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Lazy Daze Cancelled

Sad to report that Lazy Daze is cancelled!  I am devastated, I have been working on the preparations for months.  Hurricane Irene is due to hit the Outer Banks Friday afternoon, so as a safety precaution, the event has been cancelled.
After consulting with local, state, and federal forecasters and emergency management officials, the Town of Cary has cancelled Saturday’s Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival because of the significant potential for unsafe conditions due to high winds from Hurricane Irene. This is the first time the event has been canceled in what would have been its 35-year history.

“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our artists, entertainers, guests, volunteers, and workers,” said Town of Cary Festivals Coordinator Joy Ennis, who recalled the August 13th weather-related collapse at the Indiana State Fair that killed seven an injured 40 people. “For over three decades, we’ve built a reputation for providing one of the most wonderful festival experiences in the nation, and with our not being able to meet that standard this year, we’re really left with no other choice but to wait until Lazy Daze 2012.”

Ennis pointed out that, for several reasons, the festival could not be postponed to Sunday or moved to another date entirely. “First, we set up the festival one day before, so with the Hurricane’s effects being here on Saturday, there would be no way to prepare for a Sunday festival. And, if we do sustain damage in Cary, we’ll know that on Sunday, and our first priority will have to be to help our community recover from the storm. As for picking another day later this fall, most of our artists, venders, and entertainers are already committed to other events, so we wouldn’t be able to get them here on what for them would be such late notice.”

Next year’s Lazy Daze is scheduled for Saturday, August 25, 2012. But if you can’t wait for good art until then, mark your calendars now for Cary’s Annual Spring Daze Arts & Crafts Festival, which will be held on April 28, 2012.

 

 

Lazy Daze is coming up August 27, 2010 9-6pm.  What is Lazy Daze?  This Arts & Crafts festival Lazy Daze Festival has been selected as one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events for August 2011.  They are expecting at least 60,000 people to visit the event.  This takes up 12 full blocks.

I am so EXCITED to be part of such a historical event, see below.  This juried show is so hard to get into.  Glad that I can display and show off some never-before seen work!

Brenda Priest
Your Door & More

August 27, 1977        1 block large –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.

1978      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      Held 1st Flower arranging contest, 200-250 artists. Booths = $15.00 for space/ Concessionaires = $35.00/space

1981      5th Annual Festival, Festival is rained out and moved Sunday.   Festival is held on the Cary Town Hall Grounds because of downtown renovation.

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.

1984      339 artists, 422 display booths, 18 concession stands, 9 entertainment groups.   Town Clock is presented to the Town by 2 Rotary Clubs.

1986      10th annual, 4th largest craft show in North Carolina   350 individuals/406 booths.  Artists/craftsmen from 7 states, Lazy Daze is six blocks large

1987      500 artisan booths, 1st year for Parking shuttle.

1988      Artists from 10 states

1989      Lazy Daze is a juried festival for the first time

1991      15th annual, 500 artists.  1st year for Civic displays.

1992      Rated 8 out of 10 in a national arts and crafts magazine for quality.

1993      Expanded to 8 blocks large.  Donated $19,300 to 18 groups

1994      Train ride to Durham on Amtrak and back for LAZY DAZE.  First year for fancy restroom trailers with air conditioning and piped in music.

1995      Stage had to be closed by mid-afternoon because of rain.

1996      First United Methodist Church has a cooled lunch spot (church opened its fellowship hall).  Grants of $19,500 donated to 19 groups.

1998      Lazy Daze playground re-dedicated after face-lift.  Grants of $22,000 donated to 17 groups.

1999      Hurricane Dennis threatened to come, but didn’t.  14 states represented.

2001      1st Invitational Awards Issued.  Special exhibit reflecting the 25 year history of the festival.

2002      Record heat brought early morning crowds.  “Sun Face Lazy Daze” was centerpiece of winning Lazy Daze commemorative poster.

2003      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.

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

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

2006      30th anniversary 50 disposable cameras placed on kiosks for festival goers to take photos of a favorite memory.  A Lazy Daze Diet Pepsi (2 million) can were distributed.

2007      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.

2008      Lazy Daze dodged a hurricane heading right for Cary the week leading up to the Festival!

2009      Rain came on and off all day during the festival, but didn’t dampen attendees’ enthusiasm!

2010      A beautiful day greeted festival goers as the Beringer Vineyard Great Steak Challenge arrived in Cary!  55,000 attendees!

2011    35th Anniversary of Lazy Daze.  Hurricane Irene forced the committee to cancel the event, no reschedule.

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