The sap will be flowing at this year’s Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival, scheduled for April 19-20.

The festival kicks off with the queen and sweetheart contests, which will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, April 19, at the NorthWood Middle School gym.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 20. Categories include: youth, tractor, two-third wheel, antique auto originality, pet and animal, and float.

Wakarusa Lions Club will have an all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage meal both days.Times are from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, April 19 and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 20. An all-you-can-eat barbecue meal will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. both days, at Nelson’s.

Free live entertainment includes: Spike and the Bulldogs, and Nashville singers Casey Weston and Corey Cox. Weston finished in the top eight on season one of the hit show, “The Voice,” and she will perform at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20. She will also be a judge for the “Wakarusa’s Got Talent” show from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 19. Cox will perform 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 20. He has been dubbed, “One of the best young country music entertainers you will ever see.”

Contests are free to enter and cash prizes will be awarded. The adult “Minute Will Win It” will award a $100 cash prize. Sign up right after the parade for free. A children’s “Minute Will Win It” will be played at downtown park and pays out a $50 prize.

Other activities include: camel and pony rides, helicopter rides, pedal pull, bed race, and craft and commercial booths. A cross cut saw contest and baby Olympics will also take place during the festival as will a 3-on-3 basketball contest.

An antique show will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, April 19 and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 20, in the Wakarusa Elementary School gym.

Several demonstrations and tours are planned and are free. Sugar camp tours, wood carving demonstrations, historical museum tours, and chain saw demonstrations will take place. A maple syrup baking contest will take place 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday, April 20.

Festival hours are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. April 19 and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 20.

For more information on all the activities, visit the Wakarusa Chamber of Commerce website.