A large crowd is seen taking part in the festivities at Nordeen Park for a previous Gwinn Fun Daze event. (Journal file photo)

MARQUETTE — The Gwinn Fun Daze, hosted by the Gwinn Lions Club for the fourth year running, will be offering fun activities for people all ages and interests from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Attendees can enjoy a parade celebrating the great outdoors; the Walk, Run, Roar 5K; an antique car, truck, tractor, snowmobile and chainsaw show; live music; games; a bouncy house; as well as food and craft vendors.

Gwinn Fun Daze are a “day of family events” that bring the communities of K.I. Sawyer and Gwinn together while encouraging other vistors to come to the area, said Kris Rowe, a member of the Gwinn Lions Club who coordinates the parade and the 5-kilometer race.

Gwinn Fun Daze will begin with the second annual Walk, Run, Roar 5K at 10 a.m. — the first mile of the 5K will be along the parade route, allowing participants to help kick-off the parade, which will immediately follow.

“If you’re running the race, the first mile of it, you’re running down the parade route, there will be people cheering for you,” Rowe said.

Rowe said the 5K is suitable for all ages and skill levels, noting the route is mainly flat and on pavement.

Registration and packet pick-up for the 5K opens at 8:30 a.m. at Gilbert Elementary School, but pre-registration is also available online for $25, while day-of registration will be $30. The top male and female finishers will receive prizes.

Participating in the 5K is a great way to give back to the community while having fun, Rowe said, noting the race serves as a fundraiser, with all money raised going back to the community.

The parade, which will begin immediately following the start of the 5K at 10 a.m., will have a “great outdoors” theme in celebration of the area’s natural beauty. Parade participants will line up at 9 a.m. at Gilbert Elementary School, then travel to Gwinn High School along M-35.

Festivities also will be occurring at Nordeen Park for much of the day, Rowe said, noting people of all ages and interests are sure to find an activity that suits them. Crafts and food vendors will be at the park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., games and a bouncy house will be offered from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the sounds of live music will fill the park from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A few new activities featured at Nordeen Park this year will be a T-shirt tie-dyeing station and demonstrations by the Marquette Robotics Club. These activities provide kids with a chance to “interact and get involved,” Rowe said, noting the Lions Club will also offer a variety of games kids can play for free at the event.

Rowe also highlighted the antique car, truck, tractor, snowmobile and chainsaw show that will be held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Gwinn High School, emphasizing that the show is free to participate in and attend. Those who would like to enter in the show can simply arrive and register, free of charge, at Gwinn High School, between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. the day of the show.

“Our car show is free and then we also go out and get donations for door prizes so a lot of the people that bring cars leave with oil changes or different things,” Rowe said.

It gives people an opportunity to view a wide variety of antique vehicles and equipment, with antique snowmobiles included for the first time this year, she said.

Attendees can enjoy viewing a wide variety of vehicles from different eras while stopping to chat with the owners and entrants — attendees can even vote for their favorite, as a people’s choice award will be one of the many awards given.

“It’s another way for fans to be interactive and get involved in the car show thats going on,” Rowe said.

Overall, Gwinn Fun Daze gives people a chance to “enjoy our town, to enjoy the community,” Rowe said. “We live in a beautiful place and summers up here are so lovely.”

For more information, visit www.gwinnlionsclub.org. The vendor entry deadline is today, while parade participation registration is open until Friday. To register as a vendor, call Mike Prokopowicz at 906-361-4625. To participate in the parade, call Kris Rowe at 906-362-0202, or email gwinnlionsclub.com.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248.