- Forest Fest is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, in downtown Wake Forest.
- Celebrating nature and outdoors in the heart of Wake Forest, Forest Fest will feature a variety of local vendors, non-profit booths, and children’s activities.
- Forest Fest will also include the Arbor Day Tree Seedling Giveaway and a Paper Shredding & Electronics Recycling Event.
- For complete details, visit https://bit.ly/WFForestFest.
WAKE FOREST, NC – Mark your calendars for this year’s Forest Fest on Saturday, April 18, in downtown Wake Forest. Presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc. in association with the Town of Wake Forest and several community partners, this free family-friendly event is scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – rain or shine – in several areas throughout the downtown area.
Celebrating nature and outdoors in the heart of Wake Forest, Forest Fest will feature a variety of local vendors, non-profit booths, and children’s activities along East Owen Avenue, Brooks Street, and the Town Hall parking lot; an Inclusive Market showcasing businesses owned by or employing individuals with disabilities along South Brooks Street; and extended hours by the Wake Forest Farmers Market (8 a.m.-2 p.m.) along South Taylor Street. The Raleigh Mobile Petting Zoo will also be onsite, while the Kerr Family YMCA will provide a variety of children’s activities throughout the day.
Town Hall’s Centennial Plaza, 301 S. Brooks St., will be the site of a DJ at 10 a.m., the InterActive Theatre of Jef at 11 a.m., live music with bilingual musical storyteller Luke Vandergriff at 12:30 p.m., and Blooming in the Forest – a local floral arrangement competition.
In addition, Town staff and volunteers will again host the popular Arbor Day Tree Seedling Giveaway in the Town Hall parking lot, 301 S. Brooks St., where they will distribute over 3,300 dogwood, persimmon, and oak seedlings - while they last. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/WFTreeSeedlingGiveaway.
This year’s Forest Fest will also include a free Paper Shredding & Electronics Recycling Event sponsored by Civic Federal Credit Union. The drive-thru event is scheduled from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (or until the paper shredding trucks are full) in the parking lot of the Wake Forest Center for Active Aging, 235 E. Holding Ave. For complete details, visit http://bit.ly/WFPaperShreddingEvent.
Food and refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the day at several downtown restaurants. Plus, the following food and dessert trucks will be on site: The Naked Empanada, Hot Chixs Hotcakes and Chicken, Blazing Kettle, Little Halos, and Buoy Bowls.
For complete details about Forest Fest, including a complete list of participating vendors and nonprofits, visit https://bit.ly/WFForestFest or email Downtown Development Program Coordinator Tracy Painter at tpainter@wakeforestnc.gov. Please note: Vendor applications for this event are no longer accepted.
A special thanks to our 2026 Forest Fest sponsors: Platinum - Cameron Family CPAs PLLC and Professional Touch Paint; Gold – Brightspeed Fiber Internet, Hamlet Quail Crossing, Johnson Hyundai of Wake Forest, Nothing Bundt Cakes Wake Forest, The Knotty Sheep, True Insight Direct Care, and Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce; Silver - Daniels Financial Partners/Raymond James, Fidelity Bank, Furman CPA, PLLC, MK Creative Arts Studio, Piedmont Federal Bank, RE/MAX Legacy, Renovation Sells Raleigh, and Warren, Shackleford & Thomas Attorneys, PLLC.
Also, a sincere thanks to our 2026 Wake Forest Downtown sponsors: Town of Wake Forest, Wake Forest Farmers Market, Carolina Regenerative Health, Fidelity Bank, The Forks Cafeteria, Piedmont Federal Bank, SPIRIT Wake Forest, Wake Forest Historical Museum, and Kerr Family YMCA.
Forest Fest is a Wake Forest Outdoors event. To view a complete listing of Town-sponsored spring and summer outdoor events and activities, visit http://bit.ly/WakeForestOutdoors. To receive email notifications concerning special events in Wake Forest, sign up for E-Notifier at https://bit.ly/WFEnotifier.