Fest in the West is created and produced by  ChesterGoodtree in partnership with the Town of Cary.

About Fest in the West

In 1970, Cary had a population of 7,686. Today, the population is over 180, 000. In the last 20 years, most of that growth has been west of NC 55, AKA “West Cary”. While it’s a beautiful area to live, there is no central gathering place, and no Cary festivals take place there.

That is until Fest in the West became a reality in 2016.

We produced the first Fest in the West to help fill the void that the community needed in Western Cary. After seven years of producing this event, our team is making some changes to keep up with growth in the West.

Changes for 2025

New Location

USA Baseball was a great location for this event for several years until the site went under construction in 2022. That construction eliminated the grassy field which was such an integral part of Fest in the West. Two years at Thomas Brooks Park, left us wanting a big field again. We got our wish with the agreement of Wake County and Town of Cary to move to Mills Park where the event will take place on the large football field and track behind Mills Park Middle School.

New Theme

One of the biggest successes of Fest in the West through the years was our Kids Corral. For 2025 we will expand that theme to become the entire festival.

Everything will be kids and family-focused. If you enjoyed the Kids Performance Stage- you will love the expansion to two stages geared towards showcasing the many dance and music studios in the area. Tumbling, martial arts, and robotics will be highlighted on the football field. Add a petting zoo, robotics arena, aerialists, and free play games and there will be something to watch or participate in for everyone.

The change in location and focus means we are pausing the event until April 2025. Change takes time, and we didn’t want to rush things. Securing a date without conflicts in Cary is not easy! Look for more information about this reimagined event in early 2025, with applications and sponsorships taking shape in January.

See y’all at Fest in the West.

Triangle 411 interview with Fest in the West festival director, Lindsey Chester

About ChesterGoodtree

Our mission is to bring together the Cary community through storytelling. In addition to video production and commercial photography services, we founded CaryCitizen, Cary’s original online news service from 2009-2022. Owner and Emmy-award-winning filmmaker, Hal Goodtree,  produced Cary 150, a 30-minute documentary about Cary’s history produced for Cary’s 150th anniversary celebration.

Hal’s partner, Lindsey Chester has served on several Town boards and commissions including the town’s Festivals Committee. She has produced this and other large-scale events since 2010. She is an artist who serves on the board of the Fine Arts League of Cary where she champions opportunities for visual artists in the Triangle.

We have been producing and working on events in Cary since 2007, including the original  Cary Scavenger Hunt from 2010- 2017, Fest in the West, The Mayton Holiday Market, Cary Meet Yourself, and the Farmers Fall Festival . We also publish the Downtown Cary Map.