Pacelli’s Panacea has become a community tradition, and this year the celebration brings new activities, new wonders and a new shuttle location to close out the summer or kickoff the fall – or perhaps both.

The 42nd annual Panacea will be held Friday through Sunday, Sept. 9 through Sept. 11 at Pacelli Catholic High School, 1301 Maria Drive, Stevens Point.

Panacea will be open from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The event is free and open to the public.

“It’s kind of like the last of the celebrations for the summer for everyone, a lot of people come together to enjoy each other,” said Pacelli Catholic Schools Administrator Gregg Hansel. “It’s fun. If you’re a kid you can go on the rides, there’s fish fry and the chicken dinner, there’s music and you can dance …

“There’s tons and tons of stuff,” he said. “You can always find something to do.”

Some new and noteworthy items for this year include a new location for the shuttle bus. With the Gus Macker Tournament in town, the usual lot at Chase Bank is not available. Instead, Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) will serve as the site for the shuttle runs, with areas marked. The shuttle will run to and from SPASH every half-hour on the 15 and 45 minute-marks after the hour. The shuttle, provided by Courtesy Cab, is free of charge and runs throughout the entire Panacea event.

A chicken dinner will be available Sunday, catered from Bob’s Catering, Hatley.

“People have been requesting it for a few years, so we’re hoping it’s going to make a good comeback,” said Deb Sepeda, whose been involved in organizing the event for 10 years.

Kiddyland also will see a new look, she said. It will be offered just one day, Saturday, and will be under a tent and feature some extra entertainment including face painting, Scoop and Cookie from Sweet Frog, Stevie Point and athletes from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the Portage County K9 Unit, and the animal balloon-making talents of Joyful the Clown.

Live music will be performed each of the three days of the festival, including a new cover band out of the Fox Valley, The Bomb, on Saturday.

Wrist bands for carnival rides are $20 each for unlimited rides and can be used from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The silent auction once again will feature hundreds of items both donated and purchased specifically for the auction, including celebrity autographed items, sporting event tickets, vacation packages, jewelry and furniture among other items.

Tickets are still available – and will be throughout the weekend – for a chance to win a 2015 Chevrolet Impala or $20,000 in cash. Cash prizes also will be awarded.

Hundreds of volunteers, including students from Pacelli Catholic Middle School and High School, help out beginning several weeks before the event. Working with the various committee chairs, the community businesses and organizations who have stepped forward to help and then seeing the fruition in the community coming together is what brings it home for Sepeda.

“I enjoy working with the people and meeting new people, working with people through the chairs and seeing people in the community come out to support us is just great,” she said. “We are supported by the community phenomenally (in all areas).”

The event is the largest fundraiser for the Pacelli Catholic School system. Proceeds go towards the annual general operating budget.

Volunteers are still needed for a variety of areas. Contact the office at 715-341-2445.

The weekend schedule of events includes:

Friday, Sept. 9

Open 4 to 11 p.m.

4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Pacelli’s famous fish fry or children’s alternative, carry-out available.

6:30 to 10:30 p.m., Live music, Raised Reckless.

Saturday, Sept. 10

Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wristband day, unlimited rides.

Noon to 4 p.m., Kiddlyland under the big tent

Noon to 2 p.m., Portage County K-9 Unit, Lady and John White.

1 to 3 p.m., Joyful the Clown.

6:30 to 10:30 p.m., Live music, The Bomb.

Sunday, Sept. 11

Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wrist band day, unlimited rides.

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chicken dinner, carry-out available.

11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Live music, Polka Pat and Roger Majeski &The Harmony Kings.

5:30 p.m., Raffle drawings.