Welcome to our weekly e-newsletter - What's Up in Wake Forest. Here you'll find information about Town programs, services, activities, projects, special events and more! If you haven't already, tell your friends and neighbors to visit our E-Notifier page to learn about our full array of free email offerings.

The Town of Wake Forest welcomes the return of Six Sundays in Spring. Bands scheduled to perform this season include Marcus Anderson (April 24), Big Bang Boom (May 1), Orquesta GarDel (May 8), Blue Cactus (May 15), Liquid Pleasure (May 22), and North Tower Band (May 29).
 
Six Sundays in Spring is offered from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on consecutive Sundays from April 24-May 29 in the E. Carroll Joyner Park Amphitheater, 701 Harris Road.

You're invited to Forest Fest on Saturday, April 23. Celebrating the heart and history of Wake Forest, this free family-friendly event is scheduled from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. – rain or shine – along East Owen Avenue, in Centennial Plaza, and in the Town Hall parking lot.
 
Offering something for everyone, Forest Fest will include the popular Tree Seedling Giveaway, Wake Forest Guild of Artists Spring Art Market, extended hours by the Wake Forest Farmers Market, and Historic Downtown Walking Tours offered by the Wake Forest Historical Museum.

The Technology Advisory Board (TAB) is inviting area middle school and high school students and their families to the 2022 Wake Forest STEM Saturday on Saturday, April 30. Presented by the Wireless Research Center, this free family networking event is scheduled from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road.
 
Celebrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, STEM Saturday will expose students to a variety of STEM career options, while featuring STEM-related exhibits, demonstrations, and hands-on learning activities. 

The Town of Wake Forest has started the process of updating the 2012 Historic Preservation Plan, and we need your input. Between now and the end of May, you're invited to complete an online survey on what you value in Wake Forest and would like to see preserved for future generations.

As part of an effort to encourage citizen input and participation, the Town will host a Community Visioning Workshop on Tuesday, May 10, from 6-7 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St.
 
The PRCR Department is issuing a “Call to Artists” for a Joyner Park Community Center (JPCC) gym wall mural. The goal of the initiative is to promote local artists while connecting the JPCC to the community it serves.
 
To be eligible, artists must reside in Wake Forest or it’s ETJ, be a high school student (grades 9-12) living in Wake Forest, or be a member of the Wake Forest Guild of Artists. As part of this initiative, qualified applicants are invited to submit one to three pieces of original art. There is no entry fee, and the application deadline is Saturday, April 30.

Taylor Street Park Sprayground, 416 N. Taylor St., will open for the 2022 season this Saturday, April 23, at 10 a.m. Free and open to the public, the sprayground will operate according to the following schedule through June 9:

  • Sundays, 1-8 p.m.
  • Monday-Friday, 4-8 p.m.
  • Saturdays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Please Note: The sprayground will be open Memorial Day (Monday, May 30) from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. The facility will extend its hours beginning June 10. To view the full schedule for the 2022 season, visit our website.

The Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) is partnering with Wegmans to host Operation Medicine Drop Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. inside Wegmans, 11051 Ligon Mill Road. The drop-off area will be situated just inside the main Wegmans entrance facing Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/NC 98 Bypass.

Operation Medicine Drop (OMD) is a prescription and over-the-counter medication take-back initiative that promotes proper medication disposal. 

The PRCR Department is offering a limited edition water bottle highlighting E. Carroll Joyner Park as the first in a series of “Health & Wellness” merchandise available for purchase. As part of its mission to promote health and wellness in our community, the PRCR Department plans to sell various items over the next several months as a way of encouraging citizens to stay active.

Available for $20 each (while supplies last), the “Find Joy in Joyner Park” water bottle reflects the rustic charm of Joyner Park with a special emphasis on the park’s pecan grove.

The PRCR Department is accepting youth volleyball applications for girls ages 9-16 through the end of April.

A participant’s eligibility is determined by her age on Sept. 1, 2022. A birth certificate is required for new participants. Age divisions include 9-10, 11-12 and 13-16.

The fee is $60 for Wake Forest residents and $100 for non-Wake Forest residents.

Team placement, skills training and practices will begin in May. From early June through mid-July teams will likely play two games per week, Monday through Saturday, at the Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 N. White St., and local school gymnasiums.

The 40th anniversary Meet in the Street, powered by Ting and coordinated by the Wake Forest Area Chamber, is scheduled for Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in downtown Wake Forest. 

This premier arts & crafts, music and food festival will include more than 100 artisan booths featuring handmade items for sale, dozens of food trucks, live music throughout the day, a children's village filled with activities for kids, and more. Admission is free.

Visit the Chamber of Commerce Meet in the Street festival page to view updates on activities, music lineup, and vendors as they are confirmed.
Fitness classes offered for seniors at Alton-Massenburg Center
 
The PRCR Department is partnering with the Northern Wake Senior Center to offer the following fitness classes at the Alston-Massenburg Center (AMC), 416 N. Taylor St.: Drawing, Yoga Stretch & Meditation, Tone & Sculpt, Aerobics, and Zumba.

These classes are free and presented with a virtual instructor in the AMC’s large meeting room.

Registration is required by visiting the AMC during normal business hours (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon).

The PRCR Department will offer a free outdoor fitness series four nights a week in May at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. Free and open to area residents of all ages, May Month of Fitness will consist of the following weekly classes:

  • Mondays - Camp Gladiator
  • Tuesdays – Yoga
  • Thursdays – Zumba
  • Fridays - Dance & Get Fit Line Dance

All classes are free and require no registration. Each will be offered from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Joyner Park Amphitheater.

The PRCR Department will commemorate “National Physical Fitness Month” in May by offering a 50-Mile Walking Challenge for area residents ages 11 and older.

The concept is simple. The PRCR Department is challenging area residents to walk a total of 50 miles in May and use tracking cards to record their progress. Walking locations may include neighborhoods, schools, churches, parks, and greenways - just to name a few. There is no cost to participate, and online registration is open through April.

The PRCR Department and Page 158 Books are partnering to offer a free program throughout April that encourages families to read while enjoying the greenways at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road.

StoryWalk is an innovative and interactive way for readers of all ages to enjoy a story and the outdoors at the same time. It’s also an effective way for young readers to practice active reading skills.

Friday Night on White returns to downtown Wake Forest Friday, May 13, at 6 p.m. with Seeping Booty.

Other bands scheduled to perform this year include Soul Psychedelique (June 10); Love Tribe (July 15); The Brickhouse Band (August 12); and Crush (September 9).

The Town of Wake Forest will accept applications through Saturday, April 30, from food truck vendors interested in participating in the 2022 Fireworks Spectacular.

The fee is $175, and the event includes space for up to 14 food vendors.

This year’s Fireworks Spectacular is scheduled for Sunday, July 3, at Heritage High School, 1150 Forestville Road. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., but food trucks are required to arrive and set up between 3-4 p.m.

The Recreation Advisory Board will host a family-friendly 5K/3K walk/run as part of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 4, at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road.

Check-in on the day of the event starts at 7 a.m., and the race begins at 8 a.m.

Online registration is available.

Friday Night on White T-shirts are now on sale for $10 each. Available in a variety of adult sizes and styles, including a tapered V-neck for women, the T-shirts come in dark gray and lime green. 

Featuring the FNOW logo and a row of guitar necks on the front and the 2022 band lineup and sponsors on the back, the commemorative T-shirts may be purchased with cash, check or credit card at the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St.

The Town of Wake Forest and a host of partnering veterans’ organizations will continue their monthly flag-raising ceremonies in Town Hall’s Centennial Plaza on Monday, May 2, at 11 a.m.

The 39th Wake Forest Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony will honor Thomas Wright, who served his nation in the US Army during World War II.

Provided below are announcements about projects that will impact Wake Forest motorists over the next several weeks. Please use the information to help plan your route and move safely through the affected areas. 

Through July 31
Wellons Construction, Inc., a private contractor, has closed the portion of Averette Road from Jack Jones Road to Mill Dam Road. Scheduled through late summer, the closure is necessary to allow crews to widen and realign this portion of Averette Road. Signed detours are in place directing traffic around the work area.


Ongoing
Fred Smith Company, a contractor working at the future Legacy at Heritage, will periodically reduce to one lane with alternating two-way traffic the portion of Heritage Lake Road from Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/NC 98 Bypass to Friendship Chapel Road daily from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. The periodic lane closures are necessary to allow crews to widen the road and install a storm drain and curb and gutter.

Signage and flaggers will be in place to manage traffic flow and safely direct motorists through the work area. Delays are expected, so motorists may wish to avoid the area and take an alternate route.
 
 
Ongoing
Fred Smith Company, a contractor working on the Holding Village subdivision, will initiate lane reductions along eastbound and westbound Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/NC 98 Bypass in the vicinity of the South Franklin Street intersection daily from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. The lane reductions are necessary to allow crews to extend South Franklin Street and convert the intersection to a Reduced Conflict Intersection, also known as a superstreet.

Signage and cones will be in place to manage traffic flow and safely direct motorists through the work areas. Delays are expected, so motorists may wish to avoid these areas if possible and take an alternate route. 

Related
Here's a 10-minute video of highlights from Mayor Vivian Jones’ 2022 State of the Town Address. Mayor Jones delivered her address to over 200 people during the State of the Town Address & Dinner on February 21. The event was sponsored for the 13th year by the Wake Forest Rotary Club.
The Town of Wake Forest is celebrating the return of warmer weather by hosting a wonderful array of outdoor events and activities for the entire family. From our Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremonies and the Easter Egg Hunt to Friday Night on White and Family Movie Nights at Joyner Park, spring and summer in Wake Forest are jam-packed with fun-filled outdoor events guaranteed to help you forget “Old Man Winter.”

To help inform area residents about all these events, the Town offers Wake Forest Outdoors. The webpage provides detailed information all in one place about our area’s most popular springtime and summer happenings.
There’s a certain feeling you get in our downtown. A charming, stylish, soulful kind of edginess with ambience, atmosphere and aura. From art galleries and specialty shops to coffee companies and clothing boutiques, Downtown Wake Forest is a vibrant, charming, historical and happening place to visit.

Check out our new Where Quaint Meets Cool video for an exciting look at all our Renaissance Area has to offer. Then, stay up to date on the latest downtown events and happenings by following Wake Forest Downtown on Facebook and Instagram and use #WhereQuaintMeetsCool when posting to social media.
Talbot Talks Friday Night on White

Fall is here and so are the cooler temperatures! The Town of Wake Forest is inviting individuals, families, churches and civic clubs to embrace autumn and join the “Show Some Love, #KeepWFclean” campaign by picking up trash in their neighborhoods and along local streets and roadways. The initiative allows volunteers to pick up litter on a one-time or ongoing basis. Participants may also choose the area they wish to clean or request direction to high need areas around town.

To aid the effort, volunteers may reserve litter kits at no charge by completing the online reservation form. Each litter kit includes reflective vests, gloves, buckets, grabbers, trash bags, data collection sheets, hand sanitizer and litter education materials. A special thanks to B&W Hardware for donating the litter kits.

Once reserved, litter kits may be picked up at the Public Works Operations Center, 234 Friendship Chapel Road, Monday-Friday, between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and must be returned within one week, unless otherwise requested. For complete details, email Sustainability Coordinator Jeanette Johnson.
UPDATE - Show Some Love, #KeepWFclean
 
In January 2021, we launched our Show Some Love, #KeepWFclean anti-litter campaign.

Since then, volunteers have checked out 116 litter kits; logged 489 hours; collected nearly 10,500 lbs. of trash and 1,625 lbs. of recyclables; and cleaned 47 miles of streets, 19 sections of roadway and 17 sections of waterway.
 
We developed the infographic below to highlight our progress and express our thanks to YOU - our awesome community volunteers!
 
Loose trash in trucks creates litter along Wake Forest roadways.
 
Help keep Wake Forest roadways clean by securing any trash in your truck bed. When you throw trash in the back of your truck, it inevitably blows out and becomes litter on the roadside. In fact, half of all litter is blown, not thrown! Roadside litter costs millions of dollars to remove, decreases property values and has a negative impact on tourism.
 
The NC Department of Public Safety reports that an even bigger problem is unsecured loads in the back of trucks. At high speeds, even large items can fly out and hurt or startle other drivers causing accidents. Put trash into built-in containers. Use tarps, cargo nets and tie-downs to secure any loads. #KeepWFclean
 
The following monthly meeting schedule is now in effect:
 
Board of Commissioners Work Session
First Tuesday/month - 6 p.m.

Joint Public Hearings
First Tuesday/month - 7:30 p.m.

Planning Board Meeting
Second Tuesday/month - 6 p.m.

Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting
Third Tuesday/month - 6 p.m.

Related
 
View Town meetings live & on demand

Planning Board and Board of Commissioners meetings can be viewed both live and on demand by visiting our Public Meetings Portal. Meetings are available in streaming video for several years after their original air date and featured in a convenient scroll-down menu. 
 
These meetings are also shown live on Wake Forest TV 10 - the Town of Wake Forest’s government access channel - then re-broadcast daily for two weeks at 9 a.m., 3 p.m., and 9 p.m. 
 
Although WFTV 10 is available only to Wake Forest residents and businesses that subscribe to Spectrum Cable TV service, WFTV 10 is also provided online in real-time streaming video.

The Town of Wake Forest has launched a comprehensive public education campaign on proper recycling behaviors.

#RecycleRightWF introduces and emphasizes a series of easy-to-understand messages aimed at simplifying the recycling process and improving the quality of materials residents place in their rollout recycling carts.

The Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave., offers adults age 55 and older a full schedule of recreational activities. Programming at the center is provided by Resources for Seniors, Inc. The organization serves senior and disabled adults in Wake County by providing home and community-based services and information, thereby allowing them to maximize their choices for independence, comfort, safety, security and well-being.
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If you have questions or comments about the Town of Wake Forest website or E-News, please contact Bill Crabtree by email or call 919-435-9421.