The annual membership meeting of the Wake Forest Historical Association set for Sunday, Jan. 24, was cancelled because of the winter storm and will be held Sunday, Jan. 31, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Wake Forest Historical Museum on North Main Street behind the Dr. Calvin Jones House. The meeting is open to everyone. A new board member will be elected and the board officers will be named. Michelle Michael, a senior planner with the Wake Forest Planning Department will provide an update about the rehabilitation/renovation of the Ailey Young House. President Sanford Bailey will talk about the association’s activities during 2015, and Museum Director Ed Morris will speak about the museum and associated Wake Forest College Birthplace, the Dr. Calvin Jones House. There will be refreshments, and this is the time for membership renewals. Annual dues are $10.  

The first group to entertain Wake Forest in the Renaissance Centre’s new Rockin’ the Forest music series, Tres Chicas have been praised for their 2004 album Sweetwater by such critics as The Village Voice, who said it is “one of the notable, fetching, finished alt-country releases of the year.” Lynn Blakey, Caitlin Cary and Tonya Lamm make up the Raleigh-based group whose music combines sweet vocal harmonies with elements of country, folk and rock. They started singing together at a late-night singalong after friend Alejandro Escovedo’s show at a Raleigh bar. They played locally for fun for a few years, but then friend Chris Stamey, a producer, persuaded them to record for an album which became Sweetwater. They toured Europe in 2005, and their second album, Bloom, Red & the Ordinary Girl, was produced in 2006. Their show for Rockin’ the Forest will be Saturday, Jan. 30, at 8 a.m.

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department will host a Special Needs Valentine Party on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts, 405 S. Brooks St. Featuring music, crafts, games, refreshments and prizes, this event will offer exceptional children and their families the opportunity to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a safe and accepting environment. The cost is $5 per child, but parents and caretakers are admitted free. Pre-registration is required no later than Monday, Feb. 1. To register, visit http://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/. For more information about the Special Needs Valentine Party, contact Recreation Program Superintendent Monica Lileton at 919-435-9563 or mlileton@wakeforestnc.gov.  

Plans are well underway for downtown Wake Forest’s annual Mardi Gras Street Festival on Saturday, Feb. 6. This family-friendly celebration is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 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, an inflatable playground, special contests and much more. Several participating downtown merchants will also offer exceptional discounts and activities throughout the day. One of the day’s highlights promises to be the Mardi Gras Walking Parade. The lineup will begin at 12:45 p.m. in town hall’s Centennial Plaza on Brooks Street, and the parade gets underway at 1 p.m. The parade route will extend from town hall, up East Owen Avenue, and north along South White Street before ending at the Depot Parking Lot at 110 South White Street. The walking parade is open to both children and

“Birds can’t talk, but they are sending an urgent message,” says Lena Gallitano, a local, state, and National Audubon Society leader.  “Our planet needs help.” To emphasize this message more clearly, Gallitano will lead a community workshop, “Creation Care: A Bird’s Perspective,” at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, Feb. 13, from 9:30 to12 noon in the fellowship hall. The program will include a talk on the future status of birds while exploring Audubon North Carolina conservation initiatives to create bird-friendly communities throughout the state. Participants will develop personal Creation Care “action plans” that will help each individual make a difference, not only for birds but for the world as well. “Whether you come to this project as a nature lover, a concerned citizen, or someone who wants to leave a better world for your children and grandchildren, it will take all of us acting together to secure a better