Chris Angel Murphy

RALEIGH — Raleigh Wide Open Five kicked off Saturday with music, food and performances.

Organizers expect tens of thousands of people to pack the streets to enjoy music from more than 20 bands performing on four stages.

A parade kicked off the day’s activities at 11 a.m. and new this year, Raleigh Wide Open is bringing in some extreme sports events. There will be BMX demonstrations, skateboarding and professional wrestling. There will even be a circus, and of course plenty of food and street vendors.

The big act this year is the band Barenaked Ladies. They’ll be performing at the new Raleigh Amphitheater.

Doug Grissom with the Raleigh Convention Center said he expects huge crowds at this year’s celebration.

“Tens of thousands, it depends, 60 to 100,” he said. “It started as a very small party five years ago to open Fayetteville Street, and even that year it was so huge we said we need to do it again. So now we’re on our fifth year.”

The event itself is free but the Barenaked Ladies concert tickets costs anywhere from about to .

The event goes until 11 p.m.