BUCHANAN — The third annual summer Thrill on the Hill event in Buchanan is just around the corner and the excitement is brewing among southwest Michigan residents. For city officials, making sure everything is ready for the eager residents comes with a bit of stressful excitement. 

“A lot of anxiety leading into that,” City Manager Bill Marx said. “[Officials are] just making sure everything is in place and ready to go starting Thursday. We are excited this year.”

The 550-foot waterslide will be set up on E. Front Street, starting at the American Legion and ending at the Red Bud Trail South intersection. The three-day event will kick off from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday and reopen from noon until 10 p.m.   Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. Daily passes are $5 and a three-day fun pass is $10. Wrist bands can be purchased in advance at City Hall or at the event.

Last year, Thrill on the Hill attracted about 5,000 people to ride the slide and this year, Marx said he expects the same.

“I think the weather is really going to cooperate with us this year,” Marx said. “They are already ahead of schedule building the hill, compared to last year.”

Throughout the event, Marx said the quality of the slide only seems to improve as the surface of the tarp-covered sand gets flattened by each rider and therefore becomes smoother and faster, sending people gliding down Front Street.

Marx said the ride is further improved thanks to the volunteer efforts of Affordable Asphalt —the company that constructs the hill free of charge and smooths the pavement before the hill’s construction.

Marx said it is volunteers such as these that bring Thrill on the Hill into fruition.

In addition to the slide, Thrill on the Hill offers several more thrills.  At 8:30 p.m. Friday night there will be a performance by the band P.S. Dump Your Boyfriend. The band will play on a stage at Moose parking lot on Front Street. Patrons will need to pay $10, separate from the three-day fun pass or daily pass, to see the concert.

There will also be an Adult Luau for $5, following the concert from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The traditional kiddie area will also offer some new features to families.

“We are doing some enhancements to the kiddie area this year by making it a little bit larger,” Marx said. “[And with] more activities.”

The money earned from Thrill on the Hill will go back into the city of Buchanan’s park’s department fund. As to how the money will be spent, Marx pointed to a future playground project. He said the city is considering the purchase of a wooden castle playground area.

According to Marx, the wooden castle playground area that the city of Buchanan would like to build is much like the Kids Corner playground at Monroe Park in South Haven.

There will be countless other activities to do during the weekend, such as multiple food vendors and rubber duck races hosted at McCoy Creek at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Rubber ducks can be purchased at City Hall for $3 each or two ducks for $5, but people can only participate if their duck is bought before 5:45 p.m. on both race days.

For more information on any of the activities going on during Thrill on the Hill, check out Buchanan’s Thrill on the Hill community Facebook page or contact the city manager at (269) 695-3844 at extension 10.