GROVE, Okla. — The eighth annual Toes in the Grand Summer Kick-Off Festival runs through the weekend at Wolf Creek Park, 963 North 16th Street, on the banks of Grand Lake, in Grove.

The event is designed for locals and visitors to use the weekend to have some family-friendly fun. This year’s festival features three carnival days, eight free concerts; three days of hydroplane boat races; and an assortment of food trucks and non-food vendors.

“The festival is a great chance to explore the entire lake region during the weekend and see firsthand how special it is to live the grand life,” explained Amanda Davis, president of the Grove Area Chamber of Commerce. “This year, thanks to our sponsors, the festival committee expanded the number of concerts, all while keeping the entertainment free and open to the public.”

Davis says the bands will include a mix of red-dirt and 90s vibes with some local to the Grand Lake region. The concerts begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night. Concert goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, as seating is not provided at the outdoor stage.

Headliners include Zain Braden and the Ragtimers on Friday, and the James Young Band on Saturday.

Other groups include: Garrick Fausett & the Revelry, the Erin Fitzgibbon Band; the Swade Diablos Zimmeroo; 6 Foot Landing and Brad Absher & The Superials. This is the first time for all of the bands, with the exception of Zimmeroo, to appear at Toes in The Grand.

“The committee brought in bands that did not play last year and tried to bring a mix of different music for the crowd,” Davis says, adding more than 40 bands applied to appear at the event.

The food truck alley will include 12 trucks. Offerings range from barbecue, tacos, sweet treats and burgers and hot dogs.

“The food truck alley is always a great hit at the event,” says Davis. “We have a large variety of foods of all kinds with some great dessert trucks lined up this year.”

Advance wristbands are $25, cash only, and good for one of the four sessions: Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening; or Saturday afternoon. Advance tickets may be purchased at the Grove Area Chamber of Commerce, Grand Savings Bank, Grove, and Grove’s Royal Liquor, all in Grove. Wristbands purchased at the carnival are $30.

The festival will also have a Toes in the Grand Car, Truck and Bike Show. It is set to take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Saturday, June 14. It includes awards for the top two best of show vehicles, as well as the people’s choice and the vice-mayor’s choice.

Plaques are presented to the top two vehicles in 14 original and modified categories. Registration is $20 per vehicle and may be made in advance, by contacting chamber officials, or beginning at 7 a.m. the day of the show.

The hydroplane boat races, known as Thunder on Wolf Creek, take place from noon to 5 p.m., on Saturday and noon to 3:30 p.m., on Sunday. Testing runs are slated from noon to 5 p.m., Friday and from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday.

“When Toes in the Grand started, the connection was made with the Miller family to move the races to this festival weekend and it’s been an amazing fit,” Davis said. “The hydroplane boat races have been a tradition on Grand Lake for more than five decades.

For additional information, visit the event’s Facebook page here or call the Grove Area Chamber of Commerce at 918.786.9079.