There will be at least 10 major events for locals to try to cram in, sparking concerns on whether the autumn festival and other events surrounding it need to better co-ordinated to make them better spaced out for locals and visitors.

Key events will include the Autumn Festival street parade, a pancake breakfast with the Armidale City Band and the Campus to City Canter, along with Legends of League and Flix in the Stix in the evening, to name just a few.

Cr Peter Ducat, who is the chair of the Autumn Festival Committee, yesterday defended the bottleneck of events.

Events that are officially part of the Autumn Festival itself, like the band and breakfast, Campus to City Canter and parade, were designed to flow and build up to the parade, Cr Ducat said.

Then the Armidale Cup races were co-ordinated for the following day so they wouldn’t clash.

Events such as the Legends of League and Aboriginal Art Exhibition and dinner are completely independent, so the timing of those was out of our control.

The streets of Armidale will be filled with colour and sound from 12.30pm when the annual Autumn Festival street parade makes its way through the CBD, with between 45 and 50 floats from local businesses, community groups, schools, the University of New England and other organisations.

One new element to this year’s parade will be two floats featuring players from Saturday afternoon’s Legends of League event.

Before the parade, pipe bands will gather in front of the courthouse in Beardy Street to play for the gathering crowd while a fun fair and street markets will be running from 9am in Civic and Curtis Parks.

Earlier, residents will be able to enjoy a pancake breakfast in Civic Park from 7.30am while enjoying music from the Armidale City Band. The breakfast will run until 10.30am.

Event organiser René Dasey said the festival was going to make for a busy weekend in Armidale.

If anyone says they’re going to be bored this weekend, I don’t know how they could be, Ms Dasey said.

Another feature of the morning will be the Campus to City Canter, an annual State Emergency Service fundraiser that sees large numbers of people walk, run and jog from the university playing fields into the centre of town.

Meanwhile, over at the Armidale showground, the New England Lapidary and Fossicking Club’s 21st Annual Gem and Craft Show will run from 9am-4pm with free entry.

The show will feature a wide range of array of gems, crystals, opals, rocks, minerals,fossils, beads, woodcraft and jewellery for sale in addition to books and lapidary equipment and supplies.

Children’s activities at the show will include laughing clowns, lucky dips and the gem wash fossicking stall while a canteen will run throughout the day.

Rugby league fans can enjoy an afternoon and night out at the Legends of League from 2pm, with past Queensland and NSW State of Origin players set to battle it out at the Armidale Sports Ground.

The first game is at 2.30pm with the main game at 8pm. Tickets are available from Profsssionals Real Estate, the Armidale Ex-Services Memorial Club and the Express office.

Those more interested in rugby union won’t miss out with the 2012 Wicklow Hotel Rugby Knockout Carnival running at various fields across Armidale throughout the weekend.

Once evening arrives, Saumarez Homestead will host Flix in the Stix, a regionally touring event screening short films featuring live music from singer James Reyne of Australian Crawl fame. Cinema-goers can bring deck chairs, picnic rugs, cushions and blankets to make themselves comfortable at the outdoor cinema event, which opens at 6.30pm.

Tickets are available online via the Flix in the Stix website or from the Armidale Dumaresq Council administration building on Rusden Street

Art lovers won’t miss out with an Aboriginal Art Exhibition and Dinner being held from 6.30pm at the Armidale Bowling Club, with guest speaker Jeff McMullen. Tickets cost $40 and are available from the Visitor Information Centre.

For those wishing to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, the Imperial Hotel will be showing off their Irish spirit from 8pm.