By LISA HOOVER

OGDENSBURG -- The Ogdensburg Seaway Festival will return, with highlights to include races, fishing derbies, arts and crafts shows, a parade, kid’s activities, toilet paper tosses, competitions, concerts and fireworks.

This year’s show will feature a “the ‘Big Apple’ comes to the little city” theme. The festival will begin Saturday, July 20 and run for more than a week, ending Sunday, July 28.

A flotilla parade will be new this year, according to event organizer Chris Cole. A parade of lighted boats will float down the river at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, beginning at Morrisette Park.

Races will include a canoe race, youth fun run, a four mile walk/run and tricycle races. Golf “challenges” will also be offered, along with a few fishing derbies.

Live music will include Tailgate, Way Down Wailers, Kitchen Party Band, City by Nitefall, Acoustic Brothers, Jay and the Two Tones, Noiz After 9, and the Wild Nik West Country Concert. Bands are scheduled to play throughout the week, with a group medley Saturday night, according to Chris Cole.

The parade will run down Ford Street Saturday at 11 a.m.

“For the thousands of people that will be lined up and down Ford Street we have several bands booked,” said Mike Cole, parade organizer.

Several floats, with prizes for place-winners, and stilt walkers will also be featured. “How they are going to get through that parade on those things is beyond me,” said Mike Cole.

Several bands are booked for the parade, many from Canada or the Rochester area, mostly “drum and bugle types,” according to Mike Cole. A Trinidad-Tobago steel-drum band will be a highlight this year, Mike Cole said. “They are on a float and the play their heart out.”

“Last year we had the 10th Mountain Division, but unfortunately they had a conflict this year,” but they are going to send a color guard, according to Mike Cole.

A high school band competition and karaoke contest will also be offered, along with several arts and crafts shows spread throughout the week.

This year’s band competition will include Ogdensburg Free Academy, Morristown, Lisbon and Heuvelton, Mike Cole said. It’s “usually pretty good competition,” he said.

The Lisbon band just got back from Washington, D.C. and they are “all pumped up to share,” Mike Cole said.

The competition evolved from the “senior battle of the drums” at past festivals, scaling down to the high school level, Mike Cole said.

The battle will begin at 7 p.m. Sunday and usually runs till 9:30 or 10 p.m., Mike Cole said.

The “great toilet paper toss” is more geared toward those who “appreciate life more,” said Mike Cole. A king and queen are selected for the event and “we just send them up the parade route and let them have a good time,” Mike Cole said.

In addition to the fishing derbies, the youth run, and tricycle races, kid’s can enjoy games, a model airplane show, amusement rides, and a duck race.

Other events will include a classic car show, a “cruise-in,” events at the Remington Art Museum, and fireworks.

For more information visit ogdensburgseawayfestival.org/2.html.

The full schedule follows:

• Saturday, July 20: Remington Canoe Race, Heuvelton Boat Launch, 9 a.m.; Kid’s fishing derby, Greenbelt Docks, 9:30 to 11 a.m.; Arts and craft show, Lockwood Arena, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; River Rat illuminated boat parade, Morrisette Park, $20 boat entry fee, 9:30 p.m.; Firefighters Kid’s Fun Games, Morrisette Park, 1 to 4 p.m.; Taste of the North Country, Dobisky Center, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tailgate concert, Ogdensburg Gazebo, 2 to 4 p.m.; Way Down Wailers concert, Greenbelt Stage, 4 to 6 p.m.; Kitchen Party Band concert, in the park, 6 to 9 p.m.

• Sunday, July 21: Sandbar fishing derby, Dobisky Center, 9 a.m.; Youth fun run, Dobisky Center, 8:30 a.m.; Four mile walk/run, Dobisky Center, 9 a.m.; Oswegatchie golf challenge, Trafalgar Park, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sanbunk golf challenge, Trafalgar Park, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Zonta antique and artisans show, Newell Golden Dome, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Arts and crafts show, Lockwood Center, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Julie’s Dance Studio, Morrisette Park, 1 to 4 p.m.; Kaitlyn Lashomb & Friends, Library Park, 4 to 6 p.m.; Michael Cutwa “fun fly” and model airplane show, Strader Field, 1 p.m.; High school band competition, O.F.A. football field, 7 p.m.

• Monday, July 22: City by Nitefall, Library Park, 5:30 to 7 p.m.; Acoustic Brothers, 8 to 9 p.m.

• Tuesday, July 23: Karaoke contest, O.F.A. auditorium, 6 to 10 p.m.; Ogdensburg Dance Studio, Library Park, 6 to 8 p.m.

• Wednesday, July 24: Ontario Amusement Rides, Greenbelt Area, noon to 11 p.m.; Special wrist bracelet day, noon to 4 p.m.; Tricycle races, Greenbelt Area, 4 p.m. to finish; Seaway Cruisers “Cruise-In,” Greenbelt Area, 6 to 9 p.m.; Jay and the Two Tones concert, Library Park, 6:30 to 9 p.m.

• Thursday, July 25: Frederic Remington Museum Days, Remington Art Museum, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ontario Amusement Rides, Greenbelt Area, noon to 11 p.m.; Wrist bracelet day at Ontario Amusements, Greenbelt Area, noon to 4 p.m.; Family Feud, O.F.A. auditorium, 7 p.m.; Great toilet paper toss, Library Park, 6 p.m.; Noiz After 9, Library Park, 6:30 to 9 p.m.

• Friday, July 26: Frederic Remington Museum Day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ontario Amusement Rides, Greenbelt Area, noon to 11 p.m.; Karaoke Finals, Ogdensburg Gazebo, 6:30 to 8 p.m.; Wild Nik West Country Concert, main stage, 8 to 9:45 p.m.; Firework spectacular, Greenbelt Area, 10 p.m.

• Saturday, July 27: 52nd annual Seaway Festival Parade, Ford Street, 11 a.m.; Parade awards, Library Park, following parade

• Sunday, July 28: Great toilet paper toss, Library Park, 2 p.m.; Fourth annual duck race, City Docks, $5, 1 p.m.; Antique and classic car show, flea market, O.B.P.A. bridge grounds, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.