White Street will play host to the third annual Wake Forest Cares Holiday Kickoff and Donation Drive on Saturday, November 19, 2022.
While last year some 3,000 people gathered for the first in-person festival following the inaugural online event in 2020, thousands more are expected to fill Downtown from 1-5 p.m. this year.
"We're lucky to live in a community where people want to give back," says Jennifer Herbert, Downtown Development Manager for the Town of Wake Forest. "A desire from others to give back is where this was born."
The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners tasked town leaders with implementing plans for this in 2019. "They really wanted an event that engaged the public," Herbert says, encouraging people to participate in the festival and stay downtown to eat and shop locally.
"These types of events allow people to come and make a day of it," Herbert says. "We received a lot of positive feedback from merchants last year, some saying they had their best or one of their best Saturdays ever. That's what we want."
In addition to food trucks, musical, dance, street, and community performances, along with an arts and crafts activity for kids organized by the Wake Forest Woman's Club, the Nov. 19 kickoff also signals the start of the annual Holiday Donation Drive. Community members are invited to support one or more of the following Town-sponsored programs:
Helping Others by Providing Electricity (HOPE), Northern Community Food Security Team, Shop with a Cop, Wake Forest Firefighters Foundation, and Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Scholarship Program.
During the event, a donation information tent will be in place with a representative from each entity. Donations can be made by scanning a QR code, credit or debit cards, and cash.
"While we're blessed to live in such a fortunate community, we can forget there are people in need," Jennifer said. "We want to make sure our events and programs are accessible to everyone. National organizations are great but not direct. Wake Forest-based programs directly benefit Wake Forest residents."
Lighting of Wake Forest
The annual “Lighting of Wake Forest” will be held on Dec. 2 from 5-8 p.m. in Centennial Plaza Downtown. The ceremony is presented by Wake Forest Downtown and sponsored by Holding Village. The event will feature Mayor Vivian Jones lighting the 20-foot Christmas tree, followed by Santa's arrival in a Wake Forest fire truck. The tree lighting takes place at approximately 6:15 p.m. The event will expand to Owen Street this year to include food trucks, performers and a children's craft activity sponsored by the Wake Forest Woman's Club.
Immediately before the Lighting of Wake Forest, The Loading Dock will host a “Holiday at the Dock” gathering from 3:30-5:30 pm at their location at 525 South White Street Downtown. This event is open to the public to engage in family-friendly holiday fun as a community. Bring your kids to enjoy hot chocolate and holiday cookies while adults can opt for holiday spirits. Join in fellowship as a community early, then walk down to the tree lighting together.
Historic Home Tour
For the first time in four years, the Historic Home Tour will be held on Dec. 3 from 1-7 p.m.
As one of 12 properties on the tour, the Wake Forest Historical Museum will serve as tour headquarters. Museum director Ed Morris and others will conduct tours of the Calvin Jones House and Museum, and films such as “It’s a Wonderful Life” will be shown in the auditorium.
This semi-annual fundraising event for the Wake Forest Woman's Club, which has been held since the late 1980s, expects to sell 1,800 tickets. Down slightly from the 2,000 sold for the last tour, organizers said that many guests made the lines a little too long.
The Wake Forest Garden Club will also participate by hosting and decorating the Community House, another of the 12 properties on the tour, which includes four homes, four buildings and four churches.
"This is what makes Wake Forest such a great community," said Michelle Michael, senior planner with the Historic Preservation Commission. "It could not happen without the volunteers and the generous people who have opened their historic homes. This all happens because the community believes it's an important event."
Some 100 volunteer docents will staff the properties throughout the day. Maps and brochures for the self-guided tour are available for pickup at the Museum and Community House.
“These events contribute significantly to the remarkable charm and quality of life this town offers,” said Jason Cannon, President of the Wake Forest Business and Industry Partnership. “They allow residents to gather together and usher in the holiday season as a community. That has never been more important than it is today.”
Woman's Club member Marilyn Bonnett, who moved to Wake Forest in 1988 and has been a docent since 2008, is co-chairing the 2022 tour along with fellow member Martha Loftin.
"It's fun for me to see people I know and hadn't seen for a while come through on a tour," Bonnett said. "I like hearing people 'ooh' and 'ah' at these beautiful properties. The owners are so gracious and generous, being willing to open their doors. The guests are always very respectful."
Loftin also moved to town in 1988 and joined the Woman's Club right away. Having seen her share of tours, she said it's a chance for the community to see the historical architectural aspects of the properties and the kind of Christmas decorations different people choose.
"To see other people's concepts of what they want a Christmas house to look like, and as a docent to see all the people coming through, eyes wide, and all the different reactions, is wonderful," Loftin said. Some come to see the decorations, whereas others are more drawn to the remarkable chandeliers, woodwork, or architecture.
For her part, Loftin said she liked being in old houses and seeing something on a mantle that her grandmother had. "It personally makes me feel closer to people. I think people who visit from out of town or just moved here have the feeling of wanting to connect – to see what life is and was like in Wake Forest."
Seeing these properties is like a window into other worlds, Loftin said. "We've not been able to socialize as much as we used to. This is a chance to get out, meet new people, and see somebody else's way of life."
