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

Town Manager Kip Padgett whisked through a lot of information in his PowerPoint presentation during Friday’s town board retreat. Here are some highlights and other information in a fast-paced meeting that began at 8:30 a.m. and ended before 2 p.m. with a morning break and lunch: — The town is “nudging up to 40,000” residents, Padgett said, with an estimated 39,012 people in 14,782 dwelling units spread over 17.13 square miles. “It’s just remarkable,” he said, that the town is adding 2,000 people a year. –“We fared pretty well during the recession,” he said, and in 2015 issued over 700 permits for single-family houses and 165 commercial permits. “We continue to grow; we continue to annex.” — A new set of programs for special-needs children served 503 last year. “There is a large population here” and a large need. — Padgett said the town needs to focus on goals and

Mayor Vivian Jones will deliver her 2016 State of the Town Address on Monday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m., during the eighth annual State of the Town address and dinner. Presented by the Wake Forest Rotary Club, the event will be held at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts at 405 Brooks Street. Jones will highlight the town’s key accomplishments in 2015 and outline the goals Wake Forest will strive towards in 2016. All area residents are invited to attend this special event. Tickets are $15 per person in advance and $20 on the day of the event and include a catered meal. Tickets can be purchased online with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card at www.wakeforestnc.gov/state-of-the-town.aspx. Tickets may also be purchased at the Renaissance Centre box office with cash, check or credit card. A processing fee will be added to the cost of any

Oh, my! Readers demonstrated they are more informed about the local economy and new businesses than the editor, sending in several emails saying Hobby Lobby will occupy a new building going up – or up already – on the site of the old Kmart near Triangle Town Center. The large building will house both Hobby Lobby and a new Best Buy. Thank you all and please continue to send me information about the town and its activities. * * * * Heritage High School will host an Indoor Percussion and Winter Guard Competition on Saturday, Feb. 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the high school. Thirty regional indoor percussion and winter guard teams will perform, and the proceeds will benefit the Heritage High band programs. Tickets are $10 for adults, free for children 5 and younger. (Unsolicited advice: bring earplugs.) * * * * A small segment of

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.