Thousands of athletes will flood Central Missouri this weekend and next for the Show-Me State Games.
Although most of the Olympic-style events will be in Columbia, the martial arts event will begin 9 a.m. Saturday at the Firley YMCA.
The games' opening ceremonies will be 7 p.m. today in the Hearnes Arena, Columbia.
Other hosting communities include: Auxvasse for cycling, Ashland for fencing, Fulton for muzzleloading rifle and pistol, and Hartsburg for rifle and pistol shooting. The Show-Me State Games was established in 1985 as a non-profit program of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness & Health and is hosted by the University of Missouri.