Fourth Annual Fest in the West is This Saturday
Cary, NC – This Saturday, May 4, 2019, Fest in the West returns to the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Western Cary for a day of food trucks, craft beer, arts and crafts, live music and contests.
If you haven’t been to the western side of Cary in a while, take a drive past NC-55 and you will understand the need for a festival in this rapidly growing area. One of the coolest aspects of the event is that many Cary-ites can walk there and the USA Baseball Complex has plenty of parking, so no need to worry about taking a shuttle or finding a parking spot.
This Year’s Entertainment
Starpath Dance Academy returns to this year’s Fest in the West event on Saturday, May 4, 2019
The Main Stage once again features three bands: Mysti Mayhem, The Blenders and SouLe and the Superband. Don’t miss these talented local musicians as they rock out starting at 11 AM. The schedule of entertainment can be found here. The Main Stage area features plenty of room for dancing and there will be lawn chairs available for free to enjoy the show. Attendees can bring their own lawn chairs as well if they choose. The Main Stage is proudly sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, Douglas Realty Group, Parkside Eye Care, Triangle Family Dentistry and Wake Med.
This year’s event has two new entertainment options. The Publix Children’s Stage is a formal area with a raised stage where a dozen area groups will perform, with acts performing every half hour. The schedule will be available at the stage and includes returning dance studio Starpath Dance Academy (pictured above), who created an interactive line dance last year with their dancers dressed in cowboy hats and bandanas to fit the western theme.
The Mint Leaf Dentistry Welcome Stage is located right inside the main entrance and is surrounded by the Non-Profit Circle comprised of a dozen local non-profit groups that are eager for volunteers and new board members. Check out Hum Sub, Diamante, Asian Focus, Read & Feed, Under Dog Ranch dog rescue, the American Turkish Association, Dorcas Ministries and Good Hope Farm. You can also learn about town Permitting, Parks & Recreation, Water Resources, Project Phoenix and May’s Bike Month at the Town’s departmental booths that will also be located in the Non-Profit Circle area.
The Blenders return for their second appearance at Fest in the West on Saturday, May 4, 2019
Don’t Miss the Contests
Unique to area festivals, Fest in the West has two contests that take place during musical breaks. The Orangetheory Fitness Hillbilly Horseshoes happens at 12:30 PM beside the Main Stage, where eight people will compete in bracketed play until a winner is declared. The Carpenter Veterinary Hospital Pie Eating Contest gets underway at 2:45 PM on a raised stage to the left of the Main Stage. Attendees are encouraged to sign up upon arrival to compete for prizes, trophies and, of course, bragging rights.
Stilt walker, Liz Bliss of Imagine Circus, enjoying the food truck rodeo at last years Fest in the West event
Art Goes with Food Trucks and Craft Beer
No festival is complete without food trucks, craft beer and local art and Fest in the West has plenty of all three. 35 local crafters are showcased in the Village of Arts and Crafts, including demonstrations from a blacksmith, a woodblock printmaker, gourd art from the NC Gourd Society and quilts from the Capital Quilters Guild. The full list of Arts and Crafts vendors is here.
The Beer Garden, sponsored by The Aster Apartments, includes award-winning craft beer from Bond Brothers Beer Company, Jordan Lake Brewing Company and Fortnight Brewing Company. Not a beer drinker? Morrisville’s Naughty Penguin Cidery and Red White and Bubbly will have other options for you to try.
The Food Truck Rodeo is always a big hit, so come hungry and plan on having lunch or an early dinner at the festival. With plenty of shaded seating under the Picnic tent, as well as round umbrella tables, you may want to sit a spell, listen to the music and try an empanada or a spring roll from the Bamboo Cookhouse, a Cuban sandwich from Qpresso or a quesadilla from the Queso Monster truck along with seven other local favorites, such as Andia’s Ice Cream and Del’s Frozen Lemonade with sweet treats to cool you off. The full food truck list is here.
Bring the Kids and Fur Babies too
There will be lots of things to keep your kiddos amused. The free Kid Zone, sponsored by Nature’s Twist, Mosaic Family Dentistry, Oak Village Academy and Praxis Church includes an obstacle course bouncer, the coolest face painters, Giant Jenga, balloon artistry, a make-and-take craft from Oak Village Academy and more. The Shaky Tail Farm Petting Zoo is back, sponsored by Johnson’s Hyundai of Cary. Take fun selfies to remember your day and post to social media with Carolina Orthodontics and Children’s Dentistry at their Photo Booth.
Bring the family, meet your neighbors and make some new friends. This event is all about bringing the western Cary community together for a day outdoors in the spring sunshine. Feel free to bring your dog, as long as they are well-behaved, this is a pet-friendly event. In fact, a few booths will have dog treats and other things to spoil your furbaby.
Hope to see you at the fourth annual Fest in the West! If you see us wearing our red Fest in the West shirts, please stop by to say “Howdy”! Brought to you by CaryCitizen in partnership with the Town of Cary.
Event Info
Fest in the West
Saturday, May 4, 11 am- 5 pm
USA Baseball National Training Complex
7445 Green Hope School Rd, Cary
Story by Lindsey Chester. Photos by Laurie Miller, Joy Pike, Lindsey Chester and Karen Healy.
