In less than two hours Friday morning, a small village of volunteers chopped 300 pounds of potatoes, 150 pounds of carrots, 150 pounds of onions along with piles of celery and cabbage at Beerbower Park.

Enough to serve thousands, those vegetables will join a tomato-based liquid — and a secret blend of spices — in industrial-sized cooking pots, tended by firefighters from the McCleary Fire Department.

By Saturday afternoon, the 64th rendition of the McCleary Bear Festival stew will be ready to eat. For the third year in a row, the stew won’t contain black bear meat, as was tradition for six decades, but ground beef instead.

In the meantime, McCleary will kick off its biggest event of the year.

Food and craft vendors started setting up shop in the park Friday morning, and will begin sales around 1 p.m. At that same time, the City of McCleary will dedicate an alley behind city hall to the late John Allardin, a longtime city employee.

Before helping out with stew stirring Friday evening, McCleary firefighters will take the Beerbower Park softball diamond against the police department in a “Guns and Hoses” game to open this year’s softball tournament, which will continue starting at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Amanda Ransom will take the stage at the park for a musical performance Friday evening starting at 5 p.m. Other musical acts, including SR 109 and Elma High School, will perform Saturday and Sunday.

The Country Bear Fun Run starts at 9 a.m. Saturday morning. The Grand Parade starts at noon, following which the famous stew will be served in the park at 1 p.m.

A car show from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. will highlight the festival’s final day.

For more information visit https://www.mcclearybearfestival.org/.

Food and craft vendors ready their tents behind a bear statue near city hall in McCleary for the 64 annual McCleary Bear Festival. (Clayton Franke / The Daily World)