PRCR Happenings

December 2023

You're invited to participate in the incredible array of programs and classes offered by Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources! If there's a class or program you'd like us to provide that's not listed online or in RecConnect, please let us know! We are always interested in expanding our programming options!

Currently, our facilities offer open play sessions of Pickleball, Basketball, Volleyball, Badminton, LEGO Club, and Preschool Play, as well as a fitness room at Joyner Park Community Center. Pre-registration for the fitness room opens each Sunday for the following week. Visit wakeforestnc.recdesk.com to register for a time! Please note: Cleanings are performed every hour, and you must have a RecCard membership to register.

Facility Operating Schedules

Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road

• Monday-Friday (6 a.m.-9 p.m.)
• Saturday (8 a.m.-4 p.m.)
• Sunday (1-5 p.m. March-August/Closed September-February)

Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 N. White St.

• Monday-Friday (8 a.m.-9 p.m.)
• Saturday (8 a.m.-4 p.m.)
• Sunday (1-5 p.m. March-August/Closed September-February)

Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St.

• Monday-Friday (Noon-8 p.m.)
• Saturday (8 a.m.-4 p.m.)
• Sunday (1-5 p.m. March-August/Closed September-February) 

Please note: These facilities will be closed Monday-Wednesday, Dec. 25-27, in observance of the Christmas holiday.

December Spotlight

Fundamentals of Natural Soy Candles (ages 10+) 

Love candles, well this is the perfect class to make beautifully scented and designed natural soy candles. Learn the fundamentals of how to use natural wax, essential oils, elements of nature to create beautiful handmade candles as gifts or to sell.

Sa | Dec 16 | 10 am-Noon

Fees: Resident $65 | Non-Resident $82

Sa | Jan 27 | 10 am-Noon

Fees: Resident $65 | Non-Resident $82

Chicago-Style Stepping (ages 18+)

Chicago-Style Stepping is an urban partner dance that can be graceful, funky, intimate, contagious, soulful, competitive and smooth all at the same time. This class will introduce you to the fundamentals of this dance and beyond set to the classic sounds of R&B, soul and so much more. Come and try something new with Capital City Steppers. No experience or partner required. All levels welcomed.

M | Jan 8-Feb 12 | 7-8:30 pm

Fees: Resident $60 | Non-Resident $75

Whisk It Up Baking (ages: youth 9-16 & adults 16+)

A delicious new year – Start the year off right by making new sweets for your family! Join pastry chef and cottage bakery owner, Deanna Martinez-Bey as she teaches how to make delicious, seasonal treats! Classes are hands on, laid back and fun. And the best part? Everyone leaves with treats and recipes in hand.

Tu | Youth | Jan 9 | 4:30-5:45 pm

Tu | Adult | Jan 9 | 6:30-8 pm

Tu | Youth | Jan 23 | 4:30-5:45 pm

Tu | Adult | Jan 23 | 6:30-8 pm

Fees: Resident $25 | Non-Resident $31

JPCC - Kitchen

Maintenance Matters

By Randy Hoyle, PRCR Maintenance Manager

As November draws to a close, and we view Thanksgiving through our rearview mirror, we can now turn our attention to Christmas.

For those of you planning to enjoy a live Christmas tree this year, I want to share a few tips to keep it looking its best throughout the holiday season. 

Once you have selected your tree, cut the end cap of the trunk before placing it in the tree stand. This will allow the trunk to accept water. 

After anchoring the tree securely in the stand, consider pruning the lower level of branches to make it easier to refill the water reservoir.

Make sure the stand is set on a flat, level surface and, if possible, secured to the wall or floor to prevent it from falling over.

Next, fill the reservoir with water. A new tree can drink up to a gallon of water a day so water it a couple of times of day for the first three or four days. 

Check the water level daily and make sure it does not drop below the cut area of the trunk. A live tree can remain in good condition for four to six weeks as long as you keep adequate water in the reservoir. Oh, and plain tap water works just fine. Studies have shown that additives don't extend the life of the tree.

Finally, be sure to keep your tree away from heating vents, radiators, or fireplaces as these dry out the tree and cause it to lose its needles.

I hope this information helps you, and I wish you and your family a happy and safe holiday season.

P.S. Consider purchasing a container tree. Keep it watered during the holidays, then plant it in your yard as a lasting memory of a bygone Christmas.

Holiday Headlines

Register for “Calls from Santa” through November 30

A phone call from Santa Claus is on every child’s wish list. The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is making those wishes come true by offering Calls from Santa to kids ages 3-9 on Thursday, Dec. 7, from 6-8 p.m. 

Registration forms are available online and at the Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road, and Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St.

Completed forms must be submitted online or received at the Joyner Park Community Center or Town Hall by 5 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 30. Telephone registrations will not be accepted. There is no cost to participate, but all calls must be local. For more information, email Recreation Program Superintendent Monica Lileton.

2023 Lighting of Wake Forest December 1

You’re invited to experience the wonder and magic of the holiday season during the annual Lighting of Wake Forest on Friday, Dec. 1. Presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc. (WFD), the event is scheduled from 5-8 p.m. in 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 6:15 p.m.

Throughout the evening, Centennial Plaza will host musical performances by choral groups from Heritage Elementary School, Heritage Middle School, Wake Forest iSTEM Elementary School, and Magnolia Belles, a student-run a cappella group of vocally talented women from East Carolina University, while East Owen Avenue will be the site of roving LED performers and the following food trucks: La Katrina Tacos, Ultimate Eggrolls, and Little Halos. Crumbl Cookies of Wake Forest will also be onsite giving away free cookies while supplies last.

The Lighting of Wake Forest will also feature Santa Claus’ exciting arrival aboard a Wake Forest Fire Department fire truck, a children’s craft activity provided by the Wake Forest Woman’s Club, an ornament sale by the Wake Forest Historical Museum, a holiday sweet treat sale by Polka Dot Treat Shop, a kettle corn sale by GypZea Maize, and special guest appearances from the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who.

Downtown Holiday Open House December 2

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. 2, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc. (WFD), the Downtown Holiday Open House will feature special offers and complimentary refreshments at participating shops and restaurants, along with fun-filled activities for kids and families.

The Victorian Carolers will roam throughout downtown from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., while “Gumdrop the Gingerbread Man” will be hiding both inside and outside local businesses as part of a holiday-themed scavenger hunt. Anyone who finds “Gumdrop” will receive a special holiday surprise. 

While you’re in downtown Wake Forest on December 2, be sure to check out the variety of handmade items by regional artists at the Holiday Artisans Market. The artisans market will be offered from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St.

Letters for Santa mailbox available in Jones Plaza

The Town of Wake Forest has installed the popular Letters for Santa mailbox in Jones Plaza at the intersection of South White Street and East Jones Avenue just in time for Saturday’s Wake Forest Cares Holiday Kick-Off.

Children of all ages are invited to bring their letters to Santa’s Mailbox through Friday, Dec. 22, for immediate delivery to the North Pole. No postage is required.

A “Letter from Santa” which parents can download and personalize is available on the Town website.

Wake Forest Cares Holiday Donation Drive is underway

Our 2023 Wake Forest Cares Holiday Donation Drive is underway. Each year, the initiative raises money for several programs addressing specific needs in our community, including hunger, home lighting and heating, youth health and fitness, and providing joy and hope during the holiday season and beyond.

Area residents and businesses can show their support for these efforts by contributing online to one or more of these initiatives:

• Helping Others by Providing Electricity (HOPE)
• Northern Community Food Security Team
• Shop With a Cop
• Wake Forest Firefighters Foundation
• Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Scholarship Program

In addition to online donations, checks are accepted and should be made payable to Town of Wake Forest (include “WF Cares” in the memo line), then mailed to Town of Wake Forest, 301 S. Brooks St., Wake Forest, NC 27587.

Donations will be accepted through Sunday, Dec. 31, and may be designated to more than one initiative. Donations to more than one cause will be distributed evenly unless otherwise noted on the online donation form. So, for example, a $50 donation to two causes would result in each receiving $25. One hundred percent of all contributions will be directed to the designated organization(s)/initiative(s). 

Download the Town of Wake Forest App

Android and iPhone users can have a handy pocket guide to all things related to Wake Forest by downloading the Town of Wake Forest app. Designed to provide smartphone users with useful information about Wake Forest, the app offers instant access to downtown Wake Forest, the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, upcoming popular events, plus so much more! The app also provides contact information for every Town department, allows you to report non-emergency issues through SeeClickFix and delivers breaking news.

IPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android users can download the Town’s free app by searching for “Town of Wake Forest” on iTunes, in the iPhone app store, or in Google Play - or be scanning the appropriate QR code below.