Wake Forest to begin accepting 2026 Community Special Event Applications July 15

Special events are a key contributor to Wake Forest’s exceptional quality of life. In addition to dozens of Town-organized annual events, such as Friday Night on White, Fireworks Spectacular, Good Neighbor Day, and Halloween Boo Bash, Wake Forest residents also enjoy many “Community Events.” These are Town-permitted special events in a public area (Festival Street/East Owen Avenue, South White Street, etc.) that a business, church, community group, or other organization plans, manages, pays for, and executes after applying for and receiving a Special Event Permit. Examples of “Community Events” include Meet in the Street (Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce), Cars & Carnivores (Wake Forest Rotary Club), and the Lighting of Wake Forest (Wake Forest Downtown, Inc.) – just to name a few.

As part of the Town’s process for permitting Community Events, Wake Forest staff must approve the event location and may require the involvement of Police, Public Works, and/or other Town departments, as necessary. In such instances, Community Event organizers are invoiced for the cost of Town staff required to work at these events.

As Wake Forest continues to grow, so too does the number of requests the Town receives for Community Event permits. This often results in two or more community groups and organizations vying for the same dates, locations, and Town resources to accommodate their respective events.

To help address this challenge, Wake Forest updated its Special Event Application Approval Process in 2024. Complete information about this process is available at www.wakeforestnc.gov/special-events-policy.

As part of the approval process, Wake Forest accepts Community Special Event Applications annually from July 15 through September 30 for events scheduled during the next calendar year. This year, Wake Forest will accept Community Special Event Applications for events planned in 2026 from Tuesday, July 15, through Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Applications received during the advertised application period will be reviewed by a Special Events Committee (SEC) comprised of Town staff. The SEC does not grant special consideration to event applicants based on the order they were submitted. Rather, the committee either approves or denies event applications based on their adherence to the Evaluation Criteria outlined at www.wakeforestnc.gov/special-events-policy. When two or more applicants apply to host an event on the same date, the SEC utilizes an objective scoring mechanism to determine which application best meets the Evaluation Criteria.

Event applications received on or after October 1 for the following year will be reviewed and approved on a “first come, first serve” basis – provided the proposed event meets the Evaluation Criteria.

For more information on Wake Forest’s Special Events Approval Policy and Special Events Policy, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/special-events-policy or contact Organizational Performance Director Lisa Hayes at lhayes@wakeforestnc.gov.