WAITSBURG – Spring is in the air and Waitsburg Celebration Days is a mere six weeks away. Tickets are already on sale for several highlight events of what looks to be a fun-filled family weekend, May 20-22.

The weekend's signature event – the 35-mile Karen's Ride ATV Poker Run – has been adapted to allow participants to play an unlimited number of poker hands this year. Hands may be purchased at a discounted $10 rate through May 16, and will be $15 each after that date.

And an additional ride, a Historical Sunset Cruise, has been added to the schedule on Friday night. Riders on the Sunset Cruise, organized by Andy and Denise Winnett, will check in at the fairgrounds on Friday evening and depart in groups of ten vehicles, for a guided tour noting historical sites of interest. The cruise will take Saturday's poker run route in reverse.

All guide stops aren't yet finalized, but possibilities include and Boy Scout and Girl Scout cabins, Coppei Falls, Segraves Dance Hall, Mt. Pleasant, the Town of Gross, and more. Locals with ancestral ties to the locations will provide information about each site.

After the cruise, participants will return to the fairgrounds where they can hang out around a bonfire and enjoy beverages in the nearby beer garden. The Historical Sunset Cruise is limited to 50 vehicles.

Tent and RV dry camping will once again be available for $10 per night, on Friday and Saturday nights, on the east side of the fairgrounds.

Saturday's events include an American Legion Breakfast at Town Hall, a parade, an antique auto show, live music at Preston Park, a visit from the Tri-Cities Steel Drum Band, and kid's games in the park. Following the Poker Run, ATV's and bystanders can enjoy a challenge course and mud pit at the fairgrounds, followed by the annual Burger, Bands, & Brew dinner and dance.

Parade registrations, Classic Auto Show entry forms, ATV info, and Burgers, Bands, & Brew info may be found at http://www.cityofwaitsburg.com/events.html.

The popular Waitsburg Celebration Days Brewfest will return to Town Hall at noon with sample brews from seven breweries including: Burwood Brewing Company, Chief Springs Fire & Irons Brew Pub, Dragon's Gate Brewery, Hermiston Brewing Company, Laht Neppur Brewery, Paradise Creek Brewery, and Riverport Brewing.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the door. Each ticket includes five samples (5-6 oz) and a commemorative glass. Tickets may be purchased for additional glasses and samples. Waitsburg American Legion Post #35 will serve Brats and chips.

At 1 p.m. Karen's Ride participants will depart the historic Waitsburg fairgrounds and travel a 35-mile marked course through the scenic foothills of the Blue Mountain, drawing cards at seven checkpoints along the way. The ride ends back at the fairgrounds with an optional run through the mud pit for the final card.

Awards will be presented at 5 p.m. with wins for the best five cards out of seven. Jackpots will be 60% of the event proceeds split as follows: 1st place, 30%, 2nd place, 20%, 3rd place, 10%. Last year's first place prize was over $800. A Straight Flush of Love (Hearts) earns a $50 jackpot.

Tickets for the Poker Run, Sunset Cruise, and camping may be purchased online by searching for "Karen's Ride" or "Waitsburg Celebration Days" on http://www.Eventbrite.com or by calling Wendy Richards at (509) 520-2124 or Lisa Naylor at (509) 386-6021.

Pizza and a beer garden will be available at the fairgrounds and returning riders can participate in an ATV Challenge Course or just have fun in the mud pit.

At 5 p.m. Waitsburg's PEO will begin serving burgers and the Lions Club beer garden will be available for Burgers, Band, & Brews. The FrogHollow Band will take the stage at 9 p.m. for a night of dancing. Tickets may be purchased at Waitsburg Grocery, by calling 520-2124, or by searching "Burger, Band and Brew" at http://www.Eventbrite.com.

The weekend wraps up on Sunday with Cowboy Church at 9:30 in Preston Park, followed by a Duck Derby in the Touchet River at 10 a.m.

Commemorative 2016 Waitsburg Celebration Days T-Shirts are available online at the Karen's Ride Eventbrite page and may be ordered directly through Blue Crystal Screen Printing for $15.