(KAIR)--Thousands of people are expected to converge in Atchison this weekend for the eighteenth annual Amelia Earhart festival.

The event will officially kick of Friday evening with Lakefest. The annual concert at Warnock Lake that traditionally kicks off the festival will feature country singers Danielle Bradbury, Thomas  Rhett, and Randy Houser.  Lakefest is set to start at 7:00 with gates opening at 4:00.Tickets are still available at all area banks and at atchisonkansas.net. Tickets are $30 at the gate.

Wagner's carnival, a staple of the family entertainment at the festival has also returned this year, and will be providing a variety of family favorite carnival rides and attractions. The carnival will be open Friday from 6pm until midnight, and Saturday from noon until midnight. Tickets will be available at the carnival for $22, and can be exchanged for wristbands. There will be two wristband  sessions on Saturday. The first will run from noon until 6pm, and the second from 6pm to midnight. So if you plan to attend at different times Saturday, you may need to purchase two wristbands.

The Pioneering Achievement Award is presented at each year's festival, and it honors those who best carry on the spirit of Amelia. This year's winner, Michelle Stauffer will be honored at a luncheon held in Benedictine College at 12:30 Saturday afternoon. Tickets are $15.

Last year's award winner, Amelia Rose Earhart, will be speaking about her recent completion of Amelia's final flight Saturday afternoon at 11:00. The event is free, and will be held at Benedictine in the O'Malley-McAllister auditorium.

The festival will wrap up Saturday night with the “Concert in the Sky” fireworks show.

More information on all the events planned for the festival can be found at atchisonkansas.net.