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Steamboat Springs — The Steamboat Springs Cham­­­ber Resort Association expects a slew of events to attract tourists who will stay in more than half the city’s available beds during the last big summer tourism weekend, according to the lodging barometer forecast released Wednesday.

The barometer projects 56 percent of lodging, or 7,700 pillows, will be occupied Saturday night during Labor Day weekend.

“It’s one of the better ones,” Main­­street Steamboat Springs Man­­ager Tracy Barnett said about the holiday weekend. “It’s kind of the last hurrah, which I’m sorry to say. I wish it was longer. When kids go back to school, it makes it a little more complicated for people to travel.”

Mainstreet is hosting several events Friday through Monday.

Barnett said it’s important to give visitors things to do downtown when they come to Steamboat for Wild West Air Fest, one of Labor Day weekend’s bigger draws, which is north of town at Steamboat Springs Airport.

Chamber Marketing Director Lynna Broyles said the projected percentage of occupied rooms was 10 percent more than the projection for Labor Day 2009. And Broyles said she expected this summer’s trend of last-minute visitors exceeding the projection to continue.

“I would anticipate that we should expect roughly between a 15 and 20 percent increase on the walk-in rate, and that may be conservative,” she said.

The number of visitors during Labor Day weekend last year exceeded the projection by 19 percentage points.

Last summer, Labor Day weekend moved into the top five busiest weekends of the summer, in part because of the Chamber’s emphasis on diversifying the events available, Broyles said.

The lodging barometer also projects that mountain occupancy will be 84 percent this weekend.

Mike Lomas, vice president and general manager of The Steamboat Grand, said participants in the Steamboat Springs Stage Race, which returns for its second year, four wedding groups and others have nearly booked the hotel for Saturday night.

“It will be a very good weekend for us,” he said. “It will be a good end to a very nice summer. This weekend will be right up there with the (Hot Air Balloon Rodeo) weekend, the (Steamboat Mountain Soccer Tournament) weekend and some of the other great weekends we’ve had this summer.”

Barnett said locals and visitors would have a lot of events to choose from.

“I think it’s going to be a really good weekend,” she said. “There’s plenty for people to do. There’s going to be a lot of good choices. There’s something for everyone, or a lot of things for everyone.”

Labor Day weekend events

■ Friday

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come Sale Away Side­­­walk Sale — Downtown Steamboat Springs

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Steamboat Springs Stage Race — Aspire Time Trial

5 to 8 p.m. First Friday Artwalk — Downtown Steamboat Springs, free

■ Saturday

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mainstreet Farmers Market — Downtown Steamboat Springs on Sixth Street next to the Routt County Courthouse, free

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Steamboat Springs Stage Race — Marabou Ranch Circuit Race

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Steamboat Stock Dog Challenge — Stanko Ranch in Steamboat Springs, free

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wild West Air Fest — vintage aircraft and warbird static display and rides. Steamboat Springs Airport. No dogs allowed at event site; admission $5

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come Sale Away Side­walk Sale — Downtown Steamboat Springs

■ Sunday

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Steamboat Springs Stage Race — Moots Road Race

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Steamboat Stock Dog Challenge — Stanko Ranch in Steamboat Springs, free

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wild West Air Fest — vintage aircraft and warbird static display and rides­­ — Steamboat Springs Airport. No dogs allowed at event site; admission is $5

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come Sale Away Sidewalk Sale — Downtown Steamboat Springs

Noon to 3 p.m. Chuck Wagon Chili Challenge — downtown Steamboat Springs on 8th and Oak streets

5 p.m. Rocky Mountain Bull Bash PBR — Brent Romick Rodeo Arena in downtown Steamboat Springs. Gates open at 3 p.m. Buy tickets at the Chamber Resort Association visitor center for $25 to $30.

■ Monday

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Steamboat Springs Stage Race — Ski & Bike Kare Criterium

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Steamboat Stock Dog Challenge — Stanko Ranch in Steamboat Springs, free

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come Sale Away Sidewalk Sale — Downtown Steamboat Springs