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.

Make plans now to join your friends and neighbors in downtown Wake Forest Saturday, Feb. 22, for the eighth annual Wake Forest Mardi Gras Street Festival. Presented by Thomas G. Walters Allstate Insurance and Primrose School of Heritage Wake Forest, this family-friendly celebration is scheduled from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and admission is free.
 
Promising fun-filled activities for both children and adults, the Mardi Gras Street Festival will include face painters, strolling entertainers, live music, special contests and much more. 

Stadium Drive, Monday, Jan. 27 - Fred Smith Co., a private contractor working on behalf of the Town of Wake Forest, will close the portion of Stadium Drive from Rock Spring Road to Wingate Street on Monday, Jan. 27, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The temporary closure is necessary to allow crews to remove and replace curb and gutter as part of the Stadium Drive Complete Street Project. A signed detour will be in place directing motorists around the work area. Traffic delays are expected, so motorists are urged to avoid the area and take an alternate route.

Elm Avenue, Wednesday, Jan. 29 - The Town of Wake Forest will close the portion of Elm Avenue from South Main Street/US1A to South White Street on Wednesday, Jan. 29, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. The temporary closure is necessary to allow crews to patch asphalt and perform pavement repairs. A signed detour will be in place directing motorists around the work area. Traffic delays are expected, so motorists are urged to avoid the area and take an alternate route.

Friday Night on White (FNOW) returns to historic downtown Wake Forest on April 17, then continues the second Friday night of each month through September.

A variety of sponsorships are still available for this popular concert series which drew well over 50,000 people to downtown Wake Forest in 2019. Each sponsorship is guaranteed to bring attention and recognition to local businesses through on-site exhibit space; assorted radio and television ads; printed posters, flyers, and banners; social media posts; email announcements and more.
@  MaggieHotShoes

Talbot the Town Crier and his sidekick Fitz are back, and this time they're confronting one of the willfully uninformed. "Boom goes the dynamite!"

Mayor Vivian Jones will deliver her 2020 State of the Town Address on Monday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m., during the 12 th Annual State of the Town Address and Dinner. Presented by the Wake Forest Rotary Club, the event will take place at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St. Tickets are $15 each and include a catered meal.

The  next census  is coming this year! By April 2020, households will receive an invitation to participate in the census. The process is quick and easy. You'll then have three options to respond: 1) Online (for the first time!); 2) By phone; and 3) By mail. Learn more about the  2020 Census .
The Town of Wake Forest and a network of local partners are inviting current and aspiring entrepreneurs to apply for Launch Wake Forest . The deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 31. The initiative will offer 20 selected students a nine-week accredited Kaufman business course, business mentorship, planning and financial support and more.
"Shades of Gospel" this Saturday
The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre will host a lively and educational celebration of gospel music that connects all cultures, ages and backgrounds on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at 5 p.m. The Shades of Gospel concert will highlight a range of traditional, southern and contemporary gospel music with featured performances by Grammy, Dove and Stellar Award-nominated artist Tim Bowman, Jr. and the Trinity Quartet. Tickets are $15 plus tax.
The Rockin’ the Forest music series continues with the popular beach band Jim Quick & Coastline on Friday, Feb. 28. The concert gets underway at 7:30 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts, 405 S. Brooks St. Advance tickets are $15 each plus tax and selling fast.
Forest Moon Theater will present “Prelude to a Kiss” Friday-Sunday, Feb. 14-16 and Feb. 21-23, at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St. Showtime Friday and Saturday is 7:30 p.m., while the Sunday showtime is 3 p.m.
You can make a difference in our community by applying to fill the vacancy on the Greenways Advisory Board. The online application is available on the Town’s website . Completed applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31.
The Greenways Advisory Board will host a family-friendly 5K race as part of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 6, at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. New this year, the day’s festivities will also include a Kids’ 1-Mile Fun Run for ages 12 and under. Online registration for both races is underway.
The Wake Forest Police Department has scheduled its next Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) class for Tuesday, Feb. 18. The session will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. inside the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St. There is no cost to participate, but registration is required.
Bright Star Touring Theatre, a national professional touring theatre company based in Asheville, NC, will offer two free performances of George Washington Carver & Friends on Saturday, Feb. 8. A morning presentation is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., followed by a 6 p.m. evening show at Friendship Baptist Church, 237 Friendship Chapel Road. 
Comedian and actor Rondell Sheridan will present his side-splitting stand-up act “If You’re Over 40 and You Know It, Clap Your Hands” at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts on Saturday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.
Tickets are on sale for the Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre Kill the Music on Saturday, April 25, at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts, 405 S. Brooks St. Tickets are $40 (plus tax) in advance and include dinner. The menu will be announced in the coming days.
Before wintry weather strikes our area, all Wake Forest residents are encouraged to opt-in to the Town's phone notification system and provide their complete contact information, including cell phone numbers and email addresses.
Flaherty Dog Park , 1100 N. White St., will remain closed for the foreseeable future as crews work to complete a series of renovations in time for a reopening in early spring.
HomeSnacks recently published its sixth annual study on the 10 best places to live in North Carolina and Wake Forest placed seventh. According to HomeSnacks, Wake Forest earned its ranking because of its high incomes (16th overall) and low crime (17th overall and one of the best in the top 10).
The Town of Wake Forest and its network of partners throughout Wake County are committed to educating residents about the importance of the U.S. Census. On Tuesdays in January, officials will be available from 11 a.m.-noon at the Wake Forest Community Library 400 E. Holding Ave., to answer your questions and provide information one-on-one.
Sanitation customers can complete and submit an online form to request a variety of assistance related to their rollout trash and recycling carts. The form can be used to request service, request an upgrade to your recycling cart, order extra carts and report damaged or missing carts.
You can receive email notifications concerning road closures and traffic alerts in Wake Forest by signing up for E-Notifier - our free email subscription service. The service allows you to subscribe to several specific information categories and receive an e-mail notification whenever we post new information on the website related to your selected categories.
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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.