Warm temperatures expected for busy weekend in Merced
This weekend is set to be a busy one in Merced – and a warm one.
Temperatures are expected to reach the high 80s on both Saturday and Sunday. The hot weather pattern will continue through Tuesday, when temperatures will drop to the low 80s and high 70s, according the to the National Weather Service.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms is forecast for Wednesday.
But those planning to participate in this weekend’s events might want to bring along a water bottle and sunscreen.
For people looking to volunteer, Love Merced is planned from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Cleanup projects are planned for Bear Creek, Rahilly Park, the fairgrounds, and several other parks and streets. Volunteers are expected to gather at 8:30 a.m. at the Merced County fairgrounds, 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
Merced’s spring Art Hop is also scheduled for Saturday. From 5 to 9 p.m., art enthusiasts can roam around Merced’s Main Street, between G and N streets, for a variety of displays and performances.
The featured artist of the day is clothing designer and visual artist Amy Bianchini, whose work will be on display during fashion shows at 7 and 8 p.m. in Bob Hart Square, where Canal and Main streets meet.
On Saturday, Merced families can also enjoy the Annual Day at the Park, an event organized as part of Week of the Young Child. Scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., families can enjoy a day of games, face paintings, healthy snacks and soccer lessons at Applegate Park.
“Placas: The Most Dangerous Tattoo,” a playwright by Paul S. Flores, tells the story of one man’s transformation as he leaves gang life and tries to unite with his family after surviving prison, deportation and street violence. The play opened on Friday, but is set for another 7 p.m. showing on Saturday at the Merced Theatre, 301 W. Main St. Tickets are $16 in advance and $20 at the door. For tickets, call (209) 381-0500.
Besides Love Merced, the weekend can also be used for some spring cleanup a little closer to home. The Merced County fairgrounds will host Merced’s free E-waste Recycling event from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the fairground’s 11th Street parking lot, which is between G and H streets. People can drop off unwanted electronic items, such as TVs, computer monitors, laptops, printers, fax machines, calculators, stereo systems, keyboards, computer mouses, VCRs, DVD players, speakers and cellphones.
Despite the warm temperatures, hundreds are also expected to take part in Sunday’s Dash Out for Cancer. The 5K run-walk event is being organized by the Merced Cancer Society Foundation and will take place at El Capitan High School at 100 Farmland Ave. The event is being put on to raise money for local cancer patients.
This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 5:55 PM with the headline "Warm temperatures expected for busy weekend in Merced."