The sixth annual Founder’s Day Parade takes place Saturday in downtown Aberdeen — an event that celebrates those who first settled and developed Aberdeen and others who represent the present and future. With a colorful array of parade floats, vintage vehicles and a street fair — with food, crafts and games — it’s an event meant to attract any and all in town for a fun-filled day.

The parade starts at 11 a.m. and runs on Market Street — from Franklin Field east to L Street. The festivities are expected to run through 4 p.m., with the street fair taking place on Broadway Street between Wishkah and Market streets.

There’s been no confirmation yet that the descendants of A.J. West and Sam Benn, the founders of Aberdeen, will be in attendance. Along with historical parade entries, such as members of the Polson Museum driving old logging trucks, there is also a wide variety of groups that march representing all kinds of other organizations and festivals.

Organized this year by the new chairpersons Nathan and Julie Kennedy, the parade is expected to have more entrants than last year. Nathan said 48 entries for the parade have signed up so far, but he anticipates getting up to 60 by the parade’s start Saturday.

Unlike previous years, there’s no banquet scheduled the night before as a fundraiser, which Nathan said didn’t do very well financially in recent years. He added that instead there was a “Paint and Sip” event held recently as a fundraiser for the parade at the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport.

There will be a larger number of cheerleading groups this year, Nathan added, including cheer groups from Montesano, Elma and Aberdeen along with its football team in the parade. Aberdeen High School’s World Traveler’s Club will have a booth at the festival raising funds for a planned trip to Japan.

Other upgrades in this year’s festival are more food trucks, Nathan said, which includes Double Barrel Barbecue from Ocean Shores, an elephant ears vendor and Italian sausages. There will also be the usual assortment of craft booths and a bouncy house.

(Louis Krauss | Grays Harbor Newsgroup) John Culp rides his self-made horse bicycle through the Founders Day Parade in Aberdeen.

(Louis Krauss | Grays Harbor Newsgroup) Descendants of Aberdeen founders AJ West and Sam Benn pose at the Founders Day Parade. From left, AJ West, Bill Brasfield, Edward Watson West, and Mary Kay West.