What's On in Wake Forest
Events, markets, games, library and parks programs in and around Wake Forest, with times, prices and the organizer's own link.
Top story
Arts and exhibitions in Wake Forest: October 2026
Wake Forest arts to Dec. 4: Of Blood and Bone Oct. 30, Adam Pascal Nov. 14, the Holiday Invitational art show from Nov. 9 and pottery and photo classes.
Coming up
The full month- Sat. Oct. 31 Halloween trick-or-treating (recommended hours)
- Sat. Nov. 7 Santa's Secret Workshop (ages 7-14)
- Sat. Nov. 7 Warm Your Hearts coat distribution
- Sat. Nov. 7 Santa's Workshop for Adults (18+)
- Fri. Nov. 13 Holiday Invitational opening reception
- Sat. Nov. 14 Rolesville Fall FunFest
- Sat. Nov. 14 Adam Pascal: Broadway Unplugged
- Sun. Nov. 15 Geometric Stained Glass Suncatcher (18+)
- Mon. Nov. 16 Chunky Knit Scarves (16+)
- Tue. Nov. 17 Stars of the Forest audition information session
- Sat. Nov. 21 Wake Forest Cares Holiday Kick-Off
- Thu. Nov. 26 Gobbler's Run 5K
Plan your weekend
Fourth of July
Wake Forest Fourth of July fireworks 2026
Wake Forest's fireworks are on July 3 at Heritage High's Husky Stadium. In 2026 gates opened at 5:30 p.m.; fireworks about 9:30 p.m. Admission free.
Halloween
Trick-or-treat hours in Wake Forest 2026
Wake Forest trick-or-treats Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, and police recommend 6 to 8 p.m. Covenant Hope Church has a free trunk-or-treat Sunday, Oct. 25.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day in Wake Forest 2027: events, dinners and date ideas
Valentine's Day 2027 is a Sunday. Downtown Wake Forest date ideas: tapas, a rooftop wine bar, live music, bowling and Renaissance Centre shows.
Spring break
Spring break in Wake Forest 2027: school dates, camps and things to do
Wake County's traditional-calendar spring break runs March 26 to April 2, 2027. Camps, egg hunts, playgrounds and shows in Wake Forest that week.
Easter
Easter in Wake Forest 2027: egg hunts, brunch and services
Easter 2027 is March 28. Wake Forest's 2026 Eggstravaganza was at Joyner Park the day before Easter; Rolesville's Egg Rush the same morning.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day in Wake Forest 2027: brunch, events and gift markets
Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9, 2027. Meet in the Street, Six Sundays concerts, the Saturday market and downtown gift shops in Wake Forest.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day in Wake Forest 2027: ceremonies, closures and trash
Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, 2027. Walls of Honor, Rolesville's Memorial Mile, Town Hall closures and the week's one-day trash shift in Wake Forest.
Summer
Summer in Wake Forest 2027: camps, pool opening and splash pads
Holding Park Aquatic Center opens Memorial Day weekend; daily swims from $4 for residents. Plus swim lessons, the Taylor Street sprayground and camps.
Father's Day
Father's Day in Wake Forest 2027: car shows, events and brunch
Father's Day is June 20, 2027. Cars and Carnivores brings 100+ show cars and a steak cook-off downtown June 5; plus concerts and ideas for dads.
Labor Day
Labor Day in Wake Forest 2027: events, closures and trash pickup
Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 6, 2027. Wake Forest's trash runs a day late all week, Town Hall closes, and the town pool ends its season.
Christmas
Wake Forest Christmas parade and tree lighting 2026
The Lighting of Wake Forest is 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at Town Hall; the tree is lit about 6:15 p.m. The town's 2026 schedule lists no parade.
High school football
Friday night football 2026: Wake Forest schedule
Wake Forest High and Heritage High have three regular-season games left, all at 7 p.m. The rivals meet Friday, Oct. 30, at Heritage.
Fall
Fall festivals and pumpkin patches near Wake Forest 2026
Hill Ridge Farms' pumpkin festival runs Wednesday to Sunday through Nov. 1, then Nov. 4-6 until 2 p.m. Rolesville's free Fall FunFest is Saturday, Nov. 14.
Halloween
Halloween events in Wake Forest 2026
Halloween in Wake Forest 2026: the last ghost walks Oct. 29 and 30, ghost stories at the Renaissance Centre Oct. 30 and trick-or-treating Saturday, Oct. 31.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Wake Forest 2026: Gobbler's Run and trash pickup
Gobbler's Run 5K starts at 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26. Town Hall closes Nov. 26-27, and Thursday and Friday trash routes slide a day.
Black Friday
Black Friday and holiday shopping in Wake Forest 2026
Shop local in Wake Forest: Small Business Saturday Nov. 28, the Downtown Holiday Open House and Artisans Market Dec. 5, and Downtown Dollars gifts.
Christmas
Holiday lights and Christmas events in Wake Forest 2026
Joyner Park's free Evening Holiday Walk runs 6 to 9 p.m. nightly Dec. 5-31. Plus Santa's mailbox, Calls from Santa, markets and the Hill Ridge lights.
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve in Wake Forest 2026: fireworks, closures, trash
Ring in 2027 near Wake Forest: Raleigh's acorn drop and fireworks, town closures Dec. 24-28 and Jan. 1, holiday trash shifts and Christmas tree pickup.
Brunch
Brunch in Wake Forest: where to eat breakfast late on weekends
Where to brunch in Wake Forest: Brigs serves 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, Norse Brewing serves breakfast all day, plus downtown cafes and coffee.
Dogs
Dog-friendly Wake Forest: parks, patios, trails and leash rules
Flaherty Dog Park is Wake Forest's free off-leash park, open dawn to dusk. Everywhere else, Wake County's leash law applies, with a $100 fine.
Kids
Kids' activities in Wake Forest: playgrounds, splash pads and rainy days
Two accessible playgrounds, a free sprayground, story times, a TRACK Trail at Joyner Park and rainy-day picks for kids in Wake Forest, NC.
Greenways
Wake Forest walking and biking trails: greenways, loops and parking
Wake Forest has more than 20 miles of greenways. Joyner Park's five loops, the Smith Creek link to the 33-mile Neuse River trail, and where to park.
Downtown
Downtown Wake Forest: a guide to White Street and the historic district
Downtown Wake Forest guide: South White Street shops and restaurants, the social district, Renaissance Centre, parking and the big yearly events.
Nightlife
Live music and nightlife in Wake Forest: bars, venues and late nights
Where Wake Forest goes out: the Listening Room, Tonic's live music, a piano lounge, breweries, Strike & Barrel until 1 a.m. and free street concerts.
Free
Free things to do in Wake Forest: concerts, parks, museum and more
Free in Wake Forest: street concerts on White Street, Six Sundays at Joyner Park, a free history museum, 20 miles of greenways, a sprayground and disc golf.
Date night
Date night in Wake Forest: restaurants, shows, wine bars and late nights
Plan a Wake Forest date night: tapas on White Street, a rooftop wine bar, a show at the Renaissance Centre or Listening Room, and bowling until 1 a.m.
Spirits of Wake Forest
Spirits of Wake Forest ghost walk: dates, tickets and tips
Two nights left: Spirits of Wake Forest ghost walks run Thursday, Oct. 29, and Friday, Oct. 30, at 6:30 and 8 p.m. downtown. Tickets are $20, in advance.
Friday Night on White
Friday Night on White in Wake Forest: dates, bands, parking
Friday Night on White is Wake Forest's free downtown concert series, 6 to 9 p.m. the second Friday of each month, April to September.
Six Sundays in Spring
Six Sundays in Spring at Joyner Park: dates, bands and tips
Six Sundays in Spring is a free concert series at Joyner Park in Wake Forest, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. six Sundays from late April through May.
Meet in the Street
Meet in the Street in Wake Forest: festival dates and tips
Meet in the Street, Wake Forest's free arts, music and food festival, fills downtown each May. 2026 was May 2; 2027 dates are not out yet.
Good Neighbor Day
Good Neighbor Day in Wake Forest: date, activities and tips
Good Neighbor Day is Wake Forest's free September festival at Joyner Park, held since 2006. 2026 was Sept. 19; 2027 dates are not out yet.
Restaurants
Where to eat in Wake Forest: lists by category
Every Wake Forest dining list in one place: wings, pizza, Mexican, breakfast and coffee, burgers, sushi and Asian, ice cream, bakeries, patios and brunch.
Wings
Where to get wings in Wake Forest: downtown, Retail Drive and more
11 places for wings in Wake Forest: downtown on Brooks and White streets, Retail Drive, Northpark Drive, South Main Street, Rogers Road and Gateway Commons.
Pizza
Where to get pizza in Wake Forest: downtown, Capital Blvd. and Rogers Road
14 pizza places in Wake Forest, from White Street downtown to Capital Boulevard, Retail Drive, South Main Street and Rogers Road near Heritage.
Mexican food
Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Wake Forest
13 Mexican and Tex-Mex places in Wake Forest, from White Street downtown to Capital Boulevard, Gateway Commons, South Main Street and NC 98.
Patios
Patios and outdoor dining in Wake Forest
4 Wake Forest restaurants whose own sites list a patio: Bodega and Norse Brewing downtown, Mellow Mushroom on South Main and Dairy Depot on Rogers Road.
Breakfast
Breakfast and coffee in Wake Forest: downtown, Rogers Road and U.S. 1
18 places for breakfast and coffee in Wake Forest: downtown cafes on White and Brooks streets, Rogers Road, Capital Boulevard and Durham Road.
Burgers
Where to get burgers in Wake Forest: downtown, Capital Blvd. and Rogers Road
20 burger places in Wake Forest: The Burger Shop and Norse downtown, Capital Boulevard, Retail Drive, Durham Road, South Main Street and Rogers Road.
Sushi
Sushi and Asian restaurants in Wake Forest
16 sushi, hibachi, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai restaurants in Wake Forest, on Capital Boulevard, South Main Street and Rogers Road.
Ice cream
Ice cream and desserts in Wake Forest: Wait Ave., Retail Drive and more
9 places for ice cream, frozen custard, doughnuts and cakes in Wake Forest: downtown, Retail Drive, Capital Boulevard, Rogers Road and The Factory.
Bakeries
Bakeries in Wake Forest: doughnuts, vegan cakes and bakery-cafes
6 bakery stops in Wake Forest: Plant Cakes downtown, Krispy Kreme and Panera off Capital Boulevard, and three Dunkin' stores.
