BENEZETTE — The annual Elk Expo is taking over Benezette this weekend, with two days of all-things elk planned at the Elk Country Visitors Center.

The much-anticipated drawing for an elk license will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Elk Country Campus Outdoors building by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

On Sunday at 12:45 p.m. will be the drawing for the KECA Bronco, tickets for which will be on sale until 11:15 a.m. The vehicle is a 1975 KECA limited Bronco custom built by H&H Performance of DuBois.

And at 1 p.m. will be the Keystone Elk Country Alliance elk tag raffle drawing. Tickets will be on sale until 11 a.m. Sunday.

Events begin Saturday with a flag-raising ceremony at 9 a.m., with vendors open until 8 p.m.

In the main tent, from 10 to 10:45 a.m., the program “welcome to the rut” will be held. The rut, or breeding season, is just around the corner for the elk. The program will talk about the animal’s behavior during rut.

From 10:15 to 10:45 a.m., in the rest tent, a question and answer session on chronic wasting disease will be held. It is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects both deer and elk. The state Game Commission’s CWD communication specialist will talk about the impact of the disease.

From 10:30 a.m. to noon, and from 2 to 3 p.m., in the ECCO building, the Wrangler Band will perform.

From 11 to 11:30 a.m. in the main tent, a Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer and his K9 partner will perform demonstrations.

At 11 a.m. in the rest tent, storyteller Dennis Murray will entertain with whimsical stories. John Manders, caricature artist, will be on the grounds from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., sketching guests courtesy of the Elk Expo.

From noon to 5 p.m., Nick Forsyth will perform in the rest tent.

At 11:45 a.m. in the main tent, will be a program on pursuing Pennsylvania predators. Seminar speaker Freddie McKnight will cover all the basics of predator hunting.

At noon, 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., mock goose hunts will be held at the edge of field, Laurel Run Chapter of Delta Waterfowl booth.

At 12:30 p.m. will be an elk overview with the Game Commission in the ECCO building. Elk biologist Jeremy Banfield will give the presentation.

From 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. will be a paracord make-and-take activity in the main tent.

From 2 to 2:45 p.m. in the rest tent will be carver Jeff Keiffer of Golden Feather Decoys, sharing the lost art of hand-carving decoys.

From 2 to 3 p.m. will be a stormwater seminar in the main tent, along with a rain barrel giveaway. The Elk County Conservation District will present the educational seminar.

From 3 to 4 p.m. will be the Keystone Elk Country Alliance’s elk calling contest in the main tent.

In the rest tent from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m. is “Oh Elk!” an educational game on population dynamics.

In the ECCO building from 3:30 to 4 p.m., the Game Commission will hold an informative program on bluebirds and will give out bluebird boxes.

An atlatl seminar will be held in the main tent from 4 to 4:45 p.m.

Storyteller Dennis Murray will be in the rest tent from 5 to 5:45 p.m.

At 5 p.m. in the ECCO building, the Wapiti Roost Chapter, NWTF will hold a youth turkey calling contest.

In the main tent from 5 to 5:30 p.m. is a program about living with snakes, and learning to identify the venomous snakes of Pennsylvania.

The events continue on Sunday on the grounds of the center, with vendors open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In the ECCO building from 10 to 11 a.m. will be a game of “Survivor Elk Edition” for children. KECA staff will hold an interactive game to demonstrate the challenges an elk faces.

From 11 to 11:45 a.m., the game commission will hold a program on fur bearers in the main tent.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., caricature artist Manders will be sketching visitors at a location to be announced.

From 11:30 to noon in the rest tent, a seminar will be held on the Kentucky long rifle by Kentucky Rifle Association member Eric Armstrong.

In the main tent from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. will be a program on the best use of trail cameras by Freddie McKnight.

In the ECCO building from noon to 1 p.m., and 1:30 to 3 p.m., the group Mis’ B Havin will perform.

At noon and 2 p.m., mock goose hunts will be held at the edge of the field.

From noon to 5 p.m. in the rest tent, Nick Forsyth will perform.

From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the main tent, nature trivia games will be held. All ages are welcome to play.

Storyteller Murray will be in the rest tent from 3 to 4 p.m.

Many more events and displays will be held throughout the weekend as well.