TRACY — There will be plenty of things to do in Tracy during the Labor Day long weekend as Boxcar Days returns.

Organizers have already started making preparations for the community festival, said Amber West, director of the Tracy Area Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re hitting the ground running,” West said. “We’re pretty excited for this year.”

Tracy’s 95th annual Boxcar Days kicks off tonight with a burger feed in downtown Tracy. A carnival and community events will continue throughout the weekend, culminating with the grand parade on Monday afternoon.

West said this year’s schedule of events includes a lot of returning favorites, like carnival rides, Saturday’s BBQ cookoff and rib fest, the Miss Tracy scholarship program on Sunday evening, and a a fly-in and drive-in breakfast at the Tracy airport on Monday. On Saturday night, the Boxcar Days street dance will feature Maiden Dixie.

“We do have a huge event in the park for the kiddos on Sunday,” West said. Kids can come to Central Park in Tracy to check out free inflatables, and events like a pedal pull. The Central Park activities will also have something new to try: a multi-lingual Story Walk and chalk art, West said.

West said there are also some new events lined up for this year’s Boxcar Days. On Saturday afternoon, Gary Rue will be coming back to Tracy for a musical performance at The Caboose.

Another new event at this year’s Boxcar Days, “Pizza, Pitchers and Puzzles” on Saturday evening, drew lot of interest. West said the event — where teams of four people are given a time limit to finish a 300-piece puzzle, a large pizza and a dozen 16-ounce beers — had already filled up with registrants.

A lot of the fun over the weekend will be concentrated in or near Tracy’s downtown, so people won’t have far to go to join in the fun.

“We wanted to keep people downtown and involved,” West said.

Boxcar Days / If you go

Today

1-5 p.m. Wheels Across the Prairie heritage center and antique tractor show

5 p.m. Beer tent opens

5-8 p.m. Build your own burger

6:30-11 p.m. Bingo stand

8 p.m. Beer pong tournament

Saturday

7:30 a.m. Registration starts for BBQ cookoff

8:30 a.m. Kegs and eggs at the beer tent

9 a.m. Softball tournament at Industrial Park

9a.m.-5 p.m. Wheels Across the Prairie heritage center and antique tractor show. Pork burgers served from 11-1.

11 a.m -4: p.m. Open golf tournament

Noon Beanbag tournament

1 p.m. Texas Hold ‘Em tournament at Eagles Club

2 p.m. An afternoon with Gary Rue, at The Caboose

3:45 p.m. “Zero K” fun run at the beer tent

4 p.m. Midwest Rides and Concessions opens

4-11 p.m. Bingo stand

5 p.m. Kiddie Parade at Sanford Tracy back parking lot

5-7 p.m. Rib fest following cookoff

6 p.m. Pizza, pitchers and puzzles

9 p.m. Street dance featuring Maiden Dixie

Sunday

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Dad’s Belgian Waffles at St. Mary’s Church hall

9 a.m. Mud volleyball tournament at The Caboose

10 a.m. Horseshoe tournament at Nehls Park

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Central Park kids’ activities. Pedal tractor pull at 11:30.

Noon Midwest Rides and Concessions oopen

1-5 p.m. Wheels Across the Prairie heritage center and antique tractor show

1-11 p.m. Bingo stand

2 p.m. Human foosball, ages 17 and under

6:30 p.m. Miss Tracy program at Tracy Area High School auditorium

Monday

7-11 a.m. Fly-In/Drive-in Breakfast at Tracy Municipal Airport.

8:30 a.m. Box Car Day road race 5K walk/run, 10K run and kids’ mile and half-mile races. Start at Central Park.

9 a.m-noon Farmer’s market at Cinnamon Hen

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wheels Across the Prairie heritage center and antique tractor show

10 a.m.-4 p.m. St. Mary’s arts and crafts fair

11 a.m. Pigeon race

Noon Midwest Rides and Concessions open

1 p.m. Grand parade

2:30-6 p.m. Bingo stand