Downtown Marianna to wear the green Saturday

With hopes for nice weather and a good crowd, the City of Marianna is putting the final touches on the its St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, set for this Saturday.
Main Street Marianna — an organization dedicated to downtown area improvements and special events for the city — is planning for a celebration to remember, with the fun kicking off at 3 p.m. and going until 9 p.m. that evening.
Madison and Market streets will be filled this weekend with the sounds from local band Twenty on Red, along with vendors selling a variety of foods, and arts and crafts. For the little ones, the city has made arrangements for inflatable bounce houses and face painting booths.
Project Coordinator Charlotte Brunner says this year’s celebration will bring back the ever-popular bed races.
In teams of five, participants will race beds down Madison Street, starting at Clinton Street.
According to Brunner, the teams of five must all be present and have a fully decorated bed. In this race, one team member rides while the other four push the bed to the finish line. Three awards will be given following the race — one for the first to cross the finish line, another for the team with the most team spirit, and the last for the most outrageously decorated bed.
“Last year’s bed race was a real hit,” Brunner said. “We had about 10 teams and everyone else had a ball watching.”
It’s $25 per team to enter the race. For any team wishing to purchase the Main Street Mariana beer steins, they can combine the purchase with their bed race entry. Teams pay $50, and receive a stein for every team member, with their first beer free.
Other event attendees may also purchase the beer steins for $10 each.
All proceeds from the bed race and the overall event go towards capital improvements to the downtown area.
“The community really seemed to like this St. Patrick’s Day Celebration last year, and I think it’s a great way to get people out of the house and socializing,” Brunner said. “Hopefully, we’ll have a sunny, warm day and be able to enjoy the outdoors in green.”
On top of the music, the food, the art, the bed races and inflatable fun, there will also be a few raffles.
The Marianna Wal-Mart has donated a 40-inch flat screen to Main Street Marianna, to be given away in a raffle Saturday. Another raffle will be giving away a beach cruiser bicycle from Regions Bank.
City commissioners approved the sale of beer for the event Saturday. This event was made possible not only by Main Street Marianna, but the organization’s dedicated volunteers, according to Brunner.
“We hope to see the community and friends alike getting shamrocked, main-street style, this weekend,” Brunner said. “And don’t forget your green.”