The Tusky Days Festival kicks off tonight and continues through Saturday in the Village of Tuscarawas. (Tusky Days Festival)

TUSCARAWAS (Tusco TV) - Tusky Days organizers aren’t letting the wet weather today dampen their spirits as they get ready to kick off three full days of food, fun, and entertainment.

Village of Tuscarawas Mayor Dana Moore says the festival starts up later today with an opening ceremony at 5 pm leading into an evening of free musical entertainment.

"The midway opens at 4 o’clock, my presentation for welcome at 5. Then, at 6 o’clock, from 6 to 7, we’ll have the New Philadelphia Steel Drum Band and immediately after that, we’ll have the Tuscarawas River Band," he says.

Events on tap for Friday include a 1-mile walk or run at 6 pm followed by a 5k race at 6:30, both starting out at the Warwick Township Fire Station. The Kodachrome Babies take the stage at 5:30 leading up to a memorabilia auction at 7. Moore says the auction will feature a series of commemorative wooden paddles celebrating Tusky’s connection to the Ohio & Erie Canal.

"They were designed with our theme this year for Lock 15 and the woodshop at Indian Valley High School put it together with CNC machines. They’ve carved this year’s insignia for the festival," he says.

Closing out Friday’s festivities will be a performance from crowd favorite Badstone from 8 to 11. The festival reopens for its final day Saturday with the midway opening at noon and a talent show at 12:30 featuring cash prizes for the top three performers. Moore says the competition is open to both children and adults and any talent is acceptable, within reason.

"Anything from singing to dancing, comedy. It’s just a full range of talent, and it’s just really unbelievable the amount of talent we do have in Tuscarawas County that come to vie for the prize. It’s very entertaining," he says.

Also on Saturday will be the car, bike and truck show from 3 to 7. Live music begins at 4pm with Mark Heddleson Acoustic followed by Sam and Jimmy Hitchcock leading up to Saturday night’s headline act - New Wave Nation.

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