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🧭 Here’s what’s in today’s issue:
• 🧠 Trivia Challenge: Spotlight Hook
• 🧭Discover: The Provincial
• 📰 News: Tickets Are Now on Sale for Cary's Chinese Lantern Festival
• 📰 News: Score a VIP Family Night With the North Carolina Courage
• 😄 Meme of the Day – Just for Laughs
• 🎁 Support the businesses that support Cary: Make your gift
• 📅 Events: Upcoming Events (Top Picks)
👉 Browse the highlights. Click your favorites.
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Question: Philematophobia is the fear of what?
(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.)
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I'm 63 With $1.5M. Can I Spend $10K a Month?
You’ve saved $1.5 million. Now comes the real test.
Can it produce $10,000 a month, or will that pace drain your portfolio?
Most retirees do not get a clear answer until it is too late.
The issue is not just how much you have. It is whether your portfolio was built to pay you, not just grow.
That difference can determine whether your money lasts decades or starts breaking down early.
Sequence of returns, taxes on withdrawals, healthcare costs, and whether the 4% rule still applies all play a role.
Fiduciary advisors created a breakdown showing what drives sustainable income and why the same $1.5M can produce very different outcomes.
If you have $1M or more invested, do not guess.
The Provincial
The Provincial is one of the local food places nominated by Cary Spotlight's readers for our Discover Cary project. If you've had a chance to sample their food, feel free to share your opinion below.
The Provincial is a cozy, farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Apex run by chef Wayne Alcaide, known for dishes made with fresh, local ingredients like hanger steak and spicy tuna tacos.
Technically Apex, but practically Cary—The Provincial is so close to the border, your GPS won't even notice… but your taste buds definitely will!
Check out their menu on their website: The Provincial
Address: 119 N. Salem St., Apex, NC 27502 | Get Directions
The Provincial
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Tickets Are Now on Sale for Cary's Chinese Lantern Festival
It may still feel like summer, but one of Cary's most popular holiday traditions is already making plans for the season ahead.
Tickets are now on sale for the 11th annual North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival, returning to Koka Booth Amphitheatre from Nov. 21, 2026, through Jan. 10, 2027.
This year's festival will feature all-new, handcrafted lantern displays created by Chinese artisans, along with nightly cultural performances on the amphitheater's main stage. The event will be open every evening except Christmas Day.
Ticket prices vary by date and admission type, with weekday evening tickets generally starting around $19 and weekend tickets beginning around $25. Flexible "Any Night" tickets, twilight sessions, group discounts, and a Sensory Friendly Night on Dec. 1 are also available.
The festival continues to be one of Cary's biggest annual attractions. Last year's event welcomed more than 249,000 visitors from all 50 states and several countries. Earlier this year, the Town of Cary announced the festival will remain at Koka Booth Amphitheatre through at least the 2033-2034 holiday season.
Learn more: 11th annual North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival
Have you ever been to the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival?
Score a VIP Family Night With the North Carolina Courage
Looking for a memorable family outing this summer? Cary families can enjoy a behind-the-scenes soccer experience during the North Carolina Courage's Nickelodeon Night at WakeMed Soccer Park.
The Inside the Action: CaryVan Family Adventure takes place on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 6 to 9 p.m. and offers much more than a ticket to the game.
Families will receive exclusive group seating and have the opportunity to carry the Courage Shield onto the field during the National Anthem. The evening also includes halftime photos, a post-game autograph session with players, fun swag, and a $20 concession voucher to use during the match.
The program is open to families with children ages 6 and older. Registration is required through Cary's RecTrac system, and the registration fee covers up to four family members. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Learn more, CaryVan Family Adventure at WakeMed Soccer Park
⚽ If you could choose one VIP game-day experience, what would it be?
Meme of the Day.
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🎟️ Upcoming Events (Top Picks)
Outdoor events may be changed due to weather, so click the links to see latest event information. Here are a few ideas for the week, so plan ahead:
• Thursday: Art Cart 2PM-5PM
• Thursday: Zumba 7PM-8PM
• Friday: Pirates of the Caribbean (The Curse of the Black Pearl) 6PM-10:30PM
• Friday: Bands, Bites, and Boats 6PM-8PM
• Saturday: Cary Farmers Market 8AM-12PM
• Saturday: Yoga 9AM-10AM
• Sunday: The Revolutionists @ Theatre in the Park 2PM-7:15PM
• Sunday: Sunday Sound Bath 4PM-5:30PM
• Monday: Stretch and Refresh 10AM-11AM
But wait! There’s more. To save space in your inbox, we’ve moved the full list of events online — now you can plan ahead: See Full 2-Week Calendar
The Answer to the Cary Spotlight Hook Trivia Question 👇👇👇
A: Kissing
The word comes from the Greek word philema, meaning kiss, and phobos, meaning fear. You might also have emotional and behavioral symptoms, such as feeling anxious or panicked when thinking about kissing.
Sometimes, this fear might lead you to avoid situations where kissing could happen. For instance, you might steer clear of dating or relationships because you're worried about having to kiss.
Learn more, Coping With the Fear of Kissing