hold an Autumn Plant and Art Festival on Saturday, Oct. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the museum grounds on North Main Street. Native plants, orchids and bulbs will be for sale, and there will be a 1 p.m. floral demonstration. #  

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department will sponsor a Halloween Boo Bash on Thursday, Oct. 21, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. Presented by Capital Chevrolet, the Halloween Boo Bash is a free, family-oriented festival for children ages 12 and younger. This year’s festivities will include a variety of ghostly games and activities, along with free pumpkin giveaways – while supplies last. Costumes are optional, but best costumes will be featured on the Town’s website and social media pages. In addition to Capital Chevrolet, the following local businesses have generously contributed to this year’s Halloween Boo Bash: Triangle Family Dentistry, Passanante’s Home Food Services, Wells Family Dental Group, Elan Dental, and McPherson Family Eye Care. For more information about the Halloween Boo Bash, visit https://bit.ly/WFBooBash. On a related note, the Town of Wake Forest often receives inquiries concerning when families should go trick-or-treating.

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department will host an online eSports gaming tournament featuring “League of Legends” on Saturday, Nov. 13. Open to players ages 16 and older, the “Battle in the Forest” will be played online and live streamed on Twitch.tv. Registration is open through Wednesday, Nov. 10, at https://bit.ly/BattleintheForest. The cost is $5 per player. Teams comprised of five players each will compete in the tournament which will run in conjunction with “Bull City Gaming.” The top three teams in the Battle in the Forest will receive a variety of prizes and awards, including scholarships from Barton College Esports. League of Legends is an online battle arena esports game produced by Riot Games. Since its initial release date in October 2009, it has been one of the most popular eSports games worldwide. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/BattleintheForest or contact Recreation Center Supervisor Garrett Bryant at 919-554-6189 or gbryant@wakeforestnc.gov. #

The Town of Wake Forest, the Northeast Community Coalition, Rebuilding Together for the Triangle, and a network of community partners are recruiting volunteers of all ages for “Make a Difference Day – Northeast Neighborhood Renewal” on Saturday, Oct. 23, at Taylor Street Park, 416 N. Taylor St. Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to noon to assist with a range of efforts in the Northeast Community, including litter pickup, leaf sweeping and collection, storm drain stenciling, bulk waste removal and more. Local civic groups and community organizations are especially encouraged to participate, along with local students interested in earning community service hours. Anyone planning to volunteer is urged to register at https://bit.ly/WFMakeaDifferenceDay. Everyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or adult. Waiver of liability forms are required for all participants and included in the online registration form. On the day of the event, volunteers are urged

The Wake Forest Police Department is accepting monetary donations through Saturday, Nov. 20, as part of its 15th Annual Turkey Drive. Area residents can support this worthy cause by submitting online donations via PayPal at http://bit.ly/WFPDTurkeyDrive. Cash and checks written to the Wake Forest Police Department are also accepted. Anyone wishing to contribute cash or check to this year’s Turkey Drive should contact Officer K. Abshire at kabshire@wakeforestnc.gov. Officials are considering several options for safely distributing the turkeys this year. Additional information will be provided once plans are finalized. The WFPD organized its first Turkey Drive in 2007. Since then, the department has distributed nearly 10,000 turkeys to needy families in our area, including over 800 last year. #

Area residents are invited to enjoy the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn while also learning about native trees during a series of “Fall Foliage Tours” in early November at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. Urban Forestry Coordinator Luke Devores will offer the free, one-hour tours “rain or shine” on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 6, at noon and 2 p.m.   Parents and children of all ages are welcome, and no registration is required. Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to assemble in front of the Joyner Park Community Center. For more information, contact Urban Forestry Coordinator Luke Devores at 919-435-9565 or ldevores@wakeforestnc.gov. #  

Friday – Sunday, Oct. 22 – 24 Forest Moon Theater will present “The Odd Couple” Friday-Sunday, Oct. 22-24, at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St. Show times are Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday at 3 p.m. From stage to film to television, Neal Simon’s “The Odd Couple” has proven to be one of America’s most beloved, enduring stories of mismatched roommates. Join us for the fun when we present our take on this classic comedy, which opens as a group of the guys assemble for a poker game in the apartment of divorced Oscar Madison. (And if the mess is any indication, it’s no wonder that Oscar’s wife left him.) Late to arrive is Felix Unger, who has just been separated from his wife. Fastidious, depressed, and none too tense, Felix seems suicidal, but as the action unfolds, Oscar

The Town of Wake Forest is in the process of developing an Affordable Housing Plan to help better analyze and mitigate housing conditions within our community. As a first step in that process, the Town is inviting residents to complete a brief survey by visiting https://bit.ly/WFAffordableHousingPlan. Designed to help the Town better understand the housing experiences and challenges of the Wake Forest community, the questionnaire takes approximately five minutes to complete.  Once completed, the Wake Forest Affordable Housing Plan will examine existing local housing conditions, determine housing needs, establish a vision and goals, and recommend community housing policies to help achieve this vision. For more information, email Long Range Planning Manager Brad West at bwest@wakeforestnc.gov. #

If you’re looking for a “hauntingly” good time this fall season, then don’t miss the “Spirits of Wake Forest” ghost walk in downtown Wake Forest. Presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., in conjunction with Forest Moon Theater, these tours will be offered on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, September 30 through October 30, at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Downtown Wake Forest’s buildings and sidewalks have seen well over 100 years of history, and they have some spooky stories to tell! Join Wake Forest Downtown and Forest Moon Theater’s incredible cast of storytellers to learn about the tragic train wrecks, murderous mamas and restless spirits that make up just a small piece of downtown’s haunted history. Tockets are $15 for adults and $12 for children 10 and under. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Sept. 8, and must be purchased in advance at https://bit.ly/SpiritsofWF. Please note: Tickets are non-refundable/non-transferable. Tours will take place rain or shine.

Business After Hours at host locations has been suspended since the pandemic began – but now it’s back! The first Business After Hours will be hosted by Atlantic Tire & Service at 3001 Wakefield Crossing Drive in Raleigh on Thursday, Oct. 21. From 5:30 to 7 p.m. enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and beverages while meeting fellow chamber members young and old. * * * The chamber is creating a new alliance, the Veterans Business Alliance. If you are a chamber member and a veteran, please get in touch with the chamber office to let them know of your interest in the alliance. * * * * Registration is now open for this year’s Sporting Clays Tournament presented by B & W Hardware on Nov. 4 at the Rose Hill Estate in Nashville. Go to the chamber’s website to register and get all the information. * * * * Closer at