It’s back and better than ever; the 16th Annual Spring Daze Arts & Crafts Festival will feature new fun-filled activities for the entire family, along with the best arts, crafts, entertainment and food on Saturday, April 25, 2009, at Cary’s Bond Park, 801 High House Road from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.  The free festival kicks off at 9 a.m. with a parade led by the NC Historical Enrichment Society, and the live entertainment continues until 5 p.m. with nearly 150 artists and a host of performing groups, civic groups, and concession areas.

For the first time at Spring Daze, the ages-old art form of storytelling will be featured all day long on Storyteller Stage in festival section E!  Aspiring photographers are also giving it their best shot at the first ever Amateur Photography Contest, co-sponsored by the Town of Cary and The Cary Jaycees.   Community professionals will judge all entries and winners will be presented at 1:15 p.m. on the Earth Day Stage.  The Cary News is sponsoring a photo contest for youth up to age 17!  Kids are invited to come to the festival, take their best photos in any (or all) of the categories and submit their entries by April 29. Visit http://www.carynews.com for full details.

Music lovers are encouraged to stop by the Sertoma Amphitheatre stage from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. for “Cary Performs”, a showcase highlighting Cary’s finest performance groups.  Performers will include the Applause! Youth Theatre, Cary Players, Cary Children’s Concert Choir, Concert Singers of Cary, Filipino Association Dancers, Philharmonic Association, Triangle Wind Ensemble, and Triangle Brass Band.

For fitness gurus, the WakeMed Fitness Pavilion will feature informative booths, interactive exhibits, demonstrations, hands-on activities, greenway information and local health and fitness opportunities to promote health lifestyles. The Pavilion is being held in support of Cary’s designation as a Fit Community (2007-2010) by the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund.

“Whatever your interest, you’re invited to bring the entire family out to help us celebrate Spring Daze,” said Festivals Coordinator Joy Ennis.  She added that while people of every age are invited to attend, animals are not permitted at the festival for the safety and security of all patrons.

Art lovers are invited to visit booth E15 to see the artwork of the 2009 featured artist, Richard Stickney. Stickney has been taking pictures since he was a teenager. Now 74, he has been a serious student of photography for eight years. Art lovers are also invited to see the artists in action, as students from the North Carolina State University College of Design create a temporary public art installation to be displayed at Bond Park as part of Spring Daze. "Discovery" of ordinary structures in unusual places can encourage people to think about their surroundings, the environment, and their impact on the earth.  Associate Professor Dana Raymond's students will create thought-provoking and intriguing installations to be discovered and enjoyed by festival and park visitors.

Returning to the festival this year is the Town’s Earth Day celebration.  Kids can pick up earth- friendly soy crayons and a recycling activity book in the Earth Day area.  Also, kids can visit each booth with an Eco Hero passport, engage in a fun environmental activity and redeem the completed passport for a special Earth Day prize.  The celebration will also include hands-on activities for children of all ages. Cary is a Tree City USA.

“We’re expecting even bigger crowds this year, and we encourage guests to take advantage of the convenient ways to reach the festival,” added Cox.

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.  Parking will also be available inside Bond Park at the Bond Park Community Center and at the Cary Senior Center and Ropes Course parking area.  A free shuttle from the parking areas will be provided. The Town of Cary’s Oxxford Hunt, White Oak, and Black Creek greenways offer perfect access to Bond Park - see http://www.townofcary.org/depts/prdept/greenway/gwylist.htm . C-Tran will also transport riders on route 4 free of charge to and from the festival; the service will run every half-hour leaving from the Cary Train Depot between North Academy Street and Harrison Avenue. 

For those needing handicapped parking, they should drive to the Park and look for volunteers near the Cary Senior Center, Maury O’Dell Place, that will assist with parking as close to the festival as possible in specially reserved handicapped parking. There is a handicapped accessible shuttle that travels inside the Park to assist.

In the event of rain, the Spring Daze Festival will be postponed to Sunday, April 26, 2009, from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.  To check for cancellations, please call (919) 319-4500 ext. 571.

For a complete schedule and more, see Spring Daze Arts & Crafts Festival at http://townofcary.org/depts/prdept/events/springdaze or call (919) 469-4061.