Feeling festive? You’re in the right place!
Springtime is festival season in Western Wake and surrounding areas. This weekend, soak up the sun as you make the rounds from classic cars to foods from diverse cultures.
Here are details on four fests happening just for you!
Wheels on Academy
Saturday, May 16, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Town Hall campus, Downtown Cary
Cars of yesteryear line the streets of downtown Cary in this fourth annual event, alongside modern hotrods and exotics.
Highlights include:
Take-a-Part Model T demos at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., near the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, performed by the Antique Automobile Club of America’s Triangle Chapter. After the assembly, the engine’s hand cranked, the crowd is parted and the Model T is driven!
Concessions, including food trucks Big Mike’s BBQ, Will & Pop’s, The Freezing Pointe and Dusty Donuts.
Live onstage entertainment including Night Shift at 9:30 a.m., and Big Love at 11:30 a.m.
Make and take wooden cars for kids to race, a life-size car memory game, plus Touch the Truck, featuring a police car, fire engine, and hybrid trash truck!
Award announcements onstage at 1:30 p.m.
Vendors including Street Legal NC and Rocket Performance Speed and Custom.
East Meets West Festival
Saturday, May 16, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Town Hall Drive, Morrisville
Produced by the Morrisville Innovation Foundation in partnership with the Town of Morrisville, this third annual festival features foods and performances from around the world, to celebrate Morrisville’s diverse community.
Admission is free, with tickets available to purchase food, beer and wine.
Highlights include:
Voting for your favorite dish in the Feast of the East/Best of the West contest, and a culinary trip around the world with participating restaurants including Delhi Darbar, Doherty’s Irish Pub, Neomonde, Paradise, Saffron, Tijuana Flats, Tra’Li Irish Pub, Travinia and more.
East and West stages features reggae, rock and local cultural performances by Lounge Doctors, Dub Addis, Sterling Montessori Middle School Band; World in Motion Belly Dance; Natya Academy; Dhoom Machale Group; Open Arts Dance and Musical Theater; Rhythmicity; Trionoide Academy of Irish Dance; Binger Studios; and LA Dance.
Children’s activities, including face painting, bounce house and ball tosses.
Artsplosure 2015
Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17
Downtown Raleigh
The 36th annual Artsplosure expands to three days this year, featuring art, music and more.
Highlights include:
Art Market, featuring nearly 180 visual artists offering original works in ceramics, glass, jewelry, metal, painting, photography, wood and more.
Musical groups including Irish songstress Karan Casey, Israel Nash, Brazil’s ChoroBop, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Elvin Bishop, the Triangle Community Orchestra, and The Congress.
Kidsplosure, offering special performances by puppeteer Tarish Jeghetto Pipkins and One Tribe Drum Circle, plus crafts and interactive fun.
China Arts Festival, welcoming performing and visual artists from China.
Got to be NC Festival
Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17
N.C. State Fairgrounds, Raleigh
Food, entertainment and family fun, plus the chance to learn about the farmers who grow our food! Gate admission and parking are free; certain attractions have fees.
Highlights include:
Watch baby chickens hatch, and milk a cow.
Workshops on starting and managing urban chicken houses.
Live music, tractor parades, fireworks and a full carnival.
