a record throng (it seemed) flocked to Cary’s very special party.

The weather was great and the festival had some terrific vendors and artisans, awesome music on the soundstage and the smell of local food favorites filled the summer air. I’m not sure I would have it described as “lazy.” “Ambitious” might be a better word. Congrats to all that made this Cary one-of-a-kind event possible!

Here are some photo selections from photographer Suzie Wolf.

Nothing much going on in Cary this weekend. Just a new outdoor sculpture exhibition, two art openings, Shakespeare at Booth Amphitheatre, professional soccer, a 5k run and, oh yeah, 50,000 people are coming for Lazy Daze.

Here’s the line-up.

Friday, August 27

Cary Art Loop
6-9 p.m.
Cary Art Loop highlights Triangle arts & culture in the Cary Area offering extended hours for participating art galleries, restaurants, coffee houses, and other businesses that showcase visual arts, music and more! For maps, details and more visit: www.caryartloop.org.

Meera Goyle, Travelogue in Paintings
Cary Senior Center, 5-8 p.m.
Medium: Watercolor
For more, call (919) 469-4081.

Cary Visual Art 2010 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition
Come check out this year’s selection by juror Glenn Weiss, manager of public art & design in times square, NYC featuring nationally recognized sculptors: Adam Walls, NC; James Burnes, NM; Brett Hunter, NY; Jonathan Hils, OK; Daniel Howachyn, NC; Paul Hill, NC; Doug Makemson, GA; Phil Simpson, TX; Gail Simpson, WI; and Pokey Park, AZ. For maps, details and more visit www.caryvisualart.org.

Laura Gaylord: From the Tropics to the Tarheel State: Intimate American Landscapes and Still Lifes
Artists’s Reception: Jordan Hall Arts Center Gallery, 6-8 pm
Medium:  Acrylic

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night or What You Will
Koka Booth Amphitheatre, 8 p.m.
Tickets and more information at www.boothamphitheatre.com or by phone at (919) 462-2052.

Saturday, August 28

16th Annual Run 4 Life 5K
WakeMed Soccer Park, 8 a.m.
For more, call (919)815-3237 or visit www.raleighrunforlife.org.

34th Annual Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival
Downtown Cary, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
FREE. Lazy Daze is the highest ranked one day festival in the Nation for Classic & Contemporary Craft Shows by Sunshine Artist Magazine.It’s a fun day for the entire family – arts and crafts, food, Kid’s World and two huge stages with entertainment all day.
For more, call (919) 469-4061.

Men’s Professional Soccer
WakeMed Soccer Park, 7 p.m.
Carolina RailHawks vs. Puerto Rico Islanders
For more, call (919) 859-5425 or visit www.carolinarailhawks.com.

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night or What You Will
Koka Booth Amphitheatre, 8 p.m.
Tickets and more information at www.boothamphitheatre.com or by phone at (919) 462-2052.

The original Lazy Daze logo drawn by Cary artist Jerry Miller and established 1977

Cary, NC- Watch a Guinness Book record be made,  taste wine at the Great Steak Challenge, or check out the living Silver Drummer Statue. These are some of the news attraction at this year’s annual Cary Lazy Daze Festival next Saturday, August 28th.

The Biggest Doll

Jason Lynch, owner and CEO of E. G. Bears, a West Virginia toy company, hopes to construct the world’s largest rag doll made from recycled materials at the Lazy Daze from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The 50-foot-tall doll will stand 25 feet supported by a wooden doll frame. He plans to submit his creation to the Guinness Book of World records for consideration.

Lynch is also giving back to the community: Half of all that is spent will benefit the Lazy Daze Grants Program when patrons pay $4 to sign a wooden heart that goes into the doll and get a bucket of stuffing to help fill him up. The doll will be named, appropriately enough, “CARY”.  Lynch will be working on East Chatham Street, across from Johnson’s Jewelers.

The Great Steak Challenge

The Great Steak Challenge which is sponsored by Beringer Wineries will be located in the Cary Post Office parking lot on Academy Street from 2-4pm. Ten regional finalists from a half dozen states will be judged by three mystery celebrity judges Saturday to move on to the finals in Napa in October.  The finals will be shown on the Food Network in November or December. Beringer will host wine tastings and educating the public on some of their wines at Lazy Daze.

And Now For Something Completely Different

And on a really different note, look for the The Silver Drummer Girl. This women is painted silver and stands as still as a statue. That is,  until you put a dollar in her bucket. She comes alive and plays her drum for you.

Beer Garden to Cool Off

Cary’s Sister Cities will be once again sponsoring the Beer Garden. This will be located on West Chatham Street near Creative Images.

Look for these new additions while you stroll downtown for the 34th annual Lazy Daze celebration. Enjoy the two main stages of music and dance, and the children’s area on Park/Academy. And of course, enjoy the art from over 380 artists representing 17 states.

For this and all other things happening in Cary, check out the CaryCitizen Calendar.

If you know of an event in Cary we haven’t got on the Calendar, contact Events Editor Lindsey Chester.

2009 Lazy Daze, photo courtesy of the Town of Cary

CARY, NC –  The very first Lazy Daze was organized in 1976 by Cary artist Jerry Miller. Miller had been traveling around to other local street fairs and thought Cary should have one too.

This year, the Town estimates that 50,000 people attend the 34th Annual Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival on Saturday, August 28, 2010 from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. In all likelihood, Jerry will be there.

Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and the Cary Town Council, along with Cary Town Crier and Sister City representative from Markham, Ontario, Canada, John Webster, will open the regionally acclaimed, award-winning festival with a ceremony at 8:45 a.m. The festival is held rain or shine.

385 Arts & Crafts Vendors

A snapshot of vendor arts and crafts for sale is available online, allowing attendees to plan their shopping strategy. In addition to the 385 arts and crafts vendors, this year’s Lazy Daze festival will host numerous unique events throughout the day. Be sure to check out:

• Beringer Vineyard’s Great Steak Challenge Regional Semifinals – ten grillmasters will fix their steak recipe and pair it with a Beringer wine for local chef judges. The winner will travel to Napa Valley for the National Championship, which will air on the Cooking Network.

• World’s Largest Doll – help craftsman Jason Lynch, owner of E.G. Bear Company in West Virginia create the world’s largest doll at over 20 feet tall and 20 feet long. Guests can help stuff the doll. If successful, the feat will be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

• One, two, three, four- come and buy your locker door! Own of piece of Old Cary High and Elementary School with the chance to purchase a locker door. The building is currently being renovated to become Cary’s newest community arts center, set to open late Spring 2011.

• Returning events include: Kid’s World, a children’s arts activity center; Our Town, a space for Cary residents to learn about the numerous services provided by the Town of Cary and ways to get involved; Cultural Arts Row, an area featuring local non-profit arts organizations; and the Sister Cities Association Beer Garden, a refreshing place to sample domestic and imported beers, food and entertainment. Lazy Daze merchandise items will be available for purchase, including a special Commemorative Poster 10-pack, a collection of posters from the last 10 Lazy Daze Festivals, for only $20.

Getting There

The easiest way to get to Lazy Daze is to take one of the free shuttles that will run from Cary Towne Center at Sears to Cary Elementary School. Shuttles will run every 15 minutes beginning at 8:30 a.m., and the last bus leaves Cary Elementary at 5:30 p.m.

Limited parking is available at the Cary Town Hall Parking Deck, next to the Herbert C. Young Community Center and across from Cary Town Hall. Handicapped parking is available at Cary Town Hall near the railroad tracks, at the First United Methodist Church on S. Academy Street, and at the Cary Elementary School on Kildaire Farm Road.

For the safety of all attendees, pets are not allowed in the festival area.

“Each year, Lazy Daze presents visual and performing arts of extraordinary caliber to a wide audience from the Triangle area and beyond,” said Joy Ennis, Town of Cary Festival Coordinator. “Explore the talents of vendors from across the country and learn how to get involved with cultural arts and community programs here in your own backyard.” Ennis added that citizens wanting to get involved with the festival could call (919) 462-3862 for a list of available volunteer opportunities.

Proceeds from the festival help fund the Lazy Daze grant program, which returns money into the Cary community in the form of grants to local non-profit arts organizations— approximately $475,000 over the last 33 years.

For more information, including the complete entertainment schedule, vendor map and concession offerings, visit Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival at www.townofcary.org.

Cary, NC – This is so simple: tell the sponsors of the Great Steak Challenge your favorite way to prepare steak. If your recipe is chosen, you’ll compete at one of ten regional cook-offs around the country and a chance to win a $15,000 Grand Prize.

Just so happens one of the regional cook-offs is at Lazy Daze in Cary, NC.

Details to Enter

You can’t just show up at Lazy Daze with a hunk of meat and a jar of Mama’s secret marinade. Nope.

You have to enter in advance. No cost, no obligation. Just a chance to win $15k for cooking a steak.

Enter your recipe here. And look for the Great Steak Cook Off at Lazy Daze!

News on CaryCitizen is sponsored by Chick-fil-A Waverly Place.