Why doesn't Wake Forest have a Christmas parade? The Town answers that on its own special events policy page. The parade lost its sponsor in 2020, and no other group has picked it up since.
What matters more for December planning is the reason the sponsor gave and how the season was rebuilt afterward. Wake Forest's holidays used to center on a parade route through downtown streets. They now center on two fixed places, Centennial Plaza at Town Hall and E. Carroll Joyner Park, and the dates are spread from Nov. 21 through Dec. 31. The one event that still moves through town is a Jeep convoy, and it blocks intersections briefly as it passes, which is the opposite of closing a downtown street grid for a full day.
Why the parade stopped
The parade was organized and sponsored by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., which the Town describes as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit run by a relatively small group of volunteers. The organization's board canceled the December 2019 parade over public safety concerns after Wake Forest Police reported credible information about outside groups planning to attend.
The lasting decision came a few months later. In March 2020, Wake Forest Downtown, Inc. voted to stop sponsoring the parade altogether, and the Town's page lists two reasons:
"1) WFD acknowledged that it simply did not have the volunteers and resources necessary to continue producing the event; and 2) WFD recognized that the extensive street closures required in and around the downtown area on the day of the parade - though troublesome for downtown merchants - made coming and going extremely difficult for the growing numbers of people who now live in the downtown area and require access to those roads."
According to the Town, no group has taken on the parade since. A few have shown interest, but none moved forward, mainly because of the time, effort and resources it takes. The Town also says it does not prohibit community groups or nonprofits from organizing a parade. On Nov. 19, 2024, the Board of Commissioners approved an updated Motorized Parade Policy that sets out the requirements, and Town staff are available to meet with any group that wants to try.
There is no parade on the Town's approved special events list for November or December 2026.
What the calendar looks like instead
The second reason the sponsor gave, that day-long street closures were hard on the growing number of people living downtown, fits the 2026 calendar closely. The road impacts that remain are mostly on early weekend mornings or close to a single block of South Brooks Street.
| Date | Event | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Wake Forest Cares Holiday Kick-Off | Downtown Wake Forest | Noon–4 p.m. |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Gobbler's Run 5K | Boys & Girls Club, 325 S. Wingate St. | 8–10:30 a.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Lighting of Wake Forest | Centennial Plaza, 301 S. Brooks St. | 5–8 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Downtown Holiday Open House | Downtown Wake Forest | 10 a.m.–6 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holiday Artisans Market | Centennial Plaza and Town Hall visitor lot | 10 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Dec. 5–31 | Evening Holiday Walk | Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road | 6–9 p.m. nightly |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Calls from Santa | By phone | 6–8 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Frosty Run | East Owen Avenue | 8–10 a.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 13 | #GatherGivesBack Jeep Convoy | Departs The Factory | 5–8 p.m. |
The two races affect the most roads. For Gobbler's Run, the Town lists impacts from 6 to 11:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning along South Wingate Street, through downtown and on North Main Street. For the Frosty Run, East Owen Avenue is affected from 5:30 to 11 a.m. on Dec. 12. Both are labeled "Share the Road" events.
Gobbler's Run has another tie to Thanksgiving week. Its organizers say the race benefits the Wake Forest Boys & Girls Club and has raised more than $1 million for it. In-person registration and packet pickup are at the club on Nov. 24 and 25 from 3 to 6 p.m. Race-day registration runs from 6:45 to 8 a.m., and the race starts at 8. Children 5 and under run free. The current price tier ends Oct. 31, so details for anyone registering after that are on the Gobbler's Run registration page.
The kick-off asks for dollars, for six named causes
The season starts on Saturday, Nov. 21, with the Wake Forest Cares Holiday Kick-Off, a free event from noon to 4 p.m. downtown with family activities. It also opens the Town's annual holiday donation drive.
The 2026 drive takes money, not goods. Donors enter an amount on the Town's form and choose one or more of six initiatives:
- Helping Others by Providing Electricity, or HOPE
- Northern Community Food Security Team
- Shop with a Cop
- Wake Forest Center for Active Aging Scholarship Program
- Wake Forest Firefighters Foundation
- Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Scholarship Program
Dec. 4 and 5 put the season's center at Town Hall
Without a parade, the most crowded part of the season is the first weekend of December, and most of it happens at 301 S. Brooks St.
The Lighting of Wake Forest runs Friday, Dec. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. in Centennial Plaza. The evening includes choral performances by local groups, food vendors and Santa's arrival. The Town says the tree is typically lit at about 6:15 p.m., which is the time to plan around if that moment is the reason you're going.
The next morning, the same plaza and the Town Hall visitor parking lot hold the Holiday Artisans Market, presented by ARTS Wake Forest and the Wake Forest Guild of Artists from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Town expects more than 40 artists and artisans selling pottery, jewelry, painting, fabric art, photography, woodworking, glass art, candles and soaps. ARTS Wake Forest says the market runs rain or shine. The Town lists road impacts from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. that day to cover setup and breakdown.
The Downtown Holiday Open House overlaps with the market, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. across the downtown shops and restaurants. Because the Town schedules the two together, you can walk from a downtown storefront to an artisan's booth on the same visit.
That evening, the second center of the season opens across town.
Joyner Park handles the rest of December
The Evening Holiday Walk at Joyner Park starts Saturday, Dec. 5, and runs nightly through Thursday, Dec. 31, from 6 to 9 p.m. It's free. Visitors walk through the Walker Garden and Performance Garden past lights strung on the crepe myrtles and shrubs, with a Christmas tree nearly 20 feet tall on the Performance Garden Stage.
A parade happened once, on one afternoon. The Joyner Park walk is open 27 nights, so a household with a busy December can pick any weeknight. The park at 701 Harris Road also hosts two smaller Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources events:
- Calls from Santa, Thursday, Dec. 10, 6–8 p.m. Free for children ages 3 to 9. Forms are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7, online or at Joyner Park Community Center or Town Hall. Phone registrations are not accepted, and all calls must be local.
- Snowball Dance, Friday, Dec. 11, 6:30–8:30 p.m. A "Winter Wonderland" evening with a DJ and refreshments at Joyner Park Community Center for residents with disabilities ages 10 and older. The cost is $15 per person, preregistration is required, and participants may bring additional support.
The convoy still moves through town
One December event still travels through Wake Forest neighborhoods. It's the #GatherGivesBack Holiday Toy Drive and Jeep Convoy on Sunday, Dec. 13, and it works differently from a parade.
Gather Group's 2026 page says vehicles stage at The Factory starting at 5 p.m., line up by 6 and leave at 6:30. The holiday-lit Jeeps and other vehicles drive through Wake Forest neighborhoods and return to The Factory.
The Town's listing explains the difference in format. Intersections are blocked off briefly as the convoy passes, which can back up traffic, and the Town will post traffic alerts. Road impacts are listed from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Downtown streets aren't closed for the whole day.
The convoy closes out an annual toy drive. Gather Group collects new, unwrapped toys for children of low-income and deployed U.S. troops, working with United States Veterans Corps and Toys for Lil Troops. You can drop toys in collection bins at participating businesses or bring them to the Toy Truck at The Factory staging area on convoy night. Gather Group also has forms for businesses that want to host a bin and for people who want to volunteer or sponsor.
Indoor tickets on South Brooks Street
The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre at 405 S. Brooks St., a short walk from Centennial Plaza, has two holiday-season shows on sale now.
- Firebox Theatre's Little Women, Dec. 11–13. Performances are Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 12 and 13 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $25 for adults and $15 for youth 12 and under.
- Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience: Run Run Rudolph, Dec. 17–19. Shows are Dec. 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $40 and $45, and a VIP reception is offered before the Dec. 18 show.
If you have family coming in for the holidays and some of them are wondering what a December in Wake Forest is like year-round, we're happy to help. Matt Bergevin and the Carolina Elite Realty Group team can plan a visit around the Dec. 4 lighting, the Dec. 5 market or a weeknight at Joyner Park and answer their questions about the town along the way. Schedule Your Consultation, and we'll help you build the itinerary.
