The Washington Summer Festival is going local.

The festival kicks off tonight on the waterfront in downtown Washington in much the same way as it has for the past 31 years. At 5 p.m. rides and amusements will light up Stewart Parkway; at 9 p.m., fireworks will light up the night sky. What’s different this year is that organizers have recruited local vendors and local vendors will be showing up.

For years, the festival has pulled in 20,000 visitors over the two-day event and many vendors from the North Carolina festival circuit, most of whom were from elsewhere. But organizers Catherine Glover, executive director of the Washington-Beafort County Chamber of Commerce, and Robin McKeithan, Chamber business manager, hatched a plan to bring in more local businesses and nonprofits to bring the festival back home again.

“We’ve been working in that direction, to try to turn it back into a community festival,” Glover said, adding that 45 of the festival vendors this year are from the area.

“That’s the most we’ve ever had,” McKeithan said.

Some area nonprofits will be on hand doing their own fundraising, according to Glover. Masonic Orr Lodge members will be selling fried fish plates; Angels N Camo will have a variety of gear — and a YETI cooler raffle — to raise money for wish trips for chronically ill children; AAU team Carolina Elite Basketball Club will be selling BBQ chicken, to list a few.

Mad Hatter Tattoos will have temporary tattoos for children, while Le Moulin Rouge de Danse will be selling dance outfits and accessories. Perfect Perks, another local business, will be selling coffee and other treats; 2DawgKitchens will be selling homemade dog treats. Local chain restaurants, among them Zaxby’s, Bojangle’s and East Coast Wings, will be feeding festival-goers as well.

Another downtown Washington mainstay, Saturday Market, will not be put on hold this year because of the festival, Glover said. Instead, Saturday Market will be making a trip and setting up down at the other end of Stewart Parkway at Festival Park. The market offers a variety of homemade goods, homegrown foods and handcrafted arts and crafts made locally.

Dock Dogs is another free event added onto the festival schedule. Organized by local Neil Woolard, the canine sporting competition will be happening on the waterfront throughout the festival weekend. Competitors — and their owners — are coming from as far away as Ohio to take part in the national competition.

“The fact that we’ve had more local businesses and nonprofits has been great for us,” Glover said. “And we always love when people return to us.”

In addition to going local, the Chamber, for the second year running, has added a third day to the traditionally two-day festival. Sunday features more Dockdogs competition and its championship, along with a free concert by the North Carolina Symphony in Festival Park. At 7:30 p.m., the symphony takes the stage to play Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and other selections. Beforehand, an Instrument Zoo — hands-on instrument demonstrations for children — will be held at 6 p.m. and the Emerald City Big Band, a 20-piece swing band from neighboring Greenville, will play on the Festival Park stage. From 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., a ticketed “Meet the Conductor” reception, a catered event in which ticket holders will greet Symphony conductor William Henry Curry, will be held.

“We’re hoping for pretty weather,” Glover said.

In case the weather is less than accommodating, Glover said the “Meet the Conductor” reception will take place at the downtown Washington restaurant The Meeting Place, and the symphony performance will be moved to Washington High School’s Performing Arts Center. Seating for 1,000 people will on a first come, first served basis.