This initiative seeks to elevate the engagement and connection between nonprofit organizations, our art-loving community, and the Spring Daze event. We invite you to join us in creating an unforgettable experience for our event attendees.

Spring Daze Arts & Crafts Festival

Saturday, April 26, 2025
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

2025 Participation Timeline:

• Applications Open: January 3
• Applications Close: March 7
• Notification: Week of March 17

What the Community Cove Offers:

• Free Booth Space & Stipend: Participating nonprofit organizations will receive a complimentary 10x15 booth space, including a 10x10 canopy, 2-6ft tables, 2 chairs, and a $250 stipend for Spring Daze Community Cove activity supplies.
• Artful Engagement: Each participating organization will offer an awesome interactive arts-related activity for our event guests. This could include hands-on art activities, a collaborative community art project, an art exhibition, or interactive demonstrations that align with your nonprofit's mission, just to name a few!
• Community Connection: The Community Cove is designed to forge connections between nonprofit organizations, the arts, and our event attendees. It's an opportunity to use art to share your passion community service with a broader audience!
• Volunteer Support: The Cary Teen Council will provide some day of assistance to help produce and deliver exceptional event experiences.

Selection Criteria:

Our selection process is based on the following:

• Cary Cultural Arts Focus: Organizations based in Cary with a cultural arts focus will receive top priority.
• Alignment with Spring Daze Themes: Consider the alignment of your organization's mission and programs with the artistic themes and values of Spring Daze (Earth Day, North Carolina, Art/Craft)
• Interactive Arts Activity: Organizations should clearly explain the interactive arts-related activity they will present to Spring Daze attendees. Organizations must also clearly explain how they plan to use the $250 stipend to produce their arts experience at Spring Daze.
• Community Engagement: Demonstrate your organization's capacity to engage with our art-loving community and positively contribute to the overall event atmosphere.

When brainstorming activities think of something that is fun for all participants, creative, and unique. Activities should be something that can easily be taken home or carried around the festival as soon as it’s completed, uses materials you may already have (for both financial and sustainability reasons), and is engaging for children of all ages (and isn’t too time consuming). The final activity outcome should be easy for both you and families to manage/handle. 

Examples of Creative Ideas from Other Art Festivals:

Earth Day Themes:

• Create your own seed paper to jump start your home garden!
• Paint a Rock that inspires through positive messaging!
• Create recycled paper beads from old festival programs to make a bracelet or necklace!

Music/Movement Themes:

• Use craft materials to make and decorate paper instruments!
• Create a virtual chorus!  Children and families sing a song recorded live! At the end of the festival, the recording was fashioned into a virtual choir piece that lives on indefinitely.
• Turn trash into treasure by creating musical instruments with upcycled materials! 
• Give a quick mini dance lesson.

Art Experiences:

• Experience the art of printmaking with foam and markers!
• Grab some crayons and help color a giant coloring page!
• Create origami birds using various colored and patterned paper. 

We’re here to help!! If you have an idea but need support to get it off the ground, please reach out. If you need help coming up with an idea, we can assist there too. We would love to hear your ideas and look forward to making this new initiative a huge success!

Community Cove Regulations:

• Booths are required to be open and attended at all times during the festival, rain or shine. Failure to do so will result in denial of future participation.
• Organizations must provide adequate staffing and volunteers to support their booth and activity. If Teen Council support is utilized, an adult supervisor must always be present.
• All interactive activities and performances must be clearly presented in the application. Any deviation from the approved activity must receive approval from the Festival.
• Raffling or distributing merchandise requires written approval. Please include this information in your application (we’re open to ideas!).
• The sale of merchandise, novelties, food/drink is not permitted.
• Tipping or collecting donations is not permitted.
• Non-profit organizations are responsible for maintaining a clean and orderly tent during all festival hours. Any damage done to the tent, table, or chairs will be the responsibility of your non-profit organization.
• Organizations must leave their space the way they found it at the conclusion of the Festival. (Trash and recycling to be disposed in proper bins provided.)
• Non-profit organizations are entered into a contract with the Festival and must provide a valid Certificate of Insurance.

FAQ’s

Q: Will there still be opportunities for organizations to perform onstage at the event?

A: We encourage organizations that would like to perform at Spring Daze to note that on their application. For the most flexibility in stage scheduling, please apply in January if you plan to request a stage performance. If your organization only wishes to perform and not have a booth space, please use the Entertainment Inquiry Form.

Q: Will booth spaces be available to Nonprofits that are not offering an activity?

A: No. This year we are requiring all nonprofits to participate in the Community Cove Initiative if they would like to be a part of Spring Daze. If your organization is having trouble coming up with an activity to present at the festival, please contact Jenna Kostka for assistance.  

Q: How many activity participants should my organization plan for? 

A: Each organization should plan to provide their activity experience for 300-500 participants. 

Questions? 

Katie Lincoln
Community Cove Coordinator
Kaitlyn.Lincoln@carync.gov

Jenna Kostka
Festivals & Events Supervisor
Jenna.Kostka@carync.gov