Downtown Cary Park won’t open this summer as planned. Here’s what we know.

Kristen Johnson

The highly anticipated park being constructed in the heart of downtown Cary will open later than expected.

Originally set to open this summer, the park will now open in the fall due to rain and other delays, according to Austin Hughes, the park’s marketing supervisor.

“We’re just making sure that we have plenty of time to make sure that the park is in the best shape possible,” Hughes said. “So that way whenever one comes to visit for the first time, it’s the best experience for everybody.”

An exact opening date has not been announced.

The town’s new social drinking district was also going to launch with the park’s opening. With the delay in the park opening, the social drinking district is also going to go into effect later than expected, said Joy Ennis, the manager for the park.

The 7-acre park will be bordered by Walker, Academy, Park and Walnut streets. Construction at the park is fenced in, and last month four of the park’s biggest features were near completion, including the two performance pavilions, the dog park and a garden house.

In December, the Cary Town Council approved the social district, which will operate from 11 to 11 p.m. daily through the entire park and some businesses nearby, like the Cotton House Craft Brewers and the Mayton Inn’s Peck & Plume.

Ennis said there will no additional costs for the town because of the delay.

The park’s features

The park has been 20 years in the making and a nearly $69 million investment.

Construction for Downtown Cary Park began in 2021 and was designed by Houston-based urban planning firm OJB Landscape Architecture.

Some features include:

  • A tiered water fountain

  • The Nest — a children’s play area which features two wooden cardinals with a staircase and slide

  • A dog park

  • A bar

  • Game courts

  • A skywalk

  • A splash pad

  • A grad-and-go market

The park will have dozens of programs for residents and visitors like art exhibitions, craft classes, concerts and performances, fitness and cardio classes and movies.

Workers continue to assemble the apparatus surrounding two large sculptures of a male and female cardinal at Cary’s Downtown Park. The sculptures are located in a nature-based children’s play area called “The Nest.” Children will be able to climb inside and look out through their eyes, allowing an overview of the park.
Workers continue to assemble the apparatus surrounding two large sculptures of a male and female cardinal at Cary’s Downtown Park. The sculptures are located in a nature-based children’s play area called “The Nest.” Children will be able to climb inside and look out through their eyes, allowing an overview of the park.

The Downtown Cary Park is set to open in 2023. Here’s what to know.

Advertisement