The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host the third in a series of Family Movie Nights at Joyner Park this Saturday, July 22, at 8:30 p.m. The featured film will be “Zootopia.” Free and open to the public, Family Movie Nights feature a variety of family-friendly film favorites and genres, including comedies, dramas, and thrillers, all projected on a 26-foot inflatable movie screen in the park’s amphitheater. Each will also include a movie-related pre-show activity for kids beginning at 7:30 p.m. Food and dessert trucks will also be onsite. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket and/or chairs but are reminded that alcohol, smoking, and unleashed pets are prohibited. In the event of rain, Family Movie Night may be canceled. Updates will be posted on the Town website, Nextdoor site, and Facebook page. Smart phone users who have downloaded the Town of Wake Forest app

The Human Relations Council is soliciting youth and adult nominations for the 14th Annual Good Neighbor of the Year Award. The award recognizes Wake Forest residents who work to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods without seeking recognition for their efforts. Nominees are sought in two divisions: adult (ages 19 and older) and youth (ages 10-18). To qualify, a nominee must be a Wake Forest resident who has made a significant contribution to the community between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2023. Employees of the Town of Wake Forest are not eligible. The online nomination form is available at http://bit.ly/WFGoodNeighborAward. Completed nomination forms must be submitted by 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31. Nominations forms must include the names of both the nominator and the nominee, along with a narrative of 400 words or less describing why the nominee is deserving of the Good Neighbor of the Year

The Public Art Commission is inviting residents to help shape the future of public art in Wake Forest by completing a brief survey. From now through October, residents can complete the survey by visiting Engage Wake Forest at https://engagewakeforest.org/ and clicking on “Wake Forest Public Art.” Designed to gauge community interest in public art, assess preferred types of art, and more, the questionnaire takes less than five minutes to complete. The insights and ideas of respondents will help shape the foundation for Wake Forest’s public art program and suggest recommendations for future initiatives. Community input will also help guide the work of the PAC and Town staff when planning and implementing future public art projects. Finally, the feedback will provide a framework for partnerships with other Town departments, artists, cultural organizations, and developers to help the PAC advance a compelling vision for public art. For more information, email Renaissance Centre

The 14th annual Wake Forest Purple Heart Dinner will be held Saturday evening, August 5, 2023 at Richland Creek Community Church, 3229 Burlington Mills Road, beginning at 5:30 p.m. This year’s guest speaker will be Jessica Dawn Lynch, a teacher and a private in the United States Army who was seriously injured and later captured by Iraqi soldiers during the battle for Nasiriyah on March 23, 2003. She was rescued by United States special operations forces on April 1, the first successful rescue of an American prisoner of war since World War II and the first of a woman soldier. Since the banquet was first held in 2009 in the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary gymnasium, formerly Gore Gym, the Purple Heart Foundation has honored all the area Purple Heart recipients it can find. Tickets for the banquet are $30 and are available from the Purple Heart board members or at

Good Neighbor Day, which the Town of Wake Forest has celebrated for 17 years, will be held at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road, on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. Hosted by the Human Relations Council, Good Neighbor Day is an annual celebration that brings together Wake Forest residents from all walks of life for an afternoon of free food, fun, and family entertainment. By bringing together a mix of cultures, music, ages and ethnicities, the event celebrates diversity and promotes goodwill among all Wake Forest citizens. Volunteers are critical to the success of the event and needed at various times between noon and 5 p.m. Volunteer duties will be general in nature and may include setting up, cleaning up, answering questions, and assisting attendees. Local civic groups and community organizations are especially encouraged to participate, along with local students interested in earning community service hours.