The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department will commemorate “National Physical Fitness Month” in May by offering a 50-Mile Walking Challenge for area residents ages 11 and older. Residents who accept the walking challenge commit to walk at least 50 miles in May and use a tracking card to record their progress. Walking locations may include neighborhoods, schools, churches, parks, and greenways – just to name a few. There is no cost to participate, and online registration is open through Friday, April 26, at https://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/Community/Home (search “Walking Challenge”). Tracking cards will be emailed to all registered participants and available for pickup at Joyner Park Community Center (JPCC), 701 Harris Road. The first 100 participants to complete at least 50 miles and return their completed tracking cards to JPCC by Monday, June 3, will receive a 50-Mile Walking Challenge T-shirt. For more information about the 50-Mile Walking Challenge and the May

The 44th annual Trentini Dinner will be held in the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre Thursday, April 18, and will celebrate seven Wake Forest High School students who are examples of the qualities Coach Anthony Trentini instilled and expected from his students and players. Those students are Alexander Schnegelberger, Alexandria Vasquez, Jilian Weidner, Lily Hare, Niah Smith and Roderick Alston. This year’s Trentini Community College Scholarship winner is Dylan Medlin.  The $20 tickets are available by going to www.trentinifoundation.org or mailing a request to Trentini Foundation, PO Box 806, Wake Forest, NC 27587. Please also enclose a deductible donation. Those donations are crucial to the Trentini Foundation’s success and its ability to provide scholarships to our graduating seniors. At the first dinner in 1981, the selected student received a $500 scholarship; now the winner receives a $30,000 scholarship and the other finalists receive $1,000 each. Another student receives a $1,000 scholarship

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will offer a free outdoor fitness series five nights a week in May at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. Free and open to area residents of all ages, May Month of Fitness will consist of the following weekly classes: All classes are free and require no registration. Each will be offered on its respective night from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Joyner Park Amphitheater. During the Women’s Self Defense classes, instructors from Quest Martial Arts will teach participating women a variety of techniques to avoid danger and defend themselves if necessary. Sessions will focus on practical and instinctive methods to get you out of harm’s way. Participants are encouraged to bring water. Cynergy Fit is an Outdoor Bootcamp Community in Wake Forest. Personal Trainer Cyndie Daniel will motivate, challenge and train participants to be stronger, faster, and better than the day

The Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Advisory Board will host a family-friendly 5K/3K walk/run as part of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 1, at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. Check-in on the day of the event starts at 7 a.m., and the race begins at 8 a.m. Online registration is available at https://bit.ly/WFNationalTrailsDay. The entry fee for the 5K is $25 before March 31; $30 from April 1-May 14; $35 from May 15-30; and $40 the day before and day of the race. The entry fee for the 3K is $20 before March 31; $25 from April 1-May 14; $30 May 15-30; and $35 the day before and day of the race. Please note: Registrations will be accepted on the day of the event. Everyone who registers before May 15 will receive a race T-shirt. The National Trails Day 5K/3K is a timed walk/run for children and adults.

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department and Page 158 Books are partnering to offer a free program throughout April that encourages families to read while enjoying the greenways at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. StoryWalk is an innovative and interactive way for readers of all ages to enjoy a story and the outdoors at the same time. It’s also an effective way for young readers to practice active reading skills. Throughout April, pages from the children’s picture book, “Billy Bully Frog Learns to Love,” by Lizzie McInerney, will be displayed on posts along the Joyner Park trails. As you stroll along the path, you will be directed to the next page in the story. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. In addition

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is partnering with Pickles and Play to host the 2024 Wake Forest Spring Smash Pickleball Tournament Friday-Sunday, May 3-5, at the Flaherty Park Pickleball Courts and Tennis Complex, 1226 N. White St. The entry fee is $45 per player, plus $10 for each additional event. Complete tournament details, including registration information, are available at https://bit.ly/WFPickleball. The registration deadline is Sunday, April 28. For more information about the Spring Smash Pickleball Tournament, email Tournament Director Lisa Groeschner at Egroeschner@gmail.com. Pickleball began in Wake Forest in 2009 on one chalked tennis court. Today, the sport has grown to include three shared use indoor courts at Flaherty Park Community Center, three shared use indoor courts at Joyner Park Community Center, eight shared use outdoor courts at Flaherty Park Tennis Courts, and four dedicated outdoor courts at Flaherty Park. Since 2013, the Town has installed 32 shared use and

Save the date! Join us on Sunday, May 5, for the Second Annual Preserve the Connections event. This is an event that aims to bring together vendors, artisans, neighbors, and charities. The idea behind this event is to strengthen the connections within our communities. Regina Jones and Kimberly Wieberg, both residents of Preserve at Smith Creek and small business entrepreneurs, have teamed up to organize an event that you just can’t miss. Regina, from OnWire Real Estate, says that she is “excited to connect with community members, entrepreneurs, and the two amazing charities that will benefit from this wonderful event.” This year we have added a three level sponsorship opportunity.  Hearth Counseling & Consulting ( hearthcc.com ) is the first to agree to support the event by being a vendor sponsor.  Vendor Sponsorship is set up into three levels to fit any size of company/vendor/organization: Bronze Level: $100 or more  donation receives social

You’re invited to help celebrate three decades of foot-tapping, finger-snapping good times during the 30th anniversary of Six Sundays in Spring. Sponsored by the Town of Wake Forest and ARTS Wake Forest, the free outdoor concert series will be offered from 5:307 to 7:30 p.m. on consecutive Sundays from April 28 through June 2 at the Joyner Park Amphitheater, 701 Harris Road. From big band and R&B to beach and jazz, there’s something for all music lovers at this year’s Six Sundays in Spring. Beatles tribute band, Beatlesque, will kick off this year’s performances on Sunday, April 28, followed by Eduardo and the Paco Band on May 5, Soul Pyschedelique Orchestra on May 12, Marcus Anderson on May 19, The Magnificents on May 26, and Sensory Expressions Band on June 2. A variety of food and dessert trucks will be on site for each concert. Concert goers are also invited to bring

The Town of Wake Forest will host a Paper Shredding & Electronics Recycling Event on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave. Sponsored by Civic Federal Credit Union, the paper shredding portion of the event will offer area residents and businesses the opportunity to protect themselves from identity theft and dispose of confidential documents in an environmentally responsible manner. A drive-thru system will be implemented to help ensure a smooth drop-off experience. All paper will be shredded on-site, then recycled. Participants are urged to help reduce contamination by removing all non-paper materials in advance, such as plastic binders, plastic folders, and metal tabs. As part of the electronics recycling effort, residents can properly dispose of items that may otherwise end up in landfills. Accepted items include, but are not limited to, laptops, servers, cell phones, mainframes,

The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the 2024 Meet in the Street. The 42nd anniversary of Meet in the Street, presented by Allison Caudle with Southern Lux Living and coordinated by the Wake Forest Area Chamber, will be held Saturday, May 4, 2024 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm in downtown Wake Forest.  This premier arts & crafts, music and food festival will include more than 100 artisan booths featuring handmade items for sale, dozens of food trucks, live music throughout the day on two different stages, a children’s village filled with activities for kids, and more. Admission is free. Interested in being part of this event? The application window is NOW OPEN for 2024! Click the appropriate application below to download a fillable PDF application. Arts & Crafts VendorsFood VendorsNonprofits (Chamber member exclusive)Festival Business Booths & Sponsorships ###