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Area towns celebrating the Fourth of July with events, parades & fireworks

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The grand finale at the 2012 Rangeley fireworks show at Lakeside Park. (Photo by Roderick Small of Industry)
The grand finale at the 2012 Rangeley fireworks show at Lakeside Park. (Photo by Roderick Small)

Several area events surrounding the Fourth of July will be taking place on Friday and Saturday. Fireworks shows will be held on Friday night in Jay, Farmington and Rangeley and on Saturday night in Carrabassett Valley.

Among the events are Rangeley’s daylong Park Independence Day celebration, Farmington’s First Friday Artwalk and new events that include an obstacle run, the fire fighters barbecue dinner and fireworks on Friday, July 3. Also on Friday in Jay, the Independence Day parade and fireworks show will be held. In Industry the annual boat parade is set for Friday and the group paddle on Saturday. Carrabasett Valley has several events on Saturday that include a children’s parade at 3 p.m. and more activities at the Town Park through the evening up to the fireworks display. Below is an event listing for Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, July 3, the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring its annual Park Independence Day celebration, from the children’s parade at 10 a.m. to fireworks display after dusk. The Duck Race on Haley Pond starts at 10:30 a.m. Throughout the day, area non-profits will be providing live entertainment, various children’s activities and selling food and beverages at the park. The Chamber’s annual silent auction will be going on at the Chamber office throughout the day, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. The beautiful new 2016 Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce calendar will also be available for purchase at the Chamber office. For more information, contact the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce at 864-5571 or info@rangeleymaine.com, visit www.rangeleymaine.com or follow on Facebook here.

The 4th of July parade rolls down Main Street.
The Fourth of July parade will once again roll down Main Street in Jay and Livermore Falls on Friday, July 3.

In Jay on Friday, July 3, the annual Independence Day celebration parade begins at 5 p.m. in the Memco parking lot on Main Street in Jay. The parade moves along Main Street. Route 4 through downtown Livermore Falls. On Friday evening the Tri-Town Fireworks Display is launched from the Spruce Mountain ski slope in Jay and are shot over the Androscoggin River. They can be heard and seen from one of several viewing areas in town.

In Industry, the Annual Boat Parade will be held at Clearwater Lake in Industry on Friday evening, July 3 starting at dusk.

In Farmington, beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, the Farmington Fire Benevolent Association will be serving up chicken barbeque dinners at the Snack Shack near the Narrow Gauge Cinemas off Front Street. The association is also hosting a festive bonfire.

At the same time, the First Friday Art Walk & More begins in downtown with several activities going on at the same time until 8 p.m. A Buskers Alley will feature live music with local street performers featuring Ukulele music and the vocal styling of Anna, the singing seamstress. All musicians are invited to join us on Main Street to show your talents. Several businesses will be staying open late and art will be featured at several venues.

Beginning at 7 p.m. at the Snack Shack on Friday is a new family-oriented Obstacle and Trail Run. Registration is from 6 to 6:45 p.m. at the Snack Shack. The registration fee includes T-shirts to the first 25 who register. The course, a little more than 2 miles long, is a mostly flat, out-and-back route, that loops around the Farmington Village Corporation’s field. Featured will be about 10 to 12 fun, fairly easy obstacles, such as crawling under a baling twine mesh, going over 3- to 4-foot-high walls, using high knee steps through stacks of tires and a push-up station. For more information contact Moore at mainecinemas@myfairpoint.net.

After many years of not having a show, Farmington is once again going to have a fireworks display launched from Prescott Field, thanks to Franklin Savings Bank, the Stone Hearth Café and the Farmington Fire Benevolent Association. The show is free but spectators are urged to be respectful of property while viewing. While there is plenty of space adjacent to the fields for a lawn chair or blanket, viewers are asked to not stand or sit on UMF’s Prescott’s playing fields. Nearby parking lots will be available.

This year's theme for the Farmington Rotary Club's July 4 parade was "American Heroes," with Boy Scout Troop 585 dressing up as firefighters, farmers and power line workers for their float.
At last year’s Farmington Rotary Club parade Boy Scout Troop 585 dressed up as firefighters, farmers and power line workers for their float.

On Saturday, July 4 in Farmington, the Rotary is sponsoring its annual Independence Day parade through downtown. Line up is at 8 a.m. in the High Street parking lot near UMF’s student center. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and moves through downtown Farmington: North on High Street across Broadway to Main Street then Main Street to South Street back to the parking lot. This year’s theme is “children.”

Old South First Congregational Church volunteers will be serving up strawberry shortcake on July 4, beginning at 10:30 a.m. on the front lawn of The Pierce House on Main Street in Farmington.

In Carrabassett Valley on Saturday, the town’s Fourth of July 4 Celebration takes place at the Town Park. From 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., the town pool and park’s basketball and tennis courts will be open-weather permitting. At 3 p.m., the annual Children’s Parade will start from the Tufulio’s parking lot with Grand Marshall Stefan the Great. From 3:30- 4:15 p.m. children’s sawdust pile and craft projects will be held. From 4 to 9 p.m. Delectable Burritos made by Polly and Rob MacMichael of the The Rolling Fatties Mobile comes to the Valley with music by provided by DJ Kompost. Children’s Fire truck rides with the Fire Chief and Fire Department Staff will be offered from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m.; 4:30-5:30 p.m.: Magic with Stefan the Great and 5:30-6:30 p.m. balloon art with Stefan the Great. Fireworks by Central Maine Pyrotechnics will be launched at about 9 p.m. Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair, bug spray, towels, swimsuits, tennis rackets, tennis balls, Frisbees and sunscreen to enjoy the day.

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1 Comment

  1. Front Street fireworks show was amazing. Farmington is fortunate to have John Moore!

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