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Skylaar Porter of Temple rides the Ferris wheel with daughter Jeanaya Godfrey, 4, on Thursday as the carnival kicked off the Bloomin’ Temple Fest. (Scott Gaulin/Telegram)

The Bloomin’ Temple Festival is not something that happens overnight.

Tonight will kick off a weekend of fun, games and music but the planning began almost a year ago.

The week after last year’s festival, a committee met and started planning this year’s array of activities.

“The sponsors want to make sure they get on board for the next year,” said Brynn Ray, special projects coordinator for the Temple Chamber of Commerce.

“We meet once a month until about a month before the festival and then we start to meet every week and get everything in order,” Ms. Ray added.

Chamber staff expect there to be anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 people in attendance this weekend.

“In the past we haven’t been able to get a good number because the festival was free,” Ms. Ray said. “With the sale of wristbands this year we will get a better count.”

Wristbands will be good for the entire weekend and are $3 at participating CEFCO stores and $5 at the festival. Children 12 and under are free.

“All the money we make from the wristbands goes right back into the festival. The Chamber doesn’t receive anything,” Ms. Ray said. “We really want to be able to bring the best people into the festival, that’s why we are doing it.”

Selling those wristbands and helping out all around the grounds will be more than 170 volunteers.

“The people are donating their time and it’s really a great service,” said Mary Collier, volunteer co-chairwoman. “I have a lot of repeat volunteers now.”

Everyone from students to EMS personnel will be pitching in and giving a hand this weekend, Ms. Collier said.

Parking for the event is “anywhere you can find a good spot,” said Starr Freeman, administrative assistant for the Chamber. There will not be any type of shuttle to bring people to and from the festival.

Last year was plagued by cold and rainy weather. KCEN-TV Chief Meteorologist Andy Andersen said the forecast for each day of the weekend is sunny with highs in the mid-70s and lows in the 40s.

If it does rain, Ms. Freeman said there are no plans to move the festival indoors but that many of the vendors will have tents and canopies up, meaning visitors can browse the various arts and crafts while waiting out the rain.

Bloomin’ Festival registration forms, maps and information are available online at www.bloomintemple.com or by calling (254) 773-2105