When the Holly Springs Cultural Center opened in December 2006, the hope was that the facility would become a great place for the community to gather and enjoy the cultural, performing and visual arts. In less than five years, the response has surpassed expectations with more than 600,000 visitors, many from outside North Carolina.

This intimate facility, which seats only 186 people, continues to sell out many of the shows.

With a limited number of seats, one would think that the talent level would be considerably less than professional, but with appearances by artists such as Rita Coolidge, Al Stewart, Firefall and Broadway star Franc D'Ambrosio, it has built a level of credibility far beyond some venues three times its size.

"I envisioned that this dream would be big and had really put no limits on the possibility of bringing in talent," said Holly Springs Mayor Dick Sears. "So far, with the exception of Tony Bennett, the Boston Pops, Liza Minnelli, etc., I have not been disappointed."

Holly Springs Town Manager Carl Dean looks back at the beginning of this community facility and is pleased with the results.

"While the intent was never to be Radio City Music Hall, the direction and function of the building was to serve our area which it has accomplished successfully," Dean said. "We provide a wide range of programs and services, and the partnership between the county and town has been very successful. We wanted a quality product that would meet the needs of our residents, and I think we succeeded in that objective."

The center shares a lobby with the Wake County library and also provides programming through the parks and recreation department for the Town of Holly Springs.

The programming is also enhanced through the Performing Arts Alliance which allows local and regional performers to use the building as their home theater. The alliance is made up of organizations that provide bluegrass, jazz, dance, community theater and a local community band reminiscent of the community bands that thrived in the early 20th century.

This month the Cultural Center will feature comics and concerts including performances by Melissa Manchester, Earl Klugh and The Buckinghams. A fifth anniversary event will feature Tom Wopat, currently appearing on Broadway in "Catch Us If You Can."

With the diverse entertainment offered to residents of Holly Springs and the Raleigh area, the hope is that the tickets continue to sell, the seats get filled and those who took the time to dream big can celebrate and smile that they have created something special for many years to come.