The 44th annual Silt Heydays celebration kicks off this weekend, with two full days of action at Veterans Memorial Park in Silt.

This year’s theme is “Cruising Colorado for 100 Years,” which honors the town’s approaching centennial celebration in 2015 as well as the state’s history.

“We are celebrating by looking back 100 years, and the first Colorado state license plate was issued in 1913, so we’ve been cruising Colorado for 100 years,” explained Peggy Swank, one of the Heydays organizers. “We’ll have our car show and hopefully some other old vehicles in the parade.”

The festivities commence at 7 a.m. Saturday with the Silt Historical Society’s pancake breakfast, accompanied by live music.

Throughout the weekend, there will be a number of live performances from musical groups, the local cheerleaders and the Western Slope Stompers. Roughly 50 food, craft and game booths will line the perimeter of the park, and the festival will host a range of kids’ games Saturday afternoon.

Saturday’s parade will be led by grand marshals Carl Mobley, his wife Dee Starbuck Mobley and her brother, Joe Starbuck. All three are descended from families that settled in Colorado in the 1800s.

“We look for people who have done a lot and who have lived in the community for a long time,” Swank said. “They were born and raised here, and they’ve done a lot of things in this area.”

In addition to participating in the parade, the grand marshals will be available for a meet and greet at the park.

During Heydays, locals are invited to show off their skills at several contests, ranging from watermelon seed spitting to jalapeño eating, and the town of Silt will host a beer booth. All day Saturday, door prizes will be given away every hour at the park.

Swank said the prizes were donated by local businesses and range from restaurant gift certificates to passes to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. To enter the free raffle, attendees can sign up at the information booth at the park.

The Anvil Points Quilt Guild will also be holding its eighth annual quilt show Saturday, displaying more than 100 quilts hung over porch rails and draped over tree branches.

“I’m looking forward to a nice, sunshine-y day,” said Swank, who is in her 20th year as an organizer. “I’ve been watching the weather reports, and it looks like we’ll have a nice day, but I’m always excited for Heydays.”

Sunday, the celebration continues with the fourth annual Heyday Hobble, a 5K race that begins and ends in the park. Registration is from 7-7:45 a.m. with a $25 fee, which benefits the Silt Historical Society.

The fifth annual Silt Heydays Car Show will also be held Sunday, opening to the public at 10 a.m. and including everything from classic automobiles to modern, flashy cars. A panel of judges will select the Best of Show winner, and all in attendance are welcome to vote in the People’s Choice category.

Swank explained that it was the inaugural car show five years ago that transformed the traditional Silt Heyday into a two-day event, and then they moved the Heyday Hobble to Sunday as well to balance out the weekend.

The Heydays festival wraps up with a concert at the Stoney Ridge Pavilion Sunday evening, sponsored by KMTS and featuring Already Gone and the LoCash Cowboys.