The Wake Forest Town Hall and other administrative offices will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 24 and 25, for the Thanksgiving holiday. Police service will not be interrupted, but other town operations will be affected. Wake Forest bus service, including the Wake Forest-Raleigh Express and the Wake Forest Loop, will not be provided Thursday, Nov. 24. Only the Wake Forest Loop will operate Friday, Nov. 25. Both the Wake Forest-Raleigh Express and the Wake Forest Loop will resume their normal schedules Monday, Nov. 28. The collection of garbage and recycling for the week of Nov. 21 will change for Thursday and Friday. Monday through Wednesday collections will be on those days. Thursday collections, however, will be picked up Friday, Nov. 25, and Friday’s collections will be on Saturday, Nov. 26. Yard waste will not be collected Nov. 24 and 25. The collection of all routes, including the Thursday and

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre will host Special Needs Movie Night on Friday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department, this free event will offer exceptional children and their families the opportunity to enjoy a film in a safe and accepting environment. To help ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone, the viewing area will include extra lighting, and the movie’s volume will be slightly lower. The event’s theme is “fun without repercussions,” so audience members will be invited to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing.  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. Due to the terms and conditions in its agreement with the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation, the Renaissance Centre is

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

You have never seen joy and true generosity until you watch a child able to buy Christmas presents – and generally they think of their families and friends before selecting gifts for themselves. That is what happens every year when the Wake Forest Police Department hosts Shop with a Cop for about 30 Wake Forest-area children. Officer K.C. Warren began the program 18 years ago and it is one of the best traditions in town. Each child receives a winter coat of his or her choice plus money to buy those presents. It takes place this year Wednesday, Dec. 14, and is followed by a pizza party at the police department. The department raises money for the event through its golf tournament and other activities, but could use some additional help each year. Send your check to the Wake Forest Police Department, 225 South Taylor Street, Wake Forest NC 27587

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,

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 Jim Allen Group is the lead sponsor. There were over 2,000 participants in 2015 who raised over $50,000.

How do you turn a bumper crop of chili peppers into food aid? Terri Wilkinson with the Wake Forest Farmers Market says it is by making pots of chili and lots of jalapeno poppers. Saturday at the market there will be a range of chilis – white, red, green and autumn – made with chicken, beef, pork, goat or sans all the above vegetarian. They will all be made with ingredients from the market. You can buy tasting kits at $7 for seven tastes or a bowl for $3. The jalapeno poppers and chicken wings will also be for sale. The proceeds will benefit the Inter-Fair Food Bank and The Red Cross. You will find the market and the chilis in the Renaissance Plaza on Brooks Street from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 19. Remember there will also be the Holiday Artisans Market on Saturday, Dec. 3. You can

Are you looking forward to the annual Craft Sale Fundraiser to be held over two days, Friday, Nov. 18, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 19, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.? Donate your craft items and then shop to see what others have donated. It is a good time to find some Christmas presents. All the proceeds benefit the Northern Wake Senior Center. There are two new interest groups at the center, a drama group which meets Fridays from 3 to 5 p.m. and a contract rummy and golf card games which meets Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. Also there is a new support group for Parkinson’s disease, which meets at 1 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month. This is sponsored by the senior center (Resources for Seniors) and the Northern Regional Center across the street. The next meeting is Dec. 7 and it will

*The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be open in the Renaissance Plaza parking lot on Saturday, Nov. 19, with its winter hours, 10 a.m. to noon. *Monday Night Bingo at The Factory is hosted by the Wake Forest Kiwanis Club in the Mill Room from 7 to 9:30 p.m. every Monday night. All profits support the club’s projects for children. Visit www.wakeforestbingo.com for more information. *Jim and Tricia Bell will hold a Christmas Open House at Under the Oaks on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 19 and 20. The hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. *The 11th annual Gobblers Run will start from the Wake Forest Boys & Girls Club at 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 24, and a record number of runners are expected. To find out how to be a sponsor or among the runners or one of the valuable volunteers, go