The Mayor’s Eighth Annual Unity Picnic will be held Saturday at Columbus Riverwalk Park from 4 to 8 p.m.
The family-friendly event is free and open to the public. There will be hot dogs and catfish, as well as a live band, a DJ and jump castles for children.
Funding for the food and events comes from donations from individuals, local businesses and organizations.
“It’s just an opportunity for everyone in Columbus to get together and have a picnic and fellowship,” said Greg Lewis, the executive director of the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority.
The picnic is an annual event and is part of the Columbus Spring Pilgrimage. It follows two community runs and Pilgrimage’s annual Catfish in the Alley. That morning runners can participate in a half-marathon and 5K run starting at the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center.
The half-marathon begins at 7 a.m. and takes runners alongside the Tombigbee River bed. The 5K begins at 8 a.m. and goes through Columbus’s historic neighborhoods. Catfish in the Alley begins at 10 a.m. on Fourth Street, where families can enjoy food and live music.
The Mayor’s Unity Picnic is sponsored by Mayor Robert Smith, the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority and the Columbus Visitors’ Bureau.
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