Celebrations to dazzle for the Fourth of July

Celebrations will explode all over Clallam County today on the Fourth of July.

The Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce’s Fourth of July all-day celebration will be as American as apple pie, with an apple pie baking contest, baseball players, a collection of Chevy cars and an expanded parade route.

The day will be capped by a public display of fireworks shot from a barge 1,000 feet off City Pier.

The parade — from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. — will have a new route this year.

It begins at the float staging area on North Cedar Street, then begins its loop along Marine Drive to Front Street, heads left on Oak Street, turns right on Railroad Avenue, right on Laurel Street, right on First Street and finally left off South Valley Street, just across from where Marine Drive meets Front.

Before the parade will be events at The Gateway transit center at the corner of Front and Lincoln streets, City Pier at Lincoln Street and Railroad Avenue, and Waterfront Park at West Railroad Avenue and North Oak Street — all in downtown Port Angeles.

Here are the schedules:

The Gateway transit center

• Noon to 5 p.m. — Face painting, PA Rocks, Banbury Daycare, North Olympic Library System, Home Depot, musical instruments, Salmon Coalition, artist mentors and a selfie station.

• Noon to 1 p.m. — Poser Yoga and Cupcake Walk.

• 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Port Angeles cheerleaders and slap bracelet decorating.

• 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. — Aspire Dance.

• 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. — Cupcake Walk.

• 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. — Slap bracelet decorating.

• 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. — Cupcake Walk.

Vendor booths at the transit center bus lanes will be available from noon to 5 p.m. and will feature farmers market goods, food, craft activities, clothing and furniture.

City Pier

City Pier will feature the Port Angeles Lefties, a Ruddell Chevy display, hot dogs and soda, as well as a beer and wine garden.

• 8:30 a.m. — Registration and check-in for the Firecracker 5K and 10K race that will begin and end on the Waterfront Trail; Red Lion Hotel, 221 N. Lincoln St.; entry is $25 for adults 21 and older, $10 for youths ages 7 to 20 and free for those 6 and younger. Proceeds will benefit the Hurricane Ridge Ski Area.

• 11 a.m. — Pie competition drop-offs at City Pier.

• Noon — Apple pie contest.

• 1 p.m. — Firecracker run begins.

• 1:15 p.m. — Pie contest winners announced.

• 1:30 p.m. — Luck of the Draw.

• 3:30 p.m. — Buck Ellard Band.

• 8 p.m. — Fat Chance Band.

• 10:15 p.m. — Fireworks display on the bay.

Waterfront

The community is invited to join the Peninsula College’s Pirates at Waterfront Park from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Planned are a live marimba band, volleyball, pop-a-shot, cornhole, sidewalk chalk drawings and a treasure hunt for kids.

Visitors are encouraged to cozy up with blankets and watch the parade from the park, which is located along the new parade route.

For more information, email Tim Tucker at ttucker@pencol.edu.

Also in Port Angeles will be the Port Angeles Yacht Club’s parade at noon.

The marine parade will begin in front of the yacht club, 1305 Marine Drive, run along the city waterfront to Olympic Medical Center and then return to the yacht club.

For more information, call 360-457-4132.

Forks Old Fashioned 4th of July

Today’s festivities for the Forks Old Fashioned 4th of July are the grand finale for a celebration of Independence Day that began Friday.

Here is the schedule:

• 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. — Elks’ annual Fourth of July breakfast at the lodge, 941 Merchants Road. Cost is $8 for adults, $6 for kids and seniors, and free for ages 4 and younger.

• 8 a.m. — Check-in for Grand Parade at Forks Outfitters’ parking lot, 950 S. Forks Ave.

• 10 a.m. — Sign-up and judging begins for Kiddies’ Parade at the Peninsula College parking lot, 481 S. Forks Ave.

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Far West Art League art, photo and craft show at the Rainforest Arts Center, 35 N. Forks Ave.

• 10:30 a.m. — Final entries and judging for Grand Parade.

• 11:30 a.m. — Lineup for Kiddies’ Parade at the college’s parking lot.

• 11:45 a.m. — Kiddies’ Parade begins from the college’s parking lot.

• Noon — Grand Parade begins from the outfitters parking lot.

• 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. — Salmon bake at Tillicum Park, 236 N. Blackberry Ave.

• 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. — Forks Visitor Information Center, 1411 S. Forks Ave.; and Forks Timber Museum, 1421 S. Forks Ave.; both open.

• 3 p.m. — Demolition derby begins, with gates opening at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the gate. Advance tickets are available at the Forks Youth League fireworks stand at the corner of Forks Avenue and Bogachiel Way.

• Dusk — Fireworks display at Tillicum Park.

Sequim: Music, cars

SEQUIM — Food, music and classic cars will be available at the Sequim Elks’ Fourth of July celebration today.

Also, patriotic music will mark Independence Day with a concert by the Sequim City Band in Carrie Blake Park.

Admission to the Elks’ celebration at the lodge at 143 Port Williams Road will be by donation, with proceeds going to Elks’ veterans programs.

The day will kick off with breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by music in the lodge ballroom: Round Trip from noon to 3 p.m. and Victor Von Reventlo from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Visitors can munch on hot dogs and play games from noon to 6 p.m.

Classic wheels from the Sequim Valley Car Club will be on display.

KSQM 91.5 FM will air a live feed and offer root beer floats. Clallam County Fire District 3 will have a display with members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and offer blood pressure checks.

For more information, call 360-683-2763.

At 3 p.m. will be a free outdoor concert of patriotic music by the Sequim City Band at the James Center for the Performing Arts, 350 N. Blake Ave.

The concert will have lawn seating available.

For more information, contact 360-407-4722 or scb@sequimcityband.org.

Neah Bay

Neah Bay will bring back its annual Fourth of July street fair, including a parade, food vendors, field events, face painting and a drawing for fireworks packs.

Paradegoers will meet at the parking lot of the Makah Museum, 1880 Bayview Ave., at 10 a.m. today. Bikers are invited to decorate their bikes for the parade. Decorations will be available at the lot.

The parade will begin at 11 a.m.

Food — including hot dogs, chicken kabobs, watermelon, chips and water — will be ready by noon.

Field events, such as relay races, a watermelon eating contest, a bunny hop race and two- and three-legged races, will kick off around the same time. Cash prizes provide an extra incentive to compete.

A food purchase automatically enters you into a drawing for fireworks packs — one entry per person. The winner will be announced at 1:30 p.m.