BYFIELD — It's time once again for the community festival known as the Byfield Days Celebration.
Events and activities get underway Friday evening, run all through Saturday and into Sunday.
All events take place between the Community United Methodist Church and the Byfield Arts Center on Central Street, except for Saturday's big parade.
This year's festivities kick off on Friday at 6 p.m. with Vintage and Classic Auto Cruise Night. Antique cars will be on display. The crowd will be serenaded by the music of the Dick Kaplan Band while the Ice Cream Social and Food Booth will be open or refreshments.
Things get started early on Saturday morning, with the Boy Scout Pancake Breakfast at 7, the Flea Market at 8 and a 9 a.m. Kids' Fun Run and Mini Olympics. Louis Takesian, a fourth-grader at Newbury Elementary, is organizing all the children events. There will be the fun run, sack races, balloon toss, three-legged race, egg run and a junior tug of war competition.
At 10 a.m. the adults mix it up with the Byfield Day 5K Race. Race check-in will be on the lawn next to the Post Office. Preregistration for this race is $12 and race-day registration is $15. The first 50 entries will receive a free T-shirt. Questions should be e-mailed to Neil Lojek at neaium5510@aim.com.
Miss Byfield will be crowned at 10:30 and she will usher in the grand opening of the Children's Carnival Celebration at 11.
The Blessing of the Animals will occur at noon, followed by the call to line up for the parade. Well-mannered animals are always welcome to join the parade and this year invitations are extended to the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society and PAWS New England to participate.
The parade, as always, will feature floats. Costumes are encouraged and silliness is expected. Last-minute entrants are always welcome and the Big Byfield Parade will be swinging through town at 1.
Activities will continue all day long and the Variety Show will close out the day's events at 7 in Byfield Town Hall.
The weekend will wrap up on Sunday with a 9 a.m. outdoor Community Service followed by a Community Jazz Brunch at 10.
Anyone who would like to work an event, register for a competition or is just looking for information should call event chairwomen Heidi Fram, 978-462-0106, Linda Allen, 978-462-8280, or Rebecca Takesian at 978-317-2598. Byfield Days schedule of events can be found at the Newbury Library, Post Office, Mini Mart, General Store, Pearson's Hardware and Lexa's Spa.
Friday, June 12
6 p.m.: Vintage And Classic Auto Cruise Night
Dick Kaplan Band
Ice Cream Social And Food Booth
Saturday, June 13
7 a.m.: Boy Scout Breakfast
8 a.m.: Flea Market Opens
9 a.m.: Kids' Mini Olympics
10 a.m.: 5k Road Race
10:30 a.m.: Crowning Of Miss Byfield
11 a.m.: Children's Carnival Opens
Church Food Booth Opens
Noon: Blessing Of The Animals
12:30 p.m.: Big Parade Line-Up On Knobb Hill
1 p.m.: Big Parade
2:30 p.m.: Backseat Driver's Contest
3 p.m.: Tug Of War Challenge
Tokyo Joe's Demonstration
7 p.m.: Variety Show (Pre-Registration Required)
Sunday, June 14
9 a.m.: Outdoor Community Worship Service
10 a.m.: Jazz Brunch
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