*The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be open from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday, Dec. 7, 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.
*Hope House serves a free nutritious filling dinner to everyone who needs one at 6:30 p.m. every day except Saturday. Hope House is at 334 North Allen Road.
*The Letters for Santa Letter Box was placed at Jones Plaza, the intersection of South White Street and East Jones Avenue, on Friday, Nov. 29. Children of all ages are urged to bring their letters there between Nov. 29 and Dec. 24 for immediate delivery to the North Pole. Letters received by Sunday, Dec. 15, will receive a personal response from Santa Claus. No postage is required but the letters should include a return address.
*Calls from Santa will be made Thursday, Dec. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. Children 3 through 9 can receive a personal telephone call from Santa if parents register on line – available at wakeforestnc.gov by searching “calls from Santa” – between Dec. 1 and Dec. 5. There is no charge but all calls must be local.
*The Lighting of Wake Forest on Friday, Dec. 6, in the Centennial Courtyard in front of the Wake Forest Town Hall is the official start of the local holiday season. From 6 to 8:30 p.m. there will be the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree, the arrival of Santa in a fire truck, performances by local choirs and maybe even hot cocoa if the weather is right. It is free and open for everyone. Pictures with Santa will be offered from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. but there are a limited number of tickets available for that night. Guests must pick up a ticket in the town hall lobby and line up for the pictures at the indicated time.
*The Holiday Artisans Market will be held Saturday, Dec. 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both inside and outside the Wake Forest Renaissance Center at 405 South Brooks Street. There will be over 50 vendors for this juried showcase for area craftspeople and artisans.
*The Downtown Holiday Open House for businesses along and near South White Street will take place Saturday, Dec. 7. Merchants will have special offers and complimentary refreshments all day. There will be pictures with Santa from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the second floor event gallery at The Cotton Company, 306 South White Street.
*The Corner of Wake Forest will debut Billy Farmer’s Corner Art Collection Saturday, Dec. 7, from 12 to 5 p.m. Farmer’s original artwork and reprints will be available for sale. There will also be Christmas music from two groups. Beginning about 12, the Dulcimer Darlings along with Boston Bob on guitar will perform. Later, Lee Holt on keyboards and vocals and son Jacob Holt on saxophone and clarinet will follow with their Christmas music program. The event is free to the public and sponsored by friends of the Corner.
*FrUiTCaKeS!, a production of the Wake Forest High School Drama Department, will be performed during a matinee Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 to 11 a.m. in the high school auditorium at 420 West Stadium Drive. Businesses and individuals are asked to buy a Christmas tree sponsorship – or several – for the trees used in the production. Immediately afterward the trees will be carried to the high school’s float in the Wake Forest Christmas Parade that same day and then will be donated to needy families. See article in this issue for sponsorship information.
*The Wake Forest Christmas Parade will step out at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, before streets filled with happy families. There will be information later about parking for the event that always brings thousands of people to South White Street. Pictures with Santa will be available before the parade from 10 a.m. to noon at Fidelity Bank, 231 South White Street.
*Live from Nashville – Merry Country Christmas will be at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts for three performances Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14 and 15. See article in this issue for times and tickets.
*A Light in the Forest, the second annual Wake Forest Film Festival, will be held Friday and Saturday on March 13 and 14, and tickets will go on sale Nov. 1.
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