The 20th annual HerbFest will be open to the public on two weekends, April 19 through 21 and April 26 through 28 at the usual spot between two warehouses at 525 South White Street. On Fridays and Saturdays it will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; on Sundays the hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This popular annual event will feature a variety of vendors appealing to those interested in gardening, home, cooking and a healthy lifestyle as well as the largest selection of herbs to be found in one place. Herb of the Year for 2019, as designated by the International Herb Association, is Anise Hyssop, and will be available at this year’s event. Anise Hyssop is an aromatic herb and it’s licorice-like leaves can be used in teas, potpourri or eaten in a salad with other greens. It is a beautiful addition to the perennial border

Five students from Thales Academy in Wake Forest have persevered through regional and state finals and on May 22 through 25 will compete in the world finals of the Odyssey of the Mind at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. The students are seventh-graders Erin Polomik and Gavin Padley, sixth-grader Allison Ferrara and fifth-graders Evie Polomik and Olivia Layne. The team’s coach, Elizabeth Polomik, guided the students but all the work and solutions came from the students. Each year the Odyssey of the Mind organization releases six original long-term problems that the individual teams choose from to solve. The Thales Academy team selected a classics-based problem involving Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop. Their tasks included creating a performance and a set to exhibit da Vinci’s workshop, a painting and a three-dimensional representation of one of his works. The team was tasked to recreate another of his inventions that debunked during

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will offer a free fitness series in May. Free and open to area residents of all ages, May Month of Fitness will offer the following classes throughout May: Camp Gladiator on Mondays, Yoga on Tuesdays and Zumba on Wednesdays – except May 22. Each class will be offered on their respective nights from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at E. Carroll Joyner Park on Harris Road. All classes are free and require no registration. Camp Gladiator is an adult fitness boot camp that promises a motivating and challenging environment where men and women of all ages and fitness levels can push themselves. Participants should expect a total body workout. A typical session could include interval training, sprint and agility drills, stations, plyometrics, body weight strength drills, cardio mix, and much more. Camp Gladiator is designed to increase your functional strength, speed,

May is Bike Safety Month and the Town of Wake Forest is helping to raise awareness about the importance of safe bicycle use by sponsoring a free Bicycle Safety Fair on Saturday, May 4. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will take place in Town Hall’s Brooks Street parking lot at 301 South Brooks Street. This year’s safety fair will be offered as part of the 39th annual Meet in the Street. Plus, in honor of Star Wars Day on May 4, every participant who comes dressed in costume as a Star Wars character will be entered in a drawing for a Star Wars prize pack. Facilitated by the Wake Forest Planning Department, the Bicycle Safety Fair is designed to teach safe bicycle riding skills to children ages 5 to 14 and their parents. Participants will be taught safe riding techniques through an obstacle course

Page 158 Books of Wake Forest was recently recognized as a 2019 Retailer of the Year, one of two leading retail businesses to receive the honor from the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA). The awards were presented during NCRMA’s Annual Retailer of the Year awards luncheon at the North Carolina Science Museum on Thursday, April 4. Page 158 Books, an independent book store in Wake Forest, is owned by Dave and Suzanne Lucey. The Luceys were honored in recognition of their role as not just successful retailers, but as retailers committed to their customers and their community. And, in typical Lucey fashion, they plan to celebrate the award with the community and their staff on April 27 – Independent Bookstore Day. Page 158 Books opened its doors in July 2015 and quickly established its place in the Wake Forest business community. Circumstances forced them to move their original location in 2017,