The vision

Growth

• Advocate for more diverse housing types, including affordable housing
• Offer matching grant to potential long-term tenants who will occupy vacant spaces
• Recruit potential grocery stores and develop an annual festival that celebrates the food scene downtown
• Develop a “Pop-Up Program” to provide space for small retail startups with minimal start-up costs

Connectivity

• Create more on-street parking and update technology for payment systems
• Build outdoor amphitheater that would bring live entertainment with 5,000 or more seating capacity
• Add street lights and improve walkability
• Increase accessibility to scooters and bikes for easier navigation

Appearance

• Add trees and landscaping to beautify the area
• Expand public art projects and upgrade sidewalk dining
• Maintain and leverage the current downtown architecture

• Christmas With The Dryes | Tuesday, Dec. 5 | 7:30-10 p.m. | Old Homeplace Vineyard, 623 McGee Rd., Winston-Salem | $25-$60 | Country music duo Derek and Katelyn Dryes perform as part of their first headlining tour with special guests Tatum Scott, Justin Fulp, and Braden Hull.

• Wake Forest Men’s Basketball vs. Rutgers | Wednesday, Dec. 6 | 6 p.m. | Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 825 University Pkwy., Winston-Salem | $20-$40 | Watch the Deacs face the Scarlet Knights after the team downed Florida in the first-ever ACC/SEC Challenge.

• “A Christmas Carol” | Thursday, Dec. 7 | 7:30-10 p.m. | Reynolds Place Theatre, 251 N. Spruce St., Winston-Salem | $14-$28 | The Spirits of Christmas help Ebenezer Scrooge find kindness in his heart before it’s too late in this holiday tale.

• Gift Wrapping Workshop | Thursday, Dec. 7 | 6-8 p.m. | L’Avenue Boutique, 905 S. Broad St., Winston-Salem | $25 | Learn all the gift wrapping tips + tricks to become a pro just in time for Christmas.

• State Sen. Joyce Krawiec says she will retire at the end of her term. She was elected to the General Assembly in 2014, where she’s represented portions of Forsyth and Stokes Counties.(FOX8 WGHP)

• Celebrate the Chanukah Menorah Lighting in Bailey Park on Monday, Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. Enjoy hot latkes and donuts, Chanukah crafts, and try your hand at balloon twisting — the event is free and open to everyone.

• Just 12 more days until you can use the tennis courts at Shaffner Park. Crews are making final touches before it opens to the public on Sunday, Dec. 17.

• Learn how to protect yourself from phone scams during an information session Friday, Dec. 8. A guest speaker from Teddy Burris Consulting will educate participants at Brown and Douglas Neighborhood Center (4725 Indiana Ave.) at 11 a.m.

• Get a preview of the Friends of the Central Library Big Book Sale this Thursday, Dec. 7 from 12 to 3 p.m. Shop from thousands of genres, audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs at the Central Library (660 W. 5th Street). Registration is required along — with a $25 admission fee.

• Are you a wine connoisseur? You can help select the next by-the-glass menu offering at The Katharine. From now through February, receive a selection of three wines and mark your favorite on a voting card.

• The Snow Ball: Father-Daughter Dance has been postponed to Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Tickets can be purchased online.

• Have an active loved one on your shopping list? Upway delivers rigorously inspected, certified, and 99% pre-assembled e-bikes from top brands (think: Specialized, Aventon, and Super73) directly to your doorstep — with free express shipping when you use code TREE.*

Fall — 44%

Spring — 43%

Summer — 11%

Winter — 2%