The Mars Exploration Celebration kicked off Friday evening with vendors, demonstrations and interactive booths packing downtown Mars. Festivities, including climbing on the newly refurbished borough spaceship, continue Saturday and Sunday.

MARS — The Martian New Year celebration kicked off Friday in downtown Mars. Vendors, demonstrations and interactive booths were available to guests who came out during the fair weather.

Friday was the first of three days in which the borough is celebrating Mars Exploration Celebration activities. “There's groups here from FIRST Robotics to Drone Addiction to the Carnegie Science Center (and) NASA,” Mayor Gregg Hartung said. “It's an incredible showing of our town ingenuity. Having NASA here is the icing on the cake.”

The Mars New Year is celebrated in the borough every 687 days, which amounts to one year on Mars. This year, the Martian new year fell March 23. The next one will be Feb. 7, 2021.

Earthlings from the borough of Mars and their guests arrived in droves, many decked out in other-worldly costumes.Among them was Len Karch, dressed as a human being carried by an alien from outer space.“I'm interested in all this stuff. I've been into science all my life,” he said. “This is my first year here.”Karch said he's been to similar festivals elsewhere and said events like these help bring awareness to outer space studies.In addition to food and other vender booths, the event features speakers, demonstrations and interactive displays.Events continue through Sunday. More information can be found at marsnewyear.com.“There's something for everyone of every age,” Hartung said.

Len Karch, left, is dressed as a human being carried by an alien from outer space at the Mars New Year celebration Friday in the borough. The Mars Exploration Celebration features lots of costumes, drone demonstrations, and speakers including some from NASA.