AVON — The Annual Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival kicks off today at Veterans Memorial Park on Detroit Road.

Heather Fox of ShurTech Brands in Avon loads Duck Brand duct tape Thursday in the sales tent for the Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival at Veterans Memorial Park. The festival opens at 4 p.m. today and continues through Sunday. (CT photo by Steve Manheim.)

Gates open at 4 p.m. Magician Bobby Maverick, Disney Radio and the Joy Unspeakable living statue will be featured. Cleveland’s Breakfast Club, a local rock band, will hit the main stage at 8 p.m.

The festival will be a weekend-long affair running 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Saturday will kick off with a parade from Avon High School to the festival grounds and will feature duct tape enthusiast and Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan on the main stage at 1:30 p.m.

Among traditional festival games, rides, food and live entertainment and other activities.

The festival, in its seventh year, celebrates “duct tape, its enthusiasts and its wacky and fun uses” as well as serves to honor the history and heritage of Avon, the home of Duck brand duct tape.

Admission is free, and the festival is handicapped accessible.