Apex's Busiest October Address Is 2600 Evans Road

Between October 12 and October 28, the Town of Apex has four events on the calendar at Apex Nature Park on Evans Road. Pleasant Park hosts two more on back-to-back days in the middle of the month. Part of the Beaver Creek Greenway closes for bridge repairs during the busiest of those weeks. Meanwhile, the Beaver Creek shopping centers have a new cafe opening, a sushi sign going up and a fitness studio that opened recently. For October, at least, the west side is where much of Apex's public calendar happens.

The Month, Sorted by Park

Here is the west-side calendar in date order, with the details the Town and event organizers have posted.

Five of the six events are on weeknights. Four of them land at the same park within about two and a half weeks.

Why the Nature Park Keeps Getting the Booking

The events lean on what Apex Nature Park already has. Its listed facilities include an amphitheater, a disc golf course, multi-use trails, a dog park, a playground for several age groups, a picnic shelter with restrooms, lighted tennis courts and soccer and multi-use fields. The park is also where the Beaver Creek Greenway has its west-end parking.

You can see that layout in how the Town describes each event. The Indigenous Peoples' Day Ceremony on October 12 is presented with the Triangle Native American Society. The listing includes cultural performances, storytelling, friendship dances, food vendors and hands-on crafts. That's a program that needs a stage and open space at the same time.

Spooky Tails on October 28 uses the dog park and the trails. The Town's description mentions vendors with treats and resources, information about dog-friendly parks in Apex, organized trail walks and a dog costume contest with a prize for the winner.

Explore S'more on October 22 is tied to Take a Child Outside Week. Its listing describes nature education, interactive games and s'mores roasting. The Peak Weekly's October 1 calendar lists the October date as rescheduled from September 24. If you were planning around the September date, the 22nd is the one to keep.

The amphitheater itself may look different before long. In its September 17 issue, The Peak Weekly reported that the Town's Culture and Arts Advisory Board was asking for feedback on designs for a Nature Park Amphitheatre mural.

The Week Part of the Greenway Takes a Break

Here's the scheduling catch. On September 29, the Town posted that repairs near two bridges on the Beaver Creek Greenway are scheduled for October 12 through October 16. Sections of the trail will be closed, with signs at the trail entrances. The closures are at 201 Homegate Circle, 1607 Grappenhall Drive and 1101 Bexley Hills Bend, and the affected trail runs between those three addresses.

That window starts on the night of the Indigenous Peoples' Day Ceremony and ends on the day of the Pleasant Park drive-in. The Town expects everything to reopen by the end of the day on Friday, October 16. It also notes that weather and other unforeseen conditions could change that timeline. If you usually walk or bike to the Nature Park on the greenway, check the map attached to the Town's closure notice before you head out on the 12th.

This week of repairs is short. The bigger greenway projects are years away. A project tracker from The Peak's news network lists the Beaver Creek Greenway Extension as in planning, with an estimated completion of June 2029. The plan includes a grade-separated crossing under NC 55, an extension through the Nature Park to Richardson Road and a future connection west to the American Tobacco Trail. A separate renovation of the greenway from Townside Drive to Kelly Road Park is listed as not started, with an estimated completion of June 2028.

Pleasant Park Has the Middle Weekend

While the Nature Park has the weeknights, Pleasant Park on Pleasant Plains Road has the busiest two days of the month.

The Friday, October 16 drive-in is showing Hocus Pocus. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. and the movie starts at 7. Your ticket is your parking pass, the limit is one ticket per vehicle, and ticketed cars need to arrive before 6:40 p.m. The food trucks listed are Thirsty Mobile Beverage Company and Arepa Culture. As of this week, the Etix registration page says registration has reached capacity, so anyone without a ticket should watch for openings rather than just showing up.

The same Friday evening has competition downtown. The Peak Weekly's calendar lists Fall Harvest Night at the Depot parking lot on October 16, so it's a night to pick one side of town.

The next morning, the Arbor Day Celebration runs from 9 a.m. to noon at Pleasant Park's Forest Shelter. The NC Master Naturalists' announcement lists a commemorative tree planting and proclamation, hands-on tree care and mulching, planting and care demonstrations, and booths from environmental groups with crafts and activities for kids. The announcement describes a tree planting, not a tree giveaway, so don't plan on bringing a sapling home.

The Beaver Creek Lineup Around All of It

The Nature Park's events happen at dinnertime, so it helps to know what's changed at the shopping centers closest to the west-side parks.

• Grain & Berry opens at 2017 Creekside Landing Drive in Beaver Creek Crossings, with a grand opening on Saturday, October 10 at 9 a.m. The menu centers on bowls, smoothies, juices, toasts, flatbreads and sandwiches. The Peak Weekly's October 1 issue confirmed the date, replacing an earlier projection of late July or early August.
• Magic Sushi has a sign up at the former Chili's in Beaver Creek Commons, WRAL reported on October 2. The concept offers all-you-can-eat sushi and hibachi or à la carte ordering, and its original location is in Charlotte. There's no opening timeline yet.
• Wingstop moved into the former GNC space in Beaver Creek. The Peak Weekly announced a May 27 opening.
• Neighborhood Barre is a little east of Beaver Creek, at 962 US 64 Highway W. in Lake Pine Plaza. The Peak Weekly reported a September 18 opening.

The dates line up nicely. Grain & Berry opens two days before the Indigenous Peoples' Day Ceremony, so it's a new option before a Monday evening at the park. It also shares opening weekend with Apex Oktoberfest, which The Peak Weekly lists for October 10 at Town Campus.

Here's a sample Wednesday on the west side late this month. Pick up dinner in Beaver Creek, get to 2600 Evans Road by 5 p.m. on October 28 with a dog in costume, and spend the last hour of daylight on the organized trail walks.

If all this park news has you wondering what living near Apex Nature Park or Pleasant Park adds to your home's value, Sold By Starkey can walk you through recent sales near these parks and greenways. Get Your Free Home Value, and we'll show you how your street compares.