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Wake Forest Downtown

@wfdowntown

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Your connection to the heart of our vibrant community! #wherequaintmeetscool #wfdowntown #supportlocal

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These are your last chances to experience the eerie history of Downtown Wake Forest!

Remaining tickets include:

🎟️ Thursday, October 22: Multiple tickets remain for both the 6:30 PM and 8 PM tours.

🎟️ Saturday, October 24: Only ONE ticket remains for the 7 PM tour!

🎟️ Thursday, October 29: Multiple tickets remain for the 8 PM tour.

All other tours are SOLD OUT! Don’t miss your chance to experience Spirits of Wake Forest before the season ends. Grab your tickets while you still can! 👻

Get yours today: https://bit.ly/SpiritsofWF taken in Wake Forest Downtown by @wfdowntown

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4 days ago

🎨CALLING ALL ARTISTS🎨

Wake Forest Downtown & Public Art Commission issue Downtown Boulevard Banner “Call for Artists”

Wake Forest Downtown (WFD), Inc. and the Wake Forest Public Art Commission (PAC) are seeking local artists to submit vibrant original artwork for “Community in Motion” boulevard banners in downtown Wake Forest.

“Community in Motion” celebrates the energy, creativity, and connections that make Wake Forest a vibrant place to live, work, and gather. Artists are encouraged to explore how people, nature, and ideas move together to shape and strengthen the community. Designs should evoke a sense of vitality, collaboration, and forward movement while offering a unique artistic interpretation.

The online artwork submission form is available at https://bit.ly/CallforArtists_WFPAC. The application deadline is Friday, Oct. 30. Selected artists will be notified by Monday, Nov. 16.

Selections will be chosen by a committee comprised of members of the PAC and WFD, Inc. and selected artists will receive a $100 honorarium.

The banners will be displayed along South White Street from early January through late March 2027. The banners may also be displayed at other times as determined by the Downtown Development Director.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/CallforArtists_WFPAC or contact Renaissance Centre Arts Coordinator April Cannon at acannon@wakeforestnc.gov.

#townofwakeforest #wakeforestpublicart #wakeforestvibe #callforart taken in Wake Forest, North Carolina by @wfdowntown

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5 days ago

Goodies for Goblins is an opportunity for kids to trick-or-treat in Downtown Wake Forest and this year it will coincide with our Halloween Boo Bash!

Bring your trick-or-treaters for a fun-filled day of costumes, candy, and community spirit as downtown transforms into a Halloween wonderland. Don’t miss your chance to support local businesses while enjoying safe, festive trick-or-treating, along with all the Boo Bash fun!

Participating businesses will include Arrow Tree Boutique, B&W Hardware, Broadsides & Brews, Carolina Theatre Company, Creative Shears, Earthwise Pet, Fidelity Bank, Framed Eyewear, Java’s Cards & Collectibles, Jubilation Spa, Magpie & Crow, Next Consignment Boutique, Plant Cakes Bake Shop, REMAX Legacy, Shorty’s Famous Hot Dogs, Southern Suds and Gifts, Sugar Magnolia, The Cotton Company, The Healing Well Company, The Hideaway, The Knotty Sheep, The Lemon Tree, The Makery, The Planted Bean, The Purple Door Day Spa, Railway Smoke & Beverage, The Yellow Butterfly, True You Studio, Wake Forest Art and Frame Shop, and Wake Forest Coffee Company. taken in Wake Forest Downtown by @wfdowntown

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7 days ago

Save the date and join us for the 2026 Halloween Boo Bash – Saturday, Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Downtown Wake Forest! 👻🎃🦇

Goodies for Goblins, an opportunity for kids to trick-or-treat at participating @wfdowntown businesses, will coincide with this year’s Halloween Boo Bash! 🛍️

This is a day you don’t want to miss!

Full event details ➡️ bit.ly/WFBooBash

#TownofWakeForest #WFPRCR #WFBooBash #WakeForestNC by @wfdowntown

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10 days ago

We’re very close to a SOLD OUT season! 👻

If you want to experience the eerie history of Downtown Wake Forest, now is the time to act fast.

A few openings remain on:
🎃 Thursday, Oct. 15
🎃 Thursday, Oct. 22
🎃 Thursday, Oct. 29

There are also VERY limited tickets left for Friday and Saturday tours, so if you’re hoping to join us on any of these nights, don’t wait!

Come hear the stories, uncover the history and experience the eerie side of Downtown Wake Forest before the final tickets disappear.

🎟️ Tickets are ON SALE NOW!
👉 https://bit.ly/SpiritsofWF taken in Wake Forest Downtown by @wfdowntown

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12 days ago

👻 Tonight’s the night!

Our Firebox Storytellers are ready to bring the stories, history, and spirits of downtown Wake Forest to life for the Spirits of Wake Forest ghost walk.

Here’s a little peek at some of our Storytellers getting ready for tonight’s opening.

And it’s a big weekend for Firebox! While our Storytellers are out in downtown Wake Forest, Misery opens tomorrow night at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre. 🎭

👻 Spirits of Wake Forest | October 1–30
🎭 Misery | October 2–4

🎟 Find tickets and information through the links in our bio!

#SpiritsofWakeForest #Misery #FireboxTheatreCompany #WakeForestNC #SupportLocalTheatre #wfdowntown @wfdowntown @wakeforestrencen by @wfdowntown

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18 days ago

In honor of National Community Planning Month, WFD would like to highlight Katie Livingston, the Town of Wake Forest’s planning liaison for Wake Forest Downtown, Inc.

“My journey in local government began long before I ever imagined it would become my career. With a dad who worked in local government, I spent countless mornings before school and evenings after, sitting in a small-town North Carolina town hall. At the time, I didn’t realize those experiences were shaping my perspective on what makes a community work. It wasn’t until my senior year of college that I realized the issues facing communities across North Carolina were something I genuinely cared about, and something I wanted to dedicate my career to.

While at UNCW, I earned my Master’s in Public Administration and began pursuing planning as a career. What drew me to planning was the opportunity to do more than simply manage development. Planning allows us to help shape the places people call home, educate and engage the public, and create communities that are vibrant, welcoming, and forward-thinking.

Working with Downtown Development as a liaison to planning has been one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Serving on the Design and Appearance Committee has given me the opportunity to tap into a creative side of myself that doesn’t always get to shine when reviewing site plans, interpreting ordinances, and working through the day-to-day details of planning.

When I accepted my position with the Town of Wake Forest, I was especially excited to work in a community with an established and vibrant downtown; one where creativity, investment, and action were already happening. Rather than simply planning for what a downtown could become someday, I was joining a community that was already bringing those ideas to life.

That is what continues to excite me about local government and planning: the opportunity to take ideas, bring people together, and turn them into places that people can experience, enjoy, and be proud to call their own.”

- Katie Livingston, Planner II - Town of Wake Forest

#wfdowntown #wherequaintmeetscool #beyondthebrick taken in Wake Forest Downtown by @wfdowntown

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18 days ago

⭐ICYMI⭐: Wake Forest Downtown & Public Art Commission issue Downtown Boulevard Banner “Call for Artists”

Wake Forest Downtown (WFD), Inc. and the Wake Forest Public Art Commission (PAC) are seeking local artists to submit vibrant original artwork for “Community in Motion” boulevard banners in downtown Wake Forest.

“Community in Motion” celebrates the energy, creativity, and connections that make Wake Forest a vibrant place to live, work, and gather. Artists are encouraged to explore how people, nature, and ideas move together to shape and strengthen the community. Designs should evoke a sense of vitality, collaboration, and forward movement while offering a unique artistic interpretation.

The online artwork submission form is available at https://bit.ly/CallforArtists_WFPAC. The application deadline is Friday, Oct. 30. Selected artists will be notified by Monday, Nov. 16.

Selections will be chosen by a committee comprised of members of the PAC and WFD, Inc. and selected artists will receive a $100 honorarium.

The banners will be displayed along South White Street from early January through late March 2027. The banners may also be displayed at other times as determined by the Downtown Development Director.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/CallforArtists_WFPAC or contact Renaissance Centre Arts Coordinator April Cannon at acannon@wakeforestnc.gov.

#townofwakeforest #wakeforestnc #wakeforestvibe #wakeforestpublicart #callforart taken in Wake Forest, North Carolina by @wfdowntown

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24 days ago

👻 ONE WEEK until the Spirits of Wake Forest tours begin! 🎃🕯️

The countdown is ON! The stories and the spirits are almost here. 👀

🎟️ Tickets are going FAST, so don’t wait! Get yours TODAY and make sure you don’t miss out on this festive and historical experience!

📅 Tours begin NEXT WEEK! Get your tickets: https://www.wakeforestnc.gov/meetings-events/spirits-wake-forest

Who’s joining us? 👻🖤 taken in Wake Forest Downtown by @wfdowntown

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25 days ago

#WakeForestThrowback

339 South Brooks Street
Built: 1961

The big white brick building at 339 S. Brooks Street was once home to Keith’s Super Market and later The Forks Cafeteria.

Keith’s Super Market, operated by Frank Keith, first started at 158 South White Street. In the early hours of January 26, 1961, a two-alarm fire largely destroyed Keith’s South White Street location. Samuel Wait Brewer, Jr. and Tom Arrington, who owned the building, offered to repair and modernize their space, but instead, Frank Keith used the opportunity to expand. Frank and two of his sons, Bruce and Edwin, decided to buy land and build a new location at 339 South Brooks Street.

Completed in just six weeks, Keith’s Super Market reopened in April 1961 with 3,500 square feet of floor space, full air conditioning, and plentiful parking, which had been an issue at the former location. Frank Keith served as general manager, his sons Bruce and Edwin as grocery department manager and meat department manager, respectively, and his daughter-in-law Margaret as cashier, with several other employees. Keith’s Super Market closed in 1992.

In September 1999, The Forks Cafeteria & Catering, Inc. moved to the site. The Forks Cafeteria was the second location of The Forks Lunchroom, located at “the forks” of old NC 98 and Old Falls of Neuse Road. Around 1970, James F. Keith and his wife Marjorie began operating the lunchroom out of a former service station garage next to their other business, Keith’s Store. The Forks Lunchroom was a local favorite, known for its pork barbecue and other “down-home” fare. Their daughter, Karen Keith Winstead, took over The Forks Lunchroom in 1981, and she and her husband, Don, opened The Forks Cafeteria in downtown Wake Forest.

Karen and Don Winstead operated the Forks Cafeteria until they sold it to David Greenwell in April 2016. Greenwell still operates The Forks Cafeteria today. taken in The Forks Cafeteria by @wfdowntown

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25 days ago

Congratulations to our Support Local Receipt Challenge winners! 🎉

A big thank you to everyone who participated and supported our Downtown Wake Forest businesses by shopping, dining, and spending locally throughout the challenge.

🥇 Grand Prize Winner of $300 in Downtown Dollars: Jolene Dolan

🎉 $100 Downtown Dollars Winners:
• Maribel Hargrove
• Everett Whitmore

We hope you enjoy your Downtown Dollars and continue supporting the local businesses that make Downtown Wake Forest such a special place!

This challenge was made possible by Wake Forest Downtown 2026 Platinum & Gold sponsors. Thank you for helping us celebrate and support our local business community! ❤️

Platinum: Cameron Family CPAs, Professional Touch Paint Raleigh Town of Wake Forest, NC

Gold: Brightspeed, Hamlet Quail Crossing, Johnson Hyundai of Wake Forest, Nothing Bundt Cakes, The Knotty Sheep, True Insight Direct Care, Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce taken in Wake Forest Downtown by @wfdowntown

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a month ago

Our Downtown Wake Forest journey began in different ways, but we both found ourselves drawn to the same thing: a passion for the community and a desire to be part of its vibrancy.

We each spent several years serving on the Wake Forest Downtown Board of Directors, and along the way, we became more than fellow board members...we became friends. We loved being involved in events, working alongside other business owners, and helping shape downtown while preserving the quaint charm that makes it so special.

One of our favorite chapters began during the pandemic, when events had come to a halt and downtown businesses were looking for ways to bring people back together. During a conversation at Southern Suds & Gifts, Lisa Hayes, who was the Downtown Development Director at the time, mentioned that she had always wanted to do a festive and historical tour downtown. We immediately thought, “Let’s do it.” Six weeks later, Spirits of Wake Forest was born.

Over the past seven years, we’ve watched Spirits flourish. Over the years, we have welcomed more attendees and storytellers, continued uncovering new stories, and built new partnerships that have helped the event evolve. People are fascinated by the tales behind the buildings, the railroad tracks, the businesses, and the people who helped build this town. For us, that’s what makes Spirits so special. It connects people to downtown. It brings people together. It gives them a reason to explore local businesses, learn something new, and experience Wake Forest in a completely different way.

We’re especially proud to have been part of the journey that brought Spirits to life. It’s amazing to see what a simple idea can become when a community gets behind it. Thank you for your ongoing support, Wake Forest!

- Dolores Riggins & Kent Lower

🎟️ Join in on the fun this October! Tickets are ON SALE NOW and can be purchased using the link in our bio. 🎟️

#beyondthebrick #spiritsofwakeforest #supportlocal taken in Wake Forest Downtown by @wfdowntown

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a month ago