Laurel's annual Riverfest is Oct. 1 in Riverfront Park

Laurel Board of Trade's 15 annual Riverfest is set for Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Riverfront Park, one block north of Main Street at Avondale Street. The festival includes arts and crafts vendors, food, displays by community groups, live entertainment, children's games and pony rides.

Board of Trade officials have decided this year's Riverfest will follow an international theme to reflect the different cultures represented in Laurel's population.

The festival gets going with the seventh annual First Generation College Bound Riverfest 5k run/2-mile walk at 9 a.m. To register, go to http://www.fgcb.org or call 301-490-0911.

PNC Bank will bring its 40 x 50-foot Mobile Learning Adventure, which offers interactive touch-screen kiosks, educational games and parenting tips, part of PNC Bank's Grow Up Great project to highlight the importance of early childhood education. At a photo station, kids can dress up in costumes of what they'd like to be as grown-ups, then pose for photos to take home.

Board of Trade Administrative Coordinator Gail Reinhardt said there will be more food at this year's Riverfest, with everything from wings to sweet potato bread to Fisher's popcorn. Old-fashioned children's games will include potato sack races and tug of war and Laurel Police will offer children's fingerprinting IDs.

The festival's hayride will follow the Riverfront Park path from B Street to about Sixth Street, Reinhardt said.

Call the Laurel Board of Trade at 301-483-0838.