FARMVILLE — The Heart of Virginia Festival returns Saturday, with its usual sunny forecast, but this week’s torrential rains have washed out the evening festivities at the airport.

Town Manager Gerald Spates said Wednesday that the ground would be far too sodden to accommodate vehicles or people and so there will be no fireworks.

The musical acts scheduled to play, however, will be given the chance to move their performances downtown, Spates said, which would extend the festival deeper into the afternoon on Saturday. Brinn Black and Doug Clark’s Hot Nuts were scheduled to perform at the airport.

Aside from what the rain has done to the ground at the airport, this year’s Heart of Virginia Festival is poised to run confidently in the high and dry footsteps of its predecessors. (For a full schedule of events, please see the ad on page 13A of today’s edition).

Events begin to unfold on the Crute Stage, the Colonnade Stage, and the Rotunda Stage at 10 a.m. The Colonnade performance area kicks off 30 minutes earlier at 9:30. And the Weyanoke Stage sees performances get underway at 11:15 a.m.

The festival’s highlights will once again include the Outdoor Art Show in front of the Longwood University Rotunda, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; with the Classic Car Cruise-In on South Main Street from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Craft Show on Main and High Streets unfolding from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Children’s Area will bloom at Bicentennial Park, with Longwood Center for the Visual Arts activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For those looking to burn some carbs in anticipation of the festival’s delectable comestibles, the 10K Run/5K Walk gets its plethora of feet in motion at Hampden-Sydney College at 8:30 a.m., coordinated by the Town of Farmville’s Recreation Department.

Those intent on, or just looking forward to, replenishing their carbs, proteins—or simply entertaining their taste buds—will find the Festival’s food purveyors at the Crute Stage, the Lower High Street parking lot, near the Confederate Statue on High Street, the Lancaster Lawn and the Chichester Commons, also on High Street.

The festival bills itself as “an annual celebration of the arts, crafts, culture and music in the Heart of Virginia” and that is a true bill.

Thousands are expected to check that bill on Saturday.