It’s time to Celebrate Plover, bigger and better than ever.

The fifth annual Celebrate Plover event will be 9 a.m. to midnight Saturday, July 30, at Lake Pacawa, Plover, and it promises new items and an enhanced activities area to draw in older youth, organizers say.

“That’s the biggest change, it’s going to be just as good but more stuff for that next age group,” said Jason Glisczysnki, a Celebrate Plover Committee member.

Some ideas the committee has entertained include rock climbing and bungee-jumping type activities. At press time, details had not yet been confirmed.

“We’re working with a couple of groups waiting to determine which items will be the best fit for that age group,” added Tim Cisewski, committee co-chair.

McCain Foods contributed additional money this year to assist with the expanding of children’s activities to enhance options for older children and teens.

Celebrate Plover enters its fifth year this summer, providing free activities for children, entertainment for youth and adults, local crafters, a variety of vendors and a choreographed fireworks display.

Admission is free, and the event is open to all. Parking will be available on the northwest corner of Hoover Avenue and Maple Street. There will be signs. Overflow parking will be available at the east end of Maple Street in the Village Park at Plover apartment complex and on farm field edges south of Lake Pacawa.

“The whole intent is to be family friendly,” said Trina Sankey, committee member and organizer. “All the children and youth activities are free. This is a family-oriented event so (vendors) are moderately priced.”

About a dozen vendors already have committed to the event so there will be food items such as Chinese, cheese curds, hot dogs, sweet corn donated by Del Monte, ice cream and bacon mac and cheese to name a few.

The $50,000 cost to put on the event is supported by local businesses and organizations; no funds come out of taxpayer money.

“The entire event is 100 percent funded by sponsor donations and in-kind staff time,” said Village Administrator Dan Mahoney, who also co-chairs the committee. “The dollars necessary to run the event, businesses have stepped up to fund.”

The event also is put together, run and cleaned with the assistance of more than 50 volunteers.

Anyone interested in being a vendor, volunteer or to register for activities such as the volleyball tournament can go to the website celebrateplover.com and click on “events.” Anyone looking to contribute as a sponsor can click on “sponsorship.”

The children’s activities are so popular the hours have been expanded to run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are several inflatable games such as the popular sumo wrestling and bounce house, as well as other favorites and offerings.

The volleyball tournament will begin at 9 a.m., with check-in at 8 a.m. Pre-registration is required and available on the website. The Market Place homemade crafts and home businesses will run all day, and the Corporate Center businesses expo will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Live music and entertainment will being at 1:30 p.m. with Relentless, a ’70s and ’80s mix, followed by Pat Keller at 5:30 p.m. and the country group favorite Grand Union from 8 p.m. to midnight.

In addition to the enhanced youth activities, other changes this year include the Veterans’ Tribute at 12:30 p.m. at the water fights grounds, just before the Fire Department water competition, and the children’s parade has been eliminated this year. Committee members are working on ways to expand the parade for next year.

Water fights begin at 1 p.m. and feature fire departments from around the area battling each other to see which team can use fire hoses to be the first to push a bucket down a cable to the opponent’s end. Enter the competition by contacting the Plover Fire Department at 715-345-5310.

The Taste of Plover concessions will offer event-goers the chance to try different foods from the Plover area.

The fireworks display will happen over Lake Pacawa at dusk. In order to experience the full effect, organizers said, people should plan to come to the park and find a location on the beach to watch the show.

“It’s not only to see the water display, it’s to absorb the sound with the show,” Cisewski said. “It means so much more to hear that music.”

Krueger Pyrotechnics, the company that puts on the show, has promised a new surprise with the show this year.

“There’s always a new surprise each year, and we have no idea what that’s going to be so we’re excited to find out,” Mahoney said.

Parents who are concerned about the noise level for younger children or infants should find a location off to the side or behind the speakers, organizers said.

For more information visit the website at celebrateplover.com.