For four days in August, Mayfield Heights turns into one of the most festive places in Northeast Ohio with food, prizes, rides and entertainment all wrapped into the Mayfield Heights Community Unity Days Festival that begins today and ends Sunday.

Mayfield Heights City Park is expected to be overflowing with people for the remainder of the week, and it all officially gets underway with rides that will be open Thursday and Friday, 5-11 p.m.; Saturday, 1-11 p.m. and Sunday, 2-7 p.m.

Mayfield Heights Mayor Greg Costabile is excited for the four-day event.

“With our Unity Days, it’s one of our city’s signature events. It’s one I look forward to every year,” Costabile said. “It’s another opportunity for the community to come together and share good times with old friends and hopefully have the opportunity to meet new friends.”

The festival's main tent will carry much of today’s activities and include Billy J – DJ Entertainment, 6-11 p.m.; a karaoke competition, 7:30-10 p.m. and a wing-eating contest, 8:45-9:15 p.m. The wing-eating contest will feature wings from Quaker Steak & Lube and Panini’s Bar & Grille.

Also Thursday, there will be activities for kids from 6-7:30 p.m. including hula hoop, limbo, dance, bubble gum contests and face painting.

Friday kicks off with the Gold Resident Recognition Picnic, an invitation only affair in honor of long-time Mayfield Heights residents who share stories of living in the area for the past 50 years. The event runs from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Friday evening’s entertainment will be highlighted by the Mayfield Heights Fire Department’s Ladder Truck Demonstration from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and “Shout! And the Legends of Soul” from 7:30 p.m.-11 p.m. at the main tent.

Also beginning Friday is the Cleveland International Challenge Cup of Bocce which will be held at the city park’s bocce courts. In its sixth year, the tournament will be held over three days concluding Sunday.

On Saturday, the festival opens up for the full day beginning at 1 p.m., and dotting the day’s calendar will be Home Depot’s kids craft program from 3-4:30 p.m. at the auxiliary tent and the Cleveland Pizza Eating Challenge from 6-6:30 p.m. at the main tent.

But perhaps the biggest celebration of the evening will be the fireworks display that will begin at dusk.

Topping off Unity Days will be the parade down Mayfield Rd. that begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Former Cleveland Browns running back Greg Pruitt will be the grand marshal. The parade begins at the Greens of Lyndhurst and concludes at Golden Gate.

Ride tickets are $1 each or 24 for $20. Wrist band tickets for Thursday (5-11 p.m.) are $10 and Friday (5-11 p.m.), $15. Saturday has several different levels depending on what time you arrive including 1-11 p.m. (all day) $20; 1-4:30 p.m., $10 and 5-11 p.m., $15. For Sunday (2-7 p.m.), it’s $15.

There will also be a raffle with a grand prize of $3,500 from various local sponsors.

There will be free parking at Golden Gate Plaza and free shuttle service to the park Friday through Sunday.

For a full schedule and details of all the events, click here.