What started as an idea between two Auburn Parks and Recreation employees during lunch at Niffer's Place back in 2000 has now become Auburn's largest free outdoor festival.
Providing fun for all ages, the 11th annual Auburn CityFest will be held April 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kiesel Park.
CityFest 2011 will feature more than 150 vendors offering food, fine art, arts and crafts exhibits and various booths to support nonprofit organizations. The event is open to all ages and dogs on a leash are allowed.
The Weston Burt Band will headline CityFest after spending the past year in Nashville recording their second album.
"They will be bringing their 46-foot tour bus, which will be a great addition to CityFest, as well as signing autographs and taking pictures," said Kellie Camuso, intern for the Auburn CityFest committee.
Kicking off this year's event is the first ever Auburn CityFest 5K race and Fun Run.
Proceeds benefit the Auburn Parks and Recreation Scholarship Program. For $15, participants can register online or at 7 a.m. the day of the event. T-shirts are guaranteed for people who register by April 22.
The 5K race will start at 7:45 a.m. with the one-mile Fun Run following at 8 a.m. Awards will be given to the top three males, top three females and top three finishers in each age group for the 5K. The overall top three Fun Run finishers will also receive awards.
Auburn University's Gamma Phi Beta chapter will be sponsoring its kids' carnival with traditional carnival games and face painting. The carnival benefits Campfire USA, one of the leading nonprofit youth development organizations in the country.
"We always get really excited to do this," said Kelly Peterson, president of Gamma Phi Beta.
"It's a really fun time for all of our sisters to interact with our community."
More than 15 inflatables will be available for children and adults to enjoy, as well as shows from performers such as Bama Air Dogs, The SkyRiders! and Lew-E the clown.
My Big Green Bus will debut this year. The converted school bus offers a safe gymnastics facility for children, complete with a balance beam, vault, zip line and monkey bars.
In conjunction with CityFest, the seventh annual Juried Art Show will be held by the Opelika-Auburn News. The show is open to all artists 18 years and older.
A reception honoring participating artists will be held April 29 at the Historic Nunn-Winston House at Keisel Park from 6 to 8 p.m. Applications are available online.
Camuso said the committee is still looking for volunteers to help with the event. Volunteers for the day will receive a T-shirt and free Chick-fil-A lunch.
Students can also earn spirit points by volunteering.
"We're really looking forward to CityFest 2011," said co-coordinator Sarah Hand.
"It's a great family event that grows every year."
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