As the summer draws to a close, the East Petersburg Events Committee is gearing up to host a variety of celebrations, concerts and activities at East Petersburg Community Park, 6051 Pine St., East Petersburg.

On Saturday, Sept. 2, the 12th annual East Pete Blues Festival will be held from 1 to 7 p.m. The event will feature a performance from a variety of artists each hour, including the Mystic Alpacas, Benjamin Vo Blues Band, Soul Sunrise, Muddy Ruckus, Skyla Burrell Band and Greg Sover Quartet. This year, the duration of the festival has been extended to feature more music throughout the day; previously, the concerts concluded after three hours. Food will be available to purchase from multiple food trucks, including Krazy Kones, Bellys BBQ, M &M Makin' the Bakin and Scoop O Dough. The East Petersburg-Landisville Lions Club will sell hamburgers and hot dogs.

From Tuesday, Sept. 19, to Saturday, Sept. 23, the planning committee will organize several events as part of its East Petersburg Days series. On each day of the event, carnival rides and games will be open from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the park. On Friday, Sept. 22, the Big Big Jazz Band will perform at the park's amphitheater from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

On Sept. 23, the final day of the event will kick off with a kids' fun run at 8:30 a.m. An '80s-themed 5K will begin at 9 a.m., and prizes will be given out for first place and best dressed. Online registration will be accepted until Thursday, Sept. 21, and runners may also sign up on the day of the race. To register online, visit http://www.eastpetersburgday.com.

At 10 a.m., a parade will begin at Keller Williams Elite on Manheim Pike and conclude at East Petersburg Community Park. Several activities will follow the conclusion of the parade, including a pet parade, a magic act and a face painting station. At 1:30 p.m., Steven Courtney and the Suitcase Musicians will perform at the amphitheater. A whoopie pie eating contest will take place at 3 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., local cover band Pop will offer a concert as the festivities begin to wrap up. The celebrations will officially conclude with a firework show at 9:30 p.m.

As the events committee has continued to offer new attractions at the park over the years, it has seen a steady increase in the number of attendees and more interest from the community. The committee has also expanded many of its existing events as they continue to grow; the Blues Festival now includes a beer garden and longer time slots for its performers. East Petersburg Days began as a one-day event, but it has gradually expanded to include several days of celebration. "We've worked really hard to create a fun event for the community to come out and enjoy," said Kristin Troop, chair of the events committee.