Cars & Carnivores to debut this Saturday, March 25

The first street festival of 2023 in downtown Wake Forest will be the new Cars and Carnivores event on Saturday, March 25, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. presented by the Wake Forest Rotary Club.
Car enthusiasts and food lovers alike will gather during this free event to enjoy a steak cookoff competition, car show and various vendors along East Owens and Brooks streets.
“We’re proud to offer this inaugural event for our community. If you don’t have a car, steak cookoff team or vendor booth to register and display, still join us that day to enjoy this unique street festival in our beautiful downtown,” said Darryl Banks, president of Wake Forest Rotary Club.
Sanctioned by the Steak Cookoff Association (SCA), grill masters and steak lovers will compete for cash prizes during the Cars and Carnivores steak cookoff competition held in The Forks parking lot at 339 Brooks Street. A $1000 first-place prize will be awarded for the best ribeye with additional prizes for top competitors determined by certified judges.
Grillers of all skill levels are encouraged to register and enjoy a day filled with fun, food, and friendly competition. A cooks meeting and steak selection begins at 10 a.m. on the day of the festival and ends with awards presented by the Wake Forest Mayor and other VIPs at 3:30 p.m.
The car show portion of the festival will highlight a variety of vehicles from classic to modern cars and trucks. Vehicles will be on display on the street and parking lots along Brooks Street. Online pre-registration is required and spaces are limited for up to 100 cars.
Street vendors will showcase products related to cars, grilling and crafts along East Owens Streets and are encouraged to submit a vendor booth request form by March 15.
The Wake Forest Rotary Club is hosting the Cars & Carnivals Street Festival to raise funds for Wake Forest Medical Debt Relief, an initiative launched in partnership with WakeMed.
“We’re honored to partner with Wake Forest Rotary whose members came to us with the idea to relieve local cancer patients of their medical debt,” said Valerie Barlow, WakeMed North senior vice president and administrator.
“Cancer encompasses more than just the care one receives. It includes financial and emotional consequences that affect the entire family. We are pleased to be the recipient of the Wake Forest Rotary’s fundraising efforts that will help erase some of our cancer patients’ past-due medical expenses – all to aid in recovery.” she added.
For information about sponsorship opportunities, entering the Steak Cookoff competition, the Car Show and vendor booths, please visit the Wake Forest Rotary Club website www.wakeforestrotary.org
About the Rotary Club of Wake Forest
Rotarians are people of action, driven by a desire to create opportunities, strengthen communities and find solutions to challenges. The club meets at The Forks Café, in Wake Forest every Monday night 6:30 p.m. networking and 7 p.m. meeting. Wake Forest Rotary Club is a service organization of business professionals, neighbors, friends and community leaders who join together to create positive change in Wake Forest, the Triangle, our state, nation and the world. Visit www.WakeForestRotary.org for more information.
About Rotary International
Founded in Chicago in 1905 as the world’s first volunteer service organization, Rotary is a group of 1.2 million business and professional leaders united worldwide to provide humanitarian service and help build goodwill and peace. Rotary clubs meet weekly and are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures and creeds. For more information about Rotary, visit www.rotary.org
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