FARMVILLE – From a distance on Saturday night, the fireworks may sound like heartbeats but the pulse of the 34th annual Heart of Virginia, which culminates with those pyrotechnics at the airport, will be the thousands of people expected to attend the event.

The festival has a reputation of offering something for everyone, from the Outdoor Art Show, which gave birth to the festival more than three decades ago, to the Children's Festival, the musicians and cultural events, the car show, the crafts, the cornucopia of food, and finally the live music and fireworks at the Farmville Regional Airport.

The weather forecast seems typically festival-like for Saturday-the Heart of Virginia Festival has rarely been rained upon-if perhaps a bit hot, but sunscreen and cold beverages will sort that out.

The Outdoor Art Show in the cooling shade on the lawn of Longwood's Rotunda will be held from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., with the winners announced at 2 p.m. There will be paintings in watercolor, oil, acrylic, and pastels, ceramics, jewelry, pottery, photography, drawings, folk art, even chocolate design, short stories and family-oriented books, and mixed media, too.

For the young, and the young at heart, The Children's Festival, held along High Street, a block up from the art show, on the steps of Longwood's Lancaster Building, Jarman, and the patio of the Chichester Science Building, offers a variety of engaging performers.

Cody and BJ, with singing, dancing and a macaw parrot, will perform at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the Chichester patio.

The Barefoot Puppet Theater is set for the Jarman steps at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Broken Monday, a band from Richmond steeped in 70's tunes, will perform on the Lancaster steps at 10:30 a.m. and Considering The Lillies will perform their worship music at 12:30 p.m. on the Lancaster steps.

But that's not all.

Tom Cline And The High Mountain Drifters will render bluegrass at 1:30 p.m. on the Lancaster steps.

And there's more.

Creation Station, which begins at 10 a.m. on the Lancaster lawn, will allow school-aged children to learn to build things using project kits from Lowe's, every half hour.

Rob Westcott the Magician will mix comedy and magic at noon and 2:15 on the Chichester patio.

And Battleground Martial Arts will demonstrate on the steps of Jarman at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The Children's Art Workshop will be held on the Lancaster lawn from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts will have its Art Activity Booth on Brock Commons, allowing children to wear what they create.

A full day of cultural events will see performances on the Weyanoke Stage, the Colonnade Stage, the Colonnade performance area, and the Bicentennial Stage, beginning at 9:30. A variety of music will be performed.

As well as hula hoop art and a clown.

The schedule for the Crute's Stage will see winners of the 10K race presented at 10 a.m., Jeff Hamilton at 10:30 a.m., Class Act at 12:30 p.m., Classic Car Winners at 2 p.m. and the Dave Matthews Tribute Band at 2:30 p.m.

Food will be cooked and sold all along the festival route on High Street and Main Street.

And the Outdoor Craft Show will be on High and Main Streets from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Heart of Virginia Festival will go out with a blast at the airport, where gates will open at 6 p.m.

Carbon Leaf will take the stage from 7-8:10 p.m., with Jeff Hamilton following until 8:45 when the fireworks rocket their red glare, Casper playing tunes afterwards until 10:30.