In partnership with
🧭 Here’s what’s in today’s issue:
• 🧠 Trivia Challenge: Spotlight Hook
• 🧭Discover: Zest Sushi and Small Plates Review
• 📰 News: Ten Steps Cary Residents Can Take to Cut Down on Mosquitoes
• 📰 News: Cary Nears 2,000 Free Downtown Parking Spaces
• 😄 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.
Did someone forward you our Cary newsletter? Then subscribe her
Question: How many transatlantic trips did the Titanic make before sinking?
(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.)
Parents across the Triangle often wonder how their teens can build meaningful leadership experience that truly stands out when applying to college.
An upcoming Hum Sub Youth Leadership Summit in Cary is designed to help students begin exploring those opportunities. The event invites students in Grades 8–11 from across the Triangle to learn about leadership, entrepreneurship, and ways young people can start building experiences that colleges value.
Parents are welcome to attend to learn more about opportunities to help their children prepare for college applications. Coming soon: 2 May 2026.
If you have questions about advertising, email: [email protected]
Smart starts here.
You don't have to read everything — just the right thing. 1440's daily newsletter distills the day's biggest stories from 100+ sources into one quick, 5-minute read. It's the fastest way to stay sharp, sound informed, and actually understand what's happening in the world. Join 4.5 million readers who start their day the smart way.
Zest Sushi and Small Plates Review
Zest Sushi and Small Plates 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.
Zest Sushi and Small Plates is a downtown Cary restaurant that earned Best New Restaurant honors at the 2025 Cary Magazine Maggy Awards Main & Broad, serving creative sushi, fresh raw bar selections, Asian-inspired small plates, and handcrafted cocktails in a polished but welcoming setting.
Check out their menu on their website: Zest Sushi and Small Plates
Address: 175 E. Chatham St., Cary, NC 27511 | Get Directions
Zest Sushi and Small Plates (31 Votes)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Love this place! (17)
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 😊😊😊 I might give it a try (14)
Cary Spotlight Reader’s Feedback:
“Their lunch time Bento box has a delicious food variety & at a good price”
“Oyster Thursday’s!” “Excellent!” “It's nice with good service, but way too pricey. ”
Zest Sushi and Small Plates
Do you have a favorite place to eat in Cary, NC? Click to share your pick.
Ten Steps Cary Residents Can Take to Cut Down on Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are an unavoidable part of the environment, but they also create health and quality-of-life concerns because they bite and can spread disease. Wake County emphasizes that there is no practical way to eliminate them entirely.
Rather than relying on insecticide spraying, which offers only temporary relief, the county is urging residents to focus on prevention. Because mosquitoes can go from eggs to adults in about two weeks, small pools of standing water can quickly become breeding grounds.
Top 10 Mosquito Prevention Steps
Eliminate standing water from containers like buckets, flowerpot trays, tires, and wheelbarrows
Clean rain gutters regularly to prevent water buildup
Refresh bird bath water at least twice a week
Fix leaks in hoses, faucets, and sprinkler systems
Ensure proper drainage in ditches; use larvicides if water cannot drain
Secure rain barrels with tight screens and sealed openings
Add mosquito-eating fish to ponds (avoid natural waterways)
Trim shrubs and mow grass to reduce cool, shaded resting areas
Install bat boxes to encourage natural mosquito predators
Use insecticides carefully, communicating with neighbors and avoiding harm to beneficial insects and food sources
Community-wide participation is key, as even one neglected area can allow mosquitoes to multiply quickly and affect the surrounding neighborhood.
Read Full Report
Just curious…
What’s your go-to move for keeping mosquitoes in check?
Cary Nears 2,000 Free Downtown Parking Spaces
Cary has expanded its downtown parking capacity with the opening of the Academy Street Parking Deck, a four-level structure offering 467 total spaces. Of those, 225 are free and available to the public, helping ease access to the increasingly busy downtown area.
The facility includes accessibility and sustainability features, such as ADA-compliant spaces and electric vehicle charging stations. Its central location and multiple entry points are intended to streamline traffic flow and improve convenience for visitors.
The deck is part of the larger Meridian Cary mixed-use development, which will introduce new housing, retail, and office space. This project supports the town’s broader vision of creating a more active and connected downtown corridor.
Combined with a recently opened Cedar Street deck, the addition brings the total number of free parking spaces in downtown Cary to nearly 2,000, reflecting ongoing efforts to accommodate growth and encourage more visitors to explore the area.
To see all the available parking in downtown Cary, visit carync.gov/parking.
For more information, check out the latest news release
How do you feel about the new Academy Street Parking Deck?
That beautiful dress or sharp suit sitting in the back of your closet isn't doing you any favors gathering dust. Give it a second life! The Mama Edna Project is collecting gently worn formal wear to make dreams come true. Clear your closet, fill a heart. ❤️Visit the store or contact Drew to find out how you can donate today!
Let's make magic happen together.
Mama Edna’s Thrift Shop
📍 1393 Maynard Rd SE Cary, NC 27511 | ☎ 919- 649-0678
🌐 The Mama Edna Project | Store Hours | Facebook Page
Meme of the Day.
Brought to you by Cary's Daily Newsletter.
What’s faster than word of mouth? Cary Spotlight! Keeps you updated on what is going on locally and connects businesses to our vibrant community.
🎁 Support the businesses that support Cary.
Buy Cary Spotlight coffee. Every contribution helps us highlight more local restaurants, small businesses, and nonprofits making a difference. Help us keep this resource free.
🎟️ 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: 2nd Annual Clay Council Classic 6PM-9PM
• Thursday: Town Council Regular Meeting 6:30PM-8:30PM
• Friday: Spring Bloomers and Birds 8AM-9AM
• Friday: Cary Night Market 5PM-9PM
• Friday: Comedy Show: Alex Velluto and Don Garrett 8PM-10PM
• Saturday: ACC Conference Women’s Tennis Championships (All Day)
• Saturday: ACC Conference Men’s Tennis Championships (All Day)
• Saturday: Cary Farmers Market 8AM-12PM
• Saturday: Fest in the West 11AM-4PM
• Saturday: Good Hope Farm Tour 11:30AM-12:30PM
• Saturday: Children’s Day Festival 1PM-7PM
• Sunday: Soma Breath Energized Breathwork 2PM-3:30PM
• Sunday: Fido Foundations: Dog Obedience 2PM-3PM
• Sunday: Cary Players presents Deathtrap 3PM-5PM
• Monday: Children’s BINGO 4:30PM-6:30PM
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: Zero
The Titanic made zero completed transatlantic trips before sinking. The ship was on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York when it struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, and sank in the early hours of April 15. The only trip it completed was from Belfast, where it was built, to Southampton.
For more information, RMS Titanic