Junior Ranger Day will be Saturday at the Vicksburg National Military Park, ushering in a weeklong celebration to spotlight America’s national parks.

Entrance fees at more than 100 national parks, including Vicksburg, will be waived from Saturday through April 29 to encourage people to visit and hike, walk, bicycle and enjoy the national parks as part of an active, healthy lifestyle, said VNMP chief interpretive ranger Tim Kavanaugh.

National Park Week is a presidentially proclaimed celebration, this year with the theme “Picture yourself in a national park,” which are the country’s “living examples” of landscapes, wildlife, culture and preserved military history, park officials said.

The Junior Ranger program encourages America’s youths to explore, protect and learn about the parks.

Saturday’s celebration will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the USS Cairo Museum, Tour Stop 8 in the park, and include light refreshments, ranger talks, hands-on children’s activities, military drills for the kids, tours of the Cairo and living history weapons demonstrations.

For more information, call the VNMP at 601-636-0583.

If you go

The Vicksburg National Military Park will hold Junior Ranger Day Saturday, with ranger talks, activities, military drills, tours of the USS Cairo and weapons demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cairo Museum.

Also, from Saturday through April 29, entrance fees will be waived for all VNMP visitors, in observance of National Park Week.

For more information about fee-free days as well as other upcoming events at the VNMP, visit www.nps.gov/vick/planyourvisit/events.htm