The 36^th annual Meet in the Street is on its way and downtown Wake Forest is currently buzzing with the controlled chaos of preparations. Event organizers, performers, vendors and volunteers alike will be working hard up to the event.

Meet in the Street began 36 years ago when some Wake Forest citizens pitched their idea to the Chamber of Commerce.

“The original event started with 20 vendors on White Street,” said Corey Hutcherson, Vice President of Membership for the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce. “The event has grown over the years to over 200 vendors and now encompasses three downtown streets (White, Brooks and Taylor).

With such a large number of vendors, a crowd of roughly 30,000 people is expected. This amount may seem overwhelming at first, but Wake Forest has made it clear that it is prepared for the numbers.

“Staff and key volunteers receive training in crowd control and we discuss logistics thoroughly with staff and town officials,” said Hutcherson. “Each year we are adding more volunteers to help with the organization of the event.”

Hutcherson also plays a major role in the organization of Meet in the Street. Aside from being Vice President of Chamber membership, Hutcherson is also the coordinator of performances and sponsorships for Meet in the Street.

The opening act for this year’s Meet in the Street is the Lang Sisters, two young, female bluegrass singers from Wake Forest. Both girls have found inspiration through other artists and apply their tactics to every original song and performance.

“One of my biggest guitar inspirations is Doc Watson,” said Jessie Lang. “I find it very inspiring that even with his [blindness], he was able to overcome [his disability] and become one of the most well-known flat-pickers of all time.”

Both girls have found inspiration through musical influences from their parents.

“Growing up, our parents were always playing bluegrass music (like Alison Krauss) on the radio,” said Chloe Lang. “The first person who inspired us to pick up the guitar was Taylor Swift (and still is).”

The Lang Sisters have also disclosed that they want to bring a balanced set of folk and bluegrass music along with a few of their original songs.

“We hope that people will discover a new genre of music to love, or show younger audiences that traditional music isn’t just for older generations,” said both Jessie and Chloe Lang. “It is our job and joy to pass this music on to the next generation, so it will not be lost.”

Meet in the Street has reached its record attendance for vendors this year, leading town officials to expect more than 30,000 people to attend the festival. Even arts and craft vendors from outside the state have taken an interest in the event.

“Meet in the Street has grown from a local community street event into a regional arts/craft festival,” says Hutcherson. “We have recruited high quality arts/craft vendors, great live music acts, and top notch food vendors. Part of the Meet in the Street Logo focuses on art, food and music. Come out this year and enjoy all three.”