Why the Cary Garden Tour Is Turning Heads This May
The Cary Garden Tour takes place May 30-31, 2026, across 13 private and public gardens in Downtown Cary and South Cary, NC.
Most weekends in Cary fill up fast - this one is worth planning around. This spring, 13 private and public gardens across Downtown Cary and South Cary are opening their gates for just two days - including some that have not been open to the public in years. If you have ever driven past a beautiful yard and wondered what was growing behind the hedge, this weekend gives you a reason to find out.
Ready to explore? Find tickets and the full garden map here:
The Cary Garden Tour is co-chaired by Wendy Payne of the Cary Woman's Club and Marie Martin, founder of MOM's Valentine for You. The two organizations joined forces to put on what is the first garden tour of its kind for both groups. Every dollar raised is split equally between them.
Credit: Page Walker Arts & History Center
📢 In Their Own Words
"The Cary Garden Tour offers a unique opportunity to see some of the best private gardens in Cary" - Wendy Payne
"We work hard all year just to make sure widows, shut-ins and other lonely people are noticed on Valentine's Day." - Marie Martin
More Than a Garden Tour
What you will find inside these gardens is more varied than you might expect. The tour includes pollinator gardens, raised vegetable beds, terraced landscapes, and properties featuring solar technology. Some belong to well-known Cary residents. Others have simply not been open to the public in a very long time.
The tour is a natural fit for gardeners looking for local inspiration - especially newer residents still learning what thrives in this area. But it is also a way to explore two of Cary's most active neighborhoods on foot, at your own pace, over a full weekend.
The two organizations behind the tour each have deep roots in the community. "The Cary Garden Tour offers a unique opportunity to see some of the best private gardens in Cary," says Co-Chair Wendy Payne. Marie Martin, who co-chairs the tour and founded MOM's Valentine for You, adds: "We work hard all year just to make sure widows, shut-ins and other lonely people are noticed on Valentine's Day."
Event Details
Date: Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31, 2026
Time: Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. / Sunday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: 13 gardens across Downtown Cary and South Cary, NC - including Page Walker Arts and History Center. Full garden map released at carygardentour.org approximately 72 hours before the event.
Tickets / Registration: $30 per adult - children under 18 are free. Purchase in advance at carygardentour.org.
Tickets also available on-site at any garden location. An optional pre-ordered box lunch from Jason's Deli is available for $15, with pickup at Page Walker.
Your ticket covers both days, so you can spread the tour across the weekend at your own pace. Page Walker is garden stop number 13 and will also feature classic cars - including antiques and Corvettes - plus plein air artists working throughout the weekend.
Why should Cary support this event?
The Cary Woman's Club has been serving the Cary community for 90 years, with recent projects including the Page-Walker Pollinator Garden, Oxford House, and The Carying Place. MOM's Valentine for You delivered more than 800 flower arrangements to lonely and homebound residents in 2026, with sponsors Holly Payne Strange, Kelly Cook Realty, Glen Air, and For Garden Sake making this garden tour possible.
By participating in our tour you are pivotal in helping the programs of our two local 501c3 groups. We appreciate you and hope that you will enjoy this Cary wide garden and classic car tour.
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