Much entertainment in Merced on Saturday

The weekend is chock-full of events, from a farmers market and mural event to a music festival and cycling get-together.

The fun and celebrations begin at 8 a.m. and continue throughout the day until midnight. Here’s a list of some of the events:

Farmers market

The day begins at 8 a.m. today at the farmers market. The food vendors will sell their produce and products in the parking lot on Canal and 16th streets, which is behind 510 Bistro.

Lesanne Jacobsen of Jacobsen Ranch said most of the farmers need the parking space to sell from out of their vehicles. The market is open year-round and draws between six and 20 vendors, she said.

The certified farmers market has been a staple of Merced’s downtown since 1980 and has traditionally been held in a parking lot at 18th and N streets. But, as of this weekend, it will move to the Canal and 16th site.

“I’m optimistic that it’s a positive move,” she said. “It’s more traveled there.”

Jacobsen sells lamb, and the market typically offers olive oil, nuts, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, vegetables and strawberries. She said other stone fruits, as well as blackberries, are starting to come into season.

The event Saturday will include live jazz, a booth run by the Merced Main Street Association and other activities. The offerings not related to the food will be in Bob Hart Square.

McNamara Park mural

A team of UC Merced students were given the go-ahead this week to begin to paint a mural in McNamara Park on Saturday, and they’ve asked residents to help out.

The painting is planned between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday in the 1040 Canal St. park, and residents from any part of the city can participate. A bathroom toward the center of the park, near the artificial turf fields, has been picked for designs on three outside walls.

Directors Ride

This year will be the first ever Directors Ride, a celebration of the city’s bike paths that includes public employees.

It is a 90-minute, eight-mile ride featuring a tour of the city’s bike paths and lanes, with a rest stop at Rahilly Park, 3400 N. Parsons Ave. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Saturday outside the Merced Theatre, 301 W. Main St. The ride begins at 10 a.m.

For more information, go to www.mercedbicyclecoalition.org, or send an email to info@mercedbicyclecoalition.org.

Gateway Music Festival

The first ever Gateway Music Festival is set to begin at 3 p.m. Saturday at Vista Ranch and Cellars, 7326 Highway 140.

The Stone Foxes, a Bay Area band known for its bluesy rock riffs, will headline the show, according to promoter Joshua Rivera. He expects more than a dozen bands, including Merced-based rock groups Bus Stop Boxer, Other Mothers and The Notalauts, as well as reggae band Homebrew.

A number of other bands are scheduled from out of the area: the psychedelic sounds of Plant Tribe, Down Dirty Shake and The Love Dimension, among other bands and genres.

The festival is planned through midnight. The tickets are $15 ahead of time and $25 at the door.

This story was originally published May 8, 2015 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Much entertainment in Merced on Saturday."