Based on the October 2024 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated November 12, 2024  The town keeps a running tally of approved projects with counts of those completed. The best inspections current estimate is that between seven and eight people move to town each day, moving into newly-built houses, townhouses or apartments and a few existing houses that were for sale. Projects under review 1. 418 Jones Dairy Road SP-23-11 is a request by David Williams Sr. to rezone 5.61 acres on the south side of Jones Dairy Road from RH rural holding and LI light industrial to NB-CD conditional neighborhood business to allow construction of two 24,502 square foot buildings side by side, one restaurant and one an office. The plans call for space for a public art statue and seven handicapped parking spaces. The Town Board voted unanimously to approve at their October 15, 2024 meeting. 2. Hawthorne

Experience the wonder and magic of the holiday season during the annual Lighting of Wake Forest on Friday, Dec. 6. Presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., the event is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. in and around Centennial Plaza, 301 S. Brooks St., and along East Owen Avenue.  Please note: Mayor Vivian Jones is scheduled to light the Town’s 30-foot-tall Christmas tree in Centennial Plaza at approximately 6:20 p.m.  Throughout the evening, attendees will enjoy musical performances along the South Brooks Street performance stage (situated adjacent to Centennial Plaza) by choral groups from Wake Forest iSTEM Elementary School, Heritage Elementary, and School of Rock Wake Forest, while East Owen Avenue will be the site of roving LED performers and these food trucks: Not Just a Fry Guy, Arepa Culture NC, NOMAD Beverage Company, and Little Halos.  Nothing Bundt Cakes of Wake Forest will also be onsite giving away free samples while supplies last.  In

Embrace the holiday season and experience downtown Wake Forest’s unique array of shops and restaurants during the Downtown Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.  Presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., the Holiday Open House will feature special offers at participating shops and restaurants, along with fun-filled activities for kids and families, including Downtown Holiday Bingo. Bingo cards are provided at participating businesses and available for download on the WFD Facebook page and the Holiday Open House web page at https://bit.ly/DowntownHolidayOpenHouse. To play Holiday Bingo, simply follow the guidelines on the back of the Bingo card, collect your stamps, and win a prize (while supplies last).  While you’re downtown on December 7, be sure to check out the variety of handmade items by regional artists at the Winter Artisans Market. Sponsored by the Wake Forest Guild of Artists, the market will be offered from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in

Lisa Hayes, the director of the Town of Wake Forest’s Organizational Performance Department, received the prestigious Peggy Allen Lifetime Achievement Award Monday night at the 77th Wake Forest Community Christmas Dinner held at The Forks. The other two winners were The Flower Cart as Organization of the Year and Carol Pelosi as Citizen of the Year. Mayor Vivian Jones read the nomination, which said Hayes has spent ten years of dedicated service to the town and over 30 years providing service and leadership to the greater Wake Forest community. Hayes has served on the boards of the Trentini Foundation and the Wake Forest Boys and Girls Club. She helped to start the Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation, Purple Heart Foundation of North Carolina, the Wake Forest Community Response Team, and the Charity Car Show. She has volunteered over the years at Heritage Elementary and Middle Schools, at the Chamber of

Pictures with Santa will be offered in downtown Wake Forest during the following community events this holiday season: *** Downtown Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at The Makery. A limited number of slots are available on each occasion, so guests planning to have a photo taken with Santa Claus must register in advance at https://bit.ly/WFSantaPics beginning Friday, Nov. 1, at 10 a.m. Please note: Pictures with Santa will not be offered as part of the Lighting of Wake Forest. Designed to reduce wait times, each reservation will indicate the time guests should arrive at the line-up to have their photo taken with St. Nick. Pictures taken during the WF Cares Holiday Kick-off can be viewed and downloaded from the Town website after 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20, while pictures taken during the Downtown Holiday Open House will be available after 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec.

The Friends of the Northern Wake Senior Center will host the 2024 Jingle Bell Walk on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave. Registration and check-in on the day of the event starts at 9:15 a.m., and the walk begins at 10:05 a.m. Online registration is available at https://www.wakeforestnc.gov/northern-wake-senior-center, and the entry fee is $20 per person. Children ages 10 and under are free. Everyone who registers will receive a Kazoo and an invitation to play with the Kazoo Band during the Jingle Bell Walk. Funds raised through the entry fee will be used to support Northern Wake Senior Center programs and initiatives. Open to community members of all ages and abilities, the Jingle Bell Walk is an easy, 1.3 mile walk through Downtown Wake Forest. Children, parents, grandparents, and well-behaved dogs are invited to participate wearing their most colorful and fun holiday attire. Following

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department is hosting a series of public meetings to solicit input from residents concerning the future of Taylor Street Park, 416 N. Taylor St. The first meeting occurred on November 21. The next two meetings will be offered according to the following schedule:  Each session will include a brief presentation, followed by an open discussion where attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and share suggestions. Town staff will be on hand to answer questions and gather public input.  Discussions will focus on PRCR’s efforts to apply for the Accessible Parks (AP) Grant Program. The Accessible Parks Grant Program provides $3.7 million in matching grants for parks and recreation for the construction of special facilities or adaptation of existing facilities that meet the unique needs of persons living with disabilities or that enable them to participate in recreational and sporting

100 years of history (This was published in 2004 and there are a couple errors, but it tells the story of a man dedicated to educating Black children when few of them went to school.) This is the incomplete story of a remarkable man, nurtured and educated in Wake Forest, who in turn nurtured and educated thousands.           Allen L. Young was born in Wake Forest sometime in the 1870s, the son of former slaves. In 1956 he told an interviewer, Yulan Washburn writing for The Student, the Wake Forest College magazine, that he began working for white people in town as a child. Some of them were college professors who took an interest in him and began giving him private lessons.           Who were these professors? We do not know, but we can know that Young had to have demonstrated a very striking intellect and drive at a very

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host a “Snowball Dance” for individuals with disabilities on Friday, Dec. 13. Sponsored by Triangle Family Dentistry, the Snowball Dance is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road.  Individuals with disabilities ages 10-30 are invited to an evening in “Winter Wonderland” featuring a DJ, dancing, photo booth, refreshments, and lots of fun.  The cost is $25 per person, and registration is required at https://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com.  Buddies will be made available for supervision, but participants are welcome to bring additional support if necessary.    The PRCR Department is also seeking peer-aged volunteers ages 12 and older to attend the dance and provide support by dancing, eating, and socializing with the attendees. Anyone who is interested in volunteering can register via RecDesk under the program “Snowball Dance Volunteers.” For more information, email Specialized Programs & Inclusion

The holiday season is upon us, and the Northern Community Food Security Team (NCFST) Mobile Market is making Santa’s “Nice List” by adjusting its normal monthly schedule. Instead of coming to town on the second and fourth Thursday (per usual), the NCFST Mobile Market will return to 350 E. Holding Ave. on Thursday, Dec. 5, and Thursday, Dec. 19 – the first and third Thursdays of the month.  Open to everyone, the NCFST Mobile Market is a pay-what-you-can mobile grocery store that makes fresh and local produce, proteins, dairy, eggs, and other food products accessible and affordable to all, regardless of their budget. When shopping, there are limits on the amount of protein, dairy, and eggs a consumer can purchase, but no limits on produce. At checkout, shoppers are given a suggested total. Shoppers can then pay the full amount, a portion of that amount, or nothing at all. Both