Happy Tuesday, Cary!

It is a big week: America turns 250, and Cary is marking the moment with movies in the park, patriotic music from the NC Symphony, and a fireworks finale over Symphony Lake. Whether you are firing up the grill or heading out to celebrate, here is what you need to know before the long weekend.

Here's what you can expect in today's issue:

Jake from Cary Digest

This year's Fourth is a special one: 2026 marks America's 250th birthday, and Cary is celebrating in style with two free events to close out the week.

The headliner is Cary's Independence Day Celebration at Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 4. Gates open at 3:30 PM for an afternoon and evening of patriotic favorites from the NC Symphony and the Cary Town Band, activities for kids, a parachute jump into Symphony Lake by the United States Veterans Corp, and a fireworks finale over the lake around 9:25 PM, weather permitting. General admission on the lawn is free, and so is parking, with about 1,500 spaces on site. A limited number of reserved tables are available if you want a guaranteed seat for the music. Text JULY4 to 51597 for day-of updates.

Want to start early? The festivities kick off Friday, July 3 at Downtown Cary Park with a free family celebration and an outdoor movie (details in Things to Do below). However you celebrate, it is shaping up to be a memorable weekend in Cary.

If you are putting together a holiday brunch or just need something special to bring to the cookout, it is hard to beat La Farm Bakery. A Cary institution since 1999, this beloved boulangerie is the life's work of Master Baker Lionel Vatinet, who bakes more than a dozen styles of artisan bread daily in a European-style hearth oven, with no shortcuts, no preservatives, and no frozen starters.

The signature is the La Farm sourdough, a five-pound boule with deep, tangy flavor, but you really cannot go wrong here: flaky croissants, the cult-favorite white chocolate mini baguette, tartines, and a full café menu of breakfast, sandwiches, soups, and salads. Sundays bring a proper brunch. The original open-kitchen bakery sits at Preston Corners, with a cozy second location downtown on Chatham Street.

📍 4248 NW Cary Parkway (Preston Corners) · also 220 W. Chatham St., Downtown Cary 🕒 Generally Monday to Thursday 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday and Saturday until 7:00 PM, Sunday to 6:00 PM (check for holiday hours)

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A few things to keep on your radar around the holiday.

Most Town of Cary offices and staffed facilities, including Town Hall, Cary 311, and the Citizen's Convenience Center, will be closed Saturday, July 4 for Independence Day. Cary's community centers, the Senior Center, the Page-Walker Arts and History Museum, and the Cary Arts Center will close at 5:00 PM on Friday, July 3 and reopen Tuesday, July 7. The Cary theater is closed July 4 and reopens July 5.

For trash and recycling, collections normally picked up on the holiday will run a day later, so Friday, July 3 pickup is not affected. GoCary will run a Sunday-level schedule on July 4. And if you are itching to get outside that day, the Bond Park Boathouse will be open (and hosting the annual Independence Day Fishing Tournament from 8:00 to 11:00 AM), along with Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve.

When you picture a family experiencing homelessness, you might not picture the teacher, the delivery driver, or the grocery cashier. But in Wake County, thousands of working families with children struggle to keep a roof overhead as housing costs climb. The Carying Place, a Cary nonprofit founded in 1993, exists to change that.

Its Journey Home program gives working families 16 weeks of free transitional housing in homes the organization owns, paired with hands-on coaching in budgeting, financial literacy, and life skills, plus a year or more of follow-up support on the path to permanent housing and even homeownership. Each family is matched with a team of volunteer Support Partners, and the results speak for themselves: hundreds of families and well over a thousand children served, with the goal of breaking the cycle of homelessness for the next generation. It is neighbors helping neighbors, the Cary way.

Wednesday, July 1 "Project Hail Mary" at The Cary Theater 2:00 PM, plus "The Sheep Detectives" at 7:00 PM · 122 E. Chatham St. Catch the sci-fi adventure "Project Hail Mary" in the afternoon, or bring the family for "The Sheep Detectives" at night downtown.

Live Music at Bond Brothers Eastside Evening · 602 E. Chatham St. (no cover) Cary's homegrown brewery runs free live music most Wednesday nights at its Eastside taproom. Check the calendar for the night's lineup.

Thursday, July 2 The Cary Theater Double Bill "The Sheep Detectives" at 2:00 PM and "Project Hail Mary" at 7:00 PM · 122 E. Chatham St. The lineup flips for Thursday, with the family matinee early and the sci-fi feature at night.

Morrisville Independence Day Fireworks (just over the line in Morrisville) From 6:00 PM · Cedar Fork District Park Cannot wait for the Fourth? Neighboring Morrisville lights up the sky a couple of days early, with live music, inflatables, and games for kids before the fireworks.

Friday, July 3 July 3 Celebration at Downtown Cary Park 4:00 to 10:00 PM · 327 S. Academy St. (free) Kick off the holiday weekend with games, a mist zone, arts and crafts, and food trucks, capped by an outdoor screening of the 1996 classic "Independence Day" on the lawn. The Bark Bar will have cold drinks all night. (No fireworks at this one, those are Saturday at Koka Booth.)

Cary Town Band: America's 250th Anniversary Patriotic Celebration 7:30 PM · Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave. A stirring evening of patriotic music, narration, and historical imagery honoring 250 years of American history. Bring your flag and your singing voice.

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