TULALIP — Marysville Parks and Recreation Director Jim Ballew touted July 11 as a big day for community events, but still promised a summer full of activities for the whole family, starting with the return of Healthy Communities Challenge Day at the Marysville YMCA on Saturday, June 6.

This year’s event has booked at least 80 vendors, all of them interactive, so whether you’re looking to test your brain or your body, you’ll find something to do that day.

During his May 29 address to the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce at the Tulalip Resort Casino, Ballew noted that the city plans to connect the Bayview and Centennial trails as part of its capital projects, and is working with the Tulalip Tribes to begin construction on trails along the shores of Ebey Slough.

Ballew continued to tout Marysville’s outdoor recreational avenues by pointing out that it offers 23 neighborhood parks and eight community parks, as it enters its fifth year as a Tree City USA thanks to the volunteer efforts of its citizens.

Ballew pledged this summer would mark the return of the Farmers Market, in the City Hall Parking lot, on June 27, followed by the annual Sounds of Summer concerts and Popcorn in the Park movies in Jennings Park in July and August. He boasted that the larger screen should allow as many as 500 people to see a movie.

Saturday, July 11, marks the return of Junk in the Trunk to the Municipal Court parking lot and the Rodz on 3rd car show to Third Street, as well as Poochapalooza’s move from the Strawberry Fields For Rover off-leash dog park to Asbery Field.

“They moved Poochapalooza so they could tie into Rodz on 3rd,” Ballew said.

July 11 will also serve as the kickoff of the new Free Fit Saturdays program, at the YMCA and other area athletic clubs, providing free 90-minute exercise sessions starting at 9 a.m.

“We want to get our community into a healthy lifestyle,” said Ballew, who encouraged people to check out the city’s host of summer and science camps, and recreation classes, online at marysvillewa.gov.

Dog owners who might miss having activities to attend at Strawberry Field can look forward to Scrub-A-Mutt Aug 22, while fans of the Cedarcrest Golf Course can look forward to a number of events there this fall, from the Tomahawk Twilight Invitational on Oct. 2 to the annual Tour of Lights in December.

The city wouldn’t dream of saying farewell to the summer without bringing back its Touch-A-Truck event on Sept. 12.

“It’s the coolest event ever for kids,” Ballew said. “So many cities have started doing what we do here.”