*The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be open from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday, Feb. 23, in the employee parking lot along South Taylor Street behind Wake Forest Town Hall.
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.
*Big Love, a six-piece dance band from Raleigh, will be the performer Friday, Feb. 22, in the Renaissance Centre’s Rockin’ the Forest music series. The band starts playing at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $10. See article in this issue for more information.
*The Wake Forest Potato Drop, 60,000 pounds of white potatoes destined for food pantries across our region and state, will need the gloved hands of at least 500 volunteers on Saturday, Feb. 23, at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church at 520 West Holding Avenue. The action should be all over by 10:30 a.m. It is sponsored by the Northern Community Food Security Team and other Wake County organizations committed to a sustainable food future.
*A Night of Comedy sponsored by the Wake Forest Rotary Club and the Wake Forest High School Band Boosters will take place Saturday, Feb. 23, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre. Only 250 tickets will be sold; find those still available at The Cotton Company, the N.C. General Store and the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce. Greg Fishel from WRAL-TV and comedians Andy Forester and Cyrus Steele will entertain you. See more details in article in this issue.
*The Wake Forest Community Library on East Holding Avenue will reopen on Sunday, Feb. 24, with a ceremony and the opportunity to explore the renovated and much larger library. The community is invited. See details in an article in this issue.
*The Mardi Gras Street Festival will happen in downtown Wake Forest Saturday, March 2. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be family-friendly activities for all ages. See article in this issue for more information about this free event.
*Arti Gras, a Mardi Gras party hosted by ARTS Wake Forest, will be at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre on Saturday, March 2, beginning at 6 p.m. See article in this issue for information about tickets and other details.
*The second annual Shamrockin’ Casino Gala hosted by the Wake Forest Woman’s Club will take place from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, March 15, at Cross & Main in Youngsville. Tickets are now available. See article in this issue for ticket and other information.
*Celtic Angels Ireland will be at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre Monday and Tuesday, March 18 and 19, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 each.
*The first Multicultural Day sponsored by the Wake Forest Human Relations Council will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre on Saturday, March 23. See article in this issue for details.
*The inaugural Wake Forest Film Festival will take over the Renaissance Centre from Thursday, March 28, through Sunday, March 31. There is a variety of ticket packages.
*The history of Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Wake Forest will be the topic of a program Sunday, March 31, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Wake Forest Historical Museum on North Main Street sponsored by the Wake Forest Historical Association. The program is free to all and refreshments will be served.
*The Wake Forest Garden Club’s Mad Hatter’s Tea and Garden Tour will be held at the Wake Forest Historical Museum and grounds on Saturday, May 11. Start picking out your fanciest hat, ladies.
