The following is planned for York, Ogunquit and Kennebunk

Ready for America's birthday party? Communities across southern Maine are gearing up. Fireworks and fun are planned for Independence Day on Thursday, July 4th.

York will host two fireworks displays, one on Thursday, July 4, and another on Saturday, July 6. Ogunquit is planning a “giant fireworks display” for July 4, while Sandford will host its annual street festival and parade.

Here's a look at the events planned in York, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, Wells and Sanford.

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York illuminated: Two nights of spectacular fireworks

York offers two nights of fireworks during the week of the Fourth of July.

First, on July 4, fireworks are set off from a barge off Short Sands Beach for the crowds in Ellis Park on Ocean Avenue.

On July 6, a fireworks display will be set off near the York Harbor Reading Room at 491 York Street.

Nick Darby, special events coordinator for York Parks and Recreation, said the Fourth of July show is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. and the fireworks in the Reading Room should go off around the same time or after dark.

The week also features fun events and entertainment at Long Sands Beach.

On July 4th, a dance party with music led by a Parks and Recreation Department dance instructor will be held near the Long Sands Bathhouse.

“For anyone who wants to join in and show off their moves,” Darby said.

The next evening, July 5, the 195th Army Band will perform in front of the Long Sands Bathhouse.

Darby said July 4 is a special time of year for York that has more meaning than “just another summer day.”

“There's a little more patriotism and love for our veterans,” Darby said. “There's a little more appreciation for the country we live in.”

The 45th annual Four on the 4th road race, presented by York Parks and Recreation and the York Rotary Club, will also be held on July 4th.

Registration is online only and closes at 8pm on July 2. The race begins at 7:30am at York High School and runs along Long Sands Beach. Bib distribution begins at 6:15am on race day, but participants are asked to pick up their bibs at the family-friendly pre-race party on July 3 between 3pm and 5pm at York High School.

The link to race registration can be found at yorkmerotary.org.

There will be a pre-race party at York High School on July 3 from 3-5pm. This event is organized by York Rotary and is open to all and free. There will be activities for the whole family including an obstacle course and bounce house, yard games, music, refreshments and early race bib distribution for race participants.

Sanford: Street festival, fireworks and parade

In Sanford, the fun begins on Wednesday, July 3, with a street festival starting at 4 p.m. on William Oscar Emery Drive at Number One Pond.

According to Sanford Parks and Recreation, vendors will open their food trucks, tents and booths at 4 p.m.

The Maine Attraction Water Ski Team will begin warming up on the water at 6 p.m. and will liven up the pond with an entertaining show at 6:30 p.m.

The fireworks begin at dusk — or around 9 a.m., according to the recreation department's website. Traditionally, friends and families can view the fireworks from the shore of the pond, the hill in Gowen Park, the bridge on Winter Street or near the waterfall in Gateway Park on Washington Street, to name a few select locations.

Then on Thursday, July 4, the city will hold its annual Independence Day Parade. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. in the streets surrounding the Sanford Car Wash and will head north to Gowen Park. The theme of this year's parade is “From the Sea to the Shining Sea.”

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Ogunquit plans “huge, dazzling fireworks display”

Earlier this year, New York magazine Real Simple hailed Ogunquit as the world's most popular vacation destination. Part of its appeal is undoubtedly due to the reputation the coastal town's annual Fourth of July fireworks display has earned over the years.

“We have a huge fireworks display that I'm told is one of the best in southern Maine,” said Alice Pearce, executive director of the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce, which is presenting this year's fireworks display.

On July 4, the “dazzling show,” as Pearce described it, will begin at 9:15 p.m. on Ogunquit Beach. Anyone who can find a spot from Main Beach to Footbridge and North Beaches and beyond is guaranteed a “great view,” the Chamber of Commerce said on its website.

In the hours before the show, musicians provide live entertainment.

If it rains, the city will postpone the fireworks display until the next evening, Friday, July 5, at the same time.

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Kennebunk and Kennebunkport host joint fireworks display

On Wednesday, July 3, the Kennebunk River Band will perform a free concert at 6:30 p.m. in Lafayette Park, 9 Storer Street. The show is the holiday week's contribution to the city's annual Concerts in the Park series, which takes place every Wednesday evening now through August 14.

Traditionally, the cities of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport jointly host a fireworks display on Kennebunk Beach at dusk on July 4th.

To kick off the Fourth of July, the Kennebunkport Resort Collection is hosting a Fourth of July Lobster Dinner at The Lodge on the Cove, located at 29 South Main Street, with two seating times at noon and 5 p.m. Tickets are available online starting at $70.

The bake is billed as “the ultimate Maine experience,” and offers attendees the chance to “immerse themselves in classic New England seafood flavors,” according to KRC. The menu includes 1.25 pounds of fresh lobster per person, rotisserie chicken, clams, corn on the cob, potatoes, cornbread, and Maine blueberry crisp.

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Wells: A concert to close the holiday weekend

Although the city of Wells has no Fourth of July traditions, the community offers a fun end to the holiday weekend.

As part of the recently launched 2024 Wells Harbor Summer Concert Series, the Deep Blue Sea Studio Orchestra will perform at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 6 at the Hope Hobbs Gazebo, 331 Harbor Road.

According to Rebekah Kelley, the city's communications and volunteer coordinator, the orchestra will perform songs such as “Lazy, Hazy Crazy Days of Summer,” “You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine,” “Under the Boardwalk” and more.

The orchestra is led by internationally touring artist Dave “Doc” Vose, a longtime professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Yamaha clinician and published music composer.

“The orchestra focuses on two things: quality performances and entertaining the audience,” Vose said.

Parking and admission are free. There are park benches to sit on, but visitors are welcome to bring their own blankets, folding chairs, etc.

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The following is planned for York, Ogunquit and Kennebunk

York illuminated: Two nights of spectacular fireworks

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York illuminated: Two nights of spectacular fireworks

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