Almost a year after shutting down racing operations, Suffolk Downs will have live horse races once again this weekend.

The historic racetrack will host three days of thoroughbred racing starting on Saturday, Sept. 5, as part of its Suffolk Downs Festival of Racing. There will also be horse races on Oct. 3 and Oct. 31.

The series of events will be sort of a homecoming since many of the horses have Massachusetts connections, according to Suffolk Downs COO Chip Tuttle.

"We really see [the festival] more as a celebration of a tradition that has been good to us for a long, long time and certainly helped a lot of people and kept a lot of people working in Massachusetts," Tuttle said in a phone interview.

Suffolk Downs is the last thoroughbred racetrack in New England. The 80-year-old racetrack ended live horse racing last October after its partner Mohegan Sun lost its bid to build a casino in Revere — a plan backers said would have given the ailing racetrack a boost.

On Saturday, more than 100 horses will take to the track for 13 scheduled races with high-stakes purses valued at $507,500. In addition to horse racing, the track will also host a food truck festival with live music and activities for kids, such as pony rides and face painting.

"The whole idea here was to create an event that everyone can enjoy," Lou Raffetto, Jr., who is managing the festival for Suffolk Downs, told WBUR's Newscast Unit. "It’s not about the gambling per se, it’s about enjoying a day out at the races."

Raffetto said there is a long-term goal of trying to keep the industry alive by possibly finding another venue in the state for a horse park and equestrian center that could host a variety of activities and events.

As for Suffolk Downs, they plan to hold races again next year, according to Tuttle. But beyond that horse racing likely will not continue at Suffolk Downs, Tuttle said.