This weekend, Scarborough residents can count on the booths of local business owners, the road race, the raffles and, of course, the food that all make Summerfest a tradition in town. However, every year brings new faces and activities that make each Summerfest experience unique.

The celebration kicks off with a road race on Friday evening. The one-mile race for children 14 years old and under begins at 6 p.m. at the Scarborough Public Library, with the 5K adult run following right behind at 6:30 p.m.

On Saturday, starting at 5 p.m., residents are invited to wander around the high school athletic fields to play games, listen to music and mingle with their neighbors. From 7 to 9 p.m., the music of Rog and Ray, which varies from Caribbean beats to country tunes, will entertain the crowd, followed by a fireworks display to cap off the evening.

Lounging in front of the band isn’t the only way festival-goers can get off their feet. Hot air balloon rides will be a new feature of Summerfest this year.

“I thought it would be a good thing for the fair to help draw crowds,” said Guy Gledhill, a Scarborough resident who also works for RE/MAX, which is providing the balloon.

“People will be able to see it from all over the place,” he said of the balloon, which is seven-stories high. From 4:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m., the balloon will be available for residents to take a ride. Gledhill hopes the balloon becomes part of the Summerfest tradition.

“I’d like to see it every year,” he said.

Gledhill is also a member of the Scarborough Rotary Club, which along with selling lime rickies, is adding something new to its booth at the festival. For the first year, the Rotary will have a dunk tank. So far, lawyer and Rotarian Phil Mancini, who thought of the new addition, is the only one guaranteed to sit on the hot seat, which Gledhill thinks will be profitable.

“Everyone will pay to dunk an attorney,” he said.

Several sports teams will be fundraising with food and drinks. However, Coastal Xtreme, a competitive cheerleading team, will be doing something a little different.

According to Diane Messer, the team members will be demonstrating cheering stunts as they welcome residents to their booth to tie-dye their own T-shirts. Messer also handmade toy guns that shoot mini marshmallows, which will be on sale at the booth, as well.

“They’re so cool,” she said.

The Scarborough Community Scholarship Foundation, a newly formed Dollars of Scholars Chapter, will host a fundraising booth called “Are you Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader,” a spoof of the popular TV show. Participants can purchase raffle tickets and answer grade-school questions in order to win chances at several prizes.

One Summerfest regular will be bringing along a few new faces to the celebration Saturday. Jill Flaherty, of Flaherty Family Farms, will have a petting zoo with everything from a miniature horse to baby chicks and “maybe a goat or two,” she said.

Flaherty said she goes to Summerfest every year and has always wanted to do something of her own.

“This year, I’m going to bring the critters with me,” she said.

Keeping with tradition, the fire department and the public works department will demonstrate how their equipment is used. The Kiwanis club will serve up burgers, dogs and lobster rolls, and Sandcastle Entertainment will provide an inflatable slide and a bounce house.

From pie throws to pulled pork sandwiches, this year’s Summerfest should have plenty of offerings – both old and new – for everyone to enjoy.