Joey Ferragonio, 6, grandson of Terry Connelly of Mars, inspects an apple during last year's Mars Applefest. This year's festival will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday on Grand Avenue and Pittsburgh Street in downtown Mars.

MARS — The smell of apples and cinnamon, all-day entertainment and more than 150 vendors will greet those who make the trip to the 2016 Mars Applefest.

The popular annual festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday on Grand Avenue and Pittsburgh Street in downtown Mars.

Rich Mangel said the Rich-Mar Rotary is once again organizing the event, which includes a few new features this year.

Baking contest

An apple-baking contest will accept all apple-related homemade baked goods until 10 a.m. at the Rotary booth in front of Mars Bank on Grand Avenue. Prizes for the top tasty entries will be awarded.

“It can be anything, as long as it has apples in it,” Mangel said of items to be accepted.

Also new is a second stage at the Mars Public Library parking lot in addition to the usual location near the town's spaceship at the intersection of Pittsburgh Street and Grand Avenue.

“We're trying to expand our entertainment to both ends of the street,” Mangel said.

Dance contest

With the new stage comes a new venue, a dance contest for teenagers.

Mangel said three age groups will be judged by Mars Public Library staff. Competitors should bring their own music, which will be played on a public address system.

“We're hoping it draws more people in for the festival,” he said of the dance contest.

In addition to accepting baked goods, the Rotary booth will be selling 50/50 raffle tickets and providing face painting for children.

Mangel said free cookies, coffee and of course, apples, will be available at the Rotary booth as well.

A wide variety of foods will be available as usual, Mangel said, including hot sausage, funnel cakes, hot dogs, various sweet treats and two apple dumpling vendors.

Businesses open

Mangel said all of the businesses in downtown Mars will be open during Applefest. He hopes those who attend the festival will get a feel for the diverse and interesting businesses in downtown Mars.

“I think (small-town festivals) are important because it helps the economy for that town, and we need to bring businesses back into small-town America,” Mangel said. “A lot of towns are hurting because they don't have (festivals) like this.”

For more information on the 2016 Applefest, log onto www.marsapplefest.com.