Cary public works crews have begun setting up for the 33rd Annual Lazy Daze festival in downtown.

Coordinator Joy Ennis said the festival was originally started to give downtown businesses an economic boost.

Some forecasts are calling for rain, but Ennis said she is confident the festival will stay dry.

Lazy Daze has only been rained out once during its entire history, Ennis said.

Some downtown business owners said the festival gives them a big boost, but others say it is a burden.

The arts and crafts street festival began in 1977 to give downtown Cary businesses a boost.

"We opened 23 years ago on Lazy Daze because I wanted to be sure to have at least one sale," Beverly Eischen, owner of the antiques and jewelry shop Ordinary & Extraordinary, said.

Since that time, Eischen has always looked forward to the town's one-day-festival.

"It is exciting," she said. "It is fun. We always hope it will be really hot so people will come in and cool off."

Her doors will be open Saturday, but across the street at Kitchen & Bath Galleries there'll simply be a sign explaining the store will re-open Monday.

"Lazy Daze is great for downtown Cary and for the Cary community, but just not suitable for us to be open," Lee Rothstein, salesperson at Kitchen & Bath Galleries, said.

Ovens and refrigerators aren't very portable buys and in previous years when the gallery was open, Rothstein said it didn't leave to too many sales.

"Basically, we're used as a place for people to cool off or as a public restroom which we don't really have," he said.

Academy street will be closed from Cary elementary to Cedar street for the festival.

Chatham street will also be closed from Walker to Harrison.

Free shuttles will run every 15 minutes from the Sears parking lot at Cary Towne Center to the festival.

To learn more about parking options, visit the Town of Cary's Web site.