The annual Wake Forest Cemetery Walking Tour, which will be held this year on Saturday, May 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., offers unique insight into the lives of Wake Forest residents from past generations.
Docents will be stationed at various family plots throughout the cemetery to share interesting stories about specific gravesites, as well as small artifacts and photographs of loved ones bearing their ancestral names.
Representatives of the Wake Forest Junior ROTC, under the direction of Colonel Dimitri Belmont, will appear as color guard in the opening ceremony. The JROTC will also provide parking and other assistance.
Parents are encouraged to bring their children. This year there will be a special children’s hand-out highlighting interesting artifacts on the grounds. Designed for interaction between a child and their parents or accompanying adult, the photos and sites will help educate them about the historical significance of the cemetery as they locate significant places during the self-guided tour.
This event is free and open to the public. In the event of rain, the cemetery walking tour will be held Saturday, May 19. Parking is available within the cemetery grounds. The tour is sponsored by the Wake Forest Cemetery Advisory Board and the Town of Wake Forest.
If you have a family member buried at the cemetery and would like to tell their story or would like more information, please contact Betty Pearce at 919-435-9570 or bpearce@wakeforestnc.gov.
History Buffs & Storytellers Needed
Volunteer docents are needed on the day of the event to stand or sit at various locations throughout the cemetery and recount the lives, accomplishments and contributions of our historic and notable cemetery residents.
The CAB also wants to hear from area residents who have interesting stories to share but not interested in serving as a docent or participating personally in the tour. Anyone who has a story to tell is urged to complete the Individual History Form.
Walking Tour App
Complete information about this year’s Historic Wake Forest Cemetery Walking Tour is provided through the “Cem Tour” function on the Town of Wake Forest app. Download the app for instant access to information about the cemetery tour, including parking, weather updates, contact information and more! IPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android users can download the app by searching for “Town of Wake Forest” on iTunes, in the iPhone app store, or in Google Play or by scanning the appropriate QR code provide
Tour Handouts
- Wake Forest Cemetery Historical Listings(PDF) – information about the people interred at the Wake Forest Cemetery
- A small sample of the walking tour is available in our virtual tour
