Each year, the Forsythia Festival celebrates the beginning of spring with an arts-and-crafts show, along with other special events. This weekend’s festival in downtown Forsyth will feature live entertainment, a kids corner, a fashion show, a 5K run and a faith-based singing competition.

Saturday’s events start out with the Boy Scouts’ pancake breakfast from 7-10 a.m. at Forsyth United Methodist Church, 68 W. Johnston St. Tickets are $7 and all proceeds go to the Boy Scouts.

The festivities continue with a 5K run and one-mile fun run sponsored by Monroe Physical Therapy at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, 1000 Indian Springs Drive. Registration fees are $25. T-shirts are available on a first-come/first-served basis. Registration can be made in advance on the Forsythia Festival website, www.forsythiafestival.com.

The main event of the weekend is the arts and crafts fair that will take place on both Saturday and Sunday on Jackson Street. The fair features artisans, handmade crafts and festival food. Admission is free.

The live entertainment for the weekend will take place on Johnson Street, featuring local musicians, dancers and entertainers. Local entertainer Matthew Hope will be the main event. Hope is a singer-songwriter based in Macon who plays Southern rock and alternative country music.

FaithFest, a faith based singing competition, will take place on Saturday evening. The competition celebrates faith-based music though all styles including rock, pop, praise and worship, gospel, R&B, hip-hop, country and more. The contest is broken up into two categories, youth and adult, and is open to all amateur singers. The entry form is on the festival website.

Other festival events include a used book sale, a free health seminar, a student art show, a black history exhibit and the “Winnie the Pooh Kids” musical presented by students at Hubbard Elementary School.

Sunday will start with a community worship service at 10 a.m. at Forsyth Presbyterian Church, 63 N. Jackson St., and continue with the arts and crafts fair and the Butler Brown Art Show at the Monroe County Historical Society, 126 E. Johnston St. The Monroe County Arts Alliance, 54 N. Jackson St., will be featuring a “Paint it and Take it” event from noon-5 p.m. where customers can come and create their own painting for $5.

Forsythia Festival

When: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday

Where: downtown Forsyth

Cost: Most events are free, others from $5-$25

Information: (478) 994-9239, www.forsythiafestival.com