Horace Libby, right, picks through a pile of the nearly 400 pounds of blueberries that were cleaned for the annual Winslow Blueberry Festival at the Winslow Congregational Church in 2011. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel file

WINSLOW — One of central Maine’s oldest blueberry festivals is getting ready for its 52nd round of festivities this weekend.

The annual Winslow Blueberry Festival will begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday with a blueberry pancake breakfast, followed by a local vendors’ market, a blueberry café, and pie sales throughout the day.

One of the festival’s organizers, David Deas, said that the landmark Winslow tradition is expected to draw thousands of attendees from around the state.

“We’re planning to sell well over 750 pies,” Deas said. “We’ll probably get three times that amount walking through and enjoying the events of the festival.”

The Winslow Congregational Church at 12 Lithgow St., which has hosted the event since its inaugural run in 1972, is also celebrating its 195th birthday this weekend. Deas said the annual event has become one of both Winslow and the church’s proudest community celebrations.

“We have been doing the blueberry festival every year, and it’s become a tradition that has grown into a very substantial event that is a treasure to the community and to the church,” Deas said.

In addition to the blueberry pancakes and pies, festivalgoers will be treated to live folk, pop, blues and classical music from local musicians. There will also be a community yard sale, free children’s books, and live animals at the event.

“It’s a wonderful combination of the people in the community. It’s a family get-together,” Deas said. “You’ll see all friends that you haven’t seen sometimes for a year or two. It has that community feel to it.”