Festival plans to feature 5k Color Dash

Albert Lea residents are invited to celebrate the community on Saturday with food, games and festivities for all ages downtown.

Celebrate Albert Lea kicks off at 10 a.m. with the second-annual Color Dash on North Broadway. The 5-kilometer run or walk raises money for the Albert Lea High School’s strength and training conditioning program and Albert Lea’s Youth 1st chapter.

The fun run is planned to start near Fountain Lake Park, go west on Fountain Street to Lakeview Boulevard and then around Fountain Lake. At Edgewater Drive, participants will turn around and head back toward Broadway.

About every kilometer, participants will reach a color station, where they will get blitzed with a colored powder made from cornstarch.

Cost in advance is $40 for an individual, $35 for members of teams and $85 for a family of three. Prices are $10 more on the day of the event.

To register, people can go to www.thecolordash5k.com. Packet pickup begins at 8 a.m.

“It’s just a great end-of-summer event,” said Susie Petersen, executive director of the Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be sidewalk sales at downtown businesses, and small business, art and farm vendors will be set up along Broadway.

People who visit 12 out of 19 downtown stores will have their names entered in a drawing for four tickets to a Minnesota Twins game on Sept. 20 and $100 in cash.

From noon to 3 p.m., there will be a visit from Clifford the Dog, train rides, crafts, pumpkin painting and a bouncy house, to name  few. People will have to purchase a pumpkin to participate in the pumpkin painting; otherwise, all kids activities are free.

There will be representatives explaining the Blue Zones Project.

At 2 p.m., there will be cooking demonstrations by Crescendo owner Bob Tewes. Other food vendors will be available.

The night wraps up with a street dance at 8 p.m. on Broadway between Clark Street and William Street featuring Chris Brooks & the Silver City Boys.

Petersen said the band played at last year’s Celebrate Albert Lea event.

“The band is terrific,” she said. “They play all over the region.”