The Wake Forest Community Plan gives broad guidance for how the town is going to grow, but the UDO, the Unified Development Ordinance, provides the meat, the substance down to building setbacks and buffer zones. The Town of Wake Forest is updating the UDO and will offer two opportunities for comments and proposals on the same day, May 25. There will be two sessions of a drop-in style open house at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre at 405 South Brooks Street, one from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The town contracted with Houseal Lavigne Associates to oversee the UDO update. You can find the meetings and the steps for the update by going to the town’s website, www.wakeforestnc.gov, clicking on “Departments” and “Planning” and on the right side of the page you will find “Unified Development Ordinance.” Click on that and you will

The Magnificents are set to take the stage in the amphitheater at E. Carroll Joyner Park for the fifth of Six Sundays in Spring. The popular music series sponsored by the Town of Wake Forest and ARTS Wake Forest will be in the park on consecutive Sundays rain or shine from April 30 through June 4 and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Featuring free, live musical entertainment, Six Sundays in Spring offers residents the opportunity to enjoy a variety of local and region al performers in a beautiful outdoor setting. The final group to entertain at Six Sundays in Spring 2023 will be Sensory Expressions on June 4. A variety of food and dessert trucks will be on site for each Six Sundays in Spring concert. Concert goers are also invited to bring a picnic but are reminded that alcoholic beverages and gas and charcoal grills are not allowed. Two

In celebration of Older Americans Month, the Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 East Holding Avenue, will host Senior Health & Fitness Day on Wednesday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free and open to residents of all ages, the occasion will focus on the health and well-being of adults 55 and over. During the event, attendees can view cooking demonstrations and participate in a variety of fitness classes, including Cardio Drumming, Dance Fusion, and Tai Chi. Community advocates specializing in topics ranging from mental health to proper footwear to lifelong learning will also be on site, along with a smoothie truck. Established in 1963, Older Americans Month is celebrated throughout May. The annual event acknowledges the contributions and achievements of older Americans, highlights important trends, and works to strengthen the national commitment to honoring older citizens. This year’s theme, “Aging Unbound,” encourages communities to offer opportunities highlighting a

The Wake Forest Optimist Club will present the third annual Kars for Kids Charity Car Show on Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Market of Wake Forest shopping center located at Business 98 and Capitol Boulevard. This is a fun family friendly event and admission is free to spectators. Cars displayed and judged must pay a $20 registration fee. Antique, Pony, Trucks, Muscle, Rods, and Custom cars and trucks will be on display. Everything from mild to wild – vintage to modern. The Grand Sponsor of Kars for Kids is Ted Wilder Agency State Farm Insurance. Mr. Wilder is also an avid antique car enthusiast and collector. Gold Sponsors are Zapolski Real Estate Property Management Company, Johnson Hyundai of Wake Forest, Charlie’s Kabobs, Wake Forest Dental Arts, Sam’s Xpress Car Wash, Carolina Comfort Air, McCorkle Sign & Awning, LPL Financial/Brooks Andrews, Wake Forest Chick-fil-A.

Holding Park Aquatic Center at 133 West Owen Avenue will open for the season Saturday, May 27, at 9 a.m. Daily admission fees for Wake Forest residents are $1 for children ages 2 and under; $4 for children ages 3-13; and $5 for patrons ages 13-59; and $4 for ages 60 and over. Daily admission fees for non-Wake Forest residents are $2 for children ages 2 and under; $6 for children ages 3-13; and $7 for patrons ages 13-59; and $6 for ages 60 and over. Open swim times are scheduled in three-hour blocks, with 30-minute breaks in between to allow staff to clean and sanitize the facility, including deck chairs, door handles, handrails, and other high-touch areas. A maximum of 200 patrons will be allowed inside the facility during each session. To help ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone, patrons are strongly encouraged to register and pay online in

The Wake Forest Police Department will host a Touch-A-Truck fundraiser for Special Olympics of NC on Saturday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Factory, 1839 South Main Street. Families and children of all ages will be granted an all-access pass to police cars, fire trucks, a helicopter, boat, Humvee, military vehicles, and more. The cost is $5 per person and $20 per family of any size. All proceeds will benefit Special Olympics of NC. Throughout the day officers will also be selling 2023 Special Olympics NC Torch Run T-shirts for $20. The T-shirts feature the WFPD badge in recognition of the department’s Top 10 ranking among NC law enforcement agencies for Special Olympics fundraising in 2022. In addition to trucks and vehicles, Charlie’s Kabob Grill and Two Roosters Ice Cream will be onsite selling food and sweet treats. For more information, contact Cpl. J. McArthur at

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host a free, monthly outdoor movie series from May through August at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. The first in the series of Family Movie Nights at Joyner Park will feature the film “Lady and the Tramp” on Saturday, May 27, at 8:30 p.m. Family Movie Nights will feature a variety of family-friendly film favorites and genres, including comedies, dramas, and thrillers, all projected on a 26-foot inflatable movie screen in the park’s amphitheater. Future film screenings are scheduled on the following Saturdays: June 17 (Encanto), July 22 (Zootopia), and August 5 (Spider Man: No Way Home). Showtime for each event is 8:30 p.m. Anyone planning to attend is urged to arrive early as viewing space may be limited. Family Movie Nights are free and open to the public. Each will also include a movie-related pre-show activity

The Recreation Advisory Board will host a family-friendly 5K/3K walk/run as part of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 3, at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. Check-in on the day of the event starts at 7 a.m., and the races begin at 8 a.m. Online registration is available at http://bit.ly/WFNationalTrailsDay. The National Trails Day 5K/3K is a timed walk/run for children and adults. A loop of the paved trails throughout Joyner Park will comprise the 3.1-mile course for the 5K and 1.8-mile course for the 3K. Strollers are welcome but will be placed at the back of the pack to allow runners a clear start. The entry fee for the 5K is $30 through May 14; $35 from May 15-June 1; and $40 the day before and day of the race. The entry fee for the 3K is $25 through May 14; $30 May 15-June 1; and $35

From May 15 to May 28, the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host a Bass Fishing Tournament for ages 13 and older and a Youth Fishing Tournament for ages 12 and under (non-competitive). Over this two-week period, local anglers can visit any public fishery in Wake or Franklin County to try and catch the biggest fish. Participants in the Youth Fishing Tournament may catch any species of fish, while anglers in the Bass Fishing Tournament will be limited to bass only. Online registration for both tournaments is available through Thursday, April 27, at https://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/Community/Home (search “fishing”). The cost to participate is $10 for the bass tournament and $5 for the youth tourney. Participants in the bass tourney will receive a fishing scale to be used in the competition, while contestants in the youth tournament will receive an “Early Fisherman” packet. Fishing scales and “Early Fisherman” packets will

The Wake Forest Police Department recently announced the top six high-risk intersections in Wake Forest based on the number of accidents that occurred in these areas from 2021-2023: 1. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/South Main Street/New Falls of Neuse Road – 61 2. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Agora Drive/Wake Union Church Road – 40 3. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Dr. Calvin Jones Highway (NC 98 Bypass) – 39 4. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Burlington Mills Road – 32 5. Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/South Main Street (US 1) – 30 6. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Stadium Drive/Jenkins Road – 25 Failure to reduce speed, inattention, and distracted driving were the most often cited contributing factors in these accidents. Police officials are taking this opportunity to urge motorists to be alert and proceed with caution through these and all intersections. To try and make the intersections safer, officers will continue conducting enforcement campaigns in and around these