Over 20,000 people expected in Apex on Saturday. Here’s your guide to PeakFest.
Every first Saturday in May, thousands of people gather in Apex’s downtown district for the town’s longest running event: PeakFest.
Over 40 years ago, the festival started as a small arts and crafts fair in a church parking lot but has now grown to take up three-quarters of a mile beginning on Salem Street with local vendors, businesses and artisans showcasing their work with a full day of entertainment.
This year, the rain-or-shine event is expected to draw between 20,000 to 25,000 people. There will be performances on two stages by local bands and dance groups, 175 vendors and more than 25 food trucks, according to Jeff Hastings, chairman of the Apex Festival Commission.
“We want to make sure that there’s something for the whole family to do, from toddlers to senior citizens,” Hastings said. “People still keep coming back and the demand for vendor space and interest gets larger every year.”
PeakFest is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. A full list of vendors and other information can be found at apexpeakfest.com.
Impact on the Apex community
Mayor Jacques Gilbert said the town’s festivals help to “illuminate our small-town character.”
“Oftentimes, people talk about the growth of the town and they want to maintain that small-town character and I often respond with, we may not be able to control the geography the way we desire,” said Gilbert, an Apex native who has attended the festival for years. “However, when we create experiences for people to be together in a small town, it really brings that out.”
Local businesses along Salem Street and in downtown Apex see business as the streets are filled with shoppers, Hasting said.
Gilbert said it’s a highlight for him to see vendors who got their start at PeakFest become business owners.
Meanwhile, the Apex Festival Commission gives back the money made during the festival to local non-profits in the form of grants. Hastings said up to 10 groups who applied for the grants can get a check ranging from $15,000 to $20,000.
Where can I park and find the restrooms?
The Apex Festival Commission is urging attendees to plan ahead for parking.
There is available parking on side streets near the festival footprint.
ADA-accessible parking is available near the municipal lot on Saunders Street and the Apex Professional Building on Salem Street. There is additional ADA parking near the Halle Cultural Arts Center at 237 N. Salem St.
▪ Closed parking
Salem Street from Hunter Street to N.C. 55 will be closed Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Parking on Seaboard and Commerce streets will also be closed, and beginning Friday afternoon, the Depot Plaza parking will be closed.
The town’s parking ordinances will be enforced and cars parking in marked-off areas may be subject to ticketing, the festival commission said.
▪ Restrooms
Portable restrooms are at several locations within the festival, including Saunders Street, Holleman Street and Templeton Street.
A map of parking downtown is available at apexnc.org.
What are the rules on pets and bikes?
Pets are not allowed within the festival boundaries. Registered service animals are allowed.
No bikes, skateboards, roller blades or other wheeled devices, with the exception of mobility devices, are allowed inside the festival.
What’s the entertainment schedule?
There are two stages set up for PeakFest with one featuring local bands and performers and the other designed for dance groups. Performances begin at 9 a.m. on both stages.
The Depot Stage, 220 N. Salem St.
Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble — 9 to 10 a.m.
Reeling in the Years — 10:30 to 11:45 a.m.
Hired Guns — 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.
Peak City Sound Band — 1:40 to 3 p.m.
Tea Cup Gin — 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Thompson Street Stage
Kinderdance — 9 to 9:30 a.m.
Academy for the Performing Arts - Apex Dance Center — 9:45 to 10:30 a.m.
Infinity Ballet — 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.
La Fiesta Jazz Quintet — 11:10 to 1 p.m.
Bach 2 Rock — 1 to 3 p.m.
Relay Relay (Stray Local) — 3:30 to 5 p.m.
