With the addition of the new amphitheater downtown, Villa Rica’s annual Gold Rush Festival this Saturday promises to be one of the biggest ever.

Whereas in the past the entertainment would shut down early in the afternoon until a street dance was held on Main Street later in the evening, the opening of The Mill earlier this year allows for the entertainment to last until late into the night.

“The Mill is adding a whole new dynamic to it with the addition of the stage,” Main Street Manager Kimberly Stovall said.

Michelle’s Academy of Dance, a staple of Gold Rush, will take the stage at noon, followed by a four-hour gospel festival from 2-6 p.m. featuring nearly one-hour sets each by the Thomas A. Dorsey Birthplace Choir, The Servers, the Macedonia Baptist Church Choir and the Christian reggae sound of The Remedy.

Taking the place of the annual street dance will be a “Battle of the Bands” competition that will kick off at 6 p.m. and run until 10 p.m. Each vote costs $1 and at the end of the night, the winning band will take home a trophy, a check for half of the proceeds raised through registration and votes, and they’ll receive the opportunity to hold a full concert in 2011 at The Mill. Competing will be local favorites Zach Flowers Band, Dallas, Ghost Town and The Doc Win Band. Each band will have 15 minutes to set up, 30 minutes to perform and 15 minutes to clean up their equipment in anticipation of the next group to perform.

“I wanted to be very diverse with the styles of music,” Stovall said. “We have phenomenal local bands, local talent, that a lot of people didn’t even know about. Some of them are getting local and national attention. I’m so proud to say they’re from Villa Rica and what better way to make the community aware of this talent than to put them up on stage so they can showcase themselves.”

The day kicks off with the traditional 5K road race through downtown at 8:30 a.m., followed by the parade at 10 a.m. More than 60 vendors that include food, crafts, businesses and civic organizations will be set up along Main Street from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Many of the food vendors will remain open during the “Battle of the Bands” competition.

“I think it’s going to be our biggest Gold Rush ever,” said Downtown Development Authority member Cindy Britt. “The parade’s going to be huge and we’re going to have more vendors than we’ve ever had because we have more space.”

Also, along Temple Street, the city will set up three tents with tables and chairs to allow people the opportunity to take a load off in the shade while they eat. There will also be activities for kids throughout the day on Main Street, including a dunking booth, pony roads and lots of inflatables.

“We’ve got restrooms now at The Mill, we’ll have food all day long and we’ll have somewhere they can come in and eat,” Stovall said. “We’ll have the basic things that people need to come in and stay awhile.”

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve will also be present to accept toys and donations for distribution at Christmas to children in West Georgia and the Villa Rica Lions Club will be selling concessions. Gold Rush Festival and The Mill T-shirts will be sold for $10.

City officials ask that anyone wanting to attend events at The Mill leave their dogs at home and refrain from smoking in the park except for designated smoking areas.

For more information on this and any other city-sponsored event, go to www.villarica-mainstreet.com, www.villaricaparks.com or on Facebook at Main Street Villa Rica, Georgia.