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A road race around Lake Koronis will kick off the festivities on Saturday, June 15.

Registration for the 10k and 5k run and walk is from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Veteran's Memorial Park. The registration fee is $10 and all participants will receive a t-shirt, power bars and drinks, and be eligible for door prizes.

A pump-and-run event will be held again this year. Participants in the pump-and-run will have the opportunity to bench press their body weight: 100 percent for men and 60 percent for women. One minute will be taken off the runner's time for each repetition.

Runners will be taken by bus from Veteran's Memorial Park for the start of each race at 9 a.m. The 10k race starts by the Regional Park on the south side of the lake while the 5k starts by Bug Bee Hive. Both end at Veteran's Memorial Park.

Organizer Jay Thompson expects 60 to 75 runners this year. To register, call Thompson at 320-243-3887.

The Paynesville Area Center will sponsor a Sunday Social on Sunday, June 16. This new event starts at 5 p.m and features a salad and sandwich supper, big band music, and old time karaoke featuring Jay and Company.

A new Miss Paynesville will be crowned on Monday, June 17 at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. This year seven girls will vie for the title.

A pet show is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 18 at Washburne Court. At 3 p.m, a kiddie parade begins at Washburne Court and goes to the Gazebo Park.

A new carnival comes to town on Tuesday. Sam's Amusements will open its rides and games on Tuesday afternoon while food booths and games will open downtown on James Street and Augusta Avenue.

Food booths will feature such favorites as root beer floats by the Crow River Trail Guards, hamburgers by the Lion's club, cheese curds by the Paynesville Community Club, fry bread by the Paynesville Area Center, and pie and ice cream by the Rebekahs and Odd Fellows. Some new foods are Krispy Kreme donuts by Crystal Hills Assembly, roastedcorn on the cob by the R.O.S.E. Center, and pickles-on-a-stick by the Paynesville Community Club.

Anyone who is interested in finding out what cheese curds, fry bread, and pie do once they hit the bloodstream can check their blood pressure and glucose levels at the fry bread booth on Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. PAHCS will do the free testing.

A family sidewalk chalk competition begins at 4:30 pm on Tuesday. The competition is sponsored by the Consortium for Creative Arts. Businesses can also join the competition again this year.

Prizes are to be awarded for the best animal/nature picture, family portrait, best Town and Country Days depiction, and the Queen's Choice. Registration forms for sidewalk chalk drawing can be picked up at Piano's Plus, the pet show, and the kiddie parade. The registration fee is $3 and includes a pail of sidewalk chalk.

A pedal tractor pull, for children ages 7-11, begins at 7 p.m. on James Street east of Washburne Avenue. A quilt auction, sponsored by the R.O.S.E. Center, is scheduled for Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the parking lot near P.J.'s TV and Appliance. Quilts for the auction are on display at Central Minnesota Federal Credit Union, Community First National Bank, and Farmers and Merchants State Bank.

The carnival and food booths will also be open on Wednesday, June 19. The grand parade for Town and Country Days will start at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The parade will take the same route as the last year. It will start at the Industrial Park, go down Washburne Avenue, turn past the elementary school on Mill Street, head south on Maple Street, and end at St. Louis Catholic Church.

This year's grand marshals will be Wally and Darlene Thyen. (See story on page 2.) The parade will feature four marching bands and have more than 100 units. In keeping with this year's patriotic theme, the Chamber of Commerce will hand out 2,000 American flags along the parade route.

The city has expressed concern about the safety of throwing candy from floats. The parade permit requires that candy be handed out by people walking along the parade route and not thrown from vehicles. Finally, the Little Miss Dairy Queen Pageant and the Dennis the Menace look-a-like contest is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, at the Gazebo Park. Call 320-243-4676 for information.