Wake Forest Arts and the Wake Forest Farmers’ Market invite artisans and craftspeople to participate in the second annual Wake Forest Holiday Artisans’ Market. The Market will take place Saturday, Dec. 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. inside the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre on Brooks Street in downtown Wake Forest. The Holiday Artisans Market will showcase a wide variety of items handmade within 75 miles of the Renaissance Centre. The application deadline is July 31. To apply online or download an application form, visit wakeforestarts.org/artists/artisans-market. The Wake Forest Holiday Artisans’ Market is a unique gift-shopping opportunity featuring many types of crafts in a wide range of prices. The event is held annually in conjunction with the Downtown Wake Forest Holiday Open House. Wake Forest Farmers’ Market winter booths will remain open as usual in front of the Renaissance Centre that day.    

The end of the school year brings an abundance of leisure time for many children. For busy parents, it can be difficult to closely supervise their kids as they roam the Internet where danger can lurk on a variety of websites. In an effort to help parents protect their children online, the Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern North Carolina (BBB) offers tips to avoid the most prevalent risks that children may encounter online. BBB recommends talking to your children about their online presence. It is vital that there be open communication between you and your child — communication that goes both ways. Also, take the time to try out their favorite apps and online services so you can assess whether there is a risk involved with them. BBB offers information on the most prevalent risks that children may encounter online: Bullying and harassment – This is most likely to occur through

A new Schmoozapalooza is the next event on the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce’s calendar. The high-speed networking event is July 14, and registration is now open. Seats are limited. The cost is $20 per person and it is open to both members and nonmembers. Go to the chamber’s website, www.wakeforestchamber.org to register. * * * * Whoops! The rest of us are contemplating the fun of the Fourth here in Wake Forest, but the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce is planning for September and the annual Business Expo. They are urging exhibitors to sign up for booths now and receive a $50 discount if they register by July 15. Sponsorships, premium booths and standard booths are available. Food vendors can sell food and drinks at their booths starting this year. Go to the chamber website to find a registration packet.

Find that beach hat and get ready for the annual Willie Ray Cookout with a luau and beach party theme that will happen Thursday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Renaissance Centre on Brooks Street. There will be fun, food, great entertainment in an event that also honors our veterans and first responders. Space is limited to 200 people, so sign up early at the front desk. Our volunteers were honored, and Dorothy Maynard was named the Unsung Hero of the Year. Four people – Arra Johnson, Mary Evelyn Jones, Bertha and Wilson Salgado – were named as Lifetime Award winners for contributing over 4,000 hours to the center. Aileen Izawa, Joyce Massey and Dorothy Maynard were named to the Gold 500+. Soon it will be the Senior Center Without Walls when the center closes for a major expansion, almost doubling the current space. While it is

*The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be held in Renaissance Plaza on Brooks Street Saturday, July 1, from 8 a.m. to noon. See the market’s Facebook page for vendors. *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. *Overeaters Anonymous meets on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Wake Forest United Methodist Church, 905 South Main Street. Enter through the back by the office. No dues, fees or weigh-ins. Everyone welcome! Contact Jennifer at 928-225-5236. *Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry at 149 East Holding Avenue is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for food distribution and serves about 700 families in Wake Forest, Youngsville, Rolesville and their surrounding areas. Call 919-556-7144 for information about receiving food, volunteering