Good people of Cary,

I had a chance to check out K38 Baja Grill on Monday, and I can understand why it is such a local favorite in Wilmington. I suspect that this place is going to be very popular in Downtown Cary. More on that in the featured destination section!

This week has a good deal of civic news. We have an update on the Citizens Convenience Center, the new multi-modal transit facility that’s coming in a few years, and more.

Thank you for continuing to support local,

James

The building containing a gas station, The Neighborhood Sports Bar & Arcade and the Pure Gold strip club is gone. Next to the site, a strip of retail offices was demolished earlier this year.

Demolition along North Harrison Avenue is wrapping up as the Town clears eight acres for the future Downtown Cary Multi-Modal Center.

Don't expect anything to go up there soon. Cary Transit Director Kelly Blazey told The Cary Report the Town still has site cleanup, internal planning and a round of public engagement next spring ahead of it. Design work starts in late 2027.

"We do not expect construction to begin until late 2028 at the earliest," Blazey said.

The site was picked in February 2020 to consolidate GoCary, regional buses, Bus Rapid Transit, Amtrak and future commuter rail in one spot. Buses won't move over until 2030 or 2031, with trains potentially taking longer.

The Cary Depot will stay open until then. What happens to it after has not yet been decided.

Additional reading: The Cary Report, Official Update Page

Cary's Citizens Convenience Center on Dixon Avenue shuts down for good on December 30. The site handles roughly 250 visitors a day, about 90,000 a year, and Cary is the only municipality in Wake County that runs its own convenience center.

The reason is that Cary doesn’t have the rights to most of the land. Much of the operation sits inside North Carolina Railroad right-of-way that Cary has used rent-free for decades. In September 2025 the railroad said it wants that space back for federally funded corridor improvements.

Yard waste disposal and food waste composting will continue on the town-owned portion of the site, with no expected interruption. Council put $525,000 toward the redesign, which should be substantially complete by mid-December.

If you compost here, then you’re actually getting an upgrade for that portion of the site. The food waste drop-off will move outside the gated area and will be available 24 hours, instead of being limited to staffed hours.

For everything else, the nearest option is Wake County's Convenience Center Site 3 at 266 Aviation Parkway in Morrisville, under five miles away and open 7 AM to 7 PM daily. Make sure to bring proof of residency.

Additional reading: The Cary Report, Town of Cary

Some of the best pickleball players in the world are spending this week in Cary.

The Veolia Pickleball National Championships began Monday at Cary Tennis Park and continue through Sunday, September 6. This is the first time Cary has hosted the national championship, and the tournament also serves as the opening event of the Professional Pickleball Association’s 2026–27 global season.

And this is a pretty significant event.

More than 1,400 players are in the tournament draw, ranging from amateurs to some of the highest-ranked professionals in the sport. More than $1 million in prize money is on the line, and Cary expects thousands of spectators throughout the week.

Professional competition progresses throughout the week, with the Round of 32 on Wednesday, Round of 16 on Thursday, quarterfinals Friday, semifinals Saturday and championship matches beginning Sunday morning. Grounds passes start at $25, with upgraded courtside and VIP tickets available later in the tournament.

This did not exactly come out of nowhere.

Cary hosted PPA Tour events in both 2024 and 2025. According to the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, those two events generated more than $6 million in direct economic impact.

Last year’s Cary tournament was also the PPA Tour’s most attended event in the country.

That success helped Cary land something considerably bigger this year.

The state is supporting the 2026 National Championships with a grant of up to $984,850 through North Carolina’s Major Events, Games and Attractions Fund. Cary officials announced the deal in April, describing the tournament as an opportunity to bring thousands of visitors to town while placing Cary on national television and streaming coverage.

It also helps that Cary Tennis Park is enormous.

The 36-court complex is the largest public tennis facility in North Carolina and has increasingly become a major tournament venue for both tennis and pickleball. It was named Racquet Sports Industry’s Municipal Facility of the Year for the second time in 2025.

PPA officials have made it pretty clear they like it here, too.

“We want to be here long term,” PPA Senior Vice President Jeff Watson told ABC11 this week while discussing the tournament’s growth and economic impact.

For anyone who wants to see what professional pickleball actually looks like, this is probably as good an opportunity as Cary is ever going to get.

And if you are going, do not plan on parking directly at Cary Tennis Park. Free off-site parking is available at Phillips Farms at 6800 Good Hope Church Road, with complimentary shuttles running to the tournament throughout the day.

Veolia Pickleball National Championships
Cary Tennis Park (2727 Louis Stephens Dr, Cary)
Through Sunday, September 6

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Interested in partnering with us? Reach out at [email protected] and let's find something that works for you.

What: Spend Friday evening beside Bond Lake with live music from My Cousin Skinny, food from Beef Street and a Pig and The Flat Drum, beer from Bond Brothers and after-hours boat rentals.

Where: Bond Park Boathouse (190 Bond Park Drive)

When: Fri, September 4 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.

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What: Downtown Cary Park will screen the filmed version of the original Broadway production of Hamilton on the Great Lawn. The event is free, food trucks will be on site and you’ll need to bring your own chairs or blankets.

Where: Downtown Cary Park (327 S. Academy St.)

When: Fri, September 4 | 7:30–10:30 p.m.

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What: The biggest names in professional pickleball compete at Cary Tennis Park as Cary hosts the sport’s National Championships for the first time. Semifinals take place Saturday, followed by the championship matches Sunday.

Where: Cary Tennis Park (2727 Louis Stephens Drive)

When: Through Sun, September 6

More Info

K38 Baja Grill has officially opened in Downtown Cary, and I finally had a chance to check it out on Monday.

Located at 147 E. Chatham Street on the ground floor of the Cedar Street parking deck, K38 brings a little bit of Wilmington, as well as SoCal surf culture, to Downtown Cary. Real surfboards hang from the walls, indie music plays over the speakers, and the restaurant opens onto the pedestrian alley running toward Cedar Street, where there is additional outdoor seating.

I created a Reel/TikTok of K38, and I opened with “in the beautiful coastal town of Cary, North Carolina…” with stock video of a surfer and a beach. I figured most would understand this is an obvious joke, as the Wilmington-based, surfer-themed restaurant has expanded to our very landlocked town of Cary.

But many believed that this was serious. Here are a few of my favorite comments:

“I live in Cary. We are hours from the beach.”

“Coastal?? This is the triangle, folks!”

“Wow! Talk about AI generated content. The only water Cary is near is a man-made pond /fountain in a shopping center”

I clearly had too much fun with this one.

As mentioned, the restaurant traces its roots to Wilmington, where the late Josh Vach opened the original K38 on Oleander Drive in 1993 after years of surfing trips to Baja California. The name comes from Kilometer 38, a well-known surf break along the Baja coast. Vach’s roadside fish-taco experiences during those trips eventually became the inspiration for the restaurant. 

More than three decades later, Cary is K38’s seventh location.

The menu is heavily Baja-inspired, but there is quite a bit more than tacos. There are burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas, salads and wraps, along with some unusual items like “rolls.” Those are almost like Mexican-style sushi, with ingredients like shrimp, chicken, avocado, cheese and different sauces rolled inside tortillas. Complimentary chips and salsa also arrive at the table when you sit down.

One of the biggest reasons K38 has developed such a following in Wilmington is its weekly specials, and those have followed the restaurant to Cary.

Drink specials run all day, while the food specials begin at 5 p.m. and are dine-in only.

Cinco de Monday offers several items for $5, including a Baja fish taco, large queso, large guacamole, elote dip, Chicken Elote Rolls and the Wannabe Margarita.

Tuesday brings discounted fajitas and $3 Dos Equis drafts.

Wednesday has half-price De La Casa quesadillas and $3 Miller Lite drafts.

I can understand why this place has built such a loyal following along the coast. It is casual, fun, and the food tastes great. The specials make it an easy choice for a weeknight out, and I suspect this is going to be a very popular spot for Cary.

And the location is perfect. You can eat outside without sitting directly beside traffic, walk over from Downtown Cary Park or park for free in the Cedar Street deck directly connected to it.

Surf’s up, Cary!

K38 Baja Grill
147 E. Chatham Street (under the Cedar St Parking Deck)
Sunday-Thursday: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

More Info

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