The 125th annual Waco Festival is just one week away, and though plans are pretty secure, Waco City Clerk Sherry Morgan says she has a few loose ends to tie up to ensure the awaited day-long celebration is a success.

Saturday, Sept. 12, marks the big day that will be held at Waco City Hall, and Morgan has already lined up a slew of food vendors. Hot dogs, frozen desserts, funnel cakes and practically any other edibles you can think of will be available for people to enjoy. She’s even booked vendors to sell specialty items such as handbags, jewelry, photography and handcrafted wooden figurines. But now, Morgan is looking for more arts and crafts vendors to join the bunch as part of the city’s effort to offer a variety of free entertainment for children to enjoy at the yearly event.

“We have so many free activities for children, so they can have a good time so parents won’t have to worry about money,” she said. “The city funds games, inflatables, slides and other toys for the kids set up at the park behind city hall.”

Morgan noted the city throws the event with the interest of the community in mind, instead of focusing on a profit, especially since many people are struggling in these economic times.

“We don’t try to make money off of it. It’s just for the community. Money is made from the booths, and we just put it into the kids’ activities, so it works out for everyone,” she explained.

In an unprecedented effort, Waco Baptist Church has also pitched in by donating two shuttle buses to transport guests to and from their cars in order to reduce congestion at the festival this year.

“The shuttles will run from West Central Technical College to the Waco Baptist Church. People can park at either location, and about every 10 minutes the shuttle will carry people back and forth to city hall so they can leave whenever they want to,” Morgan said.

Furthermore, Morgan noted a fun-filled day full of activities and programs will be available for people of all ages. The line up starts with breakfast at 6 a.m., followed by a parade at 11 a.m. The parade starts on Bowdon Street, ending at Waco Baptist Church on Atlantic Avenue. As in previous years, she expects the local school bands there to energize the crowd with upbeat performances.

By mid-day, the celebration will continue with a talent show featuring singers, dancers and a display of other talented contestants in competition for a $300 grand prize and other gifts awarded to the top winners. There will also be give-aways as well as a grand prize of $250 presented during the street dance, which is scheduled later in the evening.

As the celebration winds down, Morgan expects this year’s event to mark another successful turnout that will go down in Waco’s 125-year history.

In the meantime, Morgan is still accepting applications for arts and crafts vendors until further notice. For more information about how to register a booth, call 770-550-4249.