WESTBROOK – Riverbank Park will look like a giant campsite Saturday, when some 300 cyclists come to Westbrook, many for the first time, for BikeMaine 2014.

On Sunday morning, the riders will line up, head west down Main Street and disappear on a 348-mile trek across Maine, returning to Westbrook on Saturday, Sept. 13. But for the time that participants are here, Westbrook officials want to make them feel welcome, and make the stay a memorable one.

Just a few weeks ago, it was announced, to coincide with riders arriving in the city and leading up to entertainment in the park, a portion of Main Street would be closed for an open-street event, from noon-5 p.m., celebrating downtown as a place for pedestrians to walk and ride bikes.

Organized by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, the group that also runs BikeMaine, the event will feature a full slate of programs for kids and adults, such as yoga, Zumba, and dance classes, as well as bicycle safety courses and more, all on Main Street between Bridge and Pleasant streets.

The event will culminate at 5:30 p.m. with a parade down Main Street to Riverbank Park. Westbrook City Clerk Lynda Adams, who has been organizing the city’s portion of the event since the spring, said cyclists will begin arriving during the open-streets event, and some will also participate in the parade.

“The parade will be lining up in the back corner of the CVS Pharmacy parking lot and will exit onto Main Street from Mechanic Street and continue down to Riverbank Park,” she said, adding that she expects approximately 100 BikeMaine riders to participate.

Adams also said Portland radio station Q97.9 will also be in the park during the day.

Westbrook has been booming with activity as of late, with last week’s Tough Mudder bringing thousands into the city, and now Mudderella, an all-female version of the obstacle course, switching venues at the last minute. The event will also take place this Saturday, but shouldn’t interfere with the downtown activities because participants are bused from various parking locations.

However, any economic benefit from bringing more people downtown, and new people into Westbrook, is always welcome, according to Andrew Cook, president of the Westbrook/Gorham Community Chamber.

“We think it is a great event for the city as it will bring more people to downtown Westbrook, and, from my understanding, the majority will be out-of-state participants,” Cook said this week. “Any event where we can showcase Westbrook and its businesses is great.”

Cook said the chamber will host an information booth at the event.

While the park will be closed to residents during the day, with cyclists setting up campsites, the public is invited to attend the post-parade activities and watch bluegrass and folk band North of Nashville perform in the park from 7:30-9 p.m.