Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival in Cary: dates, shuttles, rules

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Dates, plans and rules come from the Town of Cary’s Lazy Daze page. This page is updated for each festival at the same address.

Lazy Daze, the Town of Cary’s downtown arts and crafts festival, is held the fourth weekend of August in downtown Cary. The 50th festival ran Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22-23, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days on the Town Hall campus. The Town of Cary has not posted the 2027 dates; this page will carry them as soon as it does.

Know before you go

• When: the fourth weekend of August, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (2027 dates not yet posted)
• Where: Cary Town Hall campus, 316 N. Academy St., and downtown streets
• Tickets: the town’s page lists none
• Getting there: free shuttles from South Hills Plaza and Green Hope High School; fare-free GoCary to the Cary Depot
• No: pets, bikes or skateboards inside, outside alcohol, smoking or drones
• Questions: Cary 311: dial 311 in Cary or 919-469-4000 outside town limits, 311@carync.gov

What it is

Lazy Daze is one of the town’s two Cary Art Daze festivals; the other is Spring Daze in Bond Park each April, according to the town’s festivals page. For the 50th festival in 2026 the town listed:

• More than 250 artists from across the country, with artist awards and a Best of Show
• Four stages of live entertainment
• More than 25 food and drink vendors, the Sister Cities Beer Garden and a new Lazy Lounge
• Kid Daze, including the Kid Collectors Market, where children buy small pieces made by festival artists
• Artist demonstrations and hands-on art activities
• More than 300 volunteers

Getting there and parking

Downtown parking is limited, and the town says the Town Hall lots and the Town Hall Parking Deck are closed over Lazy Daze weekend from noon Friday. These arrangements are from the town’s getting to the festival and tips and accessibility pages for the 2026 festival.

• Free shuttle: buses ran 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from South Hills Plaza, 1297 Buck Jones Road, Raleigh, and Green Hope High School, 2500 Carpenter Upchurch Road, Cary. They drop off at the north entrance on Chapel Hill Road. Waits are longer at peak hours.
• GoCary: every fare-free route ends at the Cary Depot, a short walk from the festival. Buses ran every 30 minutes on Saturday and hourly on Sunday in 2025.
• Bike: Park Street, Griffis Street and Ralph Drive are neighborhood bike routes into downtown. Bikes are not allowed inside the festival.
• Rideshare: the drop-off is in the Fire Department Administration lot, between the railroad tracks.
• Accessible parking and drop-off: limited spaces in the Fire Department Administration lot, 100 N. Academy St., just outside the south entrance, first come, first served. The lot is behind festival barricades: approach from the south on S. Academy Street or from Chatham Street. The town’s number for this is 919-469-4061.

Festival rules

The town’s rules, several of them written into town ordinance:

• No pets. Animals are banned inside the festival boundaries, including the closed public streets and sidewalks. Leashed service animals are welcome, on the shuttles too.
• No bikes, skateboards, skates or other wheeled vehicles, except wheelchairs and strollers, and no throwing balls or Frisbees.
• No outside alcohol, and drinks bought at the festival stay on site.
• No smoking, drones or fireworks, and no unauthorized selling or busking.
• No weapons. Open carry is banned within the festival, streets included; concealed carry is banned in Town Hall, the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, the Herb Young Community Center and their parking lots.
• Ask before photographing an artist’s work.
• Cross the railroad tracks only at a marked crosswalk.

Heat, help and accessibility

For the heat, the town lists free water refills at the Herb Young Community Center and the Page-Walker Arts & History Center and in the food court, misting fans around the site, and air-conditioned rooms in Town Hall, the community center and Page-Walker. First aid is on the festival map.

For the 2026 festival the town also offered free loaner wheelchairs at the Info Tent on N. Academy Street, large-print guides, loaner noise-reducing earmuffs, a sensory-friendly Zen Den tent, a Caretaker’s Retreat for parents, and quiet hours from 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday, when stages paused. American Sign Language interpreters had to be requested by mid-July. Paths are paved or ramped, though downtown has slopes.

More in Cary

End-of-summer plans are on our Labor Day page. For the rest of downtown, see our downtown Cary guide.

Frequently asked questions

When is Lazy Daze in Cary?

The Town of Cary holds Lazy Daze the fourth weekend of August, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The 50th festival was Aug. 22-23, 2026; the 2027 dates have not been posted yet.

Where is Lazy Daze held?

Downtown Cary, on the Town Hall campus at 316 N. Academy St. and the surrounding streets.

Where do I park for Lazy Daze?

Downtown parking is limited and the Town Hall lots and deck close from noon Friday. The town runs free shuttles from South Hills Plaza in Raleigh and Green Hope High School, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days.

Can I bring my dog to Lazy Daze?

No. A town ordinance bans animals inside the festival boundaries, including the closed streets. Service dogs are allowed.

Can I bring a bike or skateboard to Lazy Daze?

Not inside the festival. Bikes, skateboards, skates and other wheeled vehicles are banned on site, except wheelchairs and strollers.