NATCHEZ — This Saturday, Natchezians can get their exercise in a 5K race, receive a shower of paint dust and dance the night away in a Cinco De Mayo fiesta — all for a good cause.

The third annual Color Natchez 5K begins this Saturday at 10 a.m. in front of the Natchez Grand Hotel — sponsored by the Natchez Young Professionals and The Markets grocery stores.

The Natchez Young Professionals group is an offshoot of the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce.

Director of marketing for Color Natchez 5K, Sarah Lindsey Laukhuff said the race circles most of downtown Natchez. Proceeds from the race will contribute to the Natchez Stewpot ministry and the local Habitat for Humanity chapter.

“This is an excellent opportunity to explore downtown Natchez,” Laukhuff said. “All of the proceeds go back into the city. … We’ve raised over $10,000 last year, and we hope to exceed that this year.”

Registration starts at $40 for individuals and goes up to $130 for a family of six. Registered participants can pick-up their T-shirts today at the Natchez Brewing Company from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Laukhuff said interested parties could still register before the race beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday morning in front of the Natchez Grand Hotel and receive a white cotton T-shirt that will be splashed with color by the time participants reach the finish line.

Laukhuff said the race is not timed, though there are prizes for the first male and female to cross the finish line.

She said participants should also wear their best clothes fit for a Cinco De Mayo celebration — as long as the runner doesn’t mind having their clothes splattered with washable colored paint — for a chance to win best-dressed individual or group prizes.

Participants can run, walk or jog up State Street, down Main Street to North Union Street, then down West Oak Street and back to North Broadway Street.

Four different color stations will be waiting to colorize runners as they pass. The race will end with what organizers dub a color explosion.

Laukhuff said The Markets have generously donated hamburgers and hotdogs and music provided by Big River Broadcasting will set the mood for a fiesta finale.

Chamber of Commerce board member Mathew Hall said the Natchez Young Professionals have sponsored crawfish boils in the past but were looking for a new and fun way to support the city.

“We’ve had extremely successful events for the past two years,” Hall said. “We’re getting way more people engaged than we used to with the crawfish boil.”

Hall said approximately 400 to 500 people ran in the 5K race last year, and more than 300 people have already registered for this year’s grand fiesta.

“We have definitely cracked the 300 mark already,” Hall said. “Last year we had 100 to 200 people sign up the week of the event. … We should see more register over the weekend.”

Hall said local law officers have asked that attendees not bring any bags to the race or only carry clear bags if they must do so.

“This is a chance to run right here in Natchez through the beautiful downtown area,” Hall said. “You’re not going to find anything else like it in terms of an organized event.”

More information can be found at colornatchez.com

By SABRINA SIMMS