Gulf Coast State College is turning 65. Here's how you can join the celebration.

PANAMA CITY — Gulf Coast State College will honor a milestone anniversary on Saturday with a community celebration.

GCSC's 65th anniversary celebration will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday on the college campus, 5230 W. U.S. 98 in Panama City.

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Admission is free, and everyone is invited to join the family-friendly activities, including games, food, music, entertainment and more.

"This event is not for just students and staff. We want everyone to come out to have a good time," said Brittany Weisensale, GCSC's marketing and communications director. "There will be a lot of interactive activities to keep the event interesting for all ages."

The event will include several booths from GCSC student clubs and organizations to engage with the community.

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In addition, there will offer free food provided by the campus' Empowerment Cafe, live music from the AlterNation HD3 student-run radio station and giveaways with GCSC merch.

While the college typically hosts anniversary celebrations every decade, Weisensale said it seemed appropriate to celebrate at the halfway mark in an effort to bring the community together.

"The community has been through so much in the last five years, and it's really important for us to give back with a fun community event," Weisensale said. "Things took a hit after the hurricane, and then we faced the pandemic, so we're trying to get back to being able to be interactive with the community."

Partnering with GCSC, the event is sponsored by The Arc of the Bay, CareerSource Gulf Coast, iHeart Media and PanCare Health.

The GCSC Foundation will host a 5K run in support of the Gulf Coast Guarantee at 8 a.m., and The Visual and Performing Arts Division will present "An Evening with Henry Cho" at 7:30 p.m. at the Amelia G. Tapper Center for the Arts.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Gulf Coast State College in Panama City to celebrate 65th anniversary