Residents and organizations will unite Saturday, Sept. 20, for the annual Affton Days Parade and Festival, which features the theme “Dance to the Music.”

The 1.8-mile parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Affton High School, travel south on Mackenzie to Gravois and then east on Gravois to Heege, ending at the St. George Church parking lot on Heege.

Besides featuring bands from Affton High School, Rogers Middle School and Bayless High School, the parade will feature entries from local schools, churches, businesses and organizations.

St. Louis County Police Department Chief Jerry Lee and Capt. Belmar will lead the parade, along with the St. Louis County Police Honor Guard and Bagpipers. Following the lead car will be convertibles carrying Affton Chamber of Commerce President Sue Casaleggi of ABC Animal & Insects Innovations, 2007 Business Person of the Year, Jerry Reinhold of Reinhold Electric Inc. and 2007 Citizen of the Year Gene Murphy.

The Bayless School District will serve as grand marshal this year as the district begins to celebrate its 140th anniversary.

Entertainment will be offered from noon to 9 p.m. as follows:

• Noon — Reptile Experience with Serengeti Steve.

• 1 p.m. — Footnotes Dance group.

• 1:30 p.m. — Memories of Elvis with Steve Davis.

• 2:30 p.m. — Jeff Koziatek, a juggler.

• 3:30 to 5 p.m. — Modern Vintage.

• 5 to 9 p.m. — The SMASH Band.

Parking for the festival will be available on the Salem Lutheran Church lower parking lot and at Kuenne Accounting & Tax Service — upper and lower lots at the corner of Heege, Siebert and Gravois. After noon, parking will be available on the U.S. Bank parking lot. Heege Road will be closed from Gravois to Aronia all day for the safety of festival guests.

Shuttle buses will pick up parade participants on Gravois, by Gardenville Lodge and shuttle them to the parade start at Affton High School. Buses will run from 8 to 9:15 a.m. before the parade and again after the conclusion of the parade until 12:30 p.m.

The booths on the festival grounds will begin operation at 11 a.m. and shortly be-fore noon the festivities will begin with Officer Patrick Nigh of the county Police Department’s 3rd Precinct in Affton singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Montgomery Bank is presenting this year’s Affton Days celebration, an event sponsored by the Affton Chamber of Commerce in partnership with St. George Parish and county Department of Parks and Recreation.