Mercer’s popular BearStock Music Festival marks its fifth year, and its second year in Tattnall Square Park with an action-packed concert on Saturday, April 14. The concert will feature 14 bands on two stages. In addition, this year’s event is being held in conjunction with the Macon Cycling Classic, in which cyclists will circle the park in a series of races beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Headlining this year’s BearStock will be Far East Movement and Yellowcard. Far East Movement presents a blend of hip-hop, pop, electro and dance. The band’s most popular songs include “Like a G6” and “Girls on the Dance Floor.” “Like a G6” received more than a million views on YouTube before the song was released to play on the radio. Yellowcard is an American pop and punk alternative rock band originally formed in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1997. Their most popular song, “Ocean Avenue,” was released in 2003. Yellowcard has released numerous albums through the years, the most recent being in March 2011, titled When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes.

The local bands and artists scheduled to perform at BearStock include:

1 p.m. Argonauts – Stage A
1:35 p.m. Young Benjamin – Stage B
2:05 p.m. The Silver Comet – Stage A
2:35 p.m. The Levee – Stage B
3:05 p.m. Bottle Up and Explode – Stage A
3:35 p.m. Emily Hearn – Stage B
4:05 p.m. Josh Foster – Stage A
4:35 p.m. Saint Francis – Stage B
5:05 p.m. Jubee and The Morning After – Stage A
5:50 p.m. theKey – Stage B
6:35 p.m. The Front Bottoms – Stage A
7:20 p.m. Ocean Is Theory – stage B
8:30 p.m. Yellowcard – Stage A
9:45 p.m. Far East Movement – Stage A

The festival is family friendly and there will be food and drinks available for purchase. The streets surrounding the park will be closed beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday through 7:30 p.m. for the race. There will be designated crossing areas around the park, and festival-goers are required to use these areas to cross the street. Parking will be available on the Mercer campus, accessible from the Mercer University Drive entrances of campus.

Bike Race

This year also marks the second year that BearStock will be combined with a bike race. Last year’s race, the Southeastern Collegiate Cycling Conference Championships, moves on to another venue and is replaced by the third annual Macon Cycling Classic, which moves from a May date to combine with BearStock. Saturday’s races will all circle the park, with roads closing at 7 a.m. Race registration begins at 8 a.m. and will conclude at approximately 7:30 p.m.

The Macon Cycling Classic will include races for all ages, from a free kid’s race to competitions for 10 year-olds to adults. For more information on the race, or to register, go to www.maconcyclingclassic.com.