OK we know it’s gonna be hot — that’s a given. But that hasn’t stopped throngs of people from heading to downtown Cary for its annual signature festival before.

The crowds are expected again on Saturday for the 32nd annual Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival, being held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lazy Daze coordinator Joy Ennis said the town expects some 50,000 visitors this year.

“We are growing better — not physically bigger,” Ennis said. “We try to add new things each year to keep it fresh.”

The highlight of the day is always the wide array of artists and their work on display. Visitors can browse some 400 booths with items ranging from fine arts and photography to handmade jewelry, clothing, sculpture, woodwork and more.

The event has come a long way since 1977, when a flatbed truck served as the stage and a $500 profit was made.

Other interesting tidbits: Lazy Daze became juried for the first time in 1989. The year 1994 was the first for “fancy restroom trailers with air conditioning and piped music.”

Lazy Daze continued its status climb, garnering top rankings for the one-day festival and having a commemorative Lazy Daze Diet Pepsi can special statewide distribution for its 30th anniversary in 2006.

This year, as in the recent past, the event has taken Ennis and others an entire year to plan and coordinate. The boon to the community is that proceeds provide grants to local nonprofit groups. Some $25,000 was distributed last year.

In addition to the art and artists from all over the country that the event attracts, the food and the entertainment are big crowd pleasers, too.

Nonprofit groups work the concessions, serving up such fair delights as barbecue, “gourmet candied apples,” gyros, smoothies and fresh lemonade.

On three different stages, entertainers will perform throughout the day.

Some familiar faces — Hubba Bubba the Clown, The Magic of Michael Creech and the Cary Town Band — will join newcomers to the festival such as Milagro Saints and Mel Melton and the Wicked Mojos.

Also this year, visitors can participate in projects led by the Cary Clay Cooperative, the N.C. Gourd Society and the Colored Pencil Society of America.

Visit the “Hands on History” area for old-fashioned games and crafts.

New this year, the Physical Fitness Expo and Wellness World Stage will motivate visitors to get, and stay, in great shape, according to the festival brochure.

Despite a small controversy surrounding the inaugural “Cold Zone” beer tent, that “cool” feature, hosted by the Sister Cities Commission, is also returning.

Make sure to stop at nearby Town Hall Campus to view 10 sculptures that have recently been placed for exhibition by Cary Visual Art, a nonprofit group dedicated to promoting public art in Cary.

And of course, don’t forget the baby’s hat, the sunscreen and plenty of water.

Lazy Daze Need to Know When: Saturday, Aug. 23, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Downtown Cary
What to do: Shop or browse hundreds of art booths, watch musical and stage acts, participate in crafts and other activities, grab a bite to eat.
How to get there: Three shuttle buses run every 15 minutes from Cary Towne Center mall to Cary Elementary School. Buses pick up at Sears parking lot.
Parking: Free parking is available at the Cary Town Hall Parking Deck. Handicapped parking is available at Cary Town Hall beside the railroad tracks and at the Cary Elementary School entrance on Kildaire Farm Road.
Don’t bring: No dogs, roller skates or roller blades, skateboards or bicycles will be allowed.

(Information from the Town of Cary Web site was used in this report.)