Get your pig-throwing arm limbered up for Saturday

Plastic pigs will fly and children will squeal Saturday as Summertime on the Canal returns to Savannah Rapids Pavilion.

The festival kicks off at 3 p.m. and features children's activities, live music and dance, arts and crafts, eating contests, a plastic-pig tossing contest, and an evening rubber duck race down the canal.

The afternoon festival is free, and a concert featuring area groups Jacob Beltz Band, The Reeds, Jayson Sabo and Michael Baideme begins at 8 p.m. Concert tickets cost $2.

"The afternoon portion (of the festival) is really great for kids and families," said Stacie Adkins, the county's community events manager. "There will be games and rides. In the evening, it's geared more toward adults, though kids are welcome."

The festival begins with pie-eating contests for children, teens and adults and follows with watermelon seed spitting contests, and watermelon and hot dog eating contests.

At 6:30 p.m., 300 rubber ducks will race from the canal headgates to the new pedestrian bridge, Adkins said.

Festival guests can purchase the ducks for $5 at the Pavilion or at the Ronald Reagan Drive and Furys Ferry Road Zaxby's locations, she said.