The 35th Annual Meet in the Street festival returns to downtown Wake Forest on Saturday, May 2. Presented by the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce, Meet in the Street annually draws well over 20,000 people to downtown Wake Forest to enjoy many of the best artists and craftsmen in our area.
This year’s festival is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will again include portions of South Taylor Street, South Brooks Street and South White Street.
Visitors to Meet in the Street are invited to browse over 150 arts and crafts vendors, indulge in their favorite festival foods and enjoy a variety of live entertainment. Offering the best in regional talent, this year’s lineup of entertainers includes local dance groups and choirs, a diverse selection of live bands, martial arts academies and more.
Meet in the Street will offer two performance stages featuring a variety of performing artists. Outstanding local acts, including the Wake Forest Elementary School Choir, are scheduled to perform in the Performance Plaza, situated in town hall’s Centennial Plaza, along with a variety of martial arts and dance troupes. Live music will be provided on the Main Stage, located on South Main Street in the vicinity of the Beer Garden, by such popular groups as Karma, Liverpool of the Carolinas – Beatles Experience, Bethesda Bluegrass and East Coast Rhythm & Blues Band.
In addition to the popular Children’s Village, Bicycle Safety Fair and Fire Truck exhibit, Meet in the Street will include several food trucks, the Carolina Hurricanes Storm Squad – including crowd favorite “Stormy,” “Muddy” from the Carolina Mudcats, a spin art vendor and mobile gaming theater.
In order to accommodate Meet in the Street, the Town of Wake Forest will close the following streets and parking lots on Saturday from 4 a.m. to approximately 8 p.m.:
South Taylor Street, from East Jones Avenue to Elm Avenue
South Brooks Street, from East Jones Avenue to Elm Avenue
South White Street, from East Jones Avenue to Elm Avenue
Town Hall’s Brooks Street parking lot; the lot will be the site of the Bicycle Safety Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., however, it will remain closed throughout the day.
All other municipal parking lots in the vicinity of town hall, including public and staff parking lots
Free parking will be available in signed spaces along several downtown streets and parking lots. A complete listing of free parking options is provided at www.wakeforestnc.gov/MITS-parking.aspx . Handicap parking will be provided in the Depot Parking Lot, 110 S. White St.; Renaissance Place Parking Lot, 405 S. Brooks St.; and the upper SunTrust Parking Lot, 353 S. White St.
Android and iPhone users can have a handy pocket guide to this year’s Meet in the Street in the palm of their hands by downloading the Town of Wake Forest app and using the app’s “Meet in the Street” function. Designed to offer smart phone users instant access to important details about Meet in the Street, the function includes the complete entertainment schedule, a list of food concessions, parking information, an interactive map and more.
IPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android users can download the town’s free app by searching for “Town of Wake Forest” on iTunes, in the iPhone app store, or in Google Play or by scanning the appropriate QR code provided at www.wakeforestnc.gov/app.aspx.
Meet in the Street is free and open to the public. For more information, including the complete entertainment schedule, parking information, an interactive map and concession offerings, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/meet-in-the-street.aspx.