The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts will commemorate its third year of bringing extraordinary and diverse cultural and performing arts experiences to our community during the 2016 Renaissance Centre Broadway Ball for the Arts. Scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 12, the event will take place from 6 to 10:15 p.m. at the Renaissance Centre on Brooks Street Themed “To Broadway and Back,” this year’s Broadway Ball will feature a show-stopping performance by JTL (Just a Touch of Love) performing a variety of dance favorites. In addition to JTL’s dynamic performance, the occasion will include a Broadway reception compliments of Cannon Catering, a three-course meal, and a cash bar serving beer, wine, and soft drinks. Advance tickets are $50 (plus tax) per person and $90 (plus tax) per couple. Dress for the event is black-tie optional. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will help fund free community arts programming and

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Resources department will host a Special Needs Family Bingo Night on Friday, Oct. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Wake Forest Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave. This free event will offer exceptional children and their families the opportunity to play bingo, eat, and socialize in a safe and accepting environment. There is no cost to participate, but a parent or caretaker must accompany each child. Concessions, including popcorn and soft drinks, will be available for purchase, but attendees are invited to bring their favorite snack. For more information about Special Needs Family Bingo Night, contact Specialized Recreation Specialist Kelly Schurtz at 919-556-7093 or kschurtz@wakeforestnc.gov.

The Wake Forest Historic Preservation Commission and the Wake Forest Woman’s Club will present their biennial Christmas Historic Home Tour on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 1 to 7 p.m. Advance tickets are now on sale for $18 including tax at the following locations: The Cotton Company, 306 South White Street For Old Times Sake Antiques, 223 South White Street NC General Store, 150 South White Street Ollies, 213 South White Street Page 158 Books, 158 South White Street Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce, 350 South White Street Wake Forest Historical Museum, 414 North Main Street Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 South Brooks Street Tickers are for sale online at www.wakeforestnc.gov/christmashometour.aspx. There are only 2,000 tickets to ensure the best possible experience for everyone and may not be available for purchase on the day of the tour. Well-mannered children under the age of 12 will be admitted free. Offered only in even-numbered years,

There will soon be vacancies on all of the Wake Forest town advisory boards, 13 in all, aside from the Youth in Government Board which is filled for the school year. This is an opportunity for everyone who wants t make a difference and help the town. Applications will be accepted through Friday, Oct. 21, for appointments to these boards: Board of Adjustment Cemetery Cultural Resources Design Review Greenway Historic Preservation Human Relations Planning Public Art Recreation Senior Center Technology Urban Forestry Only residents who live in Wake Forest or within its extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) are eligible to fill seats on the Planning Board and Board of Adjustment. Candidates for the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) must reside in the Historic District, in Wake Forest, or within its ETJ. Professionals with historic preservation expertise are especially encouraged to apply for the HPC. Applications are available on the town’s website at www.wakeforestnc.gov/advisory-boards.aspx

The Town of Wake Forest is seeking feedback from residents concerning Ailey Young Park and the improvements they would like to see implemented at the facility. From now through Tuesday, Nov. 1, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/ailey-young-park.aspx to share your thoughts and opinions. The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete. For more information, contact Transportation Planner John-Paul Zitta at 919-435-9512 or jzitta@wakeforestnc.gov.  

Wake Forest and Rolesville residents will be able to vote early on two Sundays, three Saturdays and all weekdays at convenient locations for the two weeks of early voting in October. Voters can go to the Wake County Northern Regional Center on East Holding Avenue in Wake Forest for the first and second weeks of voting – Thursday,  Oct. 20 through Saturday, Nov. 5. During the second week – Thursday, Oct. 27 through Saturday, Nov. 5 – voters can also go to New Bethel Baptist Church on East Young Street in Rolesville. There are also early voting sites in Wendell and Zebulon. It did not begin that way. In September, after a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit found in late July that North Carolina’s 2013 voting law intentionally restricted the voting rights of African American voters, the three-man Wake County Board of Elections

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.  

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

The Town of Wake Forest and the Senior Information & Networking Group of Wake Forest (SING-WF) will host the Dementia Friendly America Statewide Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 18. The meeting will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts on Brooks Street. The Dementia Friendly America (DFA) initiative is a multi-sector, national collaboration of over 35 leading organizations that are catalyzing a movement and set of best practices to foster dementia-friendly communities. DFA officials will be on hand to share their assessment process, sector guides, toolkit, and partnership development ideas for implementation in participating communities. Attendees will learn how other states are utilizing their tools and resources. Several North Carolina communities will also participate in a panel to discuss their efforts to become dementia-friendly. City/County planners and civic organization members, along with community, business, non-profit, and senior center leaders who want