This upcoming weekend in Weatherly, at both the "Weatherly Hill Climb" and the "Trainworks Festival", there will be something of interest to do and see for every member of the family.

Starting this morning, the National Guard will have an Indy-Car simulator at Weatherly High School where wanna-be race car drivers can safely test out their driving skills.Tonight, there will be a kick-off parade in downtown Weatherly for the Hill Climb weekend which will start at 6 p.m.Saturday and Sunday, there will be racing from 9 a.m. until about 4 p.m. while on Saturday only, there will be a Show-N-Shine Car Show down below the hill climb on Wilbur Street from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.The Festival at the "Trainworks" will run from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Saturday and from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday.Also, on Saturday and Sunday, the National Guard will have a Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR race car on display at the Hill Climb as well as an up-armored Hum Vee.The Weatherly Hill Climb is sponsored by Fairway Subaru of Hazleton and is co-sponsored by DeAngelo Brothers Inc. of Hazleton (DBI).Hill Climb organizers also expressed their appreciation to Weatherly Casting for all of their help in putting on the event.Admission and parking are free and there will be plenty of good food available.Each driver will try to finish the 1.1 mile course in under 60 seconds while climbing through an elevation change of about 340 feet.According to some Weatherly Hill Climb Association members, out of all the hills on the East Coast this is the most challenging, and while it might not be the fastest, there are some corners with grades so steep that one cannot walk up the sides of them.The hill consists of uphill straights leading into hairpin turns, one called "the Wall" has to be seen and driven to be believed, followed by a hairpin turn, a short run to another hard right hand turn and then the "Jump" where most cars leave contact with the pavement.From this point the rest of the hill consists of a short straight leading to a long sweeping turn to the finish that tests the tires grip on the road as well as the driver's nerve.After the completion of the hill climb events on Sunday, trophies will be handed out to the drivers about 4 p.m.To get to the Weatherly Hill Climb, after leaving Route 93 in Hudsondale and driving into Weatherly, at the first stop sign, turn right and drive over the creek and a set of railroad tracks.Turn left at the first opportunity and proceed parallel to the creek. Continue past the "Trackside Beverages" beer distributor. Follow the street as it turns right until you see the Weatherly Fire Department on your right.During the hillclimb hours this street, beginning at the fire house, serves as the paddock area and will be closed to all but race cars. Visitors can turn left just prior to the fire house and find a parking space, then may walk on the street serving as the paddock area to reach the Hill Climb.