As Cary prepares for the landmark 50th Annual Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival, festivalgoers can look forward to more than just world-class artisan booths and delicious food truck eats. Tucked right into the heart of the celebration, local residents will have the opportunity to sip local craft brews, watch captivating international performances, and discover how our town connects with communities thousands of miles away.
Presented by Towne Bank, the Cary Sister Cities Beer Garden promises to be one of the weekend’s most dynamic gathering spaces. Behind the beer taps and cultural showcases is Cary Sister Cities (CSC), a nonprofit organization powered entirely by passionate local residents who love bringing the world closer to home while strengthening our own community.
To get the inside scoop on what to expect at Lazy Daze and learn how Cary builds meaningful global connections, Cary Magazine spoke with Kenna King, Vice President of Cary Sister Cities.
Introduce yourself!
My name is Kenna King; I’m the Vice President of Cary Sister Cities. I was born and raised in Cary, and moved back recently after living in DC for a few years. Prior to my current position at Marbles Kids Museum, I organized global exchanges for the US State Department, so Sister Cities was the perfect opportunity to use my international affairs background to get more involved in the local community.
What exactly is Cary Sister Cities?
Sister Cities International (SCI) was founded in 1956 by President Eisenhower as a solution to healing the world post-WWII in the Cold War era. The organization’s core belief is that world peace can be achieved through citizens around the world interacting with each other directly, building friendships and mutual understanding.
Cary Sister Cities (CSC) is the Cary iteration of SCI; we’re a nonprofit that aims to build relationships across the globe through cultural events and exchanges. We focus on relations with our five sister cities:
- Le Touquet, France
- Bandirma, Turkiye
- County Meath, Ireland
- Markham, Canada
- Hsinchu, Taiwan
How are Cary’s sister cities chosen, and what does that partnership look like beyond the title?
Sister Cities can be created in a few different ways. A city can send out a mass request looking for connections with other cities, or the proposal can come from a community in Cary that has a particular interest in building a cross-cultural relationship with a specific city.
A great example of what a partnership can look like is our long-standing culinary exchange between Le Touquet and Wake Tech. Every spring, Le Touquet sends roughly 10 students to Cary for a three-week apprenticeship in local restaurants. This year, we had students working at Herons, Peck and Plume, Maximillians, Dram and Draught, and Vino & Tap.
The students stay with volunteer host families throughout the community and have the opportunity to experience American culture through planned outings to the beach and so on. We also host events related to our sister cities, such as St. Patrick’s Day meet-ups and Taiwanese cultural performances.
What can people look forward to at the Cary Sister Cities Beer Garden at this weekend’s Lazy Daze festival?
There’ll be a ton going on! We’ll have beer and wine from Bond Brothers Beer Company, South Line Brewing Company, KōMANA Brewing Company, Local Time Brewing, and Vino & Tap. There will also be an exclusive Lazy Daze Haze, commemorating Lazy Daze’s 50th festival!
Our stage will host international performances, including a Taiwanese cooking demonstration and an Irish dance group. Annelore’s German Bakery, Sassool, and Kona Ice will be serving food to complement the drink selection.
One of our recent exchanges is an art exchange between residents at The Templeton in Cary and residents of a senior community in Markham, Canada. Stop by our info booth to flip through the display book and learn more about the artists and their paintings!
How can people get involved with the organization?
We are always looking for new members and volunteers to join our organization! We are purely run by volunteers, so it takes a village. Membership gives you access to all of our internal social events (such as the holiday party and global supper club), but anyone can volunteer to help with one of our committees, exchanges, or events!
Upcoming, we’re looking for volunteers to join our Dragon Boat for Asia Fest on September 19. You can find out more information about membership and volunteering at carysistercities.org/support.
If you’re a teen interested in getting involved, we offer internships and frequently work with the Cary Teen Council and the Green Level High School Youth Sister Cities Organization.
Be sure to drop by the Cary Sister Cities Beer Garden, presented by Towne Bank, during the 50th Annual Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival this weekend to grab a drink, catch a live performance, and celebrate Cary’s connection to the wider world!
