ANDOVER – Despite going head-to-head with Wilton’s Blueberry Festival and Rockland’s Maine Lobster Festival this weekend, Vickie Meisner believes Andover’s annual Olde Home Days will attract a crowd of thousands.

“We usually have a very, very good turnout,” Meisner, Andover’s co-organizer said late Thursday night.

Normally, she said, between 3,000 and 5,000 people of all ages attend the traditional celebration that kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, with local talent, including Meisner’s husband, Marshall, performing a live country-rock concert on the town common.

Though Andover’s 27th annual Olde Home Days celebration runs through Sunday, “all the good stuff happens Saturday,” Selectman Hope Peterson said Thursday evening.

That day is fully packed with a 4-mile and 1-mile road race that begins at 8 a.m., and a dance 12 hours later at the fire station.

The in-between stuff includes a large parade on Main Street starting at 10 a.m., with judging starting 30 minutes prior, along with a bike- and doll-carriage parade. The theme is “Gateway to the Forest.”

“It’s a huge parade, quite spectacular. We’ve got marching bands, like the Old Crow Indian Band of Farmington, a drums-and-banners band from Lewiston, and a Rumford band, and a big collection of Army surplus equipment, like tanks and things,” Meisner said.

Additional events include an antique/classic car show from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Akers’ Field; a photography contest at the town hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and a chicken barbecue at the fire station and a pie-eating contest near the tennis court, both starting at 11 a.m.

Pie-eating contestants are advised to enter early due to a limited supply of pies, according to a brochure schedule of events.

There’s even a strange variant on the cow-chip tossing competitions that some other towns have, a Road Apple Roll behind the tennis court.

“We’ve run out of cows in Andover, but we have a lot of horses. So, people throw these horse chips. It’s a little different, but it’s very popular,” Meisner said.

Winners get trophies and ribbons.

Judging occurred Thursday for displays entered in Saturday’s annual Garden Show from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m..

Additional events include a fly-casting contest on Morse’s Lawn starting at 12:30; a firefighters’ muster on the Little League ball field and a line-dancing demo on the tennis courts, both starting at 1 p.m.; karaoke at the bandstand and a game show by the Ellis River Riders in South Andover, both starting at 3 p.m.; followed by arm wrestling at the gazebo at 5 p.m.

Throughout the day, horse-drawn wagon rides will be offered around town; the historical enactment group, The Ancient Ones, are to be sequestered behind the fire station, and vendors will provide crafts, games, food and fun on the town common.

Sunday’s lone event is an all-day horse show by the Ellis River Riders in South Andover.

For more information, contact Vickie Meisner at 392-4311.