The 61st Annual Strawberry Festival is expected to draw thousands of people Saturday to Stilwell for the parade, carnival, rodeo and other festivities.

If the weather cooperates, it is expected to be the largest festival ever, said Matt Hoyt. He is president of the Kiwanis Club, which is in charge of the festival.

“It all depends on the weather,” Hoyt said. “If it is cool in the morning and warms up in the afternoon, you will have crowds that you will not believe,” he said.

Arts and crafts booths will be open all day long up and down Main Street.

The big event, the hour-long parade, begins at 10 a.m. Honored dignitaries include Festival Queen Tawnie Goodwin, Prince Austin Cox and Princess Zoe Nicole Scudder.

The carnival is at a new location, north of the Tyson Hatchery. Enter through Adair State Park. The carnival is open tonight and all day Saturday.

Those hoping to buy strawberries may want to look on the Web site www.strawberrycapital.com, which has a link to the growers, Hoyt said. Some growers bring their berries to town to sell — some don’t. But the Web site will show you where the growers are, he said.

Growers could not get into their fields Thursday because they were too wet, Hoyt said. They’re planning on picking today and even Saturday, officials said.

The first event Saturday is the 5-K Run for the Berries, followed by the horseshoe throwing competition at 8 a.m. at Third and Olive streets. The Farmer’s Market opens at 8 a.m. at the Stilwell Library.

The Second Annual Street Dance sponsored by the Adair County 4-H will be from 7-10 p.m., just north of the downtown Adair County Courthouse.

Bandstand entertainment is slated for 8 a.m, starting with two area choirs. A country and western band, Hazzard, will be featured. Paul’s Mission follows at 3 p.m. and Powerhouse at 4 p.m. Tick Fever begins it presentation at 5 p.m.

The berry auction will begin at 2 p.m. and free strawberries and ice cream will be served at 3 p.m.

An all-school reunion begins at 6:30 p.m. at Stilwell High School.

Reach Donna Hales at 684-2923 or dhales@muskogeephoenix.com.