📘Here's how to take advantage of this weekend's warm weather

Hey Cary!

It’s already Friday, which means it’s time to start making plans for the weekend. And now’s the time to do it: beginning Monday, we’ll be getting nearly 5 straight days of cloudy, cold, rainy days. But don’t fret, we’ve still got a three days of nice weather, and as you’ll see in the upcoming events section at the bottom of this newsletter, there’s plenty to do!

But first, I want to thank you. When I first thought of this newsletter, and when I realized Cary had no locally run news source/site, I questioned whether or not anyone would actually read it. Did anyone care about what was going on in Cary? Well it turns out yes, over 300 of you do!

My biggest hope was to send out today’s edition to at least 20 different people, so for it have 300 of my neighbors sign up was truly remarkable. I hope you enjoy today’s newsletter. If you have any thoughts, positive or negative, or even a request, please reply to this email. I read every single reply.

Oh, and you can follow Cary Digest now on Facebook and Instagram!

Here’s what to expect in today’s edition:

• When and where to get some fresh produce from the Cary Farmer’s Market on Saturday

• Rough news for Cary Towne Center (or what’s left of it)

• A spotlight on a local charity in Cary:

• A bright new downtown Cary art installation

— Jake from Cary Digest

News

Epic Games' redesign for Cary Towne Center withdrawn due to “inactivity”

After nearly four years of driving past rubble and dirt piles, Epic Games have officially cancelled the plan to rezone the former mall at Cary Towne Center into a new headquarters. Epic Games says that due to “inactivity,” the request to the Cary Town Council

There has been a lot of back and forth between the council and Epic Games, with some Cary council members criticizing the design for not being clear on their parking plans, construction timeline, or what the buildings and landscape would even look like, according to The News & Observer.

Here’s what the simplified timeline looks like up until now.

1. Epic Games bought the mall at the beginning of 2021 for $95 million, originally planning to have the transformation complete by 2024.

2. Cary council dismissed the original plan for having “so much missing,” with the only detail being they would have 240 trees in a yet-to-be-designed parking lot.

3. Cary council requested in 2021 that Epic Games resubmit their rezoning request with additional details.

4. Since then, Epic Games has not resubmitted their zoning request, and has been idling on progressing the project.

5. Finally, last Saturday, the request was officially withdrawn. If Epic wants to resubmit, they’ll need to wait at least another year.

Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said that while Epic Games is a “positive presence in the community,” the council was deeply worried about the campus plan and noted how Fenton’s project was still able to match the town’s wishes and begin construction.

So that’s where we’re at. A big plot of land, ready to go after sitting idly for 3 years, and now it looks like it’ll be at least one more before anything can happen.

Charity of the Week: Read and Feed

Every week, I’d like to highlight a local charity in Cary so that they can get some additional support, more members of the community can see their mission, and maybe even so more of us can get involved. This week, I’d like to tell you about Read and Feed.

Read and feed is a program that offers food and tutoring services to children in the Cary and greater Wake County area. Their ultimate goal is to gives kids an appetite for reading, strengthen literacy skills, and help nurture and build up neighborhoods.

Their “mobile classroom” helps break distance barriers between students and tutors as well as create more opportunities for children to learn and benefit outside of school. Through a rigorous background check process, school recommendations, and finally parental approve, the Read and Feed organization is able to connect over 500 active volunteers provide nearly 8000 hours of tutoring per year.

There are many ways to help support Read and Feed. You can apply to volunteer and help out yourself, consider making a donation (not necessarily a monetary one), or if you’re a business owner, you could consider becoming a partner.

Town Updates

Academy Street Artwork Projects (ASAP) presents GLOW

The Academ Street Artwork Projects (ASAP) has returned with a new project called ‘GLOW,’ a collection of art displays mixing technology and light in downtown Cary!

These temporary installations don’t correspond to any specific event, but will be on display after sunset for a few weeks at a time. It’s intent is to surprise visitors with delightful light shows and art bringing energy to the downtown Cary streets.

Last Chance: Share & Care TODAY at 9:30 AM

Share & Care is back at the Herb Young Community Center today at 9:30 AM until 12:30 PM. It provides valuable resources to individuals with disabilities and their families. It’s a completely free event that you can drop into at any time.

This is a great chance to network, find other like-minded people, and connect with fellow community members. There are also dozens of participating agencies including everyone from Dorcas Ministries to Esteamed Coffee.

Community

Cary Farmer’s Market Returns this Saturday

The Cary Downtown Farmer’s Market opens up this Saturday at 9 AM in their usual Downtown Park location on Academy Street, and is open until noon.

This week’s market features a couple of interesting vendors and events:

• The Hounds of Winter Dog Contest

  • The Farmer’s Market is also hosting a Dog Contest. If you bring your dog Saturday morning, you’ll be entered to win a free gift basket and the title of “Farmer’s Market Dog of the Year!” If you go, send Cary Digest a pic of your pup and we’ll feature you in the next edition!

• Blye’s Bees

  • This honeybee company in Cary has been managing hives for over 10 years, and will be selling delicious, raw honey they extracted themselves at the market! They also have various lip balms, lotions, creams, and even cutting board wax!

• Empa-Nadas

  • In case you work up an appetite Saturday morning, Empa-Nadas will be at the Farmer’s Market selling a variety of baked empanadas. The family-owned business will have:

    • Peruvian-Style Chicken

    • Black Beans & Sweet Potato

    • Beef & Quinoa

    • Cranberry & Pineapple

    • Pumpkin Pie

    • Plus some dairy-free and gluten-free options!

• Michael’s English Muffins

  • This hardworking team will be bringing their fresh English Muffins to the market and will be serving them up with the brightest smiles and friendliest staff.

Coming Up This Weekend

Community Events 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦

Share & Care | February 7th (More Info)

• Location: Herb Young Community Center

• Description: Discover valuable resources and services for individuals with disabilities at this free drop-in event. Perfect for parents, caregivers, individuals with disabilities, and anyone looking to connect with the community.

Cary Downtown Farmers Market | February 8th (Their Website)

• Location: Downtown Cary Park

• Description: Shop for fresh produce, handmade goods, and artisan products at the Cary Downtown Farmers Market. Kids can join the Eat-A-Rainbow program and get a Farmers Market Passport.

Drop-in Puzzling and Puzzle Swap Meet | February 10th (More Info)

• Location: Downtown Cary Park

• Description: Find the missing piece of your day at our drop-in puzzle program featuring a lively swap meet

Special Events 🥂

Comedy Show: Damon Sumner & Nathan Owens | February 7th (Tickets)

• Location: The Cary Theater

• Description: Damon Sumner’s album I Know Who I Am debuted at #1 globally. Catch him live alongside Nathan Owens, who’s performed across the Southeast, bringing hilarious and unique observations to the stage.

The Big Sing: Civil Rights Songbook | February 8th (Tickets)

• Location: The Cary Theater

• Description: Celebrate the power of music in the fight for social justice. Join Kamara Thomas and guests for a vocal warm-up and a night of learning and singing songs from the Country Soul Songbook canon.

Film Screenings 🎬

Diane Warren: Relentless (Not Rated) | February 7th (Tickets)

• Location: The Cary Theater

• Description: A film about the legendary songwriter Diane Warren, exploring her journey and relentless dedication to music.

The Black Sea | February 8th (Tickets)

• Location: The Cary Theater

• Description: A charismatic barista from Brooklyn finds himself stranded in a Bulgarian seaside town with no way home in this gripping indie film.

Macbeth: David Tennant & Cush Jumbo (PG-13) | February 9th (Tickets)

• Location: The Cary Theater

• Description: A fresh take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, starring David Tennant and Cush Jumbo.

All We Imagine as Light (Not Rated) | February 9th (Tickets)

• Location: The Cary Theater

• Description: A beautifully crafted film exploring the textures of contemporary, working-class Mumbai, awarded the Grand Prize at Cannes.

Thanks for reading Cary Digest! If you enjoyed the newsletter, please share it! Let’s meet again on Wednesday!