While nearly 400 people registered for the Third Ever Zero-K World's Shortest St. Patrick's footrace, which benefits Tri-Lakes CASA, organizers expect more than 200 to sign up this afternoon for the 299-foot race.
Last year, the organization, which according to its website provides "trained advocates to safeguard the best interests and be the voice for the children" in court, had around 150 people sign up on the day of the race.
"Because it's our spring break coming up, we're expecting not as many locals to register this year," Tiffany Barnes, program director at Tri-Lakes CASA, said, noting there were nearly 500 who registered in advance last year.
"That's probably why our numbers aren't as high. ... We had about 540 last year, 550 last year overall. Participants this year, we're expecting 600 or more just because it will be spring break for other states. And so we expect that the registration downtown will be more than it was last year, so we're expecting 200 to 250 people to register the day of the race."
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Online registration for the race ended at 3:50 a.m. today, but on-site registration and packet pick-up will start two hours before the race on Bridge Street.
"We'll have our tent set up and everything at 2 p.m., and you can also register down there," Barnes said. "So people who haven't gotten to register yet but they are still wanting to participate, they can register (today) also. So you can register up until the event."
Last year, on-site registration was a bit hectic, but Barnes said there will be CASA staff and volunteers to handle registration and packet pickup.
"We plan on having plenty of help this year with that," she said. "We're also going to have it set up a little bit differently. Last year we only had one station where you could pick up your registration if you had already pre-registered, but then also our people who registered down there were all at one place.
"So we're doing that a little different this year. We're going to have a packet pickup section, and then we'll also have like a huge 'register right now' section. So that'll kind of divide the crowd a little bit and make it a little bit smoother."
While the event is not necessarily the biggest fundraiser for the organization, it is one of the most visible ones.
"People really love St. Patrick's Day, having a good time," Barnes said. "I mean, it really helps that we work with Visit Hot Springs, and they're the ones that kind of co-host with us and allow us to have the race down there.
"There's actually like a St. Patrick's Day community that people drive from all over the United States to go to different St. Patrick's Day parades, so we learned that last year," she said.
There were participants from 15 states registered Thursday, including Florida, Wisconsin and Delaware.
"People are here for spring break, and you have those people who are traveling here for the St. Patrick's Day parade," Barnes said. "And then you have our event, and so they're like, 'Oh, yeah. Let me go ahead and sign up for that, too.'
"We're going to also have people that are on spring break in Hot Springs, and they see this event and they're like, 'Oh, yeah. That would be fun to participate in.' So I definitely think that having it at the time that we're having it has been beneficial."
The race kicks off the St. Patrick's Day weekend festivities, including multiple concerts. The weekend's schedule will be:
Today
2 p.m. -- Registration and packet pickup begins for the Third Ever Zero-K World's Shortest St. Patrick's footrace on Bridge Street.
3 p.m. -- Bridge Street LIVE Entertainment District opens.
4 p.m. -- Zero-K race begins on Bridge Street.
7 p.m. -- Free public concert by Bonnie Montgomery on the Bridge Street Stage.
8 p.m. -- Free public concert by Pat Green on the Bridge Street Stage.
Sunday
3 p.m. -- Bridge Street LIVE Entertainment District opens.
4 p.m. -- Blarney Stone Kissing Contest at the Arkansas Blarney Sone on Convention Boulevard in front of the Hot Springs Convention Center, with a $100 cash prize "to the most romantic smoocher."
5 p.m. -- Pre-parade festivities.
6:25 p.m. -- Official measuring of the 98-foot parade route on Bridge Street.
6:30 p.m. -- Parade begins with the firing of the starter's pistol by official starter Forrie J. Smith, who portrays ranch hand Lloyd Pierce on "Yellowstone."
8 p.m. -- Free public concert by The Molly Ringwalds tribute band on the Bridge Street Stage.
Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said he is excited for this year's event.
"It's almost here," he said. "It's exciting times. Weather's going to be great. I want to remind people not to bring lawn chairs because this isn't Bridge Street LIVE. This is St. Patrick's Day. There's not going to be room for that."
While chairs are generally accepted for Bridge Street LIVE events, the number of people expected for the parade and concerts make them problematic.
"There's so many people in town and so many people coming in town for everything," Arrison said.
All of the six surrounding states have spring break either starting or ending this weekend, he said, noting, "We're expecting great crowds and a whole lot of fun."
Tri-Lakes CASA Advocate Supervisor Jeni Prestridge talks about the Third Ever Zero-K World's Shortest St. Patrick's footrace, which benefits the organization. The race is set for 4 p.m. today on Bridge Street. (The Sentinel-Record/Lance Brownfield)