Before We Announce the Fall 2026 Carolina Indie Fest ...

Next week we will officially announce our Fall 2026 Carolina Indie Fest lineup but, before we do, some "thanks" are in order.

We've operated this festival since 2022 and this Fall will be our 9th Carolina Indie Fest. Every year we've had some manner of assistance from the City of Sanford. Typically it's closure of the public parking lot at the corner of Cole and Steele streets, and that doesn't sound like much but there are a whole host of people who use that lot. The City ensures the lot has notice given and then, on the day of closure, police officers attempt to contact people whose vehicles are in the lot to avoid having them towed. Then they block off the lot until we fill it back up with vendors and food trucks.

Over the past two years, especially, we've had trouble getting food trucks into that lot. The approaches in, and out, of the lot are either rather steep or are accessed across a low dip. Our staff try to make it work but in May were literally in tears because it's impossible for many trucks to access the lot. The trucks that can't make it into the lot started parking on Steele Street next to the lot but the worry when that happens is that the street isn't closed and now there is traffic driving by as people stand in line.

Thankfully, the City worked with us to allow a small section of street to be closed and dedicated to food trucks this time around. We configured it so both sections of Cole Street can be used which allows traffic to go around the festival in both directions. The impact of the closure should be relatively minimal as a result and will be much safer for attendees.

Now, is this much work? Probably not in the overall scheme of things but I'm grateful to the City & Downtown Sanford Inc for listening and taking the concerns about attendee safety seriously. I also am really impressed at the police officers who attempt to reach car owners to move their vehicles. I for worked in local government for many years and never seen a city attempt to contact residents in danger of being towed. It's an incredible kindness and speaks to a level of care befitting a small town.

Anyway, never a bad thing to start with gratitude. Next week we will make the big announcement, stay tuned!