Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE -- The warmer weather has arrived and that can only mean one thing: time to celebrate the season.

On Saturday, New Lawrenceville is doing just that. The nonprofit organization of volunteers hosts its third annual Spring Green Festival in downtown Lawrenceville.

"Unlike many St. Patrick's Day oriented festivals, Spring Green is family friendly and promoted by Lawrenceville business directly," said Rodney Carmen of New Lawrenceville.

The festival is going to have its usual activities: arts and crafts, a kids zone, a Battle of the Bands for local musicians, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, the man zone and other live music, to name a few.

But there are several new additions to the event.

Runners, there is a Chick-fil-A 5K and Family Fun Run, and all 16 Gwinnett County restaurant locations are participating in the race. The run includes ChronoTrack chip timing, dri-fit shirts and a chance to win Chick-fil-A for a year. The track is also USATF certified and a sanctioned course, plus its a Peachtree Road Race qualifier.

Walk up registration starts at 7 a.m. with the race kicking off at 8 a.m.

The other new attraction is the 2013 Family Promise Bed Races -- yes, beds -- that run around the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse. Participants transform a bed into a racing vehicle. This race begins at 11 a.m.

During the rest of the day, attendees can browse through the car and motorcycle show, put down bids in a silent auction or enter to win a 2013 Camaro LT Convertible.

The festival is rain or shine.