Downtown West Point is gearing up for RiverFest 2010, which offers food, music and activities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

One of the biggest highlights of the festival will be the Great Chattahoochee Duck Race, which will offer cash prizes of up to $1,000.

Most activities will be in the block of 8th Street from U.S. 29 to the Chattahoochee River. This area will contain the stage, with continuous entertainment of contemporary Christian, country, bluegrass and rock ‘n’ roll. Nearby will be the combination low-country and crawfish boil, a kids’ zone, an art walk and other attractions.

For the Duck Race, hundreds of yellow rubber ducks will be dropped into the river below West Point Dam with a scheduled arrival time of about 2 p.m. at the finish line between Hawkes Library and City Hall. The first duck to cross the finish line will be worth $1,000 to the ticket holder; the second duck pays $500 and the third is worth $250. Ducks sponsored by various businesses will be worth $100 to $200.

Duck Race tickets are available for $5 each - or six tickets for $25 - at the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce office at 2102 S. Broad Ave. in Lanett, Ala., as well as Irish Bred Pub in West Point, and from chamber board members and Ambassador Committee members.

“We’re running a large field of cash ducks in our race - making it possible for more people to be cash winners,” said chamber director Elinor Crowder.

Organizers will do their best to dodge rain predicted for Saturday.

“We’re monitoring the weather forecast closely and will adjust our schedule as needed to help everyone enjoy RiverFest and still get home before any weather front approaches,” Crowder said. “We believe that we’ll have plenty of time for the festivities and the race before any rain.”

Scheduling may include an earlier finish to the Duck Race, with the flock crossing the finish line about 1:30 if weather threatens. The art walk, now set in the festival area on 8th Street, would move inside the 8th Street classrooms of Columbus State University.

The character of “Aunt Polly” will be on hand to read the last few pages of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” to conclude this year’s national Big Read in this area.

Children dressed in the character of the Tom Sawyer era will get free admission to the Kids’ Zone and their names will be put into a drawing for four tickets to Saturday night’s performance of New Horizon Community Theatre’s presentation of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” at Langdale Theater in Valley. “Aunt Polly’s Porch” will be set up to sell homemade lemonade and tea cakes during the festival.

The Kids Zone will feature inflatables and children’s games and activities. There also will be a team of large Belgian draft mules pulling a wagon and offering free rides, carrying out the Tom Sawyer theme.

“It’s going to be a great Saturday. There are activities for every member of the family and it’s all right here at home,” Crowder said. “You don’t have to go a long way to get there.”