July 4 weekend fireworks & festivities

Celebrate the Fourth of July with these local, family-fun and fireworks spectaculars:

Niagara County

•In Lewiston, fireworks will begin to fly at dusk, from atop the spoils plateau, on Thursday, July 4. A rain date is set for Friday.

•The City of Niagara Falls will offer fireworks at Hyde Park on Thursday, July 4, after the Niagara Falls Americans baseball game at Sal Maglie Stadium.

•The cities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda announced plans to hold a joint fireworks celebration starting at 10 p.m. Friday, July 5. Called “Light Up the Sky,” the massive display by Skylighters Fireworks will be staged from Tonawanda Island, according to a news announcement. Residents from throughout the upper Niagara River area will be able to experience event at numerous locations, said North Tonawanda Mayor Austin Tylec, who is presenting this event with City of Tonawanda Mayor John White.

“You can view it from Niawanda Park in Tonawanda, Gratwick Park in North Tonawanda, or (Raymond) Klimek’s Veterans Park and many other locations,” Tylec said. “We really hope this becomes a staple of Western New York.”

•In Niagara Falls, Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino will present a fireworks show Friday, July 5. Gates open at 9 p.m., and the display begins at 9:40 p.m. A rain date is set for Saturday, July 6.

•The Town of Niagara’s “Music Mania Mondays” concert series will hold a special event on Saturday, July 6. 2 p.m., Learning to Fly (Tom Petty tribute); 4 p.m., Grand Illusion (Styx tribute); 6 p.m., Out On The Tiles (Led Zeppelin tribute); and 8 p.m., Tequila Sunrise (Eagles tribute). The series is staged at Veteran's Memorial Community Park, 7000 Lockport Road.

•The Town of Wheatfield will present live music and fireworks on Thursday, July 4, at Oppenheim Park. Sooner Tunes Productions will perform at 6 p.m. Fireworks will be on display at dark. Celebrate with your family and friends.

Erie County

•The Town of Grand Island Recreation Department announces the 48th annual Dick Bessel Independence Day Run will take place Thursday, July 4, starting at Grand Island Boulevard and Whitehaven Road. The kids race (314 meters for ages 4-10) starts at 9 a.m., followed by the 2.3-mile run (ages 10 and up) at 9:10 a.m.

Check-in area is at Town Hall, which will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8:45 a.m.

The event is sanctioned by USATF. The course is certified to be accurate by USATF. Race Registration, finish line and timing by Score This!!! This is a ChampionChip timed race. Participants will be issued a timing chip at registration/packet pickup on the morning of the race. Awards will be at the finish line area at 10 a.m.

Online registration is available at score-this.com. For more information, call the Recreation Department at 716-773-9680.

Parking is available in the Grand Island Plaza parking lot on Grand Island Boulevard. The parade will follow the races.

Note: If you park on the parade route you may not be able to leave until the parade is finished.

LCA welcomes Reflector for July 4 evening of entertainment

Lewiston Council on the Arts Press Release

The heart of Lewiston, Academy Park, is the perfect place to gather to view the Fourth of July fireworks. The Lewiston Council on the Arts is adding to the village’s Independence Day celebration by presenting an evening of dance and music.

At 7 p.m., VFW Downriver Post 7487 will present the colors, to be followed by the national anthem sung by baritone Dominic Townsend.

We will have performances by the Greater Niagara Ballet Company and the Lewiston Rockettes from Janet Dunstan’s Dance Academy. Then, the band Reflector will give a full concert of all your favorites – Tom Petty, The Tragically Hip, The Cure, Matchbox 20, Tears For Fears, Simple Minds, The Doors – and many, many more.

It is sure to be a wonderful evening – pack your cooler and meet us there!

Niagara County Legislator Andres announces details for 4th of July ‘Kids Parade’

Submitted by the Public Information Office

Niagara County Legislator Rich Andres announced the details for the Fourth of July “Kids Parade” that will take place this Thursday in North Tonawanda. The annual event will step off at 10:30 a.m. from Pine Woods Park (Niagara and Thompson streets) and head west on Thompson Street. The route will end at the Herschel Carousel Museum, 180 Thompson St., North Tonawanda. The entire event runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon. All are welcome to participate.

At the museum, kids will enjoy rides in Kiddieland, and ice cream will be served. Children are encouraged to decorate their bikes, wagons, strollers and so on, and wear their most patriotic outfits to celebrate America’s birthday.

“The ‘Kids Parade’ represents a great slice of Americana and is a tremendous way for families to kick-off their 4th of July festivities,” said Andres, who organizes the parade. “I always love to see the creativity of the kids in decorating their bikes in red, white and blue, and how excited they are to show them off.

North Tonawanda Council President Frank DiBernardo added, “This wholesome, family-friendly event is what North Tonawanda is all about. I’m looking forward to another great turnout from our residents.”

The “grand marshal” of this year’s parade will be 100-year-old World War II veteran William “Bill” Gosch, a lifelong resident of North Tonawanda.

“This community is really a special place, and it’s so nice to see the kids having fun,” Gosch said. “To be young again. … I’d love to be riding a bike right along with them celebrating Independence Day.”