The usually quiet city of Lehigh promises to be a hotbed of activity this coming weekend.

That’s because it is time for the Lehigh River Days celebration.

This will be the 40th celebration.

The action actually starts on Friday with the return of glow-in-the -dark volleyball, which debuted during the 2021 edition of Lehigh River Days. Everything will be dark except for the boundary lines, the net and the ball. There will also be a Miss and Mr. River Days kids talent show that evening.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. Later Saturday, people will be able to enjoy the log roll competition on the Des Moines River. That once was a regular feature of the celebration, but it has been absent for the past several years. Debuting this year will be the Firefighter Olympics for Kids. The School Hill Bike Climb will challenge bicyclists to pedal their way up what is probably the steepest hill in a town noted for having a lot of hills. A street dance will cap off the day.

A community church service and the Lehigh Locker Cook-Off are set for Sunday.

Mixed in along with those big events will be lots of games. And don’t forget the food, which will be plentiful. Bring your appetite to the senior center lunch Saturday afternoon and the Fire Department’s pork loin supper Saturday evening. And then there’s the Sunday morning pancake breakfast.

If you haven’t spent much time in the community, Lehigh River Days will provide an excellent introduction to a scenic town on the banks of the Des Moines River. And for a lot of people, the celebration will be a homecoming of sorts.

Whether you are a lifelong resident of Lehigh, or someone who is new to the area, we encourage you to spend some time this weekend enjoying Lehigh River Days.