*The Wake Forest Farmers Market has moved to the town employees’ parking lot on Taylor Street behind town hall. The market will be open this Saturday, Nov. 17, from 8 a.m. to noon, its winter hours.
Local farmers and artisans will have meats, seasonal vegetables, bread, baked good and other local wares for sale. See the market’s Facebook page for information about the vendors and sign up for a weekly notice about the offerings that Saturday. Remember the Wake Forest Farmers Market is unusual in that it is owned by the farmers who sell their wares there.
*Monday Night Bingo at The Factory is hosted by the Wake Forest Kiwanis Club in the Mill Room from 7 to 9:30 p.m. every Monday night. All profits support the club’s projects for children. Visit www.wakeforestbingo.com for more information.
*Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry at 149 East Holding Avenue is now open from 9 to 11 a.m. every third Saturday along with its regular hours on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for food distribution. It serves about 700 families in Wake Forest, Youngsville, Rolesville and their surrounding areas. Call 919-556-7144 for information about receiving food, volunteering and donations. You can send donations to Tri-Area at PO Box 1394, Wake Forest NC 27588.
*Hope House Weekly Food Pantry distributes food at 1 p.m. every Thursday. Hope House volunteers pick up the food from the Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina and the house typically has vegetables, fruits, salad packages and breads but sometimes does have meat, eggs, fruit juice and milk. Hope House is at 334 North Allen Road. For more information, call Norma Bennekin at 919-263-1007.
*The Gobblers Run, a family-friendly 5K run through Wake Forest on Thanksgiving Day morning, Nov. 22, is now in its 13th year raising money for the Wake Forest Boys & Girls Club. See article in this issue for details.
*The next Food Security meeting will be on Tuesday, Nov. 27, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the lower level meeting room at the Taylor Street entrance in the Wake Forest Town Hall.
*The Lighting of Wake Forest will mark the beginning of the holiday season on Friday, Nov. 30, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in Centennial Plaza in front of the Wake Forest Town Hall on Brooks Street.
*Pictures with Santa will be available during the lighting of Wake Forest from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. A ticket with a time reservation is required, and those will be distributed in the town hall lobby beginning at 5:30 p.m. Also, Santa will be at Cotton Company Event Gallery, Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and in Fidelity Bank at 231 South White Street from 10 a.m. to noon.
*The Wake Forest Holiday Artisans Market will be held in the Renaissance Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, offering a unique gift shopping opportunity.
*The Downtown Holiday Open House begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, in downtown Wake Forest and lasts until the stores, shops and restaurants close.
*The Christmas Historic Home Tour sponsored by the Wake Forest Historic Preservation Commission and the Wake Forest Women’s Club will be held Saturday, Dec. 1 from 1 to 7 p.m. whether there is rain, snow or good weather. Advance tickets of $20 will go on sale Oct. 1 online at www.wakeforestnc.gov/christmashometour.aspx<http://www.wakeforestnc.gov/christmashometour.aspx> and at several area locations. There will only be 2,000 tickets. See article in this issue for more information.
*The Memory Café Holiday Show at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, offers an opportunity for people diagnosed with early stage memory loss to engage with their caregivers and family in a holiday music singalong with the Wake Forest Community Choirs in a relaxed, unstructured environment.
*The Wake Forest Community Christmas Dinner will be held Monday, Dec. 3, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in The Forks Cafeteria at 339 Brooks Street. This is the 71st year for the dinner.
*Calls From Santa will be made to children 3 to 9 years old from 6 to 8 p.m. Parents can register at the Wake Forest Town Hall. There is no charge, but all calls must be local.
*The Wake Forest Christmas Parade will begin its march down South White Street at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8.
*A Snowball Dance for those with special needs will be held Saturday, Dec. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Wake Forest Community House at 133 West Owen Avenue. The dance is for ages 10 and older, and there is a $15 registration fee. For more information, call or email Kelly Schurtz at kshchurtz@wakeforestnc.gov or 919-556-7093.
*A Celtic Angels Christmas will be offered Saturday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Center on Brooks Street. The centre’s Christmas Jubilee Concert will feature the Sheeva Quintet, Celtic Knights and Angel Dances with the Trinity Band Ensemble of Dublin. Tickets are $25 each. For more information go to www.wakeforestrencen.org.
*The Wake Forest Children’s Choir Holiday Concert featuring the Wake Forest Children’s Choir and the Wake Forest High School Chorale will present an evening of holiday music under the direction of Kasie Brooks. The concert, which begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11, in the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, is free.
*Santa’s Enchanted Workshop will be offered Friday, Dec. 14, at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. in the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.