By Gwen Davis

Cancel all road trips for this weekend. Des Moines residents will not want to go anywhere the weekend of July 20 and 21, when Destination Des Moines will put on the community’s annual summer celebration events. The parades, shows and barbeques will make those endless hours of driving seem ridiculous.

“We are all very excited about this parade,” said Bradley Hawthorne, board president of Destination Des Moines, a nonprofit working to promote the Des Moines community. “This will be one of our larger years – -larger crowds and larger participation.”

The weekend will kick off with the Des Moines Classic Community BBQ on Friday, July 20 at 6:30 p.m. and will feature entertainment by Jim Kleinbeck and the Fabulous Murphtones. Beer will be available.

The barbeque is a fundraiser for the Fireworks over Des Moines Show and the Classic Car and Wooden Boat Show. Attendees will also get a preview of the classic cars and wooden boats featured at the following day’s show.

Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for seniors 65+.

Hawthorne said the high number of anticipated attendees this year is due to better publicity and more word-of-mouth. Last year, the day of Saturday’s Waterland Parade, a traffic problem in Kent deterred many people who were planning on coming.

But such worries will be few, Hawthorne predicts. “This year will be free, happy family time.”

The 6th annual Car and Wooden Boat Show at the North Marina Parking Lot on Saturday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will feature over 200 classic cars and over 30 wooden boats with 20 plus vendors and live entertainment. Attendees can talk with the car and boat owners. Wooden boat history and hydroplane viewing will be included.

The Seafair-sanctioned 2012 Waterland Parade will take place on Saturday, July 21, starting at 5:45 p.m. with the Children’s Parade. Attendees are encouraged to come early to pick spots along the Marine View Drive between 227th (Red Robin) and 219th (QFC).

The Seattle Cossacks, a motorcycle stunt drill team will perform at the parade. The Mt. Rainier High School Marching Band, cheerleaders and drill teams will be featured, as well. Attendees can donate nonperishable food items to the Des Moines Area Food Bank.

“People love to come down for the parade,” Hawthorne said.

The Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market will open on Saturday July 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Having grown out of its former space, the market will now claim the newly remodeled north end of the marina. Attendees can eat market foods while also watching the boat activities.

Tickets for the Classic Community BBQ can be purchased at the Marina Office: 206-824-5700 or brownpapertickets.com. For more information about the weekend, visit destinationdesmoineswa.org.