On your mark, get set . . . Go!

Fitness fans get ready: The Bayouland YMCA is sponsoring the Downtown Family Fun Fest and 5K Run on Nov. 8 and 9 at the Terrebonne Parish Court House Square.

The following Saturday, Nov. 15, the Bayou Region’s START! Heart Walk hosted by the American Heart Association holds its 5K run.

The Downtown Family Fun Fest is the only fundraiser that the Bayouland YMCA conducts.

According to fitness director Jennifer Henderson, the YMCA picked up on the event last year with only three months of planning.

“It was sort of a last minute thing,” she said. “It ended up being that way again with the storms.”

This year’s two-day event features a variety of bands, including Southern Cross, Souled Out, Kerizma and Soulful Sound among others.

The event starts at 10 a.m. on both days. On Nov. 8, it ends at midnight, and on at 7 p.m. on Nov. 9.

“We’ll have white beans, catfish, brisket on the bun, pizza, margaritas, Cajun nachos, wings, fries, red beans and rice, jambalaya, hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage on a bun, snowballs and ice cream sundaes for everyone’s liking,” Henderson said. “I’m sure there’ll be other vendors there offering food as well. It’ll be fun for the whole family and we want everyone to come out.”

The 5K run will begin at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 8, with awards to follow. All of the proceeds earned at the event go to benefit the YMCA, which is still recovering from the storms.

“We’re still undergoing repairs, so any money raised will help us fix the things that the insurance didn’t cover,” Henderson explained. “Hopefully we can get back up and running completely. This can only help.”

The remainder of the proceeds goes to scholarship kids in the YMCA’s afterschool care program, according to Henderson.

The Bayou Region START! Heart Walk begins at 9:30 a.m. This year’s event takes place at Southdown Plantation House on 1208 Museum Drive.

According to Catherine Straatmann, regional director of the American Heart Association, the event provides a little bit of everything.

“We have food, music, health expos and screening,” she said. “It’s fundraising, outreach and awareness.”

The local American Heart Association takes part in three events per year, each of which draws anywhere from 600 to 1,000 people. In addition to the Heart Walk, there is a Go-Red for Women luncheon in February and the Over-Under Tunnel Run in April.

Registration for the Heart Walk begins at 8:30 a.m. on the day of the race.

It’s free and open to the public. However, donations are accepted.

For more information or to register for the event, call Straatmann at (985) 381-3553 or email her at catherine.straatmann@heart.org.