Break free from your phone, your computer, gather up your spouse and children and head out to E. Carroll Joyner Park on Harris Road Saturday, Sept. 6, to meet friends and relatives during Wake Forest Unplugged . . . Get Connected. This free event from 4 to 6 p.m. sponsored by the town’s Recreation Advisory Board will introduce you to some healthy, active games and activities for all ages such as sack and relay races, corn hole and miniature golf. If you cannot make it to the park, unplug at home by turning off the television, computers, phones and other electronic devices and join your family and friends in some active pursuits. The afternoon wil end with a free concert in the park amphitheater from 5 to 7 p.m. featuring Lakota John & Kin. The group specializes in ancient Native American harmonies and traditional blues and includes his mother, Tonya,

Do you think the year is just whizzing by? You are right because you can apply now to have your float or other entry in the 2015 Wake Forest Christmas Parade. The rationale is that it takes a lot of time – and volunteer and paid effort – to put together an event that can attract 10,000 people or more to downtown Wake Forest in early December. Applications are available online at www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-christmas-parade.aspx and at the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 South Brooks Street. Interested participants may submit their application online or by mail to Wake Forest Christmas Parade, c/o Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., P.O. Box 78, Wake Forest, NC 27588. Entries postmarked by Thursday, Oct. 15, will be considered for inclusion based on the number of entries needed for each category. Accepted entrants will be notified via email no later than Saturday, Oct. 31. Payment for entry must be received by Saturday,

Staff from Wake County Human Services Department will be at the Wake Forest Farmers Market Saturday, Sept. 5, to entertain children with crafts and to offer nutritional information to their parents. Of course, parents who are at the market probably already know the benefits of fresh local produce and local humanely raised meats. The market will also have a special event in two weeks. On Saturday, Sept. 19, the market will host a local craft market, and some of the featured vendors include A Stitch Niche, Alpaca Dreams, Graceful Organization, Jewels of Turtle Mist Farm, Kookie, Papercuts, Painted Chicks, Poppy & Purl, Redman’s Pottery, Rose Trail Images and Serenity Meadows Farm. There may be more by Sept. 19. You can see all the vendors for the craft market and the farmers market at http://wakeforestmarket.org along with the descriptions of the vendors’ wares. This week the live music will be provided

The Wakefield Rotary club’s Lucky 13 Reverse Raffle & Dinner will be held at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, at The Factory Mill Room. Only 100 tickets will be sold for $115 each, and the cost includes admission for two to the buffet dinner and reverse raffle drawing party, two drink tickets and one chance to win a grand prize of $2,015. Those who purchase tickets do not need to be present to win the grand prize. Childcare will be available during the event at the Factory Kerr YMCA for $5 per child, including a pizza dinner. Online preregistration is required. “We’ll be drawing tickets throughout the evening until the last ticket is drawn to win the grand prize. We even have a lucky loser drawing for those whose tickets are not the last drawn,” explains Wakefield Rotary Co-President Matthew Archer. Proceeds from the event go towards non-profit initiatives

The Wake Forest Greenways Advisory Board (GAB) is celebrating National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 26, by hosting a “Day of Service” from 9-11 a.m. at four town greenways. The GAB is inviting volunteers of all ages to sign up for one of the following service opportunities: Heritage High School Soft Trail – trail cleanup, invasive plant removal and soft trail construction Wake Forest Reservoir – trail cleanup and wildflower education Sanford Creek Greenway at Heritage South – trail and stream cleanup Richland Creek Greenway at Olde Mill Stream – trail cleanup and tree planting Anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to sign up at www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094EAFAF2F4-public. For more information, contact GAB Chair Deanna Walker at 919-426-5026 or dwelker@nccoastalpines.org.