Every December the Town of Wake Forest and community groups join forces and schedule holiday events one on top of each other, beginning with the Lighting of Wake Forest on Friday, Nov. 30, and ending Saturday, Dec. 8, with the Wake Forest Christmas Parade through historic downtown South White Street although other events continue after that date.
Saturday, Dec. 1, is a whirl of activities – the biennial Christmas Historic Home Tour, the ???? downtown and the Holiday Artisans Market. Take some extra vitamins if you plan to shop and tour all day.
Here is the lineup with details for the busy 10 days and several other events later in the month.
The Lighting of Wake Forest Friday, Nov. 30
The official start of the holiday season is the Lighting of Wake Forest beginning at 6 p.m. in Centennial Plaza on South Brooks Street with Mayor Vivian Jones lighting the town’s 30-foot-tall Christmas Tree followed by the arrival of Santa Claus on a Wake Forest Fire Department fire truck.
Sponsored by Traditions at Wake Forest and presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc.,
the event will also include performances by local choirs, a children’s craft activity, and Pictures with Santa (sponsored by Triangle Family Dentistry) in the Town Hall lobby, plus complimentary hot cocoa (courtesy of Wake Forest United Methodist Church), cookies (courtesy of Vision Martial Arts) and glow necklaces (courtesy of Goldfish Swim School), while supplies last.
Guests planning to have a photo taken with Santa Claus must pick up a time ticket in the Town Hall lobby beginning at 5:30 p.m. Designed to reduce wait times, each ticket will indicate the time guests should arrive at the line-up to have their photo taken with St. Nick. Pictures can be viewed and purchased at the Wake Forest CVS at 245 East Roosevelt Avenue, beginning Monday, Dec. 3.
Due to time constraints, Santa can only have his picture taken with a limited number of children during the Lighting of Wake Forest. However, Wake Forest Downtown will offer two additional opportunities for Pictures with Santa over the next two weeks:
* Saturday, Dec. 1; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cotton Company Event Gallery, 306 South White Street, as part of Downtown Holiday Open House
* Saturday, Dec. 8; 10 a.m. to noon, Fidelity Bank at 231 South White Street before the Wake Forest Christmas Parade.
Please note: Wait times are typically shortest during the Downtown Holiday Open House.
As a special part of this year’s Lighting of Wake Forest, Wake Forest Downtown will be collecting new and unwrapped toys, for ages toddler to teen, to benefit Toys for Tots. A collection bin will be located outside the entrance to Town Hall for anyone wishing to drop off a new, unwrapped toy.
The Lighting of Wake Forest is free and open to the public.
Third annual Holiday Artisans Market Saturday, Dec. 1
ARTS Wake Forest will present the third annual Holiday Artisans Market on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 South Brooks Street.
The Holiday Artisans Market is a unique shopping experience featuring a variety of arts and crafts in a wide range of prices. The market has grown sizably over the past few years and will feature more than 60 vendors, up from around 40 last year. Its growth has exceeded the capacity of the Renaissance Centre, and as a result, a number of vendors will be located outside. Conceived as a showcase for local craftspeople and artisans, the market is centered around handmade items from potters, fine artists, photographers, woodworkers, fiber artists, furniture makers, jewelry artists and more.
Free and open to the public, the Holiday Artisans Market will be offered in conjunction with the Downtown Wake Forest Holiday Open House and the Christmas Historic Homes Tour. Visitors can plan on spending the entire day in Wake Forest as they move from activity to activity.
For complete details, visit https://artswakeforest.org
The Wake Forest Historic Home Tour Saturday, Dec. 1
All the tickets have been sold, and the lucky 2,000 people will visit several North Main Street homes decorated with all the holiday trimmings.
Downtown Holiday Open House Saturday, Dec. 1
Stores, studios and restaurants in Wake Forest’s historic downtown will be open from 10 a.m. until shops close for Christmas shopping with lots of specials as well as refreshments and entertainment.
Letters for Santa mailbox in Jones Plaza
The Town of Wake Forest has installed a Letters for Santa mailbox in Jones Plaza at the intersection of South White Street and East Jones Avenue.
Children of all ages are invited to bring their letters to Santa’s Mailbox anytime between now and Monday, Dec. 24, for immediate delivery to the North Pole. Letters received by Friday, Dec. 14, will receive a personal response from Santa Claus himself.
No postage is required, but all letters should include a return address.
The Memory Café Holiday Show Sunday, Dec. 2
*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 Monday, Dec. 3
*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 Thursday, Dec. 6
*Calls From Santa will be made to children 3 to 9 years old from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6. Parents can register at the Wake Forest Town Hall. There is no charge, but all calls must be local.
The Wake Forest Christmas Parade Saturday, Dec. 8
*The Wake Forest Christmas Parade will begin its march down South White Street at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8.
A Snowball Dance 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
*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 Children’s Choir Holiday Concert Tuesday, Dec. 11
*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
*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.
Tickets for each show are $12 plus tax in advance and $15 plus tax at the door. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
For Stanley, Christmas has lost some of its magic. Stanley and his sister, SuSu, set out to the North Pole to find out for themselves about Christmas. Trapped in a blizzard, they wind up in a dilapidated gas station run by a mysterious old man named Nick. Nick shows Stanley and SuSu the wonders of imagination and helps to bring his rundown gas station to life as a magic toyshop.
One of the silliest villains you’ll ever see, Mr. Gasket J. Wasket shows up and tries to spoil the day. Ultimately, Mr. Wasket is foiled, and Stanley finds his renewed Christmas spirit along with the real meaning of Christmas, keeping his imagination alive and restoring his belief in the magic of the holiday.
For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events<https://www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events>.
