Forest Fest, Arbor Day Tree Seedling Giveaway, Paper Shredding Event & more coming to Downtown Wake Forest April 26

Mark your calendars now for this year’s Forest Fest on Saturday, April 26, 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 include extended hours by the Wake Forest Farmers Market (8 a.m.-2 p.m.) along South Taylor Street, and a variety of local vendors, non-profit booths, and children’s activities along East Owen Avenue, Brooks Street, and the Town Hall parking lot. Centennial Plaza will feature live music with Loos Change from 10 a.m.-noon, a DJ from noon-2 p.m., and Blooming in the Forest – a local floral arrangement competition.

In addition, the Urban Forestry Board (UFB) will again host the popular Arbor Day Tree Seedling Giveaway in the Town Hall parking lot, 301 S. Brooks St. UFB members, Town staff, and volunteers will distribute over 2,700 oak, river birch, and redbud 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 Northern Wake Senior Center, 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: Soulbachi, Tasty Turkey Q, Little Halos, and Lumpy's Ice Cream.

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 Assistant Tracy Painter at tpainter@wakeforestnc.gov. Please note: Vendor applications for this event are no longer being accepted.

A special thanks to our 2025 Forest Fest partners: Town of Wake Forest, Wake Forest Farmers Market, Carolina Regenerative Health, Fidelity Bank, The Wake Forest Historic 13.1, Piedmont Federal Bank, the Wake Forest Historical Museum, and the Kerr Family YMCA.

Also, a special thanks to our 2025 Forest Fest sponsors: Professional Touch Paint; Johnson Hyundai of Wake Forest; Warren, Shackleford & Thomas Attorneys; Cameron & Furman Certified Public Accountants; Hounds Town; Re/Max Hometown Wake Forest; Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce; Radeas; Greg Daniels – Financial Advisor Edward Jones; Nothing Bundt Cakes; MK Creative Arts Studio; Renewal by Andersen; Brightspeed; Fidelity Bank/Right By You Mortgage; and Piedmont Federal Bank.

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.