GLOVERSVILLE - Revived earlier this year after years of dormancy, the city Recreation Commission will host its first events of the year Saturday, including the inaugural Gloversville Community 5k and First Saturday Block Party on Elm Street.
The 5k run and walk begins at Elm Street at 9 a.m. The course then turns onto the FJ&G Rail Trail, runs through several neighborhoods, turns onto Kingsboro Avenue, then loops through Park Drive and turns down Third avenue and North Main Street to the finish on Elm Street.
Online registration closed Thursday, but runners and walkers can register on-site from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on Elm Street.
"So far, we've got just under 50 people registered, and we're expecting more to turn out for the race and registration," said Recreation Commission member Jared Hammond.
The fee to register is $26. Proceeds go toward future Recreation Commission activities.
Anyone attending Relay for Life tonight at Park Terrace Elementary School can pick up $5 discount coupons for the 5k. For each of these coupons, the Recreation Commission will donate $5 back to Relay for Life.
The first 200 entrants receive a free T-shirt. Entrants also can show their race bib at Gianna's for a free slice of pizza and Glove Cities Sports Lounge for a free beer Saturday.
Hammond said the support of the community has been strong, with the event garnering four main sponsors: Townsend Leather, Nathan Littauer Hospital, Gianna's and Glove Cities Sports Lounge.
"We want this race to happen every year. We figure as long as we build a good base, people are going to come back," Hammond said.
Vendors for First Saturday, a block-party-style event that runs until 4 p.m., will be set up in the Elm Street parking lot and lined up along Elm Street, which will be closed to traffic between Church and Spring streets.
Among the First Saturday festivities are craft and art vendors, food, live music by Beth Zaje, and a dunking booth.
Recreation Commission Chairman John Castiglione, also a former 2nd Ward councilman, said new Police Chief Donald VanDeusen will be in the dunking booth, "volunteering to be sucker," he joked.
"We're really looking forward to this event. It's our first one," Castiglione said. "I'd like to thank the members of the commission who worked so diligently to put this project together, especially Jean Chain [former 6th Ward councilwoman], who has done a tremendous amount of work."
The city Recreation Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the council chambers to form committees to plan a fall harvest festival, free movie nights, a winter carnival and a 2013 spring children's fishing derby.
City residents are encouraged to join the committees to help plan these events.
For more information, visit www.community5k.com