Join your friends and neighbors in downtown Wake Forest on Saturday, Feb. 10, for the Sixth Annual Wake Forest Mardi Gras Street Festival. Presented by Gladwell Orthodontics, this family-friendly celebration is scheduled from 11 a.m.to 3 p.m., and admission is free. Promising fun-filled activities for both children and adults, the Mardi Gras Street Festival will include face painters, strolling entertainers, live music, an inflatable playground, special contests and much more. One of the day’s highlights promises to be the Mardi Gras Walking Parade. The lineup will begin at 12:45 p.m. in town hall’s Centennial Plaza at 301 Brooks Street, and the parade gets underway at 1 p.m. The parade route will extend from town hall, up East Owen Avenue, and north along South White Street before ending at the Depot Parking Lot, 110 South White Street. The walking parade is open to both children and adults. No pre-registration is required;

The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce has over 700 members and is the voice for business advocacy, reaching to the Wake Forest Town Hall, the Wake County Board of Commissioners, state officials in Raleigh and the state delegation in Washington, D.C. It is working to support its policy priorities to promote, stimulate and improve the business community in Wake Forest. The priorities are listed below. Economic development Economic development thrives when public-private partnerships are active, infrastructure is strong and regulatory burdens are few. The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce strongly supports economic development efforts that improve the economy and quality of life in Wake Forest, demographically located in one of the fastest growing areas of Wake County. This includes: Supporting efforts to develop viable industrial sites, spurring new tax base growth and job creation. Supporting the accessibility and affordability of fiber optic networks to serve the growth and

*The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be open from 10 a.m. to noon (winter hours) Saturday, Jan. 27, in Renaissance Plaza on Brooks Street. Local farmers and artisans will offer meats, seasonal vegetables, bread and baked goods and other local wares. See the market’s Facebook page for information about the 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. *Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry at 149 East Holding Avenue is now open from 9 to 11 a.m. every third Saturday along with its regular hours on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for food distribution. It serves about 700 families in Wake Forest, Youngsville, Rolesville and their surrounding areas. Call 919-556-7144 for information about receiving food, volunteering