Cary gets underestimated. It has a reputation as a quiet suburb, but the reality is a town with some of the best restaurants in Wake County, a greenway system that connects neighborhoods across the entire town, and a growing arts and entertainment scene anchored by the Koka Booth Amphitheatre and the new Fenton development. Whether you are moving here, visiting for the weekend, or just looking for something good to eat, Cary has more to offer than most people expect.
Best of Cary
Best Restaurants in Cary
From Fenton to downtown Cary, the town has a strong and growing restaurant scene. These are the spots worth knowing.
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Koka Booth Amphitheatre
One of the best outdoor music venues in the Triangle. Concerts, movies, and community events through spring, summer, and fall.
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Cary Greenways: The Complete Guide
Cary has one of the most connected greenway systems in the Triangle. Miles of paved trails link neighborhoods, parks, and town destinations.
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Fenton: Cary's Newest District
The Fenton development brought new restaurants, shops, and entertainment to Cary in a walkable mixed use format. Here is what to know before you visit.
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Best Coffee Shops in Cary
The coffee scene in Cary has grown significantly. From local independents to specialty roasters, here are the best spots to grab a cup.
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Things To Do in Cary
Cary has more going on than most people realize. From parks and greenways to live events and great dining, here is how to spend a day or weekend.
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The State Fairgrounds sit just down the road from Cary in west Raleigh, and the free park and ride lot on Chapel Hill Road is right off I 40. Everything you need for the 2026 fair, from free admission to where to park.
15 Things to Know Before Going to the 2026 NC State Fair
Dates, tickets, free admission, parking, food, and hours, all checked against the official 2026 fair pages.
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How to Save Money at the 2026 NC State Fair
Free lunch admission, Hunger Relief Day, advance deals, and sample budgets.
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Best Food at the 2026 NC State Fair
Our favorite treats from past fairs and the new 2026 foods.
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NC State Fair Parking Guide 2026
Free lots, park and ride shuttles, buses, and the train to Gate 1.
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First Time at the NC State Fair?
What to wear, bring, and see, plus the mistakes to skip.
Read the Guide →A small railroad stop that became one of the fastest growing towns in America
One of the most connected trail systems in the entire Triangle
SAS Institute, the world's largest private software company, is headquartered in Cary
Cary's ambitious mixed use district bringing big city dining and shopping to the suburbs
The Most Underrated Town in North Carolina
Cary gets dismissed. The jokes have been around long enough to have their own Wikipedia page. But spend a few days here paying attention and the dismissals start to feel lazy. This is a town with over 100 miles of paved greenway trails, a world class outdoor concert venue on a lake, a mixed use district that draws people from across the Triangle, and one of the largest private software companies on the planet running its global headquarters in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood. Cary does not particularly need your approval, and that is part of what makes it interesting.
The greenways are the thing that surprises people most. Over 100 miles of fully paved, connected trails link Cary's neighborhoods, parks, and lakefronts into a network that is genuinely rare in the suburban South. You can ride from Lake Crabtree through downtown to Bond Park and back without touching a road. The system connects to the East Coast Greenway and, through Apex, all the way to the American Tobacco Trail. For cyclists and walkers, it is one of the best infrastructure stories in the entire Triangle.
The arrival of Fenton changed the conversation. When the mixed use district opened along Koka Booth Road, it brought a restaurant and retail lineup that Cary residents no longer had to leave town for. Crawford Brothers Steakhouse, Brewery Bhavana, Colletta, Superica, these are not suburban chain restaurants. Fenton is a real dining destination, and it is growing. Combined with Koka Booth Amphitheatre hosting 60+ events a year on Symphony Lake, Cary in 2026 is a meaningfully different place than the one people are still making jokes about.
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