ALBANY — A three-day Jehovah's Witness Convention is kicking off Friday at the Times Union Center. However, the annual convention is going to be a little different this year, with a special invitation being extended to Karen refugees living in the U.S. Parts of the program will be given in the Karen S'gaw language.

The Karen (pronounced, kahr-EHN) are an ethnic group from the mountainous regions of Thailand and Myanmar, formerly Burma. More than 1,200 Burmese refugees were resettled in the Capital Region since 2005 by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

This weekend's convention is expecting a turnout of about 7,000 Jehovah's Witnesses, hailing from upstate and central New York, Massachusetts and Vermont. It is open and free for the public to attend.

The event runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. View the day-by-day schedule.