The Saginaw Days Logging Show will be bigger and better in its 19th year.

Participant registration opens at 10 a.m. Saturday, and competition begins at 11 in the field next to the Brooklyn Tavern, 611 N. River Road. (Depending on where you look it up or whom you ask, that’s in Cosmopolis or Brooklyn or North River.)

“We’re expecting a good group of participants and a good crowd,” said event committee member Maryann Welch.

Lots of participants show up year after year, she added, and she’s heard about at least a couple of new faces planning to come on Saturday.

“I don’t know that we’ve ever kept actual numbers,” she said. “They just show up, sign up and do their thing!”

That’s one major difference between this event and Hoquiam’s Loggers Playday: This one is limited to amateurs — loggers who are currently working in the local industry, not performing on the circuit. As a result, it’s smaller and generally more informal.

This year, a few new elements are being added.

“We’re trying to build in a little more history,” said Welch. That includes an exhibit of old logging photos from the area, as well as a display board with historic logging terms defined.

“We’re also hoping to have a demonstration of a whistle punk — that’s the worker who blows the whistle to tell the steam donkey operator what to do,” she said. “There’s a language to it.”

One notable new event is being planned, called the loggers relay: Four-member teams will race through choker setting, double bucking and chainsaw cutting. But it’s a little different from what you might expect.

It starts with the first person diving into the log-rolling pond to locate the choker. That person then rushes to the spar tree to set the choker around it. After that, two team members double-buck a log; and then the last team member power-saws a log — and then jumps into the pond to finish the circuit.

“My husband and I saw this at the Deming logging show up near Bellingham, and it was a lot of fun,” she said.

Besides all of this, they’ll have a steam donkey demonstration; a chainsaw carver is scheduled to demonstrate his craft; there will be a tug-of-war over the pond; and kids will be able to dig for treasure in a hay scramble.

As to food, the Grange ladies will be running a booth with hamburgers and Polish dogs. Other vendors will offer Italian sausage, elephant ears and more.

“We’re hoping to have a coffee stand out there too. I think that would be a good addition,” said Welch, though she had not yet confirmed the vendor by press time.

Of course, it takes a lot to put together this community event. There’s insurance, printing, postage, awards, porta-johns and field setup, just for starters.

“We’ve had tremendous support from businesses,” said Welch, adding that 30 of them have provided money, materials or services for the event. In addition, donations will be requested from attendees, and T-shirts and hats will be sold to raise more.

“The bleachers are painted, they’re working on weed-eating — we’re ready to go!” said Welch.

Admission is free, but donations will be graciously accepted. For more information, call the Brooklyn Tavern at 360-533-2324.

Directions

To get to Saginaw Days, take U.S. 101 south past Cosmopolis. Just south of the Artic Pub, turn east onto River Road. Stay on River for just over 16 miles, and the tavern and event will be on the left. (The parking area is just past the tavern on the right.)