The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts will host Storytelling Pajama Night on Friday, Oct. 14, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Children of all ages are invited to attend the free event featuring multiple award-winner and local storytelling favorite Donna Washington. In Donna’s own words, “Every story I tell is true, except for the parts I make up.” No registration is required, and hot chocolate will be served. The event is part of the Renaissance Centre’s Arts for All free community performance series, which is supported by United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. The Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St., will host a second Storytelling Pajama Night on Friday, Dec. 14, featuring Rags to Riches Theatre. For more information about Storytelling Pajama Night, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/storytelling-pajama-night.aspx or contact Renaissance Centre Specialist Debra Horton at 919-435-9566 or dhorton@wakeforestnc.gov.  

A number of candidates for state and national office will be in Wake Forest on Wednesday, Oct. 19, for a meet and greet from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Renaissance Centre organized by the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce. It is a free event open to the public. The candidates who have confirmed they will attend are: – John Alexander, the Republican incumbent in state Senate District 15 – Marilyn Avila, the Republican incumbent in state House District 40 – Chad Barefoot, the Republican incumbent in state Senate District 18 – Mike Causey, the Republican challenger for N.C. Insurance Commissioner – Terence Everitt, the Democratic challenger for state House District 35 – Joe John, the Democratic challenger in state House District 40 – Chris Malone, the Republican incumbent in state House District 35 – John McNeil, the Democratic challenger for U.S. House District 2 – Charles Meeker, the

Growth planning, academic achievement, housing, and public school funding are among the topics for questions and debate at three Wake County candidate forums to be held Oct. 6 and 13. The forums for candidates running for Wake Board of Education and Wake Board of Commissioners are co-hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority chapters, El Pueblo, League of Women Voters of Wake County, Raleigh-Apex NAACP, Shaw University and WakeUP Wake County. Candidates will be asked questions by the organizations as well as the audience and will be allowed to make opening and closing statements. Voter education is an important objective of the host organizations, which are all non-partisan. All opposed candidates have been invited to participate. The public is encouraged to attend these free public forums. Registration is not required but encouraged. To register and for more information, visit: wakeupwakecounty.org. Voter registration will be available before the forums. El Pueblo will

The Town of Wake Forest will offer four free walking tours of the local Wake Forest Historic District on the following dates and times: Wednesday, Oct. 19; 9:30 am Wednesday, Oct. 26; 9:30 am Wednesday, Nov. 2; 1 pm Wednesday, Nov. 16; 1 pm Led by architectural historian and Town Historic Preservation Planner Michelle Michael, the tours will include areas along North Main Street, North Avenue, Front Street, and South Avenue. Along the way each group will discuss the developmental and architectural history of the area, along with the significant men and women who lived in the homes. Individual homes will not be toured. Each tour will begin and end at the Wake Forest Historical Museum, 414 N. Main St. Space is limited to the first 12 participants to sign up for each tour, so pre-registration is required by completing the online sign-up form at www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-historic-district-walking-tours.aspx. Additional tours may be planned in the spring of 2017

As a Hello to Fall and in anticipation of the sights and sounds of Halloween, the Wake Forest Woman’s Club is sponsoring a Scarecrow Contest and children’s craft event on Saturday, Oct. 15, along South White Street in the historic downtown district. Local schools, churches and businesses have been invited to participate in designing and building a scarecrow up to 6 feet tall for the contest. The entries will then be secured to the lamp posts up and down South White Street on Friday, Oct. 14 and each entry will be numbered. The public is invited to view all the entries during a Scarecrow Walk-About throughout Saturday morning, and will be able to vote for their favorite at the Fidelity Bank parking lot at 231 South White Street. The Woman’s Club will have several fun activities for children and families at the Fidelity Bank site, including scarecrow-themed crafts, tattoos, a

SING-WF (Senior Information and Networking Group of Wake Forest) and Dementia Friendly America are joining to offer the first local training session for businesses on Tuesday, Oct. 18, as part of a Dementia Friendly statewide conference in the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre. The session will run from 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning with a lunch and followed by a panel discussion about dementia friendliness in North Carolina communities and a training session. Admission and lunch are free to SING-WF members, $100 for nonmembers. For a company with 30 or more employees, at least two representatives are required to participate. Attendance is limited, with priority given to SING members, so don’t delay! To reserve your spot, go to info@sing-wf.com. Representatives of government, nonprofit groups and businesses from across the state will be at the conference to learn how to create a dementia friendly community. Nearly 60 percent of people with dementia live

The Town of Wake Forest is partnering with the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce, The Wake Forest Weekly, and Perkins Counseling & Psychological Services to sponsor a series of depression screenings throughout our area during the week of Oct. 3. The campaign is designed to coincide with National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) on Oct. 6 which brings public attention to the critical needs of those living with depression and other mood disorders. Free and open to the public, the depression screenings will be conducted by certified mental health professionals offering area residents a comfortable, confidential, and trusted means of assessing their mental health. Sessions will be offered from noon to 6 p.m. each day from Oct. 3  to 8 at the following locations: Monday, Oct. 3 – Crossroads Fellowship, 13029 Keith Store Road Tuesday, Oct. 4 – Carillon Assisted Living of Wake Forest, 3218 Heritage Trade Drive Wednesday, Oct.

The best way to celebrate Active Aging Week is with a band, Southern cooking and raffles, businesses in the Ligon Mill Office Plaza decided, and they are inviting seniors and their families to the Community Healthy Aging and Wellness event Thursday, Sept. 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be information about aging and wellness, how people can improve their health, grow, learn and discover meaningful new interests. “Active Aging Week is an annual event and highlights the fact that people can participate fully in life at any age,” Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council on Active Aging, said. The event with free food, live music, special offers and giveaways will be held rain or shine and all ages are welcome. For more information call 919-554-0675 or visit www.preferredlivingsolutions.com

Applications are now being accepted for participation in the 2016 Wake Forest Christmas Parade. Applications are available online at www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-christmas-parade.aspx and at the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. Interested participants may submit their application online or by mail to Wake Forest Christmas Parade, c/o Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., 301 S. Brooks St., Wake Forest, NC 27587. Entries postmarked by Saturday, 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 Monday, Oct. 31. Payment for entry must be received by Monday, Nov. 14, to secure a position in the parade. Parade packets for accepted participants will be mailed Monday, Nov. 28. The packet will include vehicle passes, parking information, and other pertinent event details. Sponsored by PowerSecure and presented by Wake Forest Downtown Inc., this year’s Wake Forest Christmas Parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 10,

Sing-WF – the Senior Information & Networking Group of Wake Forest – will fly representatives from Dementia Friendly America in Minnesota to Wake Forest for an all-day statewide conference on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Renaissance Centre. SING is expecting more than 200 attendees from state and local government organizations, non-profits, and businesses who are eager to learn how to create a dementia-friendly community. Sponsorships are being offered to help with the costs of this event. If your business or organization has multiple locations in the Triangle or North Carolina, this is an amazing opportunity to be involved! Your logo will be publicized in all marketing materials, including signage, and you will also have a table on Oct. 18 to share your promotional materials. There are three levels of sponsorship:  $250, $500, or $1,000. To be a sponsor, call Cathy Jennings at 919-522-4297.