FARMINGTON — A variety of workshops, some fun, all informational, make up Saturday’s Stretch-A-Dollar Day at Mt. Blue Middle School on Middle Street.

The day is sponsored by the Western Maine CA$H Coalition and begins with registration at 9:30 a.m. followed by three rounds of 45-minute workshops. Participants can choose one of five workshops offered in each round at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.

The event is free and includes lunch sponsored by KeyBank, said Janet Smith of Women, Work and Community, a coalition member.

Each participant also receives one door prize ticket for attending and one for each workshop attended for a chance at $100 in gas and multiple chances to win groceries, she said.

Local thrift shops will participate in a Thrifty Fashion Show during the lunch hour.

Local organizations will also set up display tables to discuss the services they provide with participants.

Workshops offered include being smart about paying for college, teaching children about money, home ownership, protecting your financial identity and understanding credit reports. Fun topics will provide valuable information such as extreme couponing, eating well for less and growing your own food, Smith said.

There’s a broad variety of workshops to appeal to different groups of people, such as health care for the elderly, financial topics affecting children for parents, and one about turning your hobby into income for aspiring small business owners, she said.

Along with providing free tax preparation, the Western Maine CA$H Coalition offers asset-building information.

Other coalitions around the state offer a Super Saturday, booths and tables of services and programs for participants to view while their taxes are done, Smith said.

Locally, some of that is done in here during tax preparation.

“We didn’t have the space to do a Super Saturday and we found when people come to get their taxes done, they’re not in the frame of mind to think about other things,” she said.

The Stretch-A-Dollar Day started three years ago as a way to also offer similar information.

For more information about the day, contact Women, Work and Community at 778-2757 or the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area at 778-5048.

 abryant@sunjournal.com