POST FALLS - This year's Post Falls Festival is a little different from previous events.

Rather than being held in early June, it's happening this weekend. It is still located in Q'emiln Park, but the carnival is across the river in the Trading Company's parking lot.

But it still has food, vendors, live music and fun for the family, with plenty to see and do.

"We're excited to see how it's going to work out," said Penny Lindner, administrative specialist for the city of Post Falls Parks and Recreation. "It kind of gives it a different flavor. We'll see how that works out. We've still got the great music, some fun things for the kids, good food."

Lori Lacy, Rathdrum, is making her Post Falls Festival debut as a vendor, selling bracelets made from recycled guitar strings in her "Aunt Joby's Attic" booth. She calls them "strings for strength," something that stems from her recent triumph in a battle with colon cancer and the necessity to pay her medical bills. She sat with her parents, Jo and Jean LaForge, of Coeur d'Alene, in the shade of the tent Friday afternoon while she clipped strings and fashioned new, unique pieces of wristwear.

"These are all recycled strings," Lacy said. "Somebody has played on them all, made music with them all, and so now I turn them into this." She said the name Aunt Joby is in honor of her mom, who has been called Joby much of her life.

About 60 craft and 20 food vendors are set up throughout the park, selling handmade art, scrollsaw signs, handbags, jewelry, summer clothes and other festival must-haves. Elephant ears, German sausages, lamburgers, shaved ice, big burritos and beef jerky are among food choices sold from various carts.

Part of the fun in the Post Falls Festival is an inflatable play land, complete with inflatable slides, obstacle course and jumping arena. People can even feel like human hamsters in the Water Balls for a small fee.

"I've seen them, I've never been in one. I've always wanted to try one," said Ryder, 12, of Lynden, Wash. "I can't wait to do it."

He and friends from church camp stood in line to step into the translucent plastic spheres and spin around on top of the water in the pool.

"I'm kind of scared I'm going to suffocate," said Abigail, 14.

Also inflatable is a large, half-clamshell stage set up on the west end of the festivities, while the main stage is more centralized to the market area. Attendees will be able to hear sounds of bluegrass, country, blues and jazz as they weave through the tents and people.

At a picnic table beneath the pines in the midst of the festival, two young men in bright clothing performed parkour and flips while another stood by. The stuntmen are varsity cheerleaders from Post Falls High School.

Chantz Loftis, 17, of Post Falls, had been to the Post Falls Festival at least four times.

"Wherever there's a bench, there's parkour," he said. Loftis said he likes the festival because he hangs out with friends and they check out the shops as well as ride the rides.

Brandin McDonald, 17, of Post Falls, said it was his first Post Falls Festival.

"This is kind of a hobby that we do more than showing off," he said about the parkour.

Their friend Zach McNeill, 17, of Hauser, said he thinks the festival is fun. His favorite part?

"All the girls walking around," he said.

The Post Falls Festival goes until late Sunday afternoon. Remaining festivities include the PF Parks and Recreation craft and food vendors in Q'emiln, along with a beer garden and other attractions, family challenges (Kamp-Ke-Mee-Lin), a parade at 11 a.m. today on Seltice Way, the carnival, a skateboard competition in the PF Skate Park and more. Visit www.postfallsidaho.org/ParkRec/prforms/PFFestival.pdf for the schedules of music and events.