The freshly renovated playground at Ed Yerha Park is now open and has something for everyone. Key features include a mix of different styles of play equipment, sound and sand play, added shade structures to cool down in the summer heat, and new soft surfacing to protect from falls.

Bond Park’s playground also got a makeover. The design theme for Lazy Daze Playground was naturalistic to match other Bond Park facilities, like the Challenge Course. It features play areas and swings for different ages, spring riders, a merry-go-round, sand play, and nature play with boulders. It’s a beautifully wooded setting for a playground and fun for all ages.

Following the removal of invasive species from Dunham Park last summer, Cary mobilized a group of high school environmental science students from Green Hope High School to plant native species along the edge of the natural wetland on the site next to the stormwater wetland. Students learned how to dig a proper hole for planting based on the plant pot size, how to prepare the potted plant roots for planting, and how to install live stakes. The species planted included containerized sweet bay and buttonbush, along with elderberry live stakes. These shrubs should flourish in the wet conditions in this part of the park and prevent recolonization of Chinese privet and other nuisance exotic species.

Following big improvements to the course over the last year, including upgrades of all the tee pads to concrete, Cary’s championship disc golf course, Diavolo at New Hope, moved up in the 2024 Udisc.com world rankings to No. 21 and was named No. 4 in the world in public (free) courses. Work on the course will continue this spring and summer as Cary prepares to host the 2024 U.S. Masters Disc Golf Championship in September. Fun fact: North Carolina is home to more top disc golf courses than any other state.

This quarter, the Cary Senior Center was awarded national accreditation through the National Council on Aging. Accreditation through the NCOA is considered the gold standard in senior center operations and has been achieved by only 3% of senior centers nationwide. In addition, the Cary Senior Center was also recently awarded another five-year accreditation by the state of North Carolina. These accreditations serve as evidence that Cary is on the leading edge of providing best-in-class programs and activities for seniors in the community. 

Now in its eighth year, the N.C. Chinese Lantern Festival welcomed more than 216,000 visitors and generated more than $8 million in direct economic impact, according to the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. This year, Cary hosted the festival at Koka Booth Amphitheatre from Nov. 17 to 
Jan. 8. The festival was forced to close almost a week early due to storm damage to several of the lantern displays. Despite closing earlier than planned, the festival still managed to break its own attendance record set the previous year.

From Jan. 12 to Jan. 15, Cary honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The weekend included a diverse range of programs that invited citizens to reflect on social justice issues championed by Dr. King while also providing opportunities to give back to the community through donations and participation in a Day of Service. Attendees enjoyed a live comedy show, a storytelling-focused program for kids, and a performer showcase production at the Cary Arts Center on Saturday. Sunday featured an interfaith service at Christ the King Lutheran Church and a gathering at Cary First United Methodist for a community meal and discussion. Residents were invited to conclude the weekend with a Day of Service at Good Hope Farm.

This year, Cary expanded its programming for Black History Month to include a variety of activities and events throughout February. This expanded recognition and celebration of Black History and African American Appreciation Month was featured in the National Recreation and Park Association’s “Parks & Recreation” magazine. The 2024 theme was Acknowledging the Past While STREAMing into the Future, with STREAM standing for Science, Technology, Research, Education, Arts, and Music. The month consisted of related films, art classes, concerts, art exhibitions, a poetic exhibition and book signing, a culinary sampling, STEM programming, and a STREAM symposium. 

In March, North Carolina FC and the North Carolina Courage began their 2024 season at WakeMed Soccer Park. NCFC returned to play in the USL Championship for the first time since 2020, facing the Charleston Battery in a scoreless draw. The N.C. Courage started their season by taking down the Houston Dash 5-1 before a record home-opening crowd of 5,878. At that match, Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and the N.C. Courage honored Sam Mewis for contributing substantially to the success and legacy of the team. Mewis played for the N.C. Courage from the inaugural season in 2017 through the 2021 season and won six trophies with the club. Weinbrecht presented a proclamation recognizing Sam Mewis as the first inductee into the N.C. Courage Ring of Honor.

In addition, NCFC hosted a friendly match between two Liga MX teams, Rayados de Monterrey and Atlético de San Luis, at WakeMed Soccer Park on March 22 in partnership with Cary. This match was the first between two international professional clubs hosted by NCFC that did not include either NCFC or the N.C. Courage. More than 5,000 fans traveled from all over the southeast to cheer on their favorite Liga MX team.

On March 3, the community gathered at the Cary Arts Center for Hum Sub’s Basant Bahar 2024. Hum Sub is Cary’s 23-year-old Indian-American cultural arts association. The term Basant Bahar refers to two ragas, or the melodic structures that define traditional Indian music, Basant and Bahar. This year’s celebration encouraged a journey of self-reflection and self-discovery with a message of embracing heritage and discovering your authentic self. Attended by more than 400 community members, guests were treated to mesmerizing dance and musical performances with inspiring choreography immersed in contemplative and evocative emotions.

On March 16, the North Raleigh Model Railway Club showcased their N-Scale model trains at the Herb Young Community Center. People of all ages gathered to watch these trains wind through miniature cities and countryside landscapes. Visitors even had the opportunity to become junior engineers by operating the tracks and driving the trains. Operation Lifesaver provided valuable railroad safety tips, and club members hosted small workshops on scenery building. More than 1,000 visitors enjoyed the train show.

From March 22 to March 24, Applause! Cary Youth Theatre presented “Matilda Jr.” at the Cary Arts Center. The production marked the largest cast and crew in Applause’s 25-year history, with 38 youth and teen participants onstage and behind the scenes. Nearly 1,000 audience members enjoyed the public performance.