Koka Booth Amphitheatre

Deciding between three and four stars on this one was difficult — the musicians who come here and the shows they put on are wonderful and deserve praise, but Koka itself needs some work.
My first experience at Koka was to see the Music of Harry Potter concert. Even with predictions of heavy storms and lightening, the show was still on — we just hoped that the storms would hold off long enough that we could hear one of our favorite soundtracks live! We loaded up our lawn chairs, got there pretty early and found a great spot — yes, if you buy a lawn seat, you have to just pick a spot on the lawn and bring your own blanket or chair … that’s why it’s called a lawn seat. If you’re wanting an actual seat, you have to buy reserved seating. The show started and almost immediately we started to feel light rain. As the music went on, the rain just got harder. Finally, the rain was so hard that the musicians had to stop, but again, bravo to the musicians who played until they absolutely couldn’t anymore. Unfortunately, the storm was getting so bad that the remainder of the show had to be cancelled.
On the website, it says, «If an event is delayed or has to be shortened due to severe weather conditions deeming it unsafe for patrons to be in the facility, venue management will make best efforts to issue make-​up offers for future events to those patrons impacted by the severe weather conditions.» Now, the show ended before the intermission. The title music, the reason everyone bought their tickets, was never played and, because of this, I expected to receive some type of reimbursement — it’s like going to your favorite band’s concert but only getting to see the opening act. Not what I paid to see and certainly not my money’s worth. I asked several workers if they knew what would happen since it ended early, but most didn’t know or thought that we wouldn’t be reimbursed since we did see *part* of the show.
I’ve gone back to Koka twice since then (only buying tickets the day of so that I wouldn’t waste my money on a rain-​out) and it’s been a good experience — but the weather was also perfect. I truly hope that my experience was just an anomaly, but the crew there certainly needs better communication and really needs to live up to the policy so clearly posted on their website.

Went for the Chinese Lantern Festival, lovely but even discounted and after holiday tickets seemed a bit high to try to take a family, for what only takes about 30 min. to look at.

Went to the @BoothAmp to see the #NCChineseLanternFestival and it was a good event. Since the amphitheater is in the middle of an office building complex, there is plenty of free parking.
It was my first time at Koka Booth, but I have to make a return trip for a concert. It seems like a great place for a concert looking at the stage. It is not as big as Walnut Creek, but still a nice venue.
#403

The venue is stunning in its beauty and incorporation into the surrounding scenery. I came here once and the show was great, sound was good too. The only reason I did not give this place four stars was two things: parking is difficult unless you get here early and the lawn seating fills in quick and you might find yourself sitting in the trees. The only law here — get here early!

Seating SUCKS!!! You better be a die hard fan of whoever you’re planning to see perform here! Because you’ll need to get there super early to get a good spot to sit. Yeah I said SPOT to sit, not seat!!! It’s just some crappy lawn where you need to bring your own chair to!!! I went to see jim gaffigain (or however you spell his name, don’t really care at this point) and we had to damn near camp out to see him!!! We were sitting like a mile away from the stage and couldn’t even see half of it because of all the trees!!! Even the ancient Romans built their amphitheaters with actual seats!!! Worst amphitheater I’ve ever been to! I mean if I were going to some kind of hippy ass bluegrass show, I’d be stoned off my ass and not even give a shit but I payed $ 70 for my ticket to sit in some shitty ass pine needles and get lime disease!!!
Don’t see anything at this place!!!

Went to a concert that ended up getting canceled due to rain. Was told to expect an email, but never got one. Did not get a refund or a response to my own email requesting a refund.

I’ve been to the Koka Booth Amphitheatre a handful of times now and really enjoy the venue. Since some events are organized by specific corporations, I’m just writing this review for the space and built in vendors. I visited the theater last night for the Esprit de She race and have also attended concerts [Passion Pit], festivals [Beer, Bourbon and BBQ] and a couple other events. Even though I may not have LOVED all the events that have passed through this amphitheatre, the space itself is lovely. It borders a large pond and the Cary Greenway. You are surrounded by tall trees and the wild. There are lots of bathrooms and they’re usually relatively clean and well stocked. Ticketing process has always been well organized to get into events and I love the covered seated area as well as open lawn. The ‘built’ in vendors are not always open, depending on the event, but they do have a good variety of «concession» foods at a typical «venue» price. I really like the individual recycling and trash bags located right before you walk into the «arena» space and the area is well labeled with maps and signs. It’s a lovely spot for a movie on the lawn, symphony performance, concert or festival. The parking is well organized and they have always had a free parking option. Plenty of parking lots boarded the ampitheatre, although you might have to walk a little ways depending on what time you arrive to your event. Overall, this is a great venue, they keep it clean and do their part. Again, just emphasizing that each individual event has separate logistics, staff and volunteers; issues with these people cannot be blamed on Koka Booth. I only wish the Ampitheatre was in a more convenient location, but I guess you have to choose location or atmosphere, and they’ve got the natural atmosphere here!

I’ve been here for winefest, movies and concerts. The staff is so nice and the venue is great for all of the events. I think this is a very well run amphitheater and will continue to go often.

Here for the 4^th of July celebration. Appreciated the free parking and shuttle service since we had a little one. We have come here before and enjoy outdoor festivities and the location next to the lake. If you do not bring your own snacks, there is options to buy concessions and alcoholic beverages. This is neat a wooded area. with that said as with any outside event. spray yourself with repellant or risk being lunch for mosquitos since the lake is there. But don’t let that dissuade you from going here. Family friendly. we like it!

I have been to Koka Booth many times. I have seen movies playing on the big screen for Halloween, and saw bands play like Furthur and Old Crow Medicine Show. I really enjoy this venue and the scenery. It’s outdoors, has a large pond, and many trees which sometimes can be a bad thing as it can block your view.
For the movie you got to bring your own beer, wine, food, chairs, and blankets. They also had a haunted house for the kids. Decently priced. I believe they also sold food. It was a perfect date night for my husband and I. I packed us a nice little picnic.
When I went for bands my biggest complaint is that it is not loud enough and the shows end pretty early. For Furthur we had lawn tickets and got to bring chairs. They sell beer, wine, and have a few food options. Drinks are pricey but that’s to be expected at a concert. When we saw Old Crow we had seats at the end of the venue were waiters served you and you sat at a table. I had a very hard time hearing what the artist would say when he spoke to the audience. The waiters were attentive but I’m not sure if I would chose that spot again. I felt a bit disconnected from the concert.
All in all it is a nice venue that has a lot of options for entertainment. If you get there early you can get free parking and take a hike to the venue or purchase closer parking spots for $ 5 to $ 10.

What a fantastic venue! My husband and I came to the ampitheatre for 80s night with the NC Symphony, and it was such a fun night.
You can bring your own beer, wine, food, blankets and chairs. I couldn’t believe how impressive some of the picnics were! Whole Foods was actually giving away gift cards to people with the best picnics.
We brought a blanket to sit on, which was fine, but I highly recommend bringing lawn/​folding chairs if you have them.
We arrived about an hour and a half early. That gave us plenty of time to park, find a good spot and eat/​drink before the show started.
We lucked out with gorgeous weather. Bugs weren’t too bad either. The sound was great, and the symphony was excellent.
Tickets are a bit pricy for the symphony events, but it’s totally worth it since you can bring your own drinks and food. You can save $$ by purchasing at the box office before the day of the show. Avoid buying tickets online, as there are $ 10+ in fees/​upcharges.
The free parking is a 5 minute walk from the entrance. There is parking closer to the venue, but it’s $ 5-​$ 15.
Can’t wait to come back for a $ 5 outdoor movie or another concert! So glad we have this gem practically in our backyard.

This could be a lovely venue, dotted by pine trees and some great landscaping.
1. The sound stinks. Get standing tickets in «The Pit» if you actually want to hear the show.
2. There is an unpublished and unspoken «rule» that if you are on the lawn, you must be sitting. NO STANDING. NO DANCING. Ridiculous. I have never in my long years of concert-​going been to a venue where you can’t stand in the lawn. Some friends of mine and I drove in 2.5 hours to see a Sturgill Simpson show last night. For those of you who don’t know, Sturgill is a badass country music act out of Nashville. The last time we saw him was in a rowdy, dirty, heavy metal venue. Well, we didn’t know about Koka’s NO FUN policy, so we didn’t bring chairs and were standing and dancing on the lawn. We were violently harassed by some of the other patrons to sit down — one guy in particular seemed actually unhinged, cursing at us for nearly 5 minutes. I’m not joking. Then security joined in to enforce the «no fun» policy, and came up to us 3 times to say «we can’t tell you to sit down, but people are complaining.» Seriously?! This guy behind us is showering a stream of curse words upon us, and we are the ones getting admonished? It’s a rock concert! Everyone calm down, drink an overpriced beer, and dance a little! Well, we all politely refused to sit, because that’s ridiculous, and eventually security got fed up and upgraded our tickets so we could get into the rebellious «standing area.» (Just FYI, the Pit is the fun zone where you can stand, dance, laugh, and actually hear the band you came to see). I will never come back to this uptight, fun-​killing venue for anything other than a symphony concert again. It was overall a stressful, unpleasant experience that was exacerbated by the security team.
If you are a band looking to book this venue, please consider the NO FUN rule before you decide to play here. As a musician, I want my audience to feel like they can openly and freely enjoy my music. I’m sure you feel the same way as well.

its a booth for concerts. not much to say. layout could be better and could use more grass than mud puddles

Saw Frightened Rabbits and Death Cab for Cutie. Great outdoor small venue, surprising food and beverage selection, very reasonable ticket and concession prices.

Been going to this venue for a lot of years and have had some awesome experiences. Most recent was Josh Groban with the NC Symphony. Can’t go wrong with that, that’s for sure!
TIP: Check the website before you go to any event here! Some events you can take food and drinks in, others you cannot. Some you can take blankets and others you cannot. This particular show you couldn’t take any of them in. So it pays to look ahead and plan accordingly. You can also find out on their website if there might be food options you can order ahead of time.
TIP: Bring cash! While there are places you can use a credit card, they might involve larger lines than you might prefer. If you have cash you have more food and drink options. There is an ATM if you need it.
Seating for events can mean reserved seats in the front near the stage, lawn seats (can mean seeing the stage or not), or seats in the back covered area where you can see the stage (but from a distance)…here you have table-​service and it’s covered.
Best part of this venue imho (and Husband’s) is the sound! Of course it can vary due to what different artists set up, but overall we have experienced consistently great sound here!
Overall this is an enjoyable place to go for a concert or any outdoor event. Staff is very friendly. They do a great job directing traffic. I do wish they would open the doors earlier to some events. The lines were crazy for Josh Groban. They didn’t open until 6:30 and by the time some of us got in it was close to 7:30. (for an 8:00 show) Vendors sure could have made a lot more money from some of us if we could have gotten in earlier!

This venue is tucked in a office park and pond at the same time. It’s small enough to still be able to enjoy but they often get big names come in for concerts. They offer several different series of smaller affordable week day events as well that encourage families, pets, and picnics.

I am a big fan of Koka Booth, and have been lucky enough to have visited there for numerous events including concerts and varied festivals over the past few years.
First off, the wooded setting is pretty darn beautiful. There aren’t a ton of venues where you walk through a mini forest to come to said venue sitting beside a small pond filled with water fowl and turtles, but Koka Booth is one of them. Staff is always super friendly. Concessions are far above par (though expensive as you would imagine). The clincher for me is that they serve up New Belgium brews. What beats drinking a Shift or Rampant while enjoying some tunes out in the grass? Not much!
There is a ton of seating area for your concert going pleasure, and they more than encourage you to bring blankets and beach chairs. If you’re a baller, you can get reserved tables up on the veranda type area, which I believe then comes with waitress/​waiter service. I am not a baller, so I can’t speak to that high style of living. For an outdoor amphitheatre, the sound quality is pretty solid and Koka Booth is still small enough that you can see the stage from anywhere you may be sitting or standing. Thanks to the size of this spot, they are able to attract some big names to come and play, so that’s clearly a solid selling point.
Not into music? Well, you still don’t have an excuse not to come here since they also host movie nights in the summer time, the annual Beer/​Bourbon/​BBQ fest (now that is a good time!), plays, and other random events. So find a reason and make a trip out to Koka Booth! Just be sure to get there early and reserve some prime grass if you suspect the event is gonna be packed…

Perfect spot for fireworks! Just be wary of the parking (walk to the remote lots and you’ll get out faster when the crowds disperse). They do an awesome job keeping the bugs away. Tucked in a beautiful forest the first thing I thought was, I didn’t bring enough bug spray, but they actually kept at bay– did not get eaten alive. They did an awesome fourth of July fireworks show, had the NC symphony playing and a few other acts. All for free. They’ve got fun summer movies at night and I can’t wait to check out Grease sing-​a-​long!
The food is fairly decent– good sandwiches, wraps, hot fried funnel cake bites! yummy ice cream (though a little stingy on the portions). The bathroom lines were long for both genders, but directions to the next ones weren’t super clear.
Will definitely try and catch a performance here. Like the venue.

I have been to Koka Booth for many fun events over the years, Including the Great Grapes wine festival in April, July 4^th fireworks and the NC Symphony and concerts. I have always had a really good time at these events.
The only drawbacks are lack of parking for the really big events like the July 4^th celebration. You may end up walking quite a bit and getting more exercise than you bargained for! Also can be a hassle getting in and out for the popular events as there aren’t many ways to exit and enter. Patience can be a virtue!
The area around Koka Booth is very serene. Lots of trees and a nice lake surrounds the amphitheater.

The wife and I have been to the Beer, Bourbon and BBQ festival here in 2011 and 2012. The festival is split into a Friday night session and a Saturday afternoon session, and we have done one of each. We both agree that the Friday session is better because it includes a BBQ plate from one of the vendors with your admission ticket. Also, since the festival is in August, it is nice to have the weather cooling off at night while you are drinking it up.
The bourbons are varied and plentiful, as are the beers, but overall the beers are fairly generic for a self proclaimed beer snob like myself. Nevertheless, the beer is refreshing versus drinking straight bourbon all night. The food options were very good on both occasions. The venue itself is nice with plenty of seating areas and usually they have some pretty talented musicians entertaining the drinkers.
Two tidbits of advice: 1. get in line for the high end bourbon early and often and 2. get a room at the nearby Marriott, which is in walking distance.
Cheers