Centreville’s Historic District is the place to be this Saturday, Oct. 19. That’s when residents will be treated to a parade, a 5K race, children’s activities, food, crafts vendors and live entertainment during the 21st annual Centreville Day celebration.

The site is off Route 29 and Braddock Road, behind Walgreen’s, and the fun lasts all day. It begins at 9 a.m. with costumed participants in the second annual Zombie Slouch Family 5K Fun Run and Walk. Check-in starts at 8 a.m. outside St. John’s Episcopal Church, 5649 Mount Gilead Road.

The event benefits the DC Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation. Register until Oct. 18, via www.DCcandlelighters.org.

The parade, organized by American Legion Post 1995, begins just before noon, traveling from Wharton Lane, through the Historic District, to Braddock and Pickwick roads. Prizes will be awarded and registration is free at www.CentrevilleVA.org.

With the theme, “Preserving the Past to Enrich the Future,” Centreville Day runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in Historic Centreville Park, 5714 Mount Gilead Road. Admission is free, and free remote parking is at the Trinity Centre, 5860 Trinity Parkway. Shuttle buses provided by Centreville Baptist Church will take people to and from the Historic District.

Opening ceremonies are at 10:30 a.m. with the presentation of the Centreville Day Citizen of the Year and other awards. The entertainment schedule is as follows:

9:30 a.m., Zombie Slouch awards; 10 a.m., Deejay Myra Flemister; 10:30 a.m., opening ceremonies; 11 a.m., Creative Dance Center; 11:30 a.m., VaDeatles Band (Stone Middle School teachers Stephen Kogut, Robert Zazzara, Patrick McElveen, Tim Hoffman, Liz Deal and Joanna Vadala); 12 noon, parade

At 12:30 p.m., The Alliance Theatre; 1 p.m., Centreville Dance Theatre; 1:30 p.m., NOVA Wushu Academy; 2 p.m., Not just Dance; 2:30 p.m., Myra Flemister; 3 p.m., Harmony Road Music; 3:15 p.m., Hallelujah Mission Tae Kwon Do; 3:45 p.m., Korean Senior Center guitar and harmonica teams and choir.

A food court features local restaurants and festival fare, including dumplings, barbecue, cotton candy, funnel cakes, hot dogs and hamburgers, and chicken sandwiches. Also offered will be hot, gourmet coffees plus fruit smoothies and snacks including fried fudgy pies and fried Oreos.

G & C Tire & Auto is sponsoring free children’s rides. There’ll also be a climbing wall for older children and a fire-engine moonbounce for younger ones. Children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and follow the Trick-or-Treat Trail through the Historic District and marketplace. Stop at Virginia Heritage Bank’s table to pick up a bag for collecting treats.

Also planned are a Faces of Centreville contest, plus old-fashioned activities such as tug of war, sack races, making pot holders, knitting and reading stories. Face painting will be available, and the nZone Fun Zone will offer corn-hole games, ladder ball, Jenga, Legos, a water duck game, craft activities, coloring and balloons.

The community marketplace will offer items from crafters, businesses, churches and other organizations. And the Friends of Homeless Animals will hold a pet adoption under the trees near the nZone Fun Zone.

For history buffs, three new historical signs will be dedicated at 2 p.m. at the Newgate Tavern site on Braddock Road. Attendees may also take a ride on the Park Authority’s mini history train to discover the treasures of Centreville’s Historic District.

A van tour of Civil War Centreville for ages 12 and up will start from Ellanor C. Lawrence Park at 1 p.m. It features the Stuart-Mosby Museum, Mount Gilead and Centreville’s Civil War fortifications. Register for the van tour at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ecl.

Offering a walking tour, Ghost Tours will meet at the Spindle Sears House at 5714 Mount Gilead Road. These not-so-scary tours examine the stories of ghosts, murder and lost love. Check the Centreville Day website or stop by the information booth for further details.

On the Mount Gilead lawn, discover tightrope-walker extraordinaire Jody Evans. Or take part in hands-on activities including candle-dipping and making quill pens and walnut ink. In addition, The Swordmasters of the 18th Century – Charlie Anderson and his son John – will offer fencing lessons.

On Braddock Road, the Old Stone Church and the Stuart-Mosby Cavalry Museum will be open for tours. Enjoy a Ploughman’s lunch or purchase baked treats at the church.

Organized by the Friends of Historic Centreville in partnership with the Fairfax County Park Authority and the Centreville Day Planning Committee, the family-friendly event raises money for historic preservation and Historic Centreville Park. Event chairman is Cheryl Repetti.