Looking to celebrate Independence Day? Here are some of the festivals, parades and fireworks displays planned for Wednesday, July 3 through Sunday, July 7 in La Salle, Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties.

[ Guide to fireworks in La Salle, Bureau, Putnam and neighboring communities ]

Leland – July 3-4

[ Leland to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, parade, Italian beef fundraiser ]

Leland will celebrate Independence Day on Wednesday and Thursday with a parade, fireworks and – Italian beef.

To kick off the festivities, there will be an Italian beef dinner at the Lions Club Pavilion from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. A beef sandwich, drink, chips and brownie are $13, with all proceeds going to the fireworks.

The fireworks display begins at dusk on Thursday behind the school. There will be vendors and a DJ from 5 p.m.

On Thursday the parade begins at 10 a.m. The formation begins at 9 a.m. behind the school.

Hennepin – July 4

[ Hennepin to celebrate July 4 with full day of activities ]

Hennepin will celebrate its 47th annual Fourth of July celebration. It will be a day of activities culminating in the Thunder on the Illinois fireworks display.

The fireworks display is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. on the Illinois Riverfront.

In addition, the Bob Rehn Memorial Walk and the Movin' for Music 5K Run/Walk will begin at 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., respectively, at the Hennepin Pool, 326 Milan St.

The John Brouwer Memorial Cruise-In will be held from 12pm to 4pm at Ernest Bassi Park and will include cars, trucks, motorcycles and tractors. Registration begins at 10am.

An extensive programme of events including food stalls, a beer garden and family activities starts at 12pm in Walter Durley Boyle Park.

Regal Beagle will perform live music on the courthouse stage (120 N. Fourth St.) before and after the fireworks display, starting at 7 p.m.

The 50/50 raffle tickets for the Thunder on the Illinois fireworks display are available at North Central Bank, 126 E. High St., CYR Financial, 220 E. High St., and the Putnam County Library, 214 N. Fourth St.

Henry – July 4th

Fireworks on the river bank at dusk.

Newark – July 4th

[ Newark to host July 4 parade, activities ]

Newark will celebrate Independence Day with a parade and several community activities.

The parade begins at 10 a.m. The Grand Marshal will be Homegrown Meat Co. and Ice Cream Shop. Parade formation begins at 8 a.m. at Newark High School, 413 Chicago Road. A flag raising ceremony will be held in Town Park immediately following the parade.

Starting at 10 a.m., there will be a makers market organized by Wilder Farmer's Market and kids' activities sponsored by Newark BP/Subway. Activities include face painting, a scavenger hunt with prizes for the winners, and a bounce house.

The tractor show is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., along with a lunch in the park for the Friends of the Library. Lunch will include pulled pork, hamburgers, grilled chicken breast, hot dogs, lemonade and chips.

Rounding out the activities will be a pedal tractor pull, an ice cream meet-up at Newark Lutheran Church and an egg toss organized by the Newark Fire Department.

Ottawa – July 4

[ Ottawa announces July 4 parking plan for fireworks ]

Fireworks at dusk from Ottawa High School's King Field.

Peru – July 3

[ Peru to host July 3 fireworks ]

Peru will once again host its fireworks display on Water Street on Wednesday, July 3rd.

The “Rock the River” fireworks display begins at dusk.

Food vendors Big B BBQ, Maria's, Dog House, Rosati's and Mickey's Massive Burritos will be on site. There will be an alcohol-free fun zone for kids to play.

Trolley service will be provided by Starved Rock Trolley from Fourth/Calhoun and Fourth/Putnam from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Valley Katz will perform at the South Shore Boat Club from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., She's a Maybe from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Riverfront Bar & Grill, followed by DJ Chuck Dog and the Tim Ajster Band from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Bridgetender's Pub.

The City of Peru has announced temporary parking restrictions for July 3. For more information about the restrictions, visit the city's Facebook page or the police department.

Princeton – July 4

[ Princeton fireworks set July 4 at Zearing Park with live entertainment, food, vendors ]

Princeton is planning a Fourth of July party for the whole family.

The Princeton Chamber of Commerce and the Princeton Park District have teamed up to provide entertainment ahead of the dusk fireworks display at Zearing Park on Thursday.

The celebration will be held on the south side of the park. The Bluewater Kings Band will perform from 6 to 9 p.m. Food will be available from Farmer Smoked BBQ, Maria's and the Boy Scouts starting at 5 p.m. There will also be cotton candy for sale, said Jenica Cole, the chamber's executive director. The Princeton Park District will serve alcoholic beverages. Outside alcohol is not permitted. Balloon artist Mr. Cinnamon will entertain the children.

Sheridan – July 4

[ Sheridan to celebrate July 4 with activities, including toilet bowl race ]

On Independence Day, Sheridan in La Salle County will once again be a place worth seeing.

The Sheridan Community Club's annual day is packed with activities and includes a parade, toilet bowl races, children's activities and fireworks at nightfall.

There will also be a handicraft exhibition and a car and tractor exhibition; all activities will take place in the city center.

Registration for the parade begins at 10:30 a.m. and lineup begins at noon on Church Street. For more information, contact Dale Thibault at 815-325-7477 or [email protected].

Registration for the toilet races begins at 2:00 p.m. To participate in the races, each team member must sign safety forms before the race. Bring your own toilet. You can race alone or in a group. Your toilet cannot have a motor. You cannot lift your toilet up and run. Your toilet must have wheels. The person or team with the fastest toilet bowl wins the Golden Toilet Trophy. Message the Sheridan Community Group on Facebook if you have any questions or would like to pre-register.

The Friends of Robert W. Rowe Library, 120 E. Si Johnson Ave., will hold its book flea market on Tuesday, July 2, and Wednesday, July 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., before the final day of the flea market on Thursday, July 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All items are 25 cents.

For more information about Sheridan's 4th of July activities, visit https://www.facebook.com/sheridancommunityclubinfo

The group is looking for volunteers to help clean up after the party on Friday, July 5th from 8 a.m. to noon. Gloves and bags will be provided.

Utica – July 5

For those who need an extra dose of fireworks or missed the Wednesday and Thursday displays across the region, Utica is hosting its family-friendly event at Carey Memorial Park. The fireworks display begins at dusk. There will be food and drinks while supplies last, face painting, bounce houses, an obstacle course and other activities starting at 5 p.m.

Walnut – July 5 to 7

[ Walnut Days set July 5-7 ]

The Walnut Days Celebration runs Friday, July 5 through Sunday, July 7 and includes various activities, a parade and fireworks.

A raffle for a Side X Side is a fundraiser for the fireworks. Tickets are $25 or 5 for $100. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold. The drawing will be held before the fireworks on Sunday. For tickets, call Jesse Willstead at 815-262-3603 or Jen Butler at 815-716-0110. You can also purchase them at Shell, Didley's, Walnut Leader, Cafe, the Shed, Roots or the Walnut Library.

For more information and festival details, visit walnutdays.com.