For the third year in a row, Middletown and Fairfield’s community arts centers will set aside a day for free demonstrations of what they offer to their communities.

The activities at the Fairfield Community Arts Center, slated for noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, serve as kind of a sneak preview into the offerings for the 2012-2013 season at the center on 411 Wessel Drive, said Heidi Schiller, the center’s manager.

Activities will include a fitness class, pottery creations, musical theatre performances, and information on classes, workshops and other upcoming events. This is the third year Fairfield has participated in the event, sponsored by Cincinnati ArtsWave.

Whereas last year’s event included an arts parade, this year offers “more of a chance for people to see what we’ll be offering in the fall. We’ll have fitness classes, bingo and other activities,” said Schiller.

Last year’s event offered an “arts parade” in conjunction with a region-wide theme, but that event had a fairly low turnout of 45 people. Therefore, it was thought wiser to go back to the concept of the first year and show what the center offers.

In Middletown, the activities will be centered around children and will include acting and dancing games with the Fairfield Performing Arts Academy, a children’s theater group, said PattBelisle. Other activities include mural-painting, mask-making and face painting.

The overall event at 130 N. Verity Parkway runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The academy performs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30. p.m., and Dayton-area author Maranda Russell will read from her latest book “Ode to Icky” at 12:30 p.m.

Middletown’s activities were designed to show that the arts go beyond just what you can see, said Leslie Pinto, the program coordinator for the Arts Center.

“We definitely wanted to incorporate other arts organizations by going outside of the visual arts and incorporating performing arts as well,” she said.

Regarding Russell’s participation, Pinto said, “Writing is an art form too, and this shows how writing and art go together.”

Middletown and Fairfield will both offer ice cream provided by United Dairy Farmers. All events are free.

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton is not participating in Community Arts Center Day this year but hopes to in future years, said spokeswoman Pam Gruber.