FORSYTH COUNTY — Forsyth residents who enjoy getting outdoors and experiencing all the county has to offer are in luck this weekend as three large events Saturday offer a variety of family fun.

The activities include the popular Boulder Dash and spring fling, the Bandapalooza music festival at South Forsyth High School and Healthy Kids Day at the Forsyth County Family YMCA.

Boulder Dash

Starting at 9 a.m., the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce presents the seventh annual Boulder Dash, which will feature both a 5K and 10K races.

The races will begin at Northside-Forsyth Hospital and end at Bluegrass Materials’ quarry.

“We’ll have about 1,300-1,400 people coming out and participating,” said Jason Mock, director of small business services at the chamber.

“If you’ve never seen the quarry behind that berm, you’ve always driven down Ronald Reagan [Boulevard] and wondered what’s behind that fence line, this is a great opportunity.”

Following the race, a spring fling featuring food, music and local vendors will be held in the quarry.

“Friday night, Bluegrass will go in there and stop production and start to clean up and start to work the path,” he said. “A lot of people are always wondering, is it a soft course? And, really, they pack that gravel and that force down to almost like you’re running on a track or a concrete sidewalk.”

Participants will need to park at the hospital, and bus service will be available back from the quarry. Online registration for the race has closed, but those interested in taking part have two more chances to register.

“You can come out to Lou Sobh Kia between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday to pick up your packet as well as register,” Mock said.  “You can also register the day of at Northside-Forsyth from 7:30 a.m. to about 8:30 a.m.”

Proceeds from the Boulder Dash will go toward the Forsyth County Parks Foundation, which helps support local amenities.

Bandapalooza

It’s common for high school bands to play on the school’s football field, but there will be a different look and sound Saturday.

Starting at 3:30 p.m., South Forsyth High School’s band boosters will put on the second annual Bandapalooza, a rock music and arts festival.

“Our feature is we have 12 bands and musicians that will actually be on the field … and they’ll be playing all day,” said Lissa Pijanowski, event coordinator. “We have an art show and sale featuring our South Forsyth High School visual arts students.”

Tickets to the event are $5 in advance and $7 at the gate. T-shirts, concessions and student artwork will be available for purchase.

Gates open at 3 p.m., and the event likely will run past 10 p.m.

Pijanowski said it will give high schoolers a rare opportunity to play under the stadium’s lights and appear on the scoreboard’s screen.

“We’ve got kids from Forsyth and the surrounding area that have been contacting us since February,” Pijanowski said.

For a full list of bands, tickets and more information, visit sfhsbandapalooza.weebly.com.

Healthy Kids Day

The local YMCA will be teaching children how to stay fit over summer from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday as part of Healthy Kids Day.

“[It] is a national initiative to bring awareness to how kids kind of get sedentary over the summer, and we want to get them active,” said Sarah Pedarre, director of membership and community engagement.

The event is open to all and will balance fun, with activities such as face painting and bounce houses, with good information on exercise options. The event will kick off with a cardboard boat race in the YMCA’s pool.

Several local agencies will also be on hand with their own information and activities.

The event will be held primarily in the YMCA’s gym, and will go on rain or shine. The YMCA is at 6050 Y Street in Vickery Village.