The Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival has a long and colorful history.
Walk through the years with use as we remember the highlights of our
previous festivals.
Quick Links | 1980 | 1985
| 1990 | 1995 | 2000
| 2002| 2003 | 2004 | 2005
|2006|2007
1977
Date: August 27, 1977
1st Lazy Daze Festival 
Sponsored by Cary Board of Directors of Southern National Bank. SNB
approached Town wanting to participate in a project for the community.
1 block large – on Chatham Street between Academy and Walker Street
Cost for artist = 10 foot space was $10.00
100 artisans
Organizers forgot to bring piano from Jordan Hall for the stage (had
to go on the morning of the festival to bring it over)
Flatbed truck was the stage
$500 profit from first year bought a large tent for the recreation department.
1978
Date: August 26, 1978
Radio Broadcasting by WPTF
Dale Van Horn – radio announcer for WKIX is Master of Ceremonies
Closed Academy Street from Waldo to the Fire Station in addition to
Chatham from Walker to Jones.
180 artists
Grassroots arts grant from the State's Art Council was for $500. Part
of this money paid for a permanent backdrop for the stage.
1979
Date: August 25, 1979
Held 1st Flower arranging contest
200-250 artists
Booths = $15.00 for space/ Concessionaires = $35.00/space
First time for covered stage
1980
Date: August 23, 1980
225 artists
Emcee = Pat Patterson, radio personality
1981
Date: August 22, 1981
5th Annual Festival
Festival is rained out and moved to Sunday, August 23, 1981.
Festival is held on the Cary Town Hall Grounds because of downtown renovation.)
1982
Date: August 28, 1982
Festival grew one block bigger including the 200 block of Academy Street
from the Fire Station to First Baptist Church) and on Chatham from Walker
to Jones Street.
More than 300 artists/craftsmen
Lazy Daze grew 300% in 6 years in size.
1983
Date: August 27, 1983
$2500 of the profits was donated for the Cary Town Clock in downtown
Cary.
Also, funds were given to the Cary High School Band to help fund a trip
to the Rose Bowl.
First year that Academy Street is closed all the way to Cary Elementary.
1984
Date: August 25, 1984
This is the first year that a BIG name performed at LAZY DAZE = Band
of Oz.
Regency Park Corporation provided the funds for the entertainment.
339 artists, 422 display booths, 18 concession stands, 9 entertainment
groups.
Town Clock is presented to the Town by 2 Rotary Clubs (Cary Rotary +
Cary Central Rotary) at the festival.
First year for 2 stages (Main stage at fire station and smaller stage
in front of Cary Elementary).
Proceeds to be used to purchase equipment for the Parks & Recreation
department.
1985
Date: August 24, 1985
Lazy
Daze Playground is dedicated this year. Funded by an $8,000 grant from
the Lazy Daze festival and a matching grant from Wake County (located
in Bond Park).
1986
Date: August 23, 1986
10th annual Lazy Daze
4th largest craft show in North Carolina
350 individuals/406 booths
Performers at every Lazy Daze Festival for first 10 years.
Little German Band
Hemlock Bluff Cloggers
Crosstrailers Square Dancers
Cary High School Band
Artists/craftsmen from 7 states
Lazy Daze is six blocks large
1987
Date: August 22, 1987
Mike Cross makes 1st Lazy Daze appearance
500 artisan booths
1st year for Parking shuttle which is sponsored by WPTF-TV (From Cary
Village Mall to Cary Elementary).
First year for 3 stages – a children's stage is placed beside Serrendipity
Restaurant
1988
Date: August 27, 1988
Newly formed Cary Town Band performs at Lazy Dae for first time
Artists from 10 states
1989
Date: August 26, 1989
Lazy Daze is a juried festival for the first time
Bruce Frye performs for 1st time at Lazy Daze
1990
Date: Aug 25, 1990
Mike Cross performs again
1991
Date: August 24, 1991
15th annual LAZY DAZE festival
Around 500 artists
Lazy Daze featured a Chinese Food Festival at the new Cary Community
Center (profits were to be donated to flood relief in China)
1st year for Civic displays
1992
Date: August 22, 1992
Robotica was roaming the crowd
Rated 8 out of 10 in a national arts and crafts magazine for quality.
1993
Date: August 28, 1993
Expanded to 8 blocks large
Festival is netting $15,000-$16,000 in profit - roughly 50% of profit
goes into Parks & Recreation projects/ 50% to grants
Donated $19,300 to 18 groups
1994
August 27, 1994
Train ride to Durham on Amtrak and back for LAZY DAZE
Donated $30,000 to 16 organizations (a $10,700 increase over 1993)
First year for fancy restroom trailers with air conditioning and piped
in music.
1995
Date: August 26, 1995
Concessions consolidated into 3 main locations
Stage had to be closed by mid-afternoon because of rain
Grants of $28,500 donated to 14 organizations
1996
Date: August 24, 1996
3rd stage added
First United Methodist Church has a cooled lunch spot (church opened
its fellowship hall)
Grants of $19,500 donated to 19 groups
1997
Date: August 23, 1997
Weathervanes were a huge seller
Grants of $22,150 donated to 19 organizations
1998
Date: August 22, 1998
Lazy Daze playground re-dedicated after face-lift.
Grants of $22,000 donated to 17 groups
1999
Date: August 28, 1999
Hurricane Dennis threatened to come, but didn't.
14 states represented
Last Lazy Daze for long-time festival organizer Sam Bishop
Grants of $22,000 donated to 25 groups
2000
Date: August 26, 2000
17 states represented
Kids World Introduced
First Lazy Daze for Scotty Elliott as supervisor
Grants of $22,089 donated to 19 groups
2001
Date: August 25, 2001
Lazy Daze Poster
1st Invitational Awards Issued
Special exhibit reflecting the 25 year history of the festival
2002
Date: August 24, 2002
Record heat brought early morning crowds.
"Sun Face Lazy Daze" was centerpiece of winning Lazy Daze
commemorative
poster.
Grants of $25,000 were awarded to 20 community organizations.
2003
Date: August 23, 2003
Triangle artist Kyle Highsmith paints the annual commemorative poster on the festival site
Artists came from 15 different states to participate in the Festival
A chainsaw sculptor created animals and other works at the festival
Visitors from Cary’s Sister Cities Le Touquet, France, County Meath, Ireland, and Hsinchu City, Taiwan were special guests at the Festival.
Grants of $25,000 awarded to 21 groups
2004
Date: August 28, 2004
The 2004 Festival is named Regional Event of the Year for North and South Carolina by the North Carolina Association of Festivals and Events
Town Crier, John Webster, from Cary’s Sister City Markham, Canada participates in the Festival as the official Festival Crier. He is named Town Crier for the Town of Cary after the Festival.
Grants of $25,000 awarded to 23 groups
2005
Date: August 27, 2005
Artists came from 20 different states to participate in the Festival – including California
A five foot Ice Sculpture was created at the Festival in the Cool Zone
“Beach Chair” Information stands used for the first time
First Grants Reception held for 2005 Grants Recipients
Grants of $25,000 awarded to 21 groups
Date: August 26, 2006
30th anniversary of Lazy Daze
Special festival features included “A Day in the Life – 30th Annual Lazy Daze,” where 50 disposable cameras were placed on kiosks throughout the festival for festival goers to take a few photos of their favorite Lazy Daze memory.
A commemorative Lazy Daze Diet Pepsi can was distributed throughout North Carolina (an estimated 2 million cans).
The Festivals Committee partnered with a local guild (the Cary Clay Cooperative) to create a commemorative item.
An art exhibition featuring Jerry Miller Best of Show Artist Award winners was mounted in Cary’s new Town Hall during the month leading up to the festival.
The festival’s Sunshine Artist national ranking moved up from 30th best festival to 23rd, becoming the only one-day festival in the Top 25 and the top rated One Day Festival in the country in the Classic and Contemporary Crafts category.
Grants of $25,000 awarded to 20 groups.
Date: August 25, 2007
Festival introduced its first beer garden, sponsored by the Sister Cities Association and offering domestic and imported beers, food, entertainment, and a place to relax and refresh. Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources hosted its first Cultural Arts Petting Zoo – providing a sneak peak at the variety of programs in Cary. Also new this year: Rex Healthcare's Relaxation Station, NBC-17's Peacock Alley, and the closing exhibit of Cary Visual Art’s Take A Seat exhibit!
The festival’s Sunshine Artist national ranking moved up from 23rd best festival to 13th becoming the highest ranked only one-day festival in the Top 25 and the top rated One Day Festival in the country in the Classic and Contemporary Crafts category.
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