Two late-summer festivals are joining forces this year as the Clermont City Celebration Sept. 5.

For the last seven years, the city of Clermont’s festival known as “Clermont Days” and Concord Baptist Church’s “Sundays in the Park” were held about two weeks apart.

This year, Clermont City Councilman John Brady said the two groups realized they could pool their resources to put on one big festival for the community.

“We thought it would be foolish for us to have two festivals in two weeks in the same area,” said Brady, a co-chairman of the Clermont City Celebration. “By combining both of them we were able to make a bigger festival.”

Brady got together with James Dollar, the music pastor of Concord Baptist Church and the other co-chairman, to hammer out the details of the new event.

The Clermont City Celebration will have activities all day, starting with a 5K run at 8 a.m. and ending with a fireworks show at dark.

There will be free activities for children and live music all day. Other highlights of the event include a parade, a car show and a Miss Clermont pageant.

The pageant is for all ages and will raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Bluegrass band Balsam Range will play at 7 p.m., Brady said.

Fran Parks, secretary of Concord Baptist Church, said at 8 p.m., retired Army Lt. Steve Russell will speak.

“He was instrumental in going in and arresting Saddam Hussein,” Parks said. “It’s a God and country kind of show.”

Some of the events require a registration fee. Entry to the car show is $10, entry to the 5K run is $15 and entry to the 1K run is $10.

Most of the events will be at Clermont Park and the car show will take place at the church.

It costs $5 to enter a float in the parade.

“All of the proceeds from the parade go to the Clermont Historical Society,” Parks said.

Following the Saturday celebration, there will be a community-wide church service in Clermont Park at 10:30 a.m.

“We’re really excited to be going in with the city to bring something to the community,” Parks said.