CENTRALIA, Wash. — The Lewis-Pacific Swiss Society will kick off its 54st annual Schwingfest on Friday at the Swiss Hall in Frances, a community in Pacific County.

The weekend will begin with a special concert and dinner Friday night featuring Sourdough Slim, also known as Rick Crowder, an accordion-playing, yodeling, tongue-in-cheek, cowboy-dressed entertainer.

Dinner will be served from 5 to 6:45 p.m., followed by the concert at 7:30.

Born in Hollywood, California, Crowder spent much of his childhood on a family cattle ranch in the Sierra foothills. A childhood cut-up, he developed his comic character, honed his musical and yodeling skills, and garnered the nickname “Slim” while performing in several traveling western bands in the 1970s and ’80s.

Sourdough Slim emerged in 1988 when he came up with the idea to blend his experience into a solo act based on a comical accordion-playing, yodeling cowhand. He has never looked back. His yippie-ti-yi style won him the Academy of Western Artists’ 2001 Will Rogers Award for Yodeler of the Year as well as 2009, 2010 and 2011 nominations for Entertainer of the Year from the Western Music Association.

Saturday will feature the sport of Schwingen, or Swiss wrestling, starting at 11 a.m.

Contestants from the entire West Coast will compete wearing special wrestling breeches made of canvas, on which holds are taken. Each round lasts five minutes, unless a fall is achieved before then.

The judges score on aggressiveness, sportsmanship and other measures. Those garnering the most points will be awarded crowns imported from Switzerland at 9:30 p.m.

Live music will be played throughout the afternoon, and then the Steinstossen (stone throw) competition will be held, followed by dinner. Dancing to live polka music by the Blaser Band will be offered from 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Sunday will begin with an outdoor Catholic Mass at 11:15 a.m., followed by the Buebeschwingfest to give the younger Schwingers ages 6-14 a chance to demonstrate their wrestling skills starting at 12:45 p.m. Ice cream will be served by the Swiss Miss, and a dance and awards will follow.

Weekend passes are available for $30 for adults,and $15 for ages 12-17. Daily admission is also available on Friday for $12/$6; Saturday $18/$9; and Sunday $10/$5. There are also two-day passes available for $25/$12. Children under 12 are admissted free all weekend.

RV and tent camping spaces are available.

For more information, visit www.lpss.info.