The Town of Wake Forest will offer free walking tours of the local Wake Forest Historic District on the following dates and times: Wednesday, March 28; 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 4; 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 18; 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 25; 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 10; 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17; 10 a.m. Thursday, May 24; 1:30 p.m. Please note: If the tour date is not listed above that means it is fully enrolled. 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. Tours will not include individual homes. Each tour is approximately two hours and will begin at the corner of North Main Street and Walnut

On Thursday, March 29, the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department will host an open house to showcase the large array of spring and summer programs and classes it will offer. The open house will take place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Flaherty Park Community Center at 1226 North White Street. Area residents are invited to drop in any time between 5 and 7:30 p.m. to meet parks and recreation staff and class instructors who will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about various department offerings, including arts programming for children and adults. Staff will also conduct onsite program registration for all spring and summer programs. For more information, contact Recreation Program Superintendent Monica Lileton at 919-435-9563 ormileton@wakeforestnc.gov.

The Town of Wake Forest has applied for the Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award from the League of American Bicyclists. As part of that effort, the town is conducting an online survey to gather input from area bicyclists concerning their experiences and perceptions of bicycling in Wake Forest. The Spring 2018 Bicycle Friendly Community Survey is available online at www.wakeforestnc.gov/bicycles.aspx from now through Saturday, March 31, and takes approximately five minutes to complete. Intended for riders of all levels, the questionnaire is designed to provide useful information about current bicycling conditions in our community and potential areas of improvement. The survey is an important element in the town’s ongoing efforts to make Wake Forest a more bicycle-friendly community. Officials plan to incorporate survey responses in their proposals to improve cycling conditions around schools and in neighborhoods. For more information, contact Transportation Planning Manager Suzette Morales at 919-435-9510 orsmorales@wakeforestnc.gov.

Monday’s snow delayed the start of the carnival until Wednesday, March 14. The Wake Forest Police Department’s annual Carnival for the Kids will take place Wednesday, March 14, through Sunday, March 18, in the parking lot of the Wake Forest Home Depot at 11915 Retail Drive. The Carnival for the Kids promises fun and entertainment for the entire family, including rides, games and plenty of food. Admission to the event is free and open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturday from 1 to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 to 8 p.m. Unlimited ride wristbands will be available for purchase at the carnival for $20 each on Tuesday, March 13, from 5 to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, March 17 and 18, from 1 to 5 p.m. Coupons worth $2 off the wristbands are available in the lobby of Town Hall at 301 South Brooks Street,

The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Food Lion for a Community Raffle with a top prize of $10,000 in cash and 15 other prizes. To date as of March 14 $15,000 has been raised. The money raised will benefit the chamber, and Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry will receive a $5,000 donation. Only 1,500 tickets – which are $50 each – will be sold for a total pot of $75,000. The drawing will be held May 5. You do have to be 18 or older to participate. You can purchase tickets online at https://go.rallyup.com/wfcommunityraffle or in person at the Wake Forest Chamber office at 350 South White Street or at B&W Hardware at 232 South White Street. Some chamber members also have tickets for sale. The prizes apart from the $10,000 in cash are $5,000 AAA Travel Voucher Full Set of Braces/Invisalign ($5,000 value) or $2,000 cash

The Wake Forest Woman’s Club will host its first annual Shamrockin’ Casino Gala on Friday, March 16, 2018 at Cross & Main in Youngsville from 7 to 11 p.m. Funds raised will go to many of the charities the club supports, including The Purple Heart Foundation, Note in the Pocket, Safe Space and Meals on Wheels. Tickets are $65 each, which includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, two drink tickets, one raffle ticket and $5,000 play money. The $65 tickets are available now at three downtown Wake Forest locations: Parler Properties, Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce and Ollies Gifts, all on South White Street.

The 2018 Koinonia Cares Charity Auction will be held where The Koinonia Foundation began, the Wake Forest Baptist Church, on Saturday, March 24, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Formed in 1990 by the Koinonia Sunday School Class at Wake Forest Baptist to help the disadvantaged in the community, The Koinonia Foundation of Wake Forest has grown to be an interdenominational non-profit providing financial support for organizations that address human needs which are not otherwise adequately funded and periodically to individuals demonstrating a critical need. The event features a full dinner and a silent and live auction of unique items and valuable services donated by local businesses, artists and individuals. Tickets are $20 per person and only 175 will be sold. Tickets may be purchased online at www.koinoniaWF.org or at these downtown Wake Forest locations: Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce, 350 South White Street Ollies Café & Gifts, 213 South White Street

The annual Wake Forest Cemetery Walking Tour, which will be held this year on Saturday, May 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., offers unique insight into the lives of Wake Forest residents from past generations. Docents will be stationed at various family plots throughout the cemetery to share interesting stories about specific gravesites, as well as small artifacts and photographs of loved ones bearing their ancestral names. Representatives of the Wake Forest Junior ROTC, under the direction of Colonel Dimitri Belmont, will appear as color guard in the opening ceremony. The JROTC will also provide parking and other assistance. Parents are encouraged to bring their children. This year there will be a special children’s hand-out highlighting interesting artifacts on the grounds. Designed for interaction between a child and their parents or accompanying adult, the photos and sites will help educate them about the historical significance of the cemetery as they locate significant places

Update March 14, 20118 Northern Wake Senior Center Architect Matt Hale sent the following update on Tuesday, March 13: A Request for Contractor Qualifications (RFQ) was advertised by the WakeForest Purchasing Department, with a deadline of February 21. Our intent was to review qualification statements from general contractors who were interested in this project and narrow the applicants down to a qualified bidders List. At that point, the four-week bid period would begin. We only received packets from four interested contractors by the February 21 deadline. We attribute the low response to the fact the construction industry is in a boom period and everyone is very busy. We were concerned four responses would not be enough, because we need at least three qualified bids on bid day just to be able to open them. After discussion with purchasing and the concurrence of other town staff, we extended the RFQ deadline until March 8. By March

This month’s Business After Hours will be held at Cross+Main at 201 East Main Street in Youngsville and Rocky Top Catering will provide the appetizers and beverages. See you there from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 15. * * * * There are still unsold tickets for the Community Raffle jointly sponsored by the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce and Food Lion. Remember, the drawing will be held May 5. A $50 ticket gives you a chance at the 15 prizes, including the grand prize of $10,000. Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry will receive $5,000. Only 1,500 tickets will be sold, giving you a 1 in 100 chance to win a prize. Tickets can be bought in person at the Wake Forest Chamber, 350 S. White Street, or at B & W Hardware Company, 232 S. White Street. You can also purchase tickets online at https://go.rallyup.com/wfcommunityraffle. * * * *