There's a new park in downtown Cary and it is getting rave reviews.

So we sent Rick Sullivan, who lives in Cary, to check it out.

[water splashing] - [Rick] The idea for an urban park smack in the middle of Cary began nearly a quarter of a century ago.

That's when the town started buying up properties one by one to clear the space for this bold, almost revolutionary project.

- Yeah, we feel like it's revolutionary as well.

It's one of those things where it, honestly, it's been wanting to be what it is for 120 years, but the location that this park is now on was the location of a nursery that was owned by a gentleman named Ben Savage.

It was called the Valley Nook Rose and Tree Farm.

When we were doing the research, we found this map that he drew, and right in the middle on this property, he wrote, "Park."

- [Rick] More than a century later, here it is, Downtown Cary Park.

- [Joy] The park is seven acres.

It started with the first one acre, which was up at the corner of Academy and Dry where the fountain is.

- [Rick] When the iconic fountain was revealed in 2016, it was merely a teaser for the park to follow.

Finally, in the dead of winter, 2023, Downtown Cary Park opened, and there hasn't been much downtime since.

- You know, we're trying to make estimates on how many people are gonna come through.

I can tell you when we opened in November through January, the numbers have been astounding.

I mean, even on a Tuesday, we have a lot of people out here.

We always know when school is out because there's a lot more people.

And trying to make projections, we feel like we could get up to close to a million people a year coming through.

♪ Oh, message in a bottle ♪ - [Rick] Downtown Cary Park has employed a massive full-time staff to keep the park at peak operating capacity year-round.

There are literally more events scheduled for the park than there are days in the year.

- That's correct.

How are we doing that, right?

We have, today is our first Live at Lunch, and we're gonna just provide opportunities for entertainers to come out, for people to come down and walk down and eat their lunch here, have a nice experience in the park.

We're getting ready to launch our concert series.

We're gonna have movies in the park.

We've got the Pimento Cheese Festival and all kinds of gatherings and festivals that are coming up.

Our programming team has been working overtime.

- [Rick] Events are only a fraction of what's happening on any given day at the park.

There's always a comfortable or cozy spot to relax or to picnic.

There's also a playground called the Nest, where kids and adults can climb and slide and just hang out.

It's easy to find.

Just look for the giant cardinals, the state bird, and you'll find something to do.

Grownups can also enjoy adult beverages while inside the park.

- We do have a social district here, 'cause we do have a bar in the park.

It's called the Bark Bar, and it's surrounded by a dog play area, which we have the biggies and the smalls, and it's an open air bar.

And you can, within the boundaries of the district, which is essentially the park, you can take your beverage that you get at the bar and walk around and hear a concert on the lawn.

Or you can go and sit under a tree so that it is a pleasant experience with your beverage of choice.

They do have non-alcoholic beverages as well.

- [Rick] What's your name?

- Michael.

- [Rick] Michael.

How long you been working here?

- Since I opened in November.

- [Rick] How you liking it?

- I love it.

I's great job, great people.

Post-retirement.

- Originally from Apex, came down to Cary.

It's super convenient here.

You know, I love just this whole park in general.

- [Rick] 40 years ago I moved to Cary when it had about 15,000 residents and a reputation for peace and quiet, but not a lot to see and do.

Now, as the town grows closer to a population of about 200,000, this park is a symbol of the transformation from bedroom community to a destination.

- It's exciting.

It's an exciting time for Cary as we grow and expand in this area.

And we really believe that this park is not only gonna be nationally known, not for its design, but also for its operations.

That's our goal.

- The new Downtown Cary Park is at 327 South Academy Street in Cary, and it's open daily from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM.

To find out more, visit their website at downtowncarypark.com.