MARQUETTE — The Noquemanon Trail Network, a nonprofit organization created to build and maintain recreational trails in the Marquette area, is holding its fifth Marquette Trails Festival Friday through Sunday.

This is a fun, family- and community-oriented event with something for everyone to enjoy, race director Nic Dobbs said.

The festival will feature events including half-marathon and 5K trail running races, mountain biking races, youth-friendly courses and outdoor socials, which will include bonfires, live music and food from local vendors. Eleven different events will take place over the three-day festival.

“The event is not only for serious racers,” Dobbs said. “Our end goal is to get the whole family involved.”

All proceeds from the festival are donated back to the NTN and used to maintain current and create new trails and hold community events. The 2017 festival raised over $9,500 and drew in more that 1,500 total racers and spectators from all over the Upper Peninsula and surrounding states.

The high number of participants not only benefits the NTN, but also the community as a whole while hotels and campgrounds will be booked and restaurants and local businesses will be busy, Dobbs said.

“NTN is continuously growing and evolving to make the recreation system stronger and better,” Dobbs said. “All the money (from the event) goes directly back to the trails you love.”

Registration, volunteer signups, schedules and course info can be found at www.MarquetteTrailsFestival.com.

Sophie Hillmeyer can be contacted at 906-228-2500, ext. 254.