The 69th annual Wake Forest Community Christmas Dinner will be held on Monday, Dec. 5, at The Forks Cafeteria on Brooks Street. The $15 tickets are now available at The Forks, the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce, the Wake Forest Historical Museum, and the offices of The Wake Weekly. Additional tickets are being sold through local organizations such as the Wake Forest Rotary, the Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Wake Forest Woman’s Club. The Christmas Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. and ushers in the holiday season with a Southern menu of fried chicken, roast beef, bread, sides, and dessert. The invocation will be offered by the Reverend Joey Chafton of Oak Grove Baptist Church and Committee Chair Durward Matheny will open and close the program. This is also the yearly event at which Mayor Vivian Jones presents the Wake Forest Citizen

The Wake Forest Police Department’s annual Turkey Drive got underway in September, but donations are way down compared to previous years. “So far donations have been sparse,” said turkey drive organizer Officer M.W. Sattler. “Now that we’re getting close to November, we’re hoping they will begin to pick up.” The police department is accepting monetary donations through Saturday, Nov. 19. Cash and checks are accepted and will be used to purchase additional turkeys. Checks should be written to the Wake Forest Police Department. Donations of frozen turkeys may be dropped off at the Wake Forest Police Department, 225 S. Taylor St., on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. until noon. The police department will distribute the turkeys while they last on Monday, Nov. 21, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Wake Forest Community House on West Owen Avenue. Anyone wishing to contribute to this year’s Turkey Drive should contact Officer

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) served a luncheon for veterans of all wars on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at the American Legion hall on East Holding Avenue to celebrate the anniversary of the organization’s founding. The event presented an opportunity for the Walter E. Cole Memorial Post 187 to award 50th Commemoration pins to attending Vietnam-era Veterans. The Commemorative Pins are part of the Department of Defense’s ongoing plan to honor the 50th  Anniversary of the Vietnam War that deeply divided the nation. The American Legion Post 187 is a DoD sponsor. The anniversary period started in 2015 and extends thru 2025. The ten-year period coincides with the period from 1965 to 1975 the nation was involved in the Southeastern Asia conflict that sought to maintain the freedom of Vietnamese people. Along with the award of the Commemorative Pin each Vietnam veteran receives the gratitude of a grateful nation

On Saturday, Oct. 15, downtown visitors strolling South White Street were invited to view and cast votes for their favorite scarecrow, during the Wake Forest Woman’s Club Scarecrow Contest and children’s craft event. Local businesses, schools, and churches participated in designing and building 21 entries that were affixed to the town’s lamp posts. The Grand Prize Winner was “The Bride,” created by Details Bridal Gallery. Four entries tied for second place, and included, “Harry Potter,” built by the Wake Forest High School Book Club; “Girl with Braids,” designed by The Wake Forest High School Juniorette Woman’s Club; “Elvis,” presented by For Old Times Sake, and “Renaissance Man,” entered by the Renaissance Centre. In addition to the contest, the Woman’s Club offered activities for children and families in the Fidelity Bank Parking lot, including scarecrow themed crafts, tattoos, a selfie photo area and free homemade cookies, baked by club members. The

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 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,

The Town of Wake Forest will offer three free walking tours of the local Wake Forest Historic District on the following dates and times: 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 depending on interest. For more

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts will continue the Rockin’ the Forest music series with Terry Anderson and the OAK Team on Friday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m. Terry Anderson has one of the noblest agendas in music. He just wants to rock and roll, and that’s just what he and his “team” do. Taking their cues from the likes of Rockpile, Faces, NRBQ, and all those bands that deserve to be on every jukebox coast-to-coast, Anderson and his Olympian band have mastered the art of making great music. For more information about Terry Anderson and the OAK Team, visit http://oakteam.me/. Advance tickets for the Oct. 28 performance are $10 plus tax and can be purchased online with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card at www.wakeforestnc.gov/tickets-events.aspx. Advance tickets may also be purchased with cash, check or credit card at the Renaissance Centre Box Office, 405

Participants in the 11th annual Gobblers Run, a 5K family event through historic downtown Wake Forest, will step out at 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day. Everyone in the family down to the toddler in a stroller and the dog on a leash can be part of the race which begins and ends at the Wake Forest Boys & Girls Club on South Wingate Street. That is fitting because the proceeds from each race are donated each year to the club, $255,000 and counting. Sponsors, volunteers and runners are needed; go to www.gobblersrun.com to join the many others who make this one of Wake Forest’s signature events.  

The application deadline for participation in the 2016 Wake Forest Christmas Parade has been extended one week to Saturday, Oct. 22. Applications are available online at www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-christmas-parade.aspx and at the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 Brooks Street. Interested participants may submit their application online or by mail to Wake Forest Christmas Parade, c/o Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., 301 Brooks Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587. Entries postmarked by Saturday, Oct. 22, 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. Please note: Due to space considerations, the 2016 Christmas Parade is unable to accept additional entries from automobile and motorcycle clubs. 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,