Downtown Wake Forest will be alive with people – over 30,000 – music, food, and the best works of over 200 arts and crafts vendors on Saturday, May 6, during the 37th Meet in the Street.
There will be two stages, the Performing Arts Stage in Town Hall’s Centennial Plaza and the Main Stage at the corner of White and Owen Streets in the vicinity of the Beer Garden. The lineup for the Performing Arts Stage includes a variety of acts and demonstrations from local groups and schools. Live music on the Main Stage features popular groups such as UrMom, Rebekah Todd and the Odyssey, Arts Fishing Club, and East Coast Rhythm & Blues.
Presented by the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Chris Leith Automotive, the festival will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be spread over three town streets – South Taylor Street, Brooks Street and South White Street. There will be over 20 food vendors and food trucks.
New this year is the Young Entrepreneur’s Fair. Located in the Chamber of Commerce parking lot at 350 South White Street, the fair will feature more than 15 vendors from the ages of 9 to 14. Each young person will be selling handmade items they created. In addition, the popular Children’s Village, Bicycle Safety Fair, and fire truck exhibit will be back on Taylor Street.
In order to accommodate Meet in the Street, the Town of Wake Forest will close the following streets and parking lots on May 6 from 4 a.m. to approximately 8 p.m.:
- South Taylor Street, from East Jones Avenue to Elm Avenue
- South Brooks Street, from East Jones Avenue to Elm Avenue
- South White Street, from East Jones Avenue to Elm Avenue
- Town Hall’s Brooks Street parking lot; the lot will be the site of the Bicycle Safety Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., however, it will remain closed throughout the day.
- All other municipal parking lots in the vicinity of Town Hall, including public and staff parking lots
A welcome feature again this year will be the free shuttle service. In conjunction with Sam’s Club and Banks Kerr Family YMCA, visitors will be able to hop on one of two YMCA buses at the Wake Forest Sam’s Club, 11460 Royall Cotton Road, for the short trip into downtown. The free shuttle will drop off visitors in multiple downtown locations. The shuttle will run continuously beginning at 9:30 a.m. The final shuttle will depart from downtown at 5 p.m.
Free parking will be available in signed spaces along several downtown streets and parking lots. Handicap parking will be provided in the Depot Parking Lot, 110 South White Street; and the upper SunTrust Parking Lot, 353 South White Street. A complete listing of free parking options is provided at www.wakeforestnc.gov/MITS-parking.aspx.
Android and iPhone users can have a handy pocket guide to this year’s Meet in the Street in the palm of their hands by downloading the Town of Wake Forest app and using the app’s “Meet in the Street” function. Designed to offer smart phone users instant access to important details about Meet in the Street, the function includes the complete entertainment schedule, a list of food concessions, parking information, an interactive map and more.
IPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android users can download the town’s free 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 provided at www.wakeforestnc.gov/app.aspx.
Meet in the Street is free and open to the public. For more information, including the complete entertainment schedule, parking information, an interactive map, and concession offerings, visit wakeforestnc.gov and search “Meet in the Street.”
