Good morning, Wake Forest.

The Rotary Club of Wake Forest will host its 3rd Annual Cars and Carnivores Street Festival on June 7 on Brooks Street and East5 Owen Avenue, where a free car show and nationally sanctioned steak cookoff will raise funds to pay off local cancer patients' past-due medical bills — the event was moved from March for better weather. A SCA Certified Judge’s Class will take place on June 6 at The Forks Cafeteria for those interested in learning judging criteria for the competitions.

Local favorite Sleeping Booty will headline the free outdoor Friday Night on White concert on May 9 from 6-9 p.m. along South White Street in downtown Wake Forest.

Refreshments and food trucks will be available for purchase—parking is provided at several downtown spots.

The Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is now accepting online registrations for 2025 swim lessons that will run from late May to July at the Holding Park Aquatic Center, with slots available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Classes meet Monday through Thursday for one week and cost $40 for local residents and $80 for non-residents—one-on-one lessons for individuals with disabilities are offered at $120.

The Town of Wake Forest announced that the Northern Wake Senior Center at 235 E.

Holding Ave. is now the Wake Forest Center for Active Aging — a change that shows the center’s active focus and fresh new branding. The facility will keep offering its regular programs and the Town will take over operations on July 1.

A two-vehicle crash closed northbound Capital Boulevard/US 1 at Shearon Farms Avenue—just before Burlington Mills Road, and emergency crews advised motorists to use alternate routes with no serious injuries reported.

The Wake County Board of Education voted Tuesday to approve a budget proposal for next school year that adds $40.3 million to the school budget and sent it to the county board of commissioners for review—Superintendent Robert Taylor said the extra money will help pay for new schools, rising costs, and staff raises while the county board will vote on the proposal on June 2.

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction warned that hackers sent extortion emails to about 50 department employees and 20 local education agencies following a December breach that exposed PowerSchool data.

Officials said they will switch to Infinite Campus in July—credit monitoring is available on the department’s website for affected users.

Town Manager Kip Padgett presented the 2025-26 budget to the Board on May 6—this plan sets unchanged property tax, vehicle fee and downtown service district tax while adding a $1 increase in the residential waste fee and a 3% hike in residential energy charge effective September 1, and it proposes 18 new full-time positions. The public will have a chance to comment at a Town Hall hearing on May 20 and the Board will hold final approval on June 17.

Monica Lileton of Wake Forest Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources graduated from the Municipal and County Administration course at UNC-Chapel Hill after completing a rigorous 150-hour program in law, management and finance—she now manages four recreational facilities and community events in town.

Jim Lauderdale Concert

7:30-10:30 p.m. — The Wake Forest Listening Room — Ticket prices vary — Experience an evening with the Americana music legend Jim Lauderdale showcasing his latest album.