YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea — Base officials are preparing for what they call the “Yongsan community’s biggest event of the year”: Saturday’s Columbus Day celebration.

The day-long event begins with a parade, continues with a street fair and live entertainment, and wraps up with a fireworks display at 8 p.m., Morale, Welfare and Recreation organizers said. The annual event is even larger than the base Fourth of July event, they say, mainly because weather in the fall is much more predictable and enjoyable than in the summer.

This year, the Fourth of July party was rained out, as it has been in several previous years.

But with a Saturday forecast of sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s, organizers expect the Columbus Day event to draw thousands from Yongsan and nearby bases.

A parade with both military and civilian entries will kick off at 10 a.m. in the commissary parking lot, working its way to Collier Field House. Awards will be given for categories including best overall vehicle, best military entry, best marching, best musical entry and best children’s entry.

After the parade, the street fair and carnival begins, with games, rides, food vendors and musical performances, including a concert by the 2nd Infantry Division Band. A children’s area will be set up on the soccer fields near Williams Avenue.

During the carnival, drawings will be held, with a grand prize of two round-trip airline tickets to the United States.

Certain roads near the area, including X Corps Boulevard and Williams Avenue, will be partially closed during the festivities, Area II public affairs officials said. Military police will be on hand to direct traffic to detours.

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