Cary, NC – Bond Park is gearing up for the 18th annual Cary Spring Daze Festival on Saturday, April 30, 2011. Highlights this year include a focus on conservation, fitness and some new and unusual ways to enjoy local art.

Rain Barrels for a Cause

This year marks the first ever “Artistic Rain Barrel” project. Various groups and individuals have signed on to create works of functional art out of the Town’s rain barrels. These are normally sold to citizens and businesses who wish to conserve rain which can be used later to water their gardens. These painted barrels have been displayed around town leading up to the festival. They will move to Bond Park and then be held for auction.

Festivals Director, Joy Ennis says “We’re excited about this year’s Spring Daze Festival and especially our new project – the Artistic Rain Barrel project. There are 14 fantastic barrels that will be available to purchase. Proceeds will benefit the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department’s Relief for Recreation Scholarship Fund and the OASIS program.”

Fitness Fun

Cary was recently voted a “Fit Community” and as part of that designation, the Town has again partnered with WakeMed Cary to sponsor the Fitness Trail and its Passport to Fitness. Visitors can pick up their “passports” at any Fitness Stop within the festival, and then can complete many of the wellness activities (appropriate for all ages) to get their passports stamped. When the passport is completed, folks can turn them in at any Fitness Stop to receive a cool prize. If you completed all the stops, you could win the grand prize! I’m going to try to do that.

Earth Day Activities

For several years the town has combined their Earth Day celebration with Spring Daze. The setting in the Town’s largest park along with the April date makes conservation a natural theme.

The theme for the Earth Day booths this year is “Lead. Inspire” and focuses on how the Town is working to preserve natural resources. Visitors can learn about the Spruce Program, C Tran, cooking oil recycling and water conservation among many other booths.

Local Artisans in Action

Both the Cary Clay Cooperative and the Capital Quilters Guild will be demonstrating their crafts.

Amateur Photo Contest

The Cary Jaycees in conjunction with the Spring Daze Festival Committee held a photo contest and entrees will be on display at the Bond Park Boat House. Winners will be presented at 12:15 pm.

Art-o-Matic Miniature Art

Purchase a piece of miniature art from the Art-O-Mat. A rehabilitated cigarette machine houses miniature original works of art that can be purchased for a small fee. The Town-owned Art-O-Mat has made a town-wide tour before settling in its final home in May at the new Cary Arts Center.

Art Displays

All artists at Spring Daze are limited to local talent. Most are from Wake County, if not they are from North Carolina. There will be crafts, and clothing, stained glass and paintings. When I was a child we moved a lot. Everywhere we lived my parents always bought a piece of art at shows such as this one to remind them of their travels. What a nice way to remember where you’ve been.

For more info, visit the town’s Spring Daze Page

Cary, NC- Are you an amateur shutterbug? Would you like to see your work exhibited at Spring Daze this year? If so, you’re invited to enter the third annual Spring Daze Photo Contest, sponsored by the Cary Jaycees.

Photos are due April 22. Download an application.

Submission Categories

Amateur photographers can enter as adults or youth under 18. The submission categories include:

• Critters
• People
• North Carolina Landscape

Sorry no photos from your travels abroad!

Prizes & Awards

• Best of Show
• First Place
• Ribbons for 2nd and 3rd
• People’s Choice (Vote on April 30 from 9AM-3PM at the Boat House)
• Honorable Mentions

Your Photo at Spring Daze!

Judged entries will be displayed at the Spring Daze Festival at the Bond Park Boathouse from 9am-5pm. CaryCitizen Publisher Hal Goodtree is one of the judges.

People’s Choice voting will be held from 9am-3pm. Prizes and awards will be announced on the Earth Stage at Spring Daze between 12 and 12:15 pm.

Deadline & Entry Fee

All entries must be received or postmarked by April 22. More info.

Photographers can submit a maximum of 2 photos with the entry fee of $12.

Where to send

Download an application or contact Sally Nicole.

By Mail:

• Cary Jaycees, PO Box 212, Cary, NC 27512

Drop off:

• Cary Parks and Rec Dept., 316 N. Academy St, Downtown Cary, M-F, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.
• Jordan Hall Arts Center, 908 N. Harrison Ave, Cary, M-F 9 a.m.- 10 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

About the Cary Jaycees

Jaycees stands for Junior Chamber of Commerce. The Cary Jaycees support community, personal development, building relationships and leadership for adults under 40.

In 2011, the Jaycees support community initiatives including:

• Huggables for Wake Med
• Christmas Tree Sales for charities
• Rebuilding Together
• Ramp Up
• Santa Letters
• Hurricanes Hockey with Local Kids
• Great Afghan Cookie Bake for Soldiers
• Stuffed animal collection for Troops in Iraq
• Quilt creation and auction for charity
• Wine tasting and auction for charity
• Blood Drive
• Adopt a highway
• Kid’s Voting
• Sorting Food at Food Bank
• Chili Cookoff for charity
• Christmas Kids shopping spree

For more info, visit CaryJaycees.org.

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The Cary Jaycees are a proud sponsor of CaryCitizen, enabling community-based media.

Landscape- Youth – 1st Prize

“Cracks” by Savannah Thorne

Landscape – Adult – 2nd Prize

“Balloon Glow” by Frank Everitt

Landscapes – Youth – Honorable Mention

“Stumped” by Connor Appelboom, youngest entrant in the contest this year (at age six).

Also in the Show

“From Here to America” by Caroline Morgan

“Butterfly on Yellow” by Caroline Morgan

1st place winner for Adult Landscape by Scott Simerly

Cary, NC – The Cary Jaycees have just concluded their 2nd Annual Amateur Photo Contest as part of Spring Daze. Here’s the Best of Show and 1st Place in the “Critters of Nature,” adult category, taken by Donna Panabaker.

Best of Show and 1st Place in the "Critters of Nature," adult category, taken by Donna Panabaker

If you had a photo in the show, feel free to email it to us photos@carycitizen.com and we’ll add it to the story.

Cary, NC – Our Business Affairs editor, Brenda Larson, has been up to some business of her own. As Co-Chair of the Cary Festivals Committee, she’s just finished a hectic Spring Daze weekend. She’s also part of the team at French West Vaughan putting together the Rock Hall Benefit show this coming weekend.

So we gave her a couple of weeks off.

But business in the greater Cary metroplex never sleeps. So send Brenda your business news for her return to this space on May 11.

Cary, NC – The weather was mild, the crowd enthusiastic and the exhibitors out in force for Spring Daze 2010.

There were potters and painters, bluegrass and barbecue, birdhouses, jewelry, garden gnomes and ladies sewing a quilt to raise money for veterans.  American Idol pop star Anoop Desai dropped by to sing a few songs on the Sertoma stage. This was the 17th annual event, held in bucolic Bond Park.

The fine weather brought out a big crowd, many arriving via Cary’s greenways on bikes and on foot. Regiments of volunteers kept the festival running smoothly from all day.

Cary Festivals Co-Chair Brenda Larson (also our Business editor) took a few pictures to capture the day. She also managed to grab some video of Anoop’s performance. Where does she get the time?

Whether you made it to Spring Daze or did something else on a beautiful Saturday, enjoy the slideshow and the video of one of our town’s finest events.

Earth Day Celebration 2009, photo from Spruce

Cary, NC – This April 22nd, the country will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.  The Town of Cary will be holding its celebration in conjunction with the Spring Daze Arts Festival this Saturday at Bond Park.  This is the 10th year that Cary has held an Earth Day celebration.

How Did Earth Day Begin?

Senator Gaylord Nelson, Founder of Earth Day

In November 1962, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin wanted to bring environmental issues into the political agenda. The first task was to persuade President John Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour. President Kennedy liked the idea and began a five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963.  This was the seed that ultimately flowered into Earth Day.

At that time in our history, environmental degradation was appearing everywhere.  Air pollution was thick, our parks and roadways where covered with litter and a little thing called “the greenhouse effect” was being discussed by scientists.

“Everyone noticed except the political establishment. The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation’s political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not,” recalled Senator Nelson in a 1993 article.

The idea occurred to the Senator – why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to the environment?  Nelson announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and invited everyone in the country to participate. The news of the demonstration spread rapidly across the nation.

“The response was electric. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air – and they did so with spectacular exuberance,” recalled Senator Gaylord Nelson.

40 Year’s of Earth Day

On April 22, 1970, more than 20 million demonstrators from 10,000 elementary and high schools, 2,000 colleges, and over 1,000 communities participated in Nelson’s demonstration. The occasion made people pay attention and concerns about environmental issues began to take root.

1995, Senator Nelson Receives Presidential Medal of Honor

On March 21, 1971, the UN Secretary General signed a proclamation establishing Earth Day as an official international holiday. Now people all over the world are learning about environmental issues in their communities.  In 1995, Gaylord Nelson received the Presidential Medal of Honor from President Clinton for his lifelong work on behalf of the environment.

Celebrate Earth Day In Cary

During this Saturday’s Spring Daze Arts Festival you are invited to celebrate Earth Day’s Birthday by visiting 8 booths near the boat house in Bond Park.  When you visit your first booth, be sure to pick up an Earth Day Birthday Card.  Then take your card and visit all of the environmental booths to get a stamp and learn how Cary is helping the environment.

Stop by, play a game, get a stamp and learn about:

• Water Conservation – Learn about ways and devices that will help you save water in and around your house.  Play a fun game to “Whack Water Waste”.
• Recycling & Spruce – Ever wonder what you can recycle in Cary?  Visit the recycling booth to learn what items you can recycle and how to keep them out of the landfill.  Also, find out about ways to volunteer with the Spruce Program to clean up litter, plants trees and flowers and take care of Cary’s parks.
• Horticulture – Here you can learn about the importance of trees and pick up a free tree seedling.
• Wastewater Pretreatment – Our sewer system needs your help to protect it from clogs and overflows.  Learn how you can help by keeping fats and oils out of the system by recycling your oil.
• Parks & Greenways - Cary has so many beautiful parks and greenways, visit the booth to find out which greenway is closest to you house.
• Hemlock Bluffs – Hemlock Bluffs is a treasure in your backyard.  Play a fun game to learn about wildlife and the park.  Pick up some bird seed for our feathered friends as well.
• Storm Water – You can play a big part in protecting our rivers, streams and lakes.  Come to the storm water booth to learn how and make a cool button to take with you.
• C-Tran – Stop by to find out how you can ride a C-Tran bus and help reduce your carbon footprint.

Once you receive a stamp on your Earth Day Birthday Card from all 8 booths you will receive an Earth Day gift from the Town of Cary.  Remember, everyday is Earth Day!

Cary, NC – Spring Daze is going have a little American Idol glitter with a performance by Anoop Desai on the Sertoma stage.

Anoop, as he is known, placed sixth during the spring 2009 season of American Idol. The singer attributed his decision to audition for American Idol to the death of a friend, Eve Carson, the UNC Student Body President who was murdered in 2008.

Born in Cary, Anoop’s family moved to Chapel Hill when he was 12. In addition to being a fine singer, he earned a four-year academic scholarship to UNC and was awarded the Baxter Prize in American studies in 2008.

“The Town of Cary is happy to welcome Anoop to our Spring Daze Festival,” said Joy Ennis, Festival Coordinator. “His talents are a great addition to the variety of entertainers planned for the day.”

Anoop is schedule to perform at 1 pm on Saturday, April 24.

Take a Listen

Here’s a clip we found of Anoop singing lead with the UNC Clef Hangers on “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5.

Getting to Spring Daze

The Town is providing a free shuttle bus from the Town Hall Parking Deck on Wilkinson Avenue. Shuttles run every 15-20 minutes between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Festival goers can also ride C-Tran’s Fixed Route system free of charge to and from the festival; the service will run every half-hour from 6 a.m.- 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.- 7 p.m., and hourly in between those times from the Cary Train Depot between North Academy Street and Harrison Avenue.

Limited parking will be available inside Bond Park at the Bond Park Community Center and at the Cary Senior Center and Ropes Course parking area. For the safety and security of all visitors, pets are prohibited at Spring Daze.

In the event of heavy rain, Spring Daze will be postponed to Sunday April 25, 2010 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. To check for cancellations, call (919) 319-4500 x571; cancellations will also be posted on the Town of Cary’s Twitter Feed, www.twitter.com/TownofCary.

For a complete list of performances and vendors, visit Spring Daze Arts & Crafts Festival at www.townofcary.org or call (919) 469-4061.

Illustration from a photograph by moonlightbulb on Flickr. Used via Creative Commons license.

Cary, NC – It’s spring in Cary and that means Spring Daze is just around the corner.  This Saturday, April 24th,  marks the 17th annual Cary Spring Daze.  The festival focuses on the arts but it also celebrates Cary’s great outdoor living - taking place on the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day.

History of CSD

I spoke with Festivals Director, Joy Ennis about the history of the event.

Joy explained that the Cary Festivals Committee formed 34 years ago. Lazy Daze was inaugurated at that time and the Committee began hearing feedback from local artists who were having trouble getting shown in the juried fall festival.  At this year’s Spring Daze, 80% of the artists are from Wake County (all reside in North Carolina).  By contrast, Lazy Daze attracts showcases from around the country.  All artists must submit applications to be allowed to set up shop, but only the gallery section is juried.

When Did Spring Daze Move?

Spring Daze used to be held in downtown Cary, just like Lazy Daze.

Joy said that “Back around 2002 with the construction of the new Town Hall, the committee was faced with a dilemma about where to set up.  The situation gave the Festivals Committee the opportunity to rebrand the event by locating it in the largest park in the Cary Metro area.  In this way the festival was able to create a separate identity.”

Earth Day

About 4-5 years ago, the Town of Cary made the decision to coincide Spring Daze with Earth Day festivities as a larger event.  Exhibits will provide information how you can help in preserving our natural resources.  Representatives from Cary’s litter reduction and beautification program, named “Spruce”, will have engaging activities for the whole family.

What’s New?

As a result of the Town of Cary being designated a “Fit Community” the committee has decided to add a fitness trail this year that will engage people of all ages in activities to earn stamps on their “Fitness Passports”.  The first 600 visitors to the Fitness Stop near the Festival Information tent will receive a free pedometer as part of the Fit Cary Pedometer Challenge.

Some Highlights

There will be 5 stages with shows changing on the hour.  The Sertoma Ampitheater Stage will showcase many of the larger local groups.  Some of them include:

• The Magic of Michael Creech
• Triangle Wind Ensemble
• Brazilian Soul Band
• Cary Ballet
• Applause! Cary Youth Theatre
• Concert Singers of Cary

In addition to live performances, artists from the Cary Clay Cooperative, Colored Pencil Society of America (North Carolina State Chapter), Capital Quilters Guild will demonstrate their crafts.  There’s also a Juggling Workshop on the Boathouse deck and the traveling Art-O-Mat (it travels this year until the new Arts Center is built).  Performances Schedule link.

How To Get There

Parking can be tight at Bond Park, so the town encourages visitors to use the FREE Festival Shuttle Bus.  Park at the Town Hall Parking Deck located  near the Cary Town Hall beside 101 Wilkinson Ave. Shuttles run every 15 – 20 minutes between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.  C-TRAN’s Fixed Route System will also offer rides to and from the festival for another free option.  And if you are fortunate to live nearby (like me), walk or take your bike along the Oxxford Hunt, Black Creek, or White Oak Creek Trails.

Here’s a link to the Spring Daze Map.

For this and other fun events happening in Cary visit the CaryCitizen Calendar.  If you would like us to add an event to the Calendar, please email Lindsey Chester.

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The Calendar is sponsored this week by The Grove School and Cary Spring Daze

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