One of the highlights of the summer is the Fourth of July and in the coming weeks in the Harford County area, there will be several events to celebrate our nation's independence.
Darlington
Starting the festivities early as usual is the Darlington Independence Day Celebration with a parade and fireworks on Saturday, June 25.
The parade will start at the Darlington Volunteer Fire Company at 5:30 p.m. and end in Francis Silver Park.
"Our parade gets bigger every year but still, we maintain that small town charm," President Kira Dare, of the Darlington Independence Day Celebration Committee, said.
The Havre de Grace High School Warriors marching band will also participate in the parade, she said, and
"provide amazing music."
Following that is the third annual Darlington Idol contest, complete with cash prizes.
The Darlington Fire Company is also raffling off a Harley Davidson motorcycle as well. The fireworks start at dark, usually around 9:20 p.m. in the park, according to Dare, and throughout that time food and ice cream will be available from vendors in the park, who she encouraged visitors to support.
Although the deadline for participation has passed for Darlington, Dare still encouraged people to contact Jerry Scarborough at 410-836-3506 to register. The rain date for fireworks only will be June 26 at dusk.
Edgewood
Every year the local parade switches between Edgewood and Joppatowne and this year, according to Chairperson Dianna Guthrie, the festivities will be held July 2 in Edgewood.
The parade starts at 6 p.m. by the Boys and Girls Club and finishes by Deerfield Elementary School, Guthrie said. It features eight marching bands and 50 to 75 entries with the theme of "Hope, Liberty and Justice For All."
"It's a community affair," she said. "Everyone gets really into the theme. We're really proud to have this and honored."
As usual, the bulk of the parade's funding came from the carnival that recently ended, Guthrie said, and in the future, they plan on hosting a cultural festival after the parade and potentially offer scholarships.
"It's for the community," she added.
The deadline to register to participate in Edgewood's parade is June 27, Guthrie said. Those interested can contact her at 410-679-9399. No rain date.
Havre de Grace
On July 3, Havre de Grace's Independence Day celebration starts with a parade at 2 p.m.
Carolyn Narvell, member of the committee, said the parade will feature 23 musical units, which is a record for the city, as well as several participants. There is no theme, she added, besides the Fourth of July.
"We just look for a lovely family day celebrating the nation's birth," Narvell said.
Following the parade is a concert at 7 p.m., featuring LIXX and DJ Jeff Thompson, until the fireworks start at dark. Both activities take place at Tydings Memorial Park with the concert continuing after the fireworks until 10:30 p.m.
The Grand Marshal for the parade is Rick Hauf, Havre de Grace High School band director.
In addition, the carnival will start Tuesday, June 28, and run through Sunday. It will be open from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 4 to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Tuesday through Saturday, the unlimited rides price is $22 and on Sunday, it's $25. The $2 off coupons are good from Tuesday through Thursday only.
Narvell said they expect several thousand people for both the parade and fireworks, especially because people watch the fireworks from the water.
Check http://www.havredegracejuly4.org for more information. There will be no rain date for the events.
Kingsville
The Kingsville celebration starts off an hour before the parade, something parade chairperson Linda Alexander said sets them apart from other events on July 4.
Starting at 10 a.m. is pre-parade music before the parade starts at the Kingsville Volunteer Fire Company at 10:50 a.m. and finishes at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
"It's a good family parade," Alexander said, "family community."
The opening ceremony will be led by Master of Ceremonies Bruce McCubbin with Susie Rising performing the national anthem and a fly-by from the Maryland Air National Guard.
The theme this year is "Honor the Stars, Be Proud of our Stripes, Wave Your Flag," she said, and two local students at St. Stephen's School, Vincent and Domenic Maria, were the theme winners.
Deadline for entries in the parade is June 26, according to Alexander, and those interested can contact her at 410-592-7385. There will be no rain date for the festivities.
Bel Air
Finishing up the holiday celebrations is Bel Air, with a parade and fireworks the evening of July 4.
The parade will start at 6 p.m. at the "Welcome to Bel Air" sign, with the theme of "Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue."
"It's one of the largest parades in the entire region," Mike Blum, parade chairman said, adding that organizers expect between 30,000 and 50,000 spectators.
This year, there are "fantastic new entrants," Blum said, with stilt walkers, animals, jugglers and a variety of floats. Following the 1.1 mile long parade will be the fireworks around 9:30 p.m. launched from Rockfield Park.
Other activities include the pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. at Bel Air High School, horseshoe pitching and hamster races.
In case of inclement weather, the rain date for fireworks is the following day, July 5, at the same time.
The deadline for participation is June 20. Check http://www.belairjuly4.org for more information.