The year 2009 officially marked Wake Forest's 100th birthday!
In preparation for this historic occasion, the town convened the 2009 Wake Forest Centennial Celebration Committee to plan the centennial, which was celebrated throughout 2009. The committee's mission was to commemorate the town's 100th birthday, recognize its long and storied history, and honor the many organizations, businesses, schools and individuals that contribute to our community.
The theme of the celebration was “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, Embrace the Future.”
In late 2006 the centennial committee began meeting monthly to plan a series of special events to reflect the diversity and uniqueness of Wake Forest. The festivities began New Year’s Eve 2008 with First Light Wake Forest, followed by what was billed as “The Party of the Century” in February 2009. Other centennial celebration events taking place during 2009 included one of the Six Sundays in Spring concerts, the annual 4th of July Celebration, and the Centennial Community Christmas Gala.
To ensure smooth planning and provide special assistance for the year-long celebration, the Town of Wake Forest hired Kara Louise, an experienced special events planner, to serve as the Centennial Celebration Events Coordinator. Her role was to assist the centennial committee and help plan and implement the centennial celebration events.
Carol Smith, Centennial Celebration Co-Chair, said she was pleased at the numbers of volunteers, organizations, and residents that took part in this once-in-a-lifetime community celebration.
"Wake Forest's centennial was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our town," she said. "We not only honored our past, but we also used the occasion to look forward to our future. It was in every sense a community celebration where everybody was invited and everyone's involvement was needed to make it truly special!"