HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 12th annual Hutchinson Rod Run is not too far off. This year’s event is set for Oct. 4 and 5 in the downtown area. The event has been shortened to two days with Sunday taken off the calendar. Another change involves the many youth activities during the event.

“On Saturday we do a kids All-Wheel Show,” Jim Gruver, event organizer, said. “We’ve been doing it at Memorial Hall and it’s been a little difficult, so we’re going to do it outside this year.” The activities will be held in DCI Park and include touch-a-truck from the Hutchinson Fire Department as well as games and other fun.

It also gives the children a chance to show off their wheels. “The kids will be able to show off their bikes, their wagons, their skateboards, anything that has wheels on it,” Gruver added.

Gruver says the children enjoy the event because it lets them fix up their bikes similar to what grown-ups do to their cars.

The event has become a staple of early October activities in downtown Hutch and Gruver likes that it has promoted the city for 12 years. “It was really a promotion to get people acquainted with what Hutchinson has to offer, what they have to offer downtown to bring people in.”

The event begins at noon on Friday, Oct. 4, and includes judging of the entries, a rod run cruise and the Salt City Half Marathon Saturday morning. The All-Wheel competition for children begins at 8 a.m. at DCI Park.