Dollar General will celebrate the grand opening of its Merced store on Saturday, March 31.

The Merced location will the the discount retailer's 10,000th store.

Dollar General executives and local officials will kick off the celebration with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m., followed by a day filled with fun for the entire family.

Customers will have the opportunity to get a free make-up consultation from L’Oreal and Maybelline experts, have a photo taken with a favorite character such as Sponge Bob, Bimbo Bear or the Energizer Bunny and sample a wide variety of products sold at Dollar General. Other activities include Gamesa soccer ball activation, race car simulator and inflatable games. 

The first 500 customers will receive a free ham and tote bag filled with samples and coupons.

Dollar General is located at 1729 West Highway 140.

BIG READ KICKS OFF MARCH 15 WITH CELEBRITY READ-A-THON

The Fresno County Public Library kicks off its sixth Big Read, which this year features Jack London’s The Call of the Wild, with a celebrity read-a-thon at the Valley Animal Center on March 15 from 10 am to 3 pm.  Celebrities include local media personalities and community leaders.

The public is invited to bring copies of The Call of the Wild to read along with the celebrity readers.

The Library was awarded a $17,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for The Call of the Wild.  The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 31 selected books from U.S.