EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected to reflect that the first community photo in Sequim is at 2:30 p.m. today.
Fireworks, festivals, parades and more are planned across the North Olympic Peninsula for this year’s celebration of our nation’s birth.
Happy Independence Day!!
Firework shows will light up the sky tonight in Port Angeles, Forks and Neah Bay — and communities are offering family-friendly picnics, block parties, live music and children’s games.
There will be no fireworks show in Port Townsend this year, though other events are planned.
PORT ANGELES
Parade, fireworks
The Port Angeles Fourth of July celebration begins at 6 p.m. with the Fourth of July Parade.
It begins with something new: The Diamond Point Swift Formation Team will signal the parade’s start with a five-plane formation flyove, making two passes over First Street from east to west, then returning from west to east.
A helicopter flyover was a Coast Guard tradition, but the federal agency announced that it could not do it this year because of federal budget cuts known as sequestration.
The procession then will start at the Clallam County Courthouse and travel north on Lincoln Street and west on First Street through downtown to Valley Street.
Announcing stands will be at Veterans Park, the Conrad Dyar Memorial Fountain at Laurel Street and the corner of Oak and First streets.
The party will continue at City Pier at 7 p.m. at the east end of Railroad Avenue with live music.
Performers include Luck of the Draw, a bluegrass and rock ‘n’ roll group, and The Hooky’s, a reggae/rock/hip-hop band.
A fireworks display will begin at 10 p.m. over Port Angeles Harbor.
Recommended viewing areas for the fireworks are City Pier and the Waterfront Trail east of City Pier.
Holiday boat parades
The Port Angeles Yacht Club will host two boat parades in Port Angeles Harbor today.
The parade of boats decked out in red, white and blue will be at noon and 3 p.m. starting at the entrance to the Port Angeles Boat Haven, said Steve DeBiddle, the yacht club’s spokesman.
The parades will start at the entrance to Port Angeles Boat Haven and travel north to Ediz Hook and east along the sand bar.
They will turn west and cruise back to the Boat Haven.
SEQUIM
Centennial picnic
In Sequim, the Fourth of July weekend kicks off with the Old Fashioned Town Picnic from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Water Reuse Demonstration Park and the James Center for the Performing Arts in Carrie Blake Park.
All Sequim residents are invited to pose for a community photograph at 2:30 p.m. at the park.
The family-friendly picnic from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. will include live music, with relay races, a bean bag toss, pickup sports games, checkers, horseshoes and croquet.
Contests include categories for beards, mustaches and vintage hats.
Picnic food will be available for purchase.
Sequim City Band’s annual Fourth of July concert will begin at 3 p.m. at the Water Reuse Demonstration Park.
The celebration continues from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday with the “The Street Dance of the Century,” preceded by another community photo at 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Sequim Avenue and Washington Street.
The street party on Washington Street in downtown Sequim features retro rock ‘n’ roll band Magic Bus with special guest the Guy Johnson Band.
Food vendors will offer victuals, and those 21 or older are invited to purchase alcoholic beverages at a beer and wine garden.
The celebration is in Sequim’s centennial year. The city was incorporated Oct. 31, 1913.
For a complete event listing, visit http://tinyurl.com/sequimfourth.
Barbecue benefit
A Fourth of July barbecue benefit for Carlsborg VFW Post 6787 will be hosted by Hardy’s Market, 10200 Old Olympic Highway.
The event will begin at 11 a.m. and will run until Hardy’s runs out of food.
The barbecue is free to veterans. For others, hamburgers are $3, and hot dogs and ice-cream cones are $2.
Last year’s barbecue collected $500 for local veterans.
For more information, phone Hardy’s at 360-582-0240.
PORT TOWNSEND
No fireworks show, but Summer Band and more
The 45-member Port Townsend Summer Band will present its 12th annual Independence Day concert at American Legion Post 26, corner of Water and Monroe streets, at 7:30 p.m.
Conductor Karl Bach has chosen a patriotic program of music by John Philip Sousa, E.E. Bagley, Irving Berlin, Samuel Ward, F.W. Meacham, R. Planquette, Kenneth Alford and Henry Fillmore.
There is no admission, though donations will be accepted.
For more information, visit www.ptsummerband.org.
Fiddle Tunes festival
The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, a Centrum music festival featuring fiddles and American folk music, will hold four concerts featuring the fiddle playing various styles of American folk music.
Two “Fiddlin’ on the Fourth” shows are offered at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. today at McCurdy Pavilion, Fort Worden State Park.
Tickets cost $20/$25, depending on seating. Children 18 or younger are admitted free. Older teenagers must have identification.
Tickets are available at 800-746-1982 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or are available online at www.centrum.org/tickets.
Performances of Cajun and creole dance will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Littlefield Green.
Admission is $15. Children 18 or younger with identification are admitted free.
The Fiddle Finale will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at McCurdy Pavilion.
Tickets are $20/$25, depending on seating. Children 18 or younger with identification are admitted free.
FORKS
Old-Fashioned Fourth
The annual Forks Old-Fashioned Fourth of July celebration features a breakfast, parade, arts show, salmon bake, demolition derby and fireworks display.
Today’s events will begin at 8 a.m. with the Forks Fourth of July Elks Breakfast, $7 per person, Forks Elks Lodge, 941 Merchant Road.
The Kiddies Parade will begin at 11:45 a.m., and the Grand Parade will start at noon on South Forks Avenue beginning at the Bank of America parking lot.
The Forks Lions Club salmon bake, $13 per ticket, will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Tillicum Park on Tillicum Lane.
Gates will open for the demolition derby at 2 p.m., Tillicum Park Arena, with the derby starting at 3 p.m.. Tickets are $8.
Fireworks will begin at dusk at Tillicum Park.
Events continue through the weekend, with Friday’s Fourth of July Fun Run at 9 a.m. beginning at the parking lot at 240 S. Forks Ave.
Registration for the 5K and 10K runs begins at 8 a.m. Entry is $25.
A Make-A-Wish Foundation bean bag toss will be held at 5 p.m. at Tillicum Park.
Entries to the bag toss are $20 each, with half of the proceeds donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
On Saturday, the Horseshoe Tournament will begin at 9 p.m. at Tillicum Park, with registration beginning at 8 a.m.
Kiddie Play Day will be held from noon to 2 p.m., followed by the Frog Jump at 4 p.m. at Tillicum Park.
A cribbage tournament will be held at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, 110 S. Spartan Ave.
Entry to the cribbage tournament is $6.
An arts, photos and crafts show will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, July 4, from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 7, at Peace Lutheran Church, 251 Blackberry Ave.
NEAH BAY
Fireworks
Fireworks are planned in Neah Bay at dusk.
The fireworks, sponsored by the Makah Tribal Council, will be on Front Beach.
