Forest Fest returns to downtown Wake Forest on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc. (WFD), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to champion the economic health, growth, and vitality of downtown Wake Forest, Forest Fest is a family friendly event celebrating nature and outdoors in the heart of Wake Forest. WFD is now accepting applications from vendors and nonprofit organizations that wish to participate in this year’s Forest Fest. The online application is available at visit https://bit.ly/WFForestFest. Application and payment are due no later than Sunday, Feb. 9.  PLEASE NOTE: Food trucks have already been secured for this event, and no additional food vendors are needed. As interest in Forest Fest continues to grow, WFD is committed to securing vendors and nonprofits whose missions and efforts align with the purpose and spirit of the event. As a result, participating vendors and nonprofit organizations

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St., is inviting artists of all ages to submit up to three works of art for its March exhibition entitled: “Land That I Love – A Tribute to Western NC.” Artists are encouraged to consider the title of the exhibition as inspiration for their submission. Designed to give visual artists an opportunity to display and sell their work in a gallery setting, the March exhibit will include 120 linear feet of hanging space and a medium-sized display cabinet to showcase 3D works. To learn more and/or apply, visit www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events/2025-art-exhibits. The submission deadline is Monday, Feb. 10. Selected works of art will be displayed in the Renaissance Centre Arts Annex from Thursday, March 6, through Friday, April 4. The Renaissance Centre will honor the artists and their works during a special reception on Friday, March 14, from 6-8 p.m. in the Renaissance Centre Arts

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host an online Esports gaming tournament featuring the game “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” on Saturday, Feb. 22. Open to players ages 10 and older, Battle in the Forest is free to play and will be live streamed on Twitch.tv.  Registration is open through Wednesday, Feb. 19, at https://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/Community/Home. Please note: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is rated e10+.  Participants will compete in a one-on-one, single-day, double-elimination tournament to run in conjunction with “Bull City Gaming.” The matches will be best of three, while the championship match will be best of five.  In the event more than 32 participants register, the tournament will expand to two days with the qualifying rounds taking place on February 22 and the top eight participants battling it out in the finals on Sunday, Feb. 23.  As an added incentive, the first 25 people to register will

There was little development activity in December. The Inspections Department issued permits for 15 single-family homes and seven townhouses. The department also performed pre-occupancy inspections for the following businesses: American Laundromat LLC at 12213 Capital Boulevard Navadhaanya LLC at 12223 Hampton Way Drive, Suite 100 St. John Properties at 1725 Heritage Center Drive, Suite 201 Visible Motorsports LLC at 745 Merritt Capital Drive, Suite 120 ###

The Growth Rate Based on the December 2024 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated February 5, 2025  The town keeps a running tally of approved projects with counts of those completed. The best inspections current estimate is that between seven and eight people move to town each day, moving into newly-built houses, townhouses or apartments and a few existing houses that were for sale. Projects under review 1. 418 Jones Dairy Road SP-23-11 is a request by David Williams Sr. to rezone 5.61 acres on the south side of Jones Dairy Road from RH rural holding and LI light industrial to NB-CD conditional neighborhood business to allow construction of two 24,502 square foot buildings side by side, one restaurant and one an office. The plans call for space for a public art statue and seven handicapped parking spaces. The Town Board voted unanimously to approve at their October 15, 2024