When the Toronto Art Festival opens its two-day run at 10 a.m. Saturday, it will mark the renewal of a Labor Day Weekend tradition that stretches back to the late 1970s.

It once again will offer residents from throughout the Tri-State Area the chance to enjoy a variety of music, arts and crafts, food and fun.

Presented by Focus in Toronto, the 47th-annual festival, which will run until 6 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, will be centered around the Gazebo Commons area of North Third and Main streets in the heart of the city and include the areas around the First Presbyterian and Riverview United Methodist churches.

There will be plenty of live entertainment from local bands, area vocalists and other performers. Local groups and organizations will be selling food, drinks and sweet treats as part of fundraising efforts, including the Toronto High School Band.

Another much-anticipated part of the event will be the annual chicken dinner sale conducted by the Toronto Lions Club. The biggest fundraising event held by the club each year, organizers anticipate selling hundreds of the meals, proceeds of which will help the club continue its efforts to help local residents.

Around 80 vendors are expected, organizers explained, and they will offer a wide variety of products. There will be old favorites, as well as new participants, all of whom will be selling a large selection of items, including candles, baked goods, stained glass, crocheted items, yard ornaments and jewelry — and that’s just the start.

Organizers expect more than 1,000 people will converge on the streets of the city during the run of the festival. Attendees also will have the opportunity to purchase chances to win a holiday package for a two-night stay at the Dutch Host Inn in Amish country.

A selection of items that have been donated from each participating vendor also will be awarded during several drawings that will be held.

And, the Main Street Museum, which is located inside the Karaffa Recreation Center on Dennis Way, will be open to guests from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

It’s a weekend that lets the community shine, and offers a chance for residents to show the pride they have in their town.

The festival is a reminder of the richness of life that can still be found in small-town America, and is another example of the many things there are to do throughout Jefferson County and the region.