Raceland Race Days starts on Thursday and this year’s big entertainment draw is The Kentucky Headhunters on Saturday night.

“We were looking for an act that would draw people,” said Cathie Shaffer, a member of the Raceland Race Days committee and the one who oversees the dog show and the Other Worlds event. “Last year, we had Little Texas and they just drew a huge crowd, the place was just packed. So we wanted somebody like that, someone people could relate to and was a really good act.”

Members of the Kentucky Headhunters had been playing together since the 1970s before forming the band in 1986. Their first major label album, “Picking on Nashville” was released in 1989 and had four hit singles including “Dumas Walker,” “Walk Softly On This Heart of Mine,” “Oh Lonesome Me,” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Angel.” The album went double platinum and won a Grammy. They also had some success with songs like “Spirit in the Sky” and “Ballad of Davy Crockett.”

The Kentucky Headhunters will play at the Raceland Park at 8:30 p.m.

The Raceland Race Days committee knew that bringing the Kentucky Headhunters or a similar act would be expensive, but they began fundraising soon after last year’s event by selling lunches and getting sponsors so they could provide free entertainment to the community.

“Concerts are so pricey, especially if you have a family,” Shaffer said.

To help with the problem of parking, there will be a shuttle bus from the First Assembly Church of God on U.S. 23 to the park.

Events start Thursday with an opening ceremony at 4 p.m. Music begins with David & Sue Grey at 6 p.m., My Brother’s Keeper at 7 p.m., Looking Up at 8 p.m. and Dave Rowsey and The Guardians at 9 p.m.

On Friday, rides open at 11 a.m.  There will be a beauty contest at 4 p.m. Music begins at 7 p.m. with Roaming Rays. At 8 p.m. Carrier plays and String Theory performs at 9 p.m.

Saturday is a full day of activities starting at 9 a.m. with a karaoke contest. At 11 a.m., there will be a dog show. Right after the dog show, there will be a free vaccine clinic for dogs.

“This is the first time for it. It is being done by Guardian Animal Medical Center,” Shaffer said. “It’s free basic vaccines like Bordetella and rabies. A lot of people can’t afford vaccines so this helps a lot. But we will take donations that go to the center’s Wildlife Fund because Dr. MJ Wixom rehabilitates everything from eagles to bats.”

There will also be other vaccines at a reduced rate and reduced cost micro-chipping.

The Other Worlds events will take place throughout Saturday. Shaffer said it’s a place for the like-minded collectors to get together.

“It’s really for people who are into cosplay, and collecting comic books or Star Wars figures,” she said. “Anything other worldly, bring it on down.”

There will be a cosplay costume contest and a collections contest for people to display their action figures or other items. Prizes will be awarded.

“And if collectors bring items they want to swap or trade, they can,” she said. “We don’t allow sales but if you have action figures or comic books, bring a table and we’ll let you swap.”

Contests continue with a watermelon-eating contest at 1 p.m., a stick horse race at 2:30 p.m. and a duck race at 3 p.m.

A big draw is the modified lawnmower races at 4 p.m. Crowds line the street as the lawnmowers race up Chinn Street, right onto Crump Street, right onto Ram Boulevard, right onto Pond Run Road and then back onto Chinn Street.

Music begins at 4 p.m. with Glenda Niece. Chad Stanley performs at 6 p.m. and the Dustin Burchett Band performs at 7:30 p.m. The Kentucky Headhunters take the stage at 8:30 p.m.

There will be vendors selling food, crafts and other items, games, inflatables, and a silent auction.

All events take place in and around Raceland Park, which is just off the intersection of U.S. 23 and Chinn Street, behind the Super Quik convenience store.