Region gears up for July Fourth celebrations

Dig out your red, white and blue ensembles: It’s almost America’s birthday, and parties are planned this weekend through Tuesday in cities and small towns across the Inland Northwest.

Here’s a roundup of what’s coming up for the long and busy holiday weekend:

Spokane/Eastern Washington

• Fourth of July Neighbor Day in Riverfront Park, downtown Spokane,will be held 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; food, a beer garden, arts and crafts, sports activities and children’s activities included. From noon to 7 p.m., there will be music on the main stage in the Lilac Bowl. Opening ceremonies and veterans presentation begin at 7 p.m.; Spokane Jazz Orchestra with special guest Horace Alexander Young will perform at 8 p.m.; Tomlinson Black/Viking Construction fireworks show at 10 p.m.

• Fourth of July Celebration at Liberty Lake will be Tuesday at 6 p.m., including a community parade, food vendors and big band music by Tuxedo Junction. Fireworks will begin at dusk. Pavillion Park, corner of Country Vista Drive and Molter Road.

• Fourth of July Barbecue and Car Wash, Spokane is Tuesday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Barbecue includes chicken, ribs, hamburgers, German sausage, potato salad, macaroni salad, baked beans and dessert and costs $6.50 a meal.

The car wash is by donation; proceeds benefit the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ youth activities. VFW #51, 300 W. Mission Ave.

• Moses Lake Summer Concert Series and Fireworks on Tuesday at 8 p.m. will feature Freddy Pink Band, an eight-piece band playing rock and soul.

The annual Moses Lake Community Patriotic Fireworks Display follows the concert. The event is sponsored by City of Moses Lake Parks and Recreation. Centennial Amphitheater, Moses Lake.

• Independence Party Sunday in Kettle Falls with live music and dancing. Music will feature True Blue at noon, Jukebox Review at 5 p.m., and The Refugees at 7 p.m. Food will be available for purchase. China Bend Winery, 3751 Vineyard Way. $10 for adults, free for ages 15 and younger.

• Community Fourth of July Tuesday in Pullman at Sunnyside Park will feature vendors throughout the park, a children’s area, music and fireworks at dusk. The Pullman Community Band will perform at 5:30 p.m., folk singer Dan Maher will perform 6:30-7:30 p.m., and The Kingpins will perform 7:30-10 p.m.

North Idaho

• Bayview Daze, a weekend celebration in Bayview with vendors, music and food, begins Friday with arts and crafts on Main Street from 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The fun resumes Saturday, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. A parade begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, followed by children’s games in Bayview Park from 2-5 p.m. A lighted boat parade begins at 9 p.m. Saturday, and fireworks start at dusk. The festivities end Sunday with arts and crafts on Main Street from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

• In Spirit Lake, the decade-old Day in the Park celebration returns this Independence Day. Sponsored by Visions, a volunteer group of community members, the day-long celebration will feature about 36 food and craft vendors as well as various games for children. A parade begins at 11 a.m.; anyone wanting to be in it is to report to the elementary school at 10:30 a.m. Fireworks start at 10 p.m.

• Coeur d’Alene festivities start at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday with a small parade to collect donations for the fireworks show.

The main parade begins at 11 a.m. on Sherman Avenue, and military planes will fly over Sherman at 11 a.m. Food and craft vendors will be in City Park all day, and the bands Somebody’s Hero and the Air National Guard Band of the Northwest are scheduled to play.

Fireworks begin at dusk downtown.

• A parade begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday in downtown Sandpoint. Fireworks begin at dusk on Sandpoint City Beach.

• Kellogg is hosting the Silver Valley’s first-ever Fourth of July celebration all day Tuesday in the city park.

A parade begins at noon, and a festival in the park with live entertainment, including a horseshoe tournament, runs from 1-5 p.m. The Kelly Hughes Band plays from 6:30-9:30 p.m., followed by a fireworks show.

• The Coeur d’Alene Casino in Worley is hosting celebrations Sunday and Tuesday. Fireworks start at dusk each night. Bingo starts Sunday at 11 a.m; live music, a barbecue and a beer garden will be Tuesday from 4-9 p.m.

• A children’s carnival will begin Tuesday at 10 a.m. in the Harrison city park. Fireworks begin at dusk in the park.

A fireworks show is also scheduled for Monday at dusk at the Conkling Park Marina in Harrison.

• Boat racing will take place Saturday and Sunday just east of the Pend Oreille River Bridge in Oldtown from noon to about 5 p.m.

• Bonners Ferry will host its Fourth of July parade at noon Tuesday.

The party will continue at the Boundary County Fairgrounds that afternoon with vendors, food booths and entertainment, followed by fireworks at dusk.

Recreational activities are available at the fairgrounds, and alcohol is prohibited.

• Priest River will host its own fireworks show in West Bonner Park.

Entertainment starts at 7 p.m.; fireworks begin at dusk.