St. Paul's United Methodist Church (UMC) in Geigertown will celebrate its 250th anniversary with an outdoor festival on Saturday, Oct. 14, featuring a 5K and children's race in the morning, followed by a variety of family-friendly activities, including live music, children's entertainment and food.

The event will begin with the 5K run/walk, which will travel along rural roads in French Creek State Park, and a half-mile kids' race. Registration will open at 8 a.m. The 5K will start at 9 a.m., followed by the kids' race at 9:45 a.m.

"The 5K will start here at the church and (travel) out Kratz Road, and it will go up Fire Tower Road and come back," explained Ray Swisher, a member of the anniversary committee. "We will have a kids' run through the cemetery grounds." He noted that children in strollers will be welcome in the half-mile event.

There will be awards for the first-place male and first-place female overall winners of the 5K and the top three finishers in various age groups. For the kids' race, which is open to youths age 12 and under, there will be awards for the top three male and female finishers overall. For more information or to register, visit http://www.pretzelcitysports.com/race-applications and look for "St. Paul's UMC 250th Anniversary 5K and 1/2 Mile Kids Fun Race." A link to register is also available at http://www.facebook.com/st.paulsgeigertown.

A festival will be held later in the day on the church grounds from 2 to 8 p.m. Featured will be a barrel train ride for children, along with yard games and face painting. Guided tours of the historic church and cemetery will also be offered.

Live music in a large, tented area will be provided by the following groups: Threefold Blessing, a trio from Birdsboro, from 2 to 3 p.m.; Think of 3, a contemporary Christian band from Pottstown, from 4 to 5 p.m.; and Ironwood Drive Band, a gospel bluegrass band from Lancaster, 6 to 8 p.m.

Food will be available from Giovanni's Pizza of Elverson and Windy Hill Farm to Table. Nolt's Chicken BBQ will be available while supplies last.

The event will end at 8 p.m. with fireworks.

The celebration will continue on Sunday, Oct. 15, at the church's 9 a.m. service followed by the opening of a time capsule from 1973. The community is welcome to attend.

According to a history of the church compiled by Swisher, St. Paul's UMC began in 1773 as the Old Forest Church, which was led by the Rev. William Demour. Demour and his congregation built the first small church building at the present site on land owned by the Swedish settler Mouns Jones.

After Demour's death in 1776, the congregation struggled. Bishop Francis Asbury, one of the founders of Methodism in America, traveled from Philadelphia to encourage the struggling congregation in 1799. The congregation prospered and built the present church building on May 26, 1858, when the name was changed to St. Paul's.

For more information about the church or the anniversary activities, visit the previously mentioned Facebook page or http://www.stpaulsumcgeigertown.org. For GPS users, the address of St. Paul's UMC is 1136 Geigertown Road, Birdsboro.