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.

Friday Night on White returns to downtown Wake Forest tonight at 6 p.m. with The Magic Pipers.

Tonight's food truck lineup includes Bulkogi Korean BBQ, Charlie's on Wheels, Cousins Maine Lobster, Doherty's Paddy Wagon, Hale Yeah Kitchen, Kona Ice, Lumpy's Ice Cream, Mama Voula's, Smith's Smokehouse & Smoothies, The Naked Empanada, the VFW Chuck Wagon, and Virgil's Jamaica.

Other bands scheduled to perform this year include Sleeping Booty (May 13); The Soul Psychedelique (June 10); Love Tribe (July 15); The Brickhouse Band (August 12); and Crush (September 9).

The PRCR Department will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 9, at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road.

Presented by Primrose School of Heritage Wake Forest and Bumgarner & Martin Orthodontics, the 2022 Egg Hunt will include over 10,000 eggs containing prizes and candy hidden across four locations for ages 3 and younger, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. The occasion will also feature an egg hunt for children with disabilities and a visit from the Easter Bunny.

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St., will welcome SOLE Defined on Saturday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.

SOLE Defined is the Washington Metro area's leading arts organization specializing in percussive dance – using the body as an instrument to create musical expression. Advancing styles such as Tap, Stepping, Body Percussion, Sand Dance, and Gumboot, this Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led company infuses powerful skills to delight and inspire audiences.

The Wake Forest Police Department and Burger King are joining forces in April to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC).

As part of the Your Way for Inclusion campaign, Wake Forest Police officers will be onsite at both Wake Forest Burger King locations on April 8 and April 22 selling SONC Torch Run T-Shirts and collecting donations to support the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.

On Friday, April 8, WFPD officers will be at the 12301 Capital Blvd. location from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. and at the 923 Gateway Commons Circle location from approximately 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
 
The Wake Forest Town Hall and other administrative offices will be closed Friday, April 15, in observance of Good Friday. Trash and recycling collection will not be affected.
 
Yard waste will not be collected Friday, April 15. During the week of April 11, the collection of all yard waste routes, including Friday’s route, will occur Monday-Thursday, April 11-14. To ensure that all neighborhoods are serviced properly, all residents are urged to leave their normal yard waste behind the curb by 7 a.m. Monday, April 11.

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 WFFD will host its annual Drive By Fish Fry on Friday, April 22, from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. – or until all the fish plates are sold. The drive-thru event will be offered along Elm Avenue in front of Fire Station #1, 420 Elm Ave. Fish plates will include generous portions of fried flounder, boiled potatoes, coleslaw, and hush puppies. No beverages will be provided.

Plates are $11 each when purchased with a credit or debit card. Only available while supplies last, fish plates may be purchased on the day of the event with cash for $10 each. Online orders will be accepted through Wednesday, April 20.

The Town of Wake Forest and the Local Government Federal Credit Union will co-sponsor a drive-thru paper shredding event on Monday, April 18, from noon-4 p.m. – or until the two paper shredding trucks are full.

Free and open to the public, the shred event will take place rain or shine in the parking lot of the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St.

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 welcomes the return of Six Sundays in Spring. Bands scheduled to perform 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.

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.

In May, the PRCR Department will present Memorial Day Remembrance Walls of Honor at E. Carroll Joyner Park, Alston-Massenburg Center, and Flaherty Park. In recognition of the service and sacrifice of women and men in uniform, these Walls of Honor will bear the names of as many as 500 veterans submitted by members of our community.

The PRCR Department will accept submissions through Friday, April 15.

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.

Driving too fast is one of the main causes of deaths and injuries on our roads. In fact, speeding-related deaths have increased by 17% in the last five years.

Next week, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program will be raising awareness about the dangers of speeding. The Speed A Little, Lose A Lot campaign is an effort to crack down on speeders.

Law enforcement will use extra patrols and driver checkpoints to reinforce the importance of not driving over the speed limit.

Following an 18-month planning process, the first draft Community Plan was published and submitted for public comment on January 11, in advance of the open house sessions on February 1.

After compiling and reviewing over 350 comments, a revised draft Community Plan has been published and is available for review.

A public hearing on the draft Community Plan and Land Use Map is scheduled for the April 19 Board of Commissioners meeting. The Board may also take action on the plan at this meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Board Chambers.

The PRCR Department will host an online Esports gaming tournament featuring "Rocket League" on Saturday, April 23. Open to players ages 10 and older, the online tournament is free to play and will be live streamed on Twitch.tv. Registration is open through Wednesday, April 20.

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.
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

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
This is an example of a QR ("Quick Response") code. QR codes are like the barcodes you see on retail products, but they can contain a lot more information than a simple item number.

The code to the left is just another way of directing you to food and beverage options in Downtown Wake Forest. QR codes can be read by smartphone cameras, which saves you from having to type in long web addresses.

QR codes can also be used to display other text, such as contact information or menu options. QR codes can be placed on anything from signs and flyers to A-frame signs/sandwich boards and business cards. They provide an easy way for you to get more information about a subject, without having to remember or type anything.

Most of the major-brand smart phone devices offer built-in QR Code readers or provide free readers in their respective online application market places. Once you have the reader on your phone you can simply use your phone's camera to "scan" the QR Code and your mobile phone will be directed to the page you are currently viewing from your more stationary device.

Wake Forest uses QR codes in a variety of ways. For example, codes on A-frame signs help you find info about our Christmas events, complete event surveys, and sign up to receive notifications about Town programs and services. If you have any feedback about our use of QR codes, please be sure to let us know!

Related

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.
Stay In Touch
You have received this e-mail because you are subscribed to E-News – part of the Town of Wake Forest’s e-mail subscription service. E-News keeps you up-to-date on Town of Wake Forest news, information, events and services. If you believe you have been subscribed in error, or would like to cancel your subscription to The Week Ahead, you may unsubscribe below.
 
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.