LANSING, MI — It's going to be awfully hairy this weekend in Lansing, where hundreds of facial-hair enthusiasts are expected to gather for the first annual Great Lakes Regional Beard and Moustache Championship.

"First and foremost, you're going to see some of the greatest facial hair in the world," said John Buckler, president of the Lansing-based Great American Fierce Beard Organization. "People are coming from all over to show off who is best at not shaving. If you've never seen anything like it, it will blow your mind."

The competition, scheduled for Saturday night at The Loft on Michigan Avenue, costs $10 for both spectators and participants, who are invited to register at the door.

From there, it's "basically a big, ridiculous horse show," according GAFBO vice president Kyle Muston. "People strutting around trying to sell their beards. It's really kind of a shock-and-awe thing."

Toward the end of the night, a panel of judges will award trophies to winners in 13 different facial-hair categories, including beards, muttonchops, moustaches and even fake lady beards.

"That's probably my favorite thing to see," Buckler said of the female competition. "It's so creative. They can do whatever they want, but I have to work with what I have on my face."

Full beard freestyle is expected to be one of the most closely-watched categories of the night, with contestants utilizing sprays and gels -- but never props -- to mold their facial hair in fancy fashion.

"It gets pretty nutty and pretty intense," said Buckler, who boasts a two-foot beard but will stick to emcee duty on Saturday. "That's the category I usually compete in. The beards are really elaborate, and people freak out about it. Everybody wants to touch it."

Muston said the full natural beard category should also provide some jaw-dropping views.

"It's like the heavyweight category, because it features the biggest, gnarliest beards you're going to see," he said. "These guys show up with beards that can be three feet or five feet long. To have that much patience (to grow such a beard) just blows my mind."

The Great American Fierce Beard Organization formed nearly ten years ago around a friendly facial-hair competition between Buckler and a few of his friends at Michigan State University.

Their initial goal was to see who could grow the "fiercest" beard -- as judged by random patrons at various bars -- but the group quickly evolved when an original member was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

"It wasn't just about a group of friends hanging out anymore," Buckler said. "We decided to try and do something with this -- to make it so our moms couldn't hate us for growing these beards."

Today, GAFBO members focus on local fundraising and volunteer work. Proceeds from this weekend's competition will go to the Haven House family shelter and the Lansing Cultural Exchange Program, which sends students to Japan when funding is available.

The beard group gathers monthly in Lansing, drawing about 35 people to each meeting, and has sent members to competitions around the world, as you can see in the photo gallery above.

Buckler is active within the North American Competitive Beard and Moustache Alliance, which he petitioned on behalf of GAFBO in a successful attempt to host the first-ever Great Lakes regional championship.

"I wanted to show off Lansing for people," he said, noting that he expects up to 400 competitors and spectators from around the country. "It's a good city. If they've never been to Michigan, all they think about is Detroit. And that's why I organized a smaller event in Detroit last year, to show people that it's not what they think it is either."

Jonathan Oosting is the "buzz reporter" for MLive Media Group's statewide news team. Email him links to off-beat, unusual or otherwise fascinating news at joosting@mlive.com.