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Parades and races and tours and games - and yes, fireworks.
For those looking for some patriotic entertainment during the upcoming holiday weekend, there are many to choose from throughout the county.
Winona Lake will host its annual Winona Lake Days and will kick off the festivities Saturday morning with a 5K run/walk. Participants can register at the park office or at the event Saturday morning.
Other events include:
• Vendors and concessions along Park Avenue from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Craft and Artisan Exposition from noon to 6 p.m. at Rodeheaver Auditorium.
• Kids' games and activities, including face painting, a free throw contest, three-legged race, big wheel competition, diaper derby, a family tug-of-war and a balloon toss, from 1 to 4 p.m. on the south lawn of Rodeheaver Auditorium.
• Historic tours of the newly renovated Billy Sunday Home, Westminster and Mount Memorial buildings, as well as walking and bicycle tours of Winona Lake's historic homes from 1 to 5 p.m.
• Winona Lake Days poster signing at the Buyer Home from 2 to 4 p.m. by the artist who contributed to the commemorative Winona Lake poster.
• The Lake City Skiers will present a demonstration at 3 p.m. on Winona Lake.
• Antique and Classic Car Cruise In at the Swan Pond on Park Avenue from 4 to 7 p.m.
• Strawberry shortcake and ice cream social at the corner of Park Avenue and 9th Avenue from 5:30 to 6:30.
• A historical re-enactment, featuring Patrick Henry, as well as patriotic music, will be presented at the amphitheater from 6 to 7 p.m.
• A concert by the Indiana Professional Orchestra Ensemble, conducted by James Chandler, will be performed from 7 to 8:20 p.m.
• The evening will conclude with fireworks over Winona Lake at 9 p.m. The display will be performed at three different location on the lake for optimum viewing.
In Syracuse, the Wawasee 5/10K run will start the weekend festivities, beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday at Lakeside Park.
The Oakwood Inn Cookout will offer traditional holiday fare from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.. The Brass Winds also will perform patriotic tunes throughout the evening.
The 36th Annual Wawasee Flotilla will get under way at 1 p.m. at Griffith Marina and proceed around the lake in a clockwise direction. Those wishing to participate in the flotilla should have their decorated boat in the bay at Griffith Marina prior to noon Saturday.
Fireworks will close the Saturday festivities, beginning at 9:30 over Lake Wawasee. There will also be a second fireworks display over Lake Syracuse beginning at dusk on July 4.
Chapman Lake will also host a flotilla, beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.
North Webster is offering a full day's worth of entertainment sponsored by the North Webster Lake Association.
Planned events include a water ski demonstration by the Ski Bees beginning at 6:30 p.m. and a "music in the park" concert at 7:30 p.m., which will featured popular patriotic selections. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display immediately following the concert.
In Etna Green, the Fourth of July celebration kicks off at 8 a.m. Saturday with the annual town-wide garage sale. The sale will conclude at 3 p.m.
Sunday a community pitch-in dinner is scheduled at the park pavilion beginning at 1 p.m.
Monday's day-long events start with a coffee, rolls and juice breakfast at 7 a.m. sponsored by the United Methodist Church.
The day will be full of events for the kids, with T-ball games from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; a moonwalk will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; roller blade races at 10 a.m.; sack races at 11 a.m.; a Twinkie-eating contest at 11:30 a.m.; and Big Wheel races beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Serrel Fetters will perform gospel music with her father beginning at 10:30 a.m.
The annual Fourth of July parade will begin at 2 p.m., with the theme "Hear America Sing." The grand marshals for this year's parade are Claude David, Russell Miller and Laurence Ulmer.
Warsaw festivities begin Friday night, with the Bel Airs performing all the oldies hits beginning at 7 p.m. at the Plaza in Central Park.
On Saturday, the annual Fourth of July will begin at 11 a.m. The parade route will begin at Columbia and Center streets, proceed east to High Street, then south to Market Street. The parade will then proceed west on Market Street and finish at Boggs Industrial Park.
Warsaw's fireworks will be in conjunction with Winona Lake's, and will be over the lake at 9 p.m.
